Pottery museum celebrates 50th anniversary

Gladstone Pottery Museum is all fired up to celebrate its golden anniversary

A museum dedicated to pottery is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its official opening.

Gladstone Pottery Museum in the town of Longton in Stoke-on-Trent attracts thousands of visitors every year, and it is where Channel 4's popular Great Pottery Throw Down is filmed.

A pottery factory first opened on the site in 1787, but the bottle kilns were fired for the last time in 1960, and the site was put up for sale.

The Grade II* listed building was eventually opened as a museum on 24 April 1975 by Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester. The city council took ownership in 1989.

Gladstone's golden anniversary was marked with a special event on Thursday.

The Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, Councillor Lyn Sharpe, and Kelvin the Kiln, the city's centenary mascot, met the staff and volunteers who give the many visitors a warm welcome.

Sharpe said: "We built this city on the hugely successful and traditional ceramics industry. It's what gained us city status in the first place, so I'm incredibly proud to be able to celebrate 50 years of honouring that heritage at Gladstone.

"The fabulous staff and volunteers really bring the story of the city I love to life.

"They've done an amazing job over the last 50 years of showcasing the skills and creativity that mean our local industry is known throughout the world."

One volunteer, Paul Niblett, has worked tirelessly at Gladstone since 1971 – even meeting his wife, Kathy, in a bottle kiln at the museum.

Mr Niblett said: "When we're open, I like the opportunity of saying hello to our visitors, particularly to express thanks for coming.

"I recently chatted to folks from Crewe, Huddersfield and Preston. A couple of weeks ago, my chats included people from Australia and America.

"There is no doubt that the museum is a magnet for people wanting to learn more about our internationally renowned ceramics industry, whether they be schoolchildren, college students, heritage enthusiasts or addicts of well-known TV programmes. Everyone is welcome."

And he added: "Sadly, I've lost a number of stalwart comrades over the years, but I always remember them, especially when we're greasing a throwing wheel, emptying a slip ark or splicing a drive rope.

"They have all contributed to the extraordinary success of Gladstone Pottery Museum."