North Staffordshire is a world centre for
fine ceramics—a skilled design trade has existed in the area since at least the
12th century. But in the late 1980s and 1990s Stoke-on-Trent was hit hard by
the general decline in the British manufacturing sector. Numerous factories,
steelworks, collieries, and potteries were closed, including the renowned
Shelton Bar steelworks. This resulted in a sharp rise in unemployment in the
'high-skilled but low-paid' workforce.
The pottery firm Wedgwood and its
subsidiary Royal Doulton are based in nearby
