Video - BBC Midlands Today 19th December

The Decision - Collection can be dispersed and sold....

The Campaign to Save the Wedgwood Museum received the shocking news that the UNESCO recognised archive of international importance is not held in trust and can be dispersed and sold to meet wholly disproportionate £135m Pension Fund liabilities.

Read the Press release from the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) lawyers here. Stoke-upon-Trent MP Hon. Dr Tristram Hunt MP is meeting with Government Ministers on December 20th to discuss the plight of the Museum.

The Battle continues - continued political lobbying is essential: write to your MP to drive home how important this unique collection is to you.

Campaign leader Alison Wedgwood: "We will begin a fund raising campaign in the new year, asking the government for urgent support, and seeking support from the Art Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund and as many generous philanthropists as we can cajole. This collection is not leaving Staffordshire without a fight!"


Write to you MP, Join our Supporters roll to declare your support and to be kept up to date with the Campaign: help to Save Wedgwood for the Nation.

Thank you for your support.

 

Decision expected - 19th December

The High Court have informed the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) that the judgement will be revealed on Monday 19th December. 


Check the news Blog and follow us on Twitter to hear the news.

Decision still awaited!

The Court decision was initially expected at the end of October - to date it is still awaited. We will update the page and all supporters as soon as a decision is known.

Court Decision expected at the end of October

The three-day Court Hearing before His Honour Judge Purle ended on Thursday 15^th September. A decision is expected at the end of October.

Reports on the first two days were carried by local Paper the Staffordshire Sentinel:

·  Day One: Court Hears: “Wedgwood… collection ‘must be sold’ to plug £134m pension black hole”
· Day Two: Court Hears: “Wedgwood Art is for Public Benefit”

BBC Midlands Today 13/9

http://www.youtube.com/user/savewedgwood

Museum Court Case – this week.

A Judge will decide this week whether the contents of the UNESCO recognised, award winning Wedgwood Museum will have to be broken up and sold. The Case will be heard from 13^th-15^th September at the Birmingham Civil Justice Centre, (Court 6), Birmingham before chancery circuit judge, His Honour Judge Purle QC.

The Public Gallery will be open.

Visit the Campaign website to find out more about the campaign, and the Museum collection it is working to save. 

Haywards Health Ceramics Group

The Chairman of the Haywards Heath Ceramics Group, Mrs Caroline Young, who joined our own supporters roll In the last few months has organised a petition from her members. She recently dispatched this to her Member of Parliament, Hon. Nicholas Soames MP.



Thank you for your support.

Wedgwood Museum Trust - Court date set.

The Wedgwood Museum is still fully open pending direction from a Judge to the Administrator to determine whether the prize winning collection can be sold off to pay the pension creditors. The date for the case to be heard in Court has been confirmed as 13^th September 2011 – the case may last up to three days.

More details will be posted, when known.

The work that supporters are doing to raise awareness and lobby MPs and other Parliamentarians has been tremendous – if you have not already done so access the lobbying resources and write to your MP.

Thank you.


 

 

 

 

Unintended consequences for the "last man standing": the Wedgwood tale of woe

Bruce Tattersall, barrister, sometime curator of the Wedgwood Museum and campaign supporter has written an excellent "guest post" for the Art and Artifice Blog – "Unintended consequences for the 'last man standing': the Wedgwood tale of woe."

Coverage in the “Staffordshire Sentinel”

 

Tom and Alison Wedgwood write in Tuesday's (1^st March) edition of The Sentinel – "All too familiar English Tragedy" – read it here: http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/news/familiar-English-tragedy/article-3275924-detail/article.html

Court case date put back, again.

The court case to decide whether the Pension Protection Fund can force the break-up and sale of the Wedgwood Museum collection, has been put back again – possibly until April/May: The Sentinel has the story: "Hearing delayed over future of Wedgwood Museum collection"

 

 

 

John Wedgwood Pound

 

A.N. Wilson’s “Diary” in the Financial Times

See A.N. Wilson's "Diary" in the Financial Times – "The agonising saga of the Wedgwood Museum in Barlaston, Staffordshire continues" - http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/6c2d1b3a-3563-11e0-aa6c-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1DixuVIG6

What our Supporters Say......

Due to the high profile articles in the Telegraph on Saturday and Monday, the e-mails of support have been pinging through at an unprecedented rate, some of the recent comments received include:

Davide:

I have just read the article regarding the circumstances surrounding the Wedgwood Collection and I am appalled at the extent to which this country has established practices which permit financial institutions to asset strip our established society and heritage.

 Dianne:

Having  just  read  article  about  this  crisis ,  I  am  appalled  at  the  prospect  of  the  destruction  of  a  wonderful, unique  collection  such  as  the  archive  and  irreplaceable  historic  pottery  items  housed  in  the  Museum  at  Wedgwood.  I  am  disgusted  that  the  Government  seem  ready  to  allow  events  to  take  their  course,  too  apathetic  to  act  to  prevent  more   vandalism  against  our  heritage.As  a  member  of  the  public  with  an  interest  in  antique  pottery  and  porcelain, I  have  visited  the  Museum  several  times, each  time  amazed  at  the  wealth  of  material  on  display  and  the  national  importance  of  this  collection  to  our  history. I  hope  that  your  campaign  meets  with  success.  We  have  already  lost  much  of  our  industrial  past  and  need  to  retain  such  treasures  as  evidence  of  what we  once  bequeathed  to  the  world .

Janferie:

It is shocking that the collection could be dispersed. Save it! 

Susan:

A long time admirer of the pottery and also of Josiah who was a national treasure in his own right. It is impossible to break this collection up.  

Caroline:

I feel that the many gifts that people have given to the Museum are inalienable and that the public should continue to be able to view their heritage. 

Sven in Switzerland:

Only in the UK could the most sincere of original intentions turn into a legislative labyrinth at a later date. If this were not a possible tragedy in the making, it would be risible. The Wedgwood Collection is not only a National treasure,it is also an International asset: there is no doubt that were it dismembered, the UK would lose every single piece to private overseas collectors.

Dr Tristram Hunt MP: A hammer blow for the peerless Wedgwood Potteries

Following Saturday's Daily Telegraph Feature in their Weekend supplement, Dr Tristram Hunt MP has written a comment piece in Monday's edition:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/8277846/A-hammer-blow-for-the-peerless-Wedgwood-Potteries.html#disqus_thread

Daily Telegraph - "Wedgwood Collection campaign: Don’t smash this national treasure"

Excellent article featuring campaign leaders Tom and Alison Wedgwood in the Daily Telegraph on January 20th:

"The Wedgwood Collection, a unique record of our socal history built up over two and a half centuries, is under threat reports Victoria Lambert"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/8271194/Wedgwood-Collection-campaign-Dont-smash-this-national-treasure.html

Hilary Kay's Celebrity Mastermind 1st Round: "Life and Works of Josiah Wedgwood"

Thanks to robhenson16 for the clip.