'Last-remaining Spode Works employee clocks off for final time' - Stoke, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, UK - News Article Locations on Waymarking.com

"When he joined the pottery firm, he was one of more than 700 workers
The last remaining Spode Works employee has retired after 20 years of looking after the former china factory site.

Much-loved site manager Alan Shenton has enjoyed a career spanning four-and-a-half decades in security, the latter half of which was spent at Spode.

The 66-year-old is known to many of the visitors and businesses who use the Stoke site, and has seen a number of changes over the years.

Pottery was crafted at Spode up until 2008, which was taken over by Stoke-on-Trent City Council. There is now a major project to turn it into a creative village.

Alan, whose first wage was £7 per week when he worked on the railway, has had almost no time off (apart from holidays) in all his years at Spode.
He says he had a heart attack in 2015, which kept him off work for a few weeks, but he was back at his desk as quickly as he was allowed under a phased return.
Alan remembers his time working for Spode fondly, and is proud of the site’s heritage.
He said: “It was a second family. They made you feel very welcome.

“When Spode closed, I told people about the history, and when the council took ownership, we had visitors and I talked about the history and the skilled workforce.
“Spode had that history of excellence when it came to producing the finest pottery, you know.”
He added: “You have to remember we were in full production and things were good back in them days.
“When I joined Spode, there were just over 700 employed. In its heyday, there were over 1,000.”

He was in charge of site security, overseeing materials coming in as well as issuing keys and registering visitors.
“When I started, it was 6am to 2pm, 2pm to 10pm, 10pm to 6am shifts and I did that for many years until it started dwindling down. Towards the end [of Spode’s production], I was mainly on days.

“It was a fine-oiled machine. Everybody involved - from a senior technician right down to a labourer - they all had a part to play and Spode was a very tidy place as well.
“It was happy days, and when you get to know people - if somebody’s got married or engaged, you always got an invite. You never got left out, it was really friendly.
“Every time you celebrate a big birthday, most of those people at your birthday party would be from your workplace.
“We partied the night away a good many times.”

When Spode was producing pottery, there were seven retail shops on site, and Alan said he occasionally had to deal with petty criminals trying to steal from them.
“We had two or three thousand visitors a week, but among them we’d have the local villains who’d come on and try and nab something for nothing.
“I’ve always been tactful, so if we were missing something one of the shop staff would phone us at the security lodge and say ‘there’s a parcel to collect’.
“That was the code word for somebody’s in there that they’re not happy with.”
He added: “You get used to the same faces.
“I always remember one incident where I was on my dinner hour, queuing up in Wright’s Pies, and this guy said ‘are you following me Alan? Every time I was on Spode you follow me round’.”
“People recognise you, and he recognised me, but with a bit of politeness they do go on their way.
“I’m so lucky to have a job that I love. I get a wage with it as well, that’s the icing on the cake.
“When the British Ceramic Biennial is on every two years, I’m involved in that and there’s so many gifted people and talented people about. Over the years, we’ve become friends.

“When the council took ownership in 2010, the only thing that kept me in my job was the knowledge of the site.
“It helped them to move along a lot quicker.

“The most memorable moment was 2017, I was called to the Lord Mayor’s parlour to be given an envelope and it was an invite to the Queen’s Jubilee party at Buckingham Palace.

“Now I’ve retired, I’ve had a letter through the post again, and I’ll be having tea with the Lord Mayor.”
He said that while Spode was one of the major players in the pottery industry, sometimes large businesses come to an end.
“It’s sad because the giants do fall, don’t they? We’ve seen it in retail, pottery, the steel industry, coal - I think as we go from year to year, you see something just disappear totally.
“Back when Spode was struggling financially they outsourced overseas, and by 2007 it was really struggling.
“I think the ware wasn’t the same sort of quality as it would have been had it been made in England. “I think it was just one of the downfalls.
“As one door closes, on pottery production, as sad at it was - because I shook many hands and gave many hugs, and those who left said ‘look after the place, Al.’
“I didn’t think I was going to be the last man there.”

Alan is clearly proud of the site he oversaw and has praise in particular for Jeff Nash for introducing the Potbank Hotel onto the site.
“Jeff has kept in mind what Spode was about, so the fascia has never changed. He was very careful to keep that in mind.
“When you change something too much, it’s gone forever, but Jeff I couldn’t fault him for what he’s done.
“And then the council obviously have got retail shops in Church Street which is part of Spode.
“We’ve got 43 artists’ studios on site, we’ve got a florist shop, a beauty salon, a tattoo artist… I could go on forever.
“I praise the council. You have to remember that if it wasn’t for the council buying the site, I think Spode would’ve been flattened.
“It was always the worry, even though there’s buildings of interest and there’s a Grade II-listed, four-storey terrace on Spode.
“The council taking over was a saviour because the buildings are still standing.”
Thinking about the future, Alan can see himself returning to Spode and remaining a part of the fabric of the place.


“Even though I’ve retired I don’t switch off from it," he said. “Whether it’s a month’s time or two months’ time - if someone’s got a question where it can’t be answered because it’s in my head - I’ve told them ‘if you need me phone me’.”

He said he’s invited to bring along a handful of guests who he’s worked with on the site to join him at the Lord Mayor’s parlour, and he asked a number of people who’ve helped him in his role over the years.

Another memory of Alan’s is meeting Ray Winstone and when he was filming the movie Jawbone at the site.
The 2017 movie revolves around a former boxing champion who returns to his childhood boxing club.
Although the story is set in London, the Spode building was used for a substantial part of filming.

“I just love Spode. You know the building’s been there a lot longer than all of us," he said. “But I think when you look back at pottery production itself, it’s that skilled workforce that keeps a company going.
“You can’t have a business without a skilled workforce unless you’re a one-man band.
“Spode certainly had that experienced workforce, throughout the generations right back to 1770.”

Alan was instrumental in brightening up the security lodge - the first port of call for most visitors - and he even booked a local photographer to produce a number of images to show the progression of the buildings before and after renovation works.
Alan’s encyclopaedia knowledge of the 10-acre site meant that the 216 keys required for various doors and padlocks were all memorised.
He has chosen to retire in order to spend more time with his wife, and he also looks forward to returning to the site to have a cup of tea with friends."