Wedgwood Museum's fate

The fate of the Wedgwood Museum at Barlaston should be known soon. Apparently the government now has the full text of the legal ruling that says the museum's collection should be sold off to pay for a huge pension-fund shortfall that the Wedgwood pottery company is having to deal with. And so that means the government now has to make a decision about just what to do.

The collection is priceless of course – it includes some of the original Josiah Wedgwood artefacts as well as thousands of pieces of historic ceramics.

North Staffordshire thinks of itself as being the centre of the world for pottery, and the direct heir of the great craft industry inspired by Josiah (in photo) – so many local people are furious at the suggestion it could be broken up and sold off.

See: Wedgwood Museum fate in balance (Reuters)