One for the China Fetishists out there

In the course of picking out a china pattern around the time of our wedding, we were impressed by the freshness and energy of a lot of the Wedgwood designs, and disappointed in the stodginess of most Royal Doulton. The RD website conveys some of this, and is also horribly written -

"If you want durable porcelain for casual use with a touch of class, Royal Doulton's Gloucester is the perfect blend of functionality and craftsmanship."

or

"Rosenbourg is true class, made to order in England"

or

"Minton's classy modern interpretation of an English hall tapestry is so versatile in design and richly decorated it can make an occasion of any meal."

RD did have one lovely OTT Baroque pattern though, called Riverton, which I suppose is the counterpart to Wedgwood's Astbury - though the latter costs twice as much (at 594 pounds per dinner plate!)

Of the Wedgwood, two of my favourite patterns were a new one called Laurel, and Vera Wang's Champagne Duchess. During the wedding gift process we have acquired some charming occassional pieces from the Jasper Conran Chinoiserie series.

But for our "set", we asked to be given, and delightedly received, plates and bowls from Wedgwood's Jasper Conran Platinum white series - so here's how our dinner table looked yesterday;

Death of a Churchman - Ted Pearsons

The Very Rev. Edward Ross Pearsons O.A.M., (known as "Ted" to all), died on Friday of last week, aged 71. Ted was a central agent in the survival and regrowth of the Presbyterian Church of Victoria, in the face of the formation of the Uniting Church in the 1970s; preserving the continuing church involved a great many legal and other struggles in which he engaged unflaggingly. He was the Clerk of the General Assembly of Victoria for many years, and also served as Moderator of PCV and Moderator-General of the PCA. I shall miss Ted's cheerily whistled hymn-tunes echoing around the staircase of the Assembly Hall, in which we both worked. His funeral will be held at Scots Church Melbourne at 10am on Wednesday 7 May.