As you will no doubt know, Wedgwood is one of the shining gems of Stoke-on-Trent, encapsulating the very spirit and heritage of The Potteries.
These days, the World of Wedgwood continues to go from strength to strength, offering a wealth of things to see, do and experience - it also boasts an incredible afternoon tea that frankly rivals any famous London venue.
To celebrate this most iconic of places, we thought we’d get an exclusive insight into what it’s like to work at the World of Wedgwood, so we caught up with the wonderful Annemarie to find out about everything we could, from flower shows and Clay Pits to Eddie Redmayne, and more.
Enjoy.
Hi Annemarie, how are you? Can you tell us a little about yourself and your role at the World of Wedgwood?
I’m a receptionist at the World of Wedgwood. I meet and greet all of our visitors and organise their visits to ensure they have a fabulous day. I am also responsible for taking bookings and answering enquiries, in addition to the promotion of all of our activities; I up-sell our gift experiences too.
Wedgwood is The Potteries’ most illustrious heritage brand. Have you always dreamed of working here and if so, what inspired you?
Yes, I have always had a great passion for all things pottery as my father was an antique dealer. I’m very proud of our heritage and I get very excited to share my knowledge of Wedgwood and The Potteries area in general.
What does a regular working day in the life of the World of Wedgwood look like, if there is such a thing?
No two days are ever the same. All of our visitors arrive with a certain expectation and it’s my job to exceed that expectation by making sure that they have a great, memorable day out.
What would you say is your favourite thing about Wedgwood and why?
The history, what a story! The beautiful designs are really wonderful - and the very fact that it’s a family all working together to show off their favourite child’s work and legacy is something I find really special.
Have you had any notable or famous visitors walk through the doors in recent years?
Yes, quite a few, including Eddie Redmayne, Catherine Zeta-Jones, the Crown Prince of Thailand (Now King), Michael Portillo, Vera Wang, Lulu Guinness and Christian Louboutin. Not a bad mix of visitors, I’d say.
What would you say is the most memorable thing that has ever happened while you’ve been with Wedgwood?
I represented the World of Wedgwood at the Tatton Flower Show and I also escorted the Crown Prince around the premises. These are two of my finest Wedgwood-based achievements, for sure.
And last but not least, what exciting things do you have in store over the coming months?
Well, we’ve got a busy summer in store with lots of different activities for our visitors to enjoy including the Clay Pit, Play with Clay, Artisan Markets, Pot throwing and Painting. After the summer, we’ll no doubt have plenty of fun and fantastic things up our sleeve, so stay tuned.
Thank you for your time, Annmarie, it’s been a pleasure.