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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Do not go to Emma Bridgewater- NOT family friendly

51 replies

decidedlydizzy · 23/02/2012 12:55

My sister and I and our 5 children visited the design studio at the factory shop in Stoke. A very rude member of stuff snapped at the kids to "pipe down" as they were having a meeting in this area. When I complained on email they replied that we had been inadequately supervising the kids. The content of their response was also very rude. I am disgusted as we spent over £40 there. If they were concerned why didn't they ask us politely to be quiet (not that the kids were being loud) or to leave? I would never recommend this as a family friendly environment or buy anything from this brand again.

OP posts:
GetOrfMoiiLand · 23/02/2012 13:13

Oh I take it back then OP. Sorry for being a pisstaking twat.

Those paint yer pottery places should cater for children.

But 2 adults and 7 children with pottery + paint + emma Bridgwater pretentiousness.

You are a brave woman. Grin

ivykaty44 · 23/02/2012 13:13

Dartington Crystal - I went there for a trip when it was still Dartington Glass - this was back in 1976 though and it may have changed a bit since then - it was good to see glass being blown and how they made the coloured glass Grin

Why have a meeting in a china shop - lets all have meeting in china shop from now on - stop going to boring hotels and shutting yourselves away in a boring conference room - go to a china shop or better still lego land and then shhsshhh all the children Grin

Original poster
decidedlydizzy · 23/02/2012 13:13

BTW, prices alot more competitive on amazon as we checked after our visit

OP posts:
JaneMare · 23/02/2012 13:15

you've got a bit more of a point now then, OP

that's a bit shit, to tell DCs to hush it up when you're there for an activity aimed at them...

if you'd said that in the 1st place... soz and that

GetOrfMoiiLand · 23/02/2012 13:15

I went to Dartington Crystal on a school trip - I was 8 iirc.

Watching glass being blown was actually very interesting.

But some bright spark had the idea of letting the children go and have a look in the glass shop - luckily nothing was smashed but the teacher was ashen when we all trooped back on the bus.

BearlyThere · 23/02/2012 13:16

and how odd not to try and smooth things over in an email afterwards - even if OPs kids were hanging from ceiling

sparkle12mar08 · 23/02/2012 13:16

It's a working factory tour, not really all that suitable for very young children tbh. There's tonnes of stuff to do in the general area if you venture outside the actual city though, Biddulph Grange is fab, there's Ford Green Hall, Chatterly Whitfield used to be amazing but has sadly closed. I love factory tours and industrial history, but it's something that will have to wait till the kids are older.

sparkle12mar08 · 23/02/2012 13:17

Bugger, cross post. This thread is moving.

Original poster
decidedlydizzy · 23/02/2012 13:19

thanks, yes I should have been clearer. But yes there are lots of great free things to do in and around Stoke- Potteries Museum, Bramptons museum & park in Newcastle under Lyme, Hanley Park, Longton Park. Don't normally go to Trentham as it's expensive, only go without the kids.

OP posts:
ivykaty44 · 23/02/2012 13:19

Great Torrington that exciting town in north Devon

ivykaty44 · 23/02/2012 13:21

and how odd not to try and smooth things over

but they are odd - otherwise they wouldn't arrange meetings and play/craft areas for children in the same location - that is just bonkers

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 23/02/2012 13:21

Grin at the thought of a bunch of 8 year old schoolkids being let loose in the Dartington Glass shop!! I'm surprised the teacher was just ashen, and didn't have a full-on nervous breakdown. We took the dses in there, when they were younger than this, but pretty much put them in straitjackets before we ventured in.

OP - YANBU to be pissed off by this. You were in the right place for your activity, and your children were behaving appropriately for where they were. The cafe is NOT a sensible place to have a meeting, unless the participants are going to accept that there will be noise and kerfuffle in the background.

They were wrong, you were right.

before >>

Original poster
decidedlydizzy · 23/02/2012 13:22

we didn't do the factory tour sparkle, for that reason, But the "paint your own" was specifically aimed at young children. I'm not peeved about where people have their meetings but miffed at the rudeness and lack of apology for rudeness in the email response.

OP posts:
GetOrfMoiiLand · 23/02/2012 13:26

lol at SDTG's madcap use of brackets.

I used to LIVE near Great Torrington. It is where hope goes to die.

hermionestranger · 23/02/2012 13:31

Ooh I went to the Caithness (I think) glass factory in oban. Repeatedly when I was a little kid. Fond memories of DON'T TOUCH! PUT IT DOWN! I SAID YOU LOOK WITH YOUR EYES!
Silly parents! GrinGrinGrin

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 23/02/2012 13:32

I would email them back, decidedlydizzy, and state clearly that you were in a public area, doing an activity provided by the company, and should not have had your enjoyment curtailed because a meeting was being held in an inappropriate place. And under no circumstances should you have been spoken to so rudely or should you have received such a brusque response to your first email. Email it to as many people high up in the company as you can, rather than just customer services.

ivykaty44 · 23/02/2012 13:37

GetOrfMoiiLand - I will excuse you a lot now I know that small fact about you Grin I have family still down there near Woolsf and Ho!

Original poster
decidedlydizzy · 23/02/2012 13:38

thanks for advice SDT- I will do that.

OP posts:
lisaro · 23/02/2012 13:44

they were behaving just fine IMHO, besides which that isn't the point. Rudeness is never justified.

Your opinion of b'fine' behaviour may not match other peoples. The comment was about their behaviour, so that IS the point. And asking them to behave is not rudeness if they were being a pain. I don't know if they were behaving badly or not, we only have one side of the story, but you do seem to think that it doesn't matter if they were.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 23/02/2012 17:02

Lisaro - surely if you want peace and quiet for a meeting, you don't hold it in a cafe where small children are going to be painting china? And if you do choose to hold it in such a venue, you must expect a certain amount of noise, and be prepared to put up with it.

And even if you do choose a cafe as the (inappropriate) venue for your meeting, and find that the noise from the activity (that is supposed to take place in that cafe) is too disruptive, then surely you are polite when you ask the parents if they can keep their children quiet!

Honeydragon · 23/02/2012 17:07

I think its rather rude of the staff to have a staff meeting in the public canteen....doesn't look terribly professional to me. Just wanky and upbumholeish.

BearlyThere · 23/02/2012 18:05

Sod that. Send the fuckers this thread.
Then pipe down. ;)

Sallydonnellan · 08/05/2012 17:59

Moved to Torrington from Oxfordshire over 2 months ago. I've got a 3 year old daughter. Really struggling to find mums to chat to! Anyone local? Need chats with like minded folk before I lose my mind!:/

whatsonyourplate · 20/05/2012 16:33

perhaps you should post a message on their facebook page, that would get their attention...

LadySybilDeChocolate · 20/05/2012 16:40

You should have taken them to Cadbury World. Wink

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