Best of British

[emmie]

or not, as they case may be. Having a wander around the shops i popped into one large department store. In the home wares department i came across all these items presumably for the Queens Diamond Jubilee. I picked up an enamel mug, which brings back some memories, and smiled at the logo, Keep Calm and Carry On, which seems to be everywhere. However on looking at the bottom of the mug, it had made in China. Would it not be beyond the wit of some to actually make these mementoes, and paraphernalia here in Britain, or don't we make anything any more.

[askyourgran]

That is why Britain isn't so great any more. We are fast losing our skills in manufacturing, tailoring used to be one of the main industries where I live. Now we haven't any.

[emmie]

I know, and that is what i find very sad.

[tonyav]

I live in the '' Back Country '' the power house of England ( or used to be ) in my area we where surrounded by manufacturing factories ( some were massive ). In the early 1970's when i left school you could get a job anywhere and if you didn't like it leave and get another job the same day. At night the sky used to glow orange ( from all the furnaces in the foundries). Now there is hardly anything, housing estates now stand where massive factories once stood. It's very sad indeed.

[Tilly2]

Still made here:
Churchill China
Burleigh
Denby
Moorcroft
Moorland Pottery
Emma Bridgewater
Steelite
Stokemaveric and Andy Hughes may be able to add more.

[boxtops]

Tony - I used to live next door to Mitchells & Butlers brewery in Smethwick - it's a housing estate now.

[woofgang]

the M and S jubliee china is made in the Uk and marked as such.

[tonyav]

You know what I mean then boxtops.

[emmie]

but that is pottery, china wear, try looking for clothes, cars, electrical items, rare as hens teeth.

[tonyav]

Still got Jaguar Land Rover and they are still putting MG's together at Longbridge allthough on a much smaller scale.

[emmie]

Tonyav
aren't they owned by the Tata group

[jake-the-peg]

They are owned abroad as are many of our major manufacturing industries.

British Industry is at the forefront of manufacturing especially in high tech

we're the world's 7th Largest manufacturing nation.

Unfortunately we don't seem to be able to run companies particularly well - If we do have a sucessfull company it seems all the owners want to do is cash in and sell out to an overseas company.

It's sad but at least it provides jobs.

I myself joined a very sucessfull British software house - now 15 years later I find that company owned by a large American Multi-national

Lack of vision at the top of British companies I fear

[emmie]

or was it the constant wage demands that put paid to much of it. High wages, high labour costs can't be sustained, if you are a company with a large work force, pension rights, and red tape.

[tonyav]

Yep, Jaguar Land Rover are Indian, MG are Chinese.