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Morning.
- Whoever is stealing clay, you will be caught.
And you will be sacked,
and by God, you'll never work in potteries again.
Get that tat off your bench!
Good evening, Miss Cliff.
- Well?
It's almost ready for the lace.
Do you think Reg will like it?
- He'll love it.
But it needs summat. - Well, it's not finished yet.
- Hmm.
There.
It's a wedding dress.
- Oh, Clarice!
Every blessed day.
Dot, that's looking lovely.
Clarice, a letter came for you.
I got the job. I got the job!
I'm gonna be a lithographer at Wilkinson's with you, Dot.
- I'm not a lithographer. Neither are you.
- I know it seems like a step down
but I'll be at a better factory.
And the things that they're making, I mean, they're...
Oh, beautiful.
This one's called Oriflamme.
- I want you to get on, duck,
but we can't get by on lower wages.
- But...
- Lithographers are girls not smart enough to paint.
How is that going on?
- We can't afford it.
We're not moving. That's an end on it.
- Olen said they're gonna sack me.
Well the clay that they were giving me to practice with,
they, they weren't giving it to me.
- Oh, you never stole it?
- It were offcuts that no-one wanted.
And I just thought I...
- Go upstairs.
Now!
How do I go about putting food on the table?
Take in washing?
- I like working at Wilkinson's. I have friends there.
- Hm.
- Can you please behave yourself?
- Hmm.
- Lithography down there. That's you, innit it?
Clarice.
- Coming through. - All right, Gladys?
This place is amazing.
- It's filthy, is what it is. Come on.
Clarice.
- Oh, that's my sister. Dot!
- She the one who wears on ya? - Mm.
- Out of bounds.
- Clarice. - Hey up, Reg.
Dot didn't say you was at Wilkinson's.
- Um, my sister's fiancé.
Oh.
- Clarice.
- Two minutes. - Thank you.
- What's this?
- Nothing. Misfires for chucking.
- For chucking? - Go, go, go.
- Two minutes of your time... - Shh!
- ...for hundreds of wasted man hours.
Two minutes.
50 years of design and we needn't spend a penny more.
- What about Oriflamme? - That proves my point.
A new line winning all sorts of awards.
- Look at the sales.
Why are we wasting time and money
with your constant mwuh, mwuh, mwuh.
We have good pieces here.
- Is that to be our legacy?
Just hawking old stock.
We should be at the forefront of innovation at Wilkinson's.
- I have production lines falling over.
Mould stores at bursting point.
- That's not my problem. - Father would be turning
in his grave. - Don't be such a nincompoop.
Uh, Gladys, won't you please get out of there
and go back to work?
So sorry, Mr. Guy.
I'm just showing the new girl around.
- Now, I'm late! - My apology.
- Not now, talk to my brother. He's always right.
- Out of the way! - Out of the bloody way!
- For God's sake, man! - Welcome to Wilkinson's.
- All right. There you go.
See if you can do one yourself now.
Like what you were.
Now on to t'plate.
Uh, no air bubbles.
Good. Right, you're done.
- So, that's it? - Well, yeah.
How hard d'you think it was? Bless yer!
Hey, where were you before?
- I was a paintress over at Hollinshead.
- What, you're doing this now?
- Fancied a change.
- Clarice, lunch ends in two minutes.
- Hmm.
- Where's she going?
- Uh, I don't know.
- God, she just does what she wants...
- Honestly, that factory tour, she was a nightmare,
I'm not joking.
Uh, no offense.
- Do you like the size? - Yeah, I do,
I do I like the model.
But somehow I miss the green.
Yes, yes, well, we could have the green.
- It's possible we'll put some of this
into the next firing. - Hmm.
- Yes. I agree. - Good, good.
- So does he. Don't you?
My wife never wears it, I don't know why.
Anyway. Onward.
- Yes?
- On you go.
- Ah!
It's nothing.
- Lithography has ruined those paintress hands.
- Mum.
Oh, Dot.
- It's better than last week.
You need to see a doctor.
- And how do we pay for that, hm?
- Hey, uh, the girls in lithography said
someone got a formal warning yesterday.
- Clarice. - It might not have been me.
It were nothing. I'm getting on, Mum.
And I'll earn more.
I'm practicing modeling
with a bit of clay left from Hollinshead.
- How many women modelers do you see in Wilkinson's?
- I've got hands, I can model.
- In anywhere?
- Maybe you're right.
Maybe I should try kiln stacking at Wedgewood.
- Go the canal way so they don't see you.
- I owe you, Reg.
- Oh! Clarice!
That's fancy.
Just make sure you clean that rolling pin properly.
How was the Hippodrome?
- We didn't go to the Hippodrome 'cause he was that upset.
Reg got the sack for helping you steal clay.
And no-one's hiring.
And you'll be sacked the instant you're through the gates tomorrow.
- You need your strength. Eat!
Have you seen what Clarice made last night?
You should show 'em at Wilkinson's.
That'd get you noticed. Eat your breakfast.
- Oh, she's been noticed, Mum.
And the worst of it is, she got Reg involved.
Your lunch!
She'll be back home in time for lunch.
- Cliff.
Come here.
Move.
- The braces won't hold. - What about the capacity?
There is no spare capacity.
No, no, the braces will hold.
- Sir, I- - They will hold,
that's an end to it.
- Excuse me, sirs. - What?
- Sirs, this, uh, young lady was caught stealing clay.
- Not only do we not tolerate thieves at Wilkinson's, Miss-
- Cliff.
- But we also report them to the police.
You'll not be working in The Potteries again.
- I took scraps, sir.
- And who gave you permission? Hmm?
No one?
Then you stole.
- They're floor scraps for chucking.
- Uh, speak when spoken to.
- If you wouldn't mind-
- How dare you. I've just told you not to-
- Uh-uh...
You made this?
- Stole, more like.
- Quiet.
- It's rough. The clay had grit from the floor.
Based on French silverware. I saw it in a magazine.
- Well, it's rather...
It's rather good. - Hmm.
- But thieved, nonetheless.
- Sir, if I'd have asked for the scraps,
would you have said yes?
- You could've tried, young lady.
- One should always ask. - Where do you work?
What, what does she do? - Lithography, sir.
- Lithography is not all I've got, sirs.
I went to night school at Tunstall. A scholarship.
And I've been a paintress at Hollinshead,
and a bander at Grindley and a gilder at Lingards.
- So, nobody will have you then?
- Do you tire easily? - No, sir.
No, I'm getting to know the industry.
I'm trying my hand so I can work out
how to make the ideas that I come up with.
Vases like this one.
- Hmm.
Well, you've got some talent, I'll say that for you.
Miss Cliff, is this the first time you've taken clay?
- Hey up, duck. Are you all right?
- Yeah.
- Ain't she up herself?
- You can tell she's a paintress.
- All right, do you two want to quit your whingin'?
Get your eyes back on your plate.
- There's your lunch there.
What'll you do now then?
- Become a modeler, I suppose.
- Oh, dunna be messing. - I'm not.
They loved my vase.
They saw what I can do.
No more laundry, Mum, I'm on double the pay.
Ow!
- It's not right.
- Well, I never.
- Fred Ridgeway, art director.
- I know who you are.
Oriflamme. - Right.
- Yes.
- Jolly good. Well, it's, it's my job to train you up.
- I hope you're trained in tea making?
- This shouldn't be here.
Oh, will I be modeling new shapes?
- No, that's not the way it works, young lady.
- Excuse me, miss.
- It's taken me 40 years to get where I am. Right.
Oh.
Is this clay mine?
- Well, of course, but that's for later.
For now, all you need are.
- Morning, Mr. Shorter. - Mr. Shorter.
- Good morning.
Miss Cliff.
I hope that our junior modeler is feeling creative.
Hmm. Yes.
- Let me introduce you to the family.
Sea captain, policeman, vicar, collier,
jockey, landlord, huntsman, sailor, squire.
All right?
You are now our Wilkinson's lead designer
on our Toby jug range.
Now, look, I need 50 variations.
I was thinking themes, collections, and these little men,
they must look similar but- - Similar but not-
- The same? - Very good.
Fred, what did you want to show me?
- Aye. Here you go.
Right.
- Two sugars, nice and strong, love.
Don't forget the biscuits.
Looks like you've seen a ghost, Sid.
- Come on. Good work, hey.
Well, look lively, lads.
All right, gentleman. Monthly meeting.
Remember to bring in new ideas, okay?
Come on.
- They're beautiful.
Is that what you're making?
- Personal favorite.
They won't even let me touch clay.
Just get worse.
The theme is baddies.
- Villains.
- Sir, so, Dick Turpin, Long John Silver, Guy Fawkes.
- That's very witty.
Oh, it's good. What else?
- Well, I thought perhaps a female range.
- Toby jugs are male. No.
But, uh, I like her, had an aunty like that once.
- Fred, I need you to cost up the new Oriflamme range.
Right, well, add two or three more villains
and then maybe a heroes range,
and then you can start modeling.
- Right.
Right, yes, of course.
- That's it.
Less waste, more speed.
- Keep going. Put your hand on to the other side.
- Right, gentlemen, monthly meeting.
All right, lads, look lively.
- Come on then. - Make sure you come up.
It's our favorite time of the month.
Come on, lads.
Hey, keep that fire burning!
Would you just do this one firing for me?
- It'll be a fortnight before I have room, but I'll try.
I can wait.
Come on, we need it hotter.
Where is everyone?
- Monthly meeting. I'm never invited.
- Who's he supposed to be?
- Long John Silver.
Flat John Silver.
He looks better, actually.
- And, um, this is for the Toby jugs?
- This is for me.
Fred says I'm not ready for color.
Well, at least I can try my ideas.
- You'll not go flitting factories again
'cause you're bored?
- No.
Come on.
- I say that- - Okay.
- I mean, he's contradicted himself.
Stop producing, start producing.
- The man's under pressure. - That's ridiculous, Fred.
All we need is a little bit of clarity.
Let's get on as we are.
- There's not very much we can do. - Should concentrate on one line.
- Gentlemen.
Everyone.
I just want to add that monthly meetings will now be weekly
so that we have time to deal with the,
let's face it, ever-changing climate.
All right? Thank you.
- Let's get on with it. - All right, come on.
Sit down.
- Fred? - Yeah?
- Have you seen this?
- Well, is that for the heroes or the villains range?
Bloody hell.
- Frankenstein. - Spitting image of thee, Fred.
Spot on, that. It's spot on.
- That's rather made my day. - Mr. Shorter?
- Yes.
- Do you like Toby jugs?
- I beg your pardon, what? Do I, do I like them?
No. God, no.
No, I, I don't like much of what we do.
But we do need to return a profit,
so unfortunately, fortunately, however one thinks about it,
this ghastly stuff sells.
- Maybe we could try other colors or gilding.
At Linguard's if something was gilded it sold better.
- Miss Cliff, people who buy our Toby jugs don't buy one.
- They collect sets. The jugs coordinate, so, no.
No other colors, no standing out, no gilding.
I certainly wouldn't set much store
with what Linguard's are doing.
They've just gone out of business.
Right. Onwards.
- Good night. Sweet dreams! - Good night, Miss Cliff.
Night, duck.
You'll be dreaming of Toby jugs, you will.
- Good night, Fred. - Good night.
- I do hope you're not gilding my Toby jugs.
Oh, I wouldn't do that.
- Go home, Miss Cliff.
- Just finishing off, sir.
All right, come on. I'm locking up.
- I'll be 10 minutes.
- You'll be five.
Oh, praise be.
Thank you.
Evening.
- What did the doctor say?
- He's going to refer me to a specialist at the hospital.
- What does that mean? It's not serious?
- No. Now, mutton hot pot.
- Mutton hot pot.
- Oh, the monthly, I mean, weekly meeting!
Get your new ideas.
Come on. Don't be chatty, son, come on.
- Good ideas. Bloody hell.
- Oh. - It's a neat little thing.
Do me one, would ya? For me son.
And me mate Arthur would like one as well,
for his little 'un.
- Of course.
- You're not listening!
This is an opportunity to shape the future of Wilkinson's
and ambition should not be thwarted!
- Ambition is a luxury we cannot afford.
We need to focus on the here and now.
- And we've more than enough to be getting on with.
The trade fair-
- Is our chance, Fred. - Oh, please.
Yes?
- I thought I might come along.
- I'm sorry, sirs. I tried-
- No, no, no.
Miss Cliff, we are not civilized enough to host a lady.
Jack. - All right, young lady.
Get yourself downstairs. - No, no. Wait, Jack.
If Miss Cliff wants to be part of this, then by all means.
Please, come in. Sit down.
Sit down.
I told you to concentrate on Toby jugs, no?
- I know you're looking for new ideas,
so I made this for my sister.
It's a Puddle Duck egg cup set.
Made in my own time. The clay and paint was lying around.
- How old is she? - 20.
She needed cheering up. And I thought, well...
it's fun and maybe we could do a range.
The folks in the factory seem to like it.
I've taken orders actually.
- Well, I'm sorry, Clarice, but-
- It's charming, Miss Cliff, really.
Four times the profit.
- Well, go on.
- That's what you make per piece compared
to your standard Toby jug.
Three enamels only.
Quick to paint. A quarter less clay.
- Do it. Go on, do it. - Hold on.
- What? I like it.
What?
- I'm sorry, Clarice. You can do better than that.
No, it's crude, it's cheap,
and it's not what Wilkinson's stands for.
- I don't see as how it's worse than Toby jugs.
- It's one thing liking an egg cup
but taking commercial risks at a difficult time-
- Oh, it's always a difficult time, Guy.
- Not right now.
You've heard Hollinshead's the latest to close.
- My God, doesn't that prove that we should be doing something different?
Just for once, we should be bold.
- The girl's a lithographer. - I'm a modeler.
- I don't care if she is a bloody barrow boy!
The point is, one can't be giving design freedoms
to the barely trained.
Oh, then step up the training, Fred.
- Well.
Right, take a look at these.
What's this?
Oh, um, a pokewiser. I ordered it from Paris.
Well, have you done these?
- That sort of thing, sir...
Oh, they are beautiful.
- Well, once upon a time.
Look at the corners.
This is really a Mackintosh. Look at that.
That will all be glass. - Yes, of course.
- I've seen that. It's beautiful.
- Fred, I need Miss Cliff for five minutes.
I have a favor to ask of you.
Um, my wife, having heard we now have such a thing
as a lady modeler, would very much like for you to...
model a bust of her.
Now I've tried to dissuade her.
I told her how busy you are with Toby jugs
and it's more than likely that you'll make her into one.
Uh, but, alas to no avail, so, well, will you do it?
- Yes, yes, sir.
- You will? Thank you.
Thank you, uh, all right, as you were, thank you.
- More misfires for chucking?
- Just do it, please.
Head up and to your right.
Happy? - Yes.
- Very.
- Well, it's easy to model someone beautiful.
- Oh, yes. She is very beautiful.
Um, I won't be able to offer you a lift, I'm afraid.
- Oh, that's all right.
Shall I lock up, sir?
- Yes, yes. All right, um...
This is the, um,
my office, modeling room,
inner main gate, and outer main gate.
Look after my factory.
- Yes, sir.
- Uh, well, um, good night, Miss Cliff.
- Good night.
- Oh, you're drenched.
Not on t'carpet!
- What'll folks be thinking?
Working all hours, you and Mr. Shorter-
- And his wife.
- I doubt Mr. Shorter's got eyes for her.
Look at the state of her.
She looks like she's been dragged
through an hedge backwards.
- Anyway, look who has the keys to Wilkinson's.
- Well, I know it's my wife,
but what do you think, Fred? John?
- That is a seriously impressive bit of work, sir.
- It is, isn't it? - Yeah.
- Even more remarkable considering
the sitter didn't sit considering particularly still.
- How is that stiff back, sir? - No, it's not her back.
She might have encountered one of our-
- Beg your pardon, sirs.
Who has the spare keys, please?
- Miss Cliff.
- Miss Cliff, keys.
- Everyone else has their own set.
- Well, I don't know, Miss Cliff.
Lots of bags of clay lying around.
- That's right. - Good point.
- I was joking. Let her have her own set of keys.
- What if she's one of them suffragettes?
- Oh, don't be silly.
Right, well, you might as well
set light to the factory and have done with it.
- That's enough, Jack!
It's terribly good.
Now, how long is it going to take?
- Uh, a couple of weeks, sir, to dry out.
- A fortnight?
It's meant to be now.
Something that reminds her of her youth.
Two weeks, a fortnight.
- Which key is the one to the Colour Room?
Onwards.
Had she seen a mouse?
- Back to work.
Oh.
- Your pants, Reg. - You know me.
- You can't look. - It's, it's the dress.
I've been working on it. It's bad luck, you can't look.
- Why? - Stop.
Uh, do you want a cuppa?
- Uh, no, no, no.
- You sure? - Yeah, go and get some rest.
Are you sure?
- Go and make yourself better.
You're home early.
Oh. Hey.
Look closely.
Can you see any faults?
Hairline cracks, anything?
- No. Why?
Fred, Mr. Colley says to tell you
they're making your new Oriflamme range the center of the trade fair.
Well, thank you, Vera.
- We know what we're doing now.
He wants it all finished and in the kilns Friday night.
- Of course he does. - Someone's working late.
- And Clarice, Mr. Colley wants to know
if you have any prior engagements on Saturday afternoon.
- Why?
- He wants you to accompany him to Trentham Hall.
Something about the future of The Potteries.
- Oh, ah! - Will you keep still.
- Here.
Oh, smell of your father's Woodbines.
Can't get rid of it.
- Let's see.
- Why does Mr. Shorter want you there?
- To talk about my ideas.
- Don't you see him every day?
- Yes.
Dot, this is brilliant.
You should do this for a living.
Um, right, uh, right.
- Hmm.
- Okay.
Oh.
Look, it's a Rolls-Royce. It's so shiny.
- Whoa! - I can see myself in that.
- What are you doing? - Uh.
- Hop in. - Um.
- There, there, there.
The handle, just give it a, give it a...
I'll do it. - How?
- I'll do it, I'll do it. - How?
- I'll do it. - Okay. Okay, sorry.
Ask if we can have a ride.
On we go, Herbert.
Tommy, get out of the road!
- So, first rule of thumb, Miss Cliff,
is do not point at anyone living.
Now good stance, butt into the shoulders
to deal with the recoil,
you got two shots, two corresponding triggers.
Now, you yell pull. Oh, it's Pottery's tradition.
The local potbank gives damaged ware
to the fair for the coconut shy.
It's fun. - Yes, I thought so myself,
I thought why should the proletariat have all the fun.
Gordon Forsythe, and you are, young miss?
- Clarice Cliff, sir. I'm a designer at Wilkinson's.
- Are you indeed?
I was just saying, Miss Cliff,
that we could do with more lady designers about the place.
Well, uh, shall I go first?
- Yes.
And pull!
Pull!
Good shot.
- Into the shoulder. - That's it.
Pull!
- Very good.
- Be careful, Miss Cliff.
- Well, I won't shoot ya.
I mean, don't misinterpret my brother's attentions.
I can tell you he's a devoted family man.
The fact that you are here today
- I'm here as a designer, Mr. Shorter.
- Pull! - I'm not here as a woman.
- A designer? - Yes, sir.
- Miss Cliff, you've given us one cheap child's egg cup.
- Everything all right? - Of course.
- Good, good. - Pull!
- So, Gordon, what's this plan of yours
to save this industry?
- Well, The Potteries need a higher ambition.
Art and industry combined.
Modern art for the table.
- Folks don't want new. They want what they've always had.
- But fancier and cheaper.
- Foreign imports are flooding the bottom end of the market.
What we need are The Potteries to be
in their rightful place, at the pinnacle of excellence.
- But if folks are buying the cheap stuff,
then surely that's what they want.
- So, we descend to the level of the foreign imports?
That's our future as you see it, Miss Cliff?
- Well, it's just I don't see
as how folks want posher, pricier things,
what with no-one having any money these days.
- Well, that's because the customer needs to be educated.
What he's buying is an investment. It's an heirloom.
- But do folks really think like that these days?
- Where The Potteries lead, everyone follows,
remember that, Miss Cliff.
We set the standard.
Pull!
All right. Let's have that goddamn drink.
- Well, I think that went rather well.
What do you think, Guy?
I won't be invited back, will I?
- Well, that was a bold move disagreeing with Gordon Forsythe.
But then we have to shake things up, otherwise what's the point.
What will, what will Wilkinson's achieve?
Nothing of consequence, nothing that matters.
Nothing.
- Mr. Shorter, I have ideas.
Well, about, about pieces that folk might like.
Well, folk except Gordon.
- Have you had that in your bag all day?
May I?
I've never seen anything like it.
- It's the flawed biscuit ware.
- Well, you can't use that.
Wilkinson's sold by quality.
- Well, the cracks are hairline. The pieces are sound.
Where are the flaws on that cup?
- Hmm, the light's poor.
- No, even in the best light, it's impossible to see.
This could make the unsaleable saleable.
And it only needs an enamel firing, that's all.
- Thank you.
- Well, thank you for-
- Thank you, Miss Cliff.
- Dot.
You look beautiful.
- How'd it go?
- Well, I didn't shoot anyone.
- With him.
- I showed him the cup.
- You did? - Mm.
- And?
- We'll see.
Here.
Perfect bride.
Everyone out!
- Don't just stand there! Do something!
- What is it? What's happened?
- It's my fault. The bonts on the glost kiln broke.
All the stocks and shave fibers in the kiln went down
on Fred's new Oriflamme.
I've run out of time.
- I have a plan.
We're sitting on hundreds of pounds worth of unused stock.
And all it needs is the enamel kiln.
Once the decoration's on, no need for a glost kiln.
- This is just bizarre.
- It will cost our reputation.
- Or make it.
Gordon Forsythe was calling for art in industry.
- This, this thing is ours.
Is it?
- It would show that we're innovating.
That, that we're not afraid at Wilkinson's
to do something different once in a while.
We have the courage of our conviction.
- We have courage. The kiln hands showed courage
going into the ruins of our bottle ovens,
and rescuing what they could.
Some might say we should not be pushing so hard
to do something different.
- I can do a full range in time for the trade fair.
- In four weeks, that's impossible.
- All right. All right, which is worse, hm?
Turning up to the trade fair half-stocked
or this, this, this, all this.
- I am not risking our reputation.
We put it under a different name.
- Surely you're not considering-
- What about the Newport factory? We could use that.
And we could put her name on the pieces,
make her look like a renowned designer.
- You can't put it in the Newport factory. It's condemned.
- What's the range called, Miss Cliff?
- Bizarre. Bizarre!
- Bizarre.
Bizarre, Fred, Bizarre. I like it.
I like it.
After you.
- Oh!
I thought it fell down.
- Well, only part of it.
- Oh, look at that.
Beautiful.
- Your very own factory.
Go on.
- There's a big one there.
Yes.
Bring that too.
Just put it over there.
Oh.
Let me have a go. Come here.
Not in my factory, you don't.
- No, no.
I had a crocus design once and it didn't sell, so.
- Yeah, well, then I'll do it differently.
- Yeah. - It won't sell.
- Oh, come on, Fred.
It's bold, it's exciting, it's, it's vibrant.
It will sell.
Clarice, this, Clarice, this is, this is,
this is, it is too rough with one coat, no?
Far too rough.
- The brushwork is part of the design.
Too fussy and there's just...
There's no life to it.
What does that look mean?
- Means you are right. My apologies.
Means you're right. - Yeah.
And that one.
Losing my touch.
Reg?
- Don't you judge me.
You know her?
- Yeah, she got me sacked from Wilkinson's.
- You tell Dot or I will.
- Who's Dot? - How could you!
- Don't you go on acting all high and mighty.
Everybody knows how low you've gone to keep your job.
- Oh, my God, is that the woman?
I thought she'd be pretty.
- Give that back to Dot for me!
You cheap hussy!
- Yer bath's gone cold, but you're not touching owt
till you're washed. - Dot.
I was walkin' home and I saw Reg with another woman.
- Leave her be. Bath.
Why'd you have to tell her? Why couldn't it wait?
On top of the worry of the operation.
- What operation?
- Oh, I hadn't seen you to tell you.
Tell me what?
End of next week, she's having her innards taken out.
- Dot, stop.
Stop it!
Stop!
- It's 'cause he knows there's no future.
We can't have a family.
What was she like?
I don't know how that woman could live with herself,
taking somebody else's man.
Maybe she just doesn't think about it, I mean,
is that how you homewreckers live with yourselves?
- I've done nothing.
You comin' home?
- Later.
- Thought this place fell down.
Only a part of it.
- It's you.
It's your name on it.
Clarice, I'm absolutely done here.
- Well, buck up. - Who's the boss of who?
Uh, Colley, this is my sister Dot.
- Nice to meet you, Dot. - You too.
I'll see you later.
Goodnight.
- I need help.
I need paintresses.
- All right. All right.
- Mr. Shorter.
Colley.
Oh.
- My apologies. - Oh.
- I'll leave you to it.
Yes. Betty, Gladys.
Ladies, thank you so much for coming.
What's he doing here?
- Right.
Well, we've got work to do.
Look, see, thick strokes.
- No, thicker. - You'll see me brush mark.
I want to see your brush marks.
- You're messin'? - Well, you're free to go back
to painting rosebuds next door.
Betty's got it.
Look, you're still not getting it.
Look, sweep. See?
Bold.
We will prevail, ladies.
Thick brush marks.
We need thicker strokes and color.
- So many colours.
Just touch this one, please.
- Mm.
- I like it green.
Oh.
Do it.
- Are you sure?
Nope.
- Okay, it's not finished, I still need to...
- I love it.
Thank you.
- It's too early for breakfast, so I've made...
Oh, my good Lord.
Your beautiful hair.
Dorothy!
- She made me do it. - No, I didn't.
You look like summat from t'workhouse.
- Bye.
- Go show 'em what you're made of.
- And put a hat on!
- Now, the displays. - Are you happy?
Happy.
- Exactly what he said.
"I think it's because I have three legs."
I've never understood what he meant.
Oh, I do love that.
Ah, there she is. Oh, oh, nearly went.
Oh, come on.
- I can't dance. - Neither can I.
Two left feet. Always have. ?
See?
Ooh.
- Oh! One.
- I told ya.
- They're very good.
Tell you what, I know a rather wonderful little French restaurant
just off Piccadilly or we can go to the Criterion
or we can go to Savoy, the choice is yours.
- I have an idea.
- I like ideas.
Well, I'm far too hungry to wait.
I'm far too old to catch up.
- Hurry up. - All right, hold on.
Over here, mate
- Over here. Give...
That's going to be you, later on.
- Hey, shall we sit? - Yes.
- All right.
Well, you start by opening it.
- Mm-hm. All right.
I'm starving.
Mm.
Mm. Really good.
- Mm. Mm.
You can't cope with a working man's food, can you?
Hey, you should have asked them
to wrap your chips in The Telegraph.
- Don't mock me, I've never done this before.
- You've never lived.
- I started too late.
- Hey, better late than never.
- Hmm.
- Fred, the sugar bowl, it's too near the table edge.
- They're coming. - They're coming?
It's not set up right.
- No, no, no, no, no, no.
Leave it. Get ready.
- Why did you change it? - It's all right.
- All right.
Sorry about that, I, look, Guy, I'm afraid, insisted.
Good morning, gentleman.
- How are you? Been a long time.
- Good to see you. I heard your mother had a fall.
Is she well?
I want to show you something very special.
This is the design that's called Bizarre.
It's by our lady designer, Clarice Cliff.
We are trying to blow everyone out of the water with our colour.
- Interesting technique.
- Do come back later and speak to me.
- I wanna show you something. - It's a new design.
- Female designer. - Well you have
a subtle difference. - Yes, well.
Female designer.
- Well, it's not for everyone, I understand. Thank you.
And we stand by that.
- Being modern, as you know,
we've always been forward looking.
What do you think? - It's interesting.
Maybe it's not for everyone, but we, we...
Interesting.
- Hi. What's this?
- It's Bizarre.
- Test pieces?
- It's a bright and cheerful burst of joy
for the modern woman.
- And what you say is bright and cheerful
could also be described as cheap and tasteless.
- A bit of color brings a smile.
- You'll find a modern woman has a more refined taste.
What they want are pieces to invest in,
heirlooms to pass on to her own children.
What she wants is the reassurance of the best quality
and classic design.
- The modern woman is forward-looking.
Not backward-looking.
- A modern woman, my dear
will not want tat.
- Many's the time I had my ideas pushed back.
Clarice, the trick is to know when to keep going
but also to know when to stop.
- Clarice, I'm so sorry.
- I thought I had something that people would want,
but I, I don't, do I?
I don't have anything that these people want.
- I really love Bizarre, Cliff.
It's too late now, anyway.
- You better go back inside.
- I saw them and I smiled, didn't I, Elsie?
- Yes, you did. - And they make you smile.
- Oh, I'll bet it's pricey.
Yeah.
- Here.
Take it.
- Thank you. - Here you go.
Oh.
- Welcome back.
I made you a coconut cake.
How'd it go?
- They said, uh, they said Bizarre made them smile.
- Course they did.
- Here.
- Is this it? - Mm.
Oh. That's a bit of sunshine, ain't it?
Oh, good Lord.
"Bizarre by Clarice Cliff."
- You never gave up.
You knew what you wanted and you did it.
- Well, so can you.
Eh, you should, uh, you should do your dressmaking.
Hmm.
I'm going to bed. - Night.
- She wanted to stay up to see you.
We were that jittery, weren't we?
Yeah.
- It sold nowt, Mum. I didn't want to upset Dot.
Oh, duck.
What next?
- Beg for my job.
I mean, we can't all three be without work.
- Can you not go elsewhere?
- No-one's hiring. Besides...
they all saw me fail. They're not gonna take me on.
Clarice, it's not all on your shoulders.
- My name's on the pieces.
It is on my shoulders.
Where's Colley?
- He won't be in.
- Do you know when he'll be back?
- Sit down.
- Mr. Shorter- - Sit.
Please don't sack me.
My sister's- - You're not losing your job.
You're back on a paintress wage. Back on Toby jugs.
And my god, that's being more than fair.
The only reason you've still got a job
is that I promised my damn fool brother I wouldn't sack you.
- Where is he?
- Hear this, Miss Cliff.
After I've spoken to you, go straight to the Newport Factory
and go sack your paintresses.
And if they ask you why, you'll say it's because of you
and your damned Bizarre ware ruining the trade fair.
We've never had so few orders. We are on a knife-edge!
- Uh, yeah.
Mr. Shorter, can my girls not go back to Wilkinson's?
- No. - They're hard workers!
- We can't afford them.
You have harmed our factory
and you have harmed our family.
We should have sacked you when we caught you stealing.
- Knowing when to stop.
I've got to ask for two days off.
My sister's goin' in to hospital.
- I'll let Mr. Guy know.
- I did want to ask Guy about stock.
That the brights have run out.
- Mr. Guy wants us to cut costs. So they'll not restock.
You'll have to change your color ways to the cheaper enamels.
Then let him go.
I bill him too much.
- Vera, was, um,
was Colley made to step down after the trade fair?
- Well, I thought Mr. Colley might have told ya.
- Uh, told me what?
- Please put together a list of names. - Please, we are on our knees.
We have to let people go.
- Mr. Colley has cancer.
They decided to delay the treatment
till after the trade fair.
Doctors urged him not to, but you know how he is.
He wanted to do right by the factory.
- Firing people. - They have families, children.
Many of these people have been with us two generations.
They knew our fathers too. But we have to wind it down
by at least 50%.
Now, we are done.
Finished.
- It's been too long. Go and ask.
- Sit down. I'll, I'll get us some tea.
Excuse me.
We've been waiting so long. My sister-
- Clarice. This way.
Mrs. Cliff, please, take a seat.
- Uh- - Where is she then?
- I'm very sorry, Dorothy has passed away.
We believe she must have had an undiagnosed heart problem.
Her heart were broken.
We were there in that corridor,
while...
while she was alone.
- Can't believe she's wearing green.
- "I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me."
- I'll collect Dot's things from the factory tomorrow.
- What'll you do now then?
You'll find a way.
What does that Mr. Shorter think?
- I haven't seen him since the trade fair.
He's got cancer.
- Oh.
- And I don't know if he's alive.
Or dead or dying and I...
He didn't even tell me he was ill.
I mean not that he had to.
- Were you...
Were you and he...
- Did Dot never say?
Huh.
He was the only man who liked Bizarre.
No-one else liked it.
- We're sorry. About Dot.
- She were that lovely.
Thank you.
You're painting with drabs, too.
- There's no brights.
- My Archie, he does the books.
He said there's six months left in the place.
They're running it down.
- Do you ever buy any of the stuff we make here?
- It's hideous. - God, no.
- Me nana buys it.
- I liked what you were doin'.
Over next door. - It was so cheerful.
- Wee bit of fun.
- If I get some cake in,
would you come to the Newport factory tomorrow lunchtime
and just talk to me about what you buy and how you buy it?
- If there's cake, I'm there.
- Oh, no. I'd never buy a green.
- I saw this display once.
There was all these plates piled together,
they must have been glued or summat.
It was like a tower. I couldn't keep my eyes off it.
- Mind you, there's only so much
you can do with plates and bowls.
- I'm sure we could do something.
- Well, like what? - We could make an animal,
an horse, and it could have a big terrine as its body.
- Sugar bowl snout. - And then little candlesticks
for legs. - Cups for ears.
- And a little salt shaker for his tail.
- That would make me stop in a shop.
- It would when it all fell over.
- Glue it. Wire the plates together.
- This would be good. - That will be good.
There's some good ideas comin' out of this one.
- It looks great.
- Where else do you shop from? - Makeup demonstrations.
A woman at the counter ready to take your money,
make a girl look like she's in the movies.
- Clarice.
I just went to the fancy butchers.
Awful gossip he is. He knows everything about everyone.
Anyway, he was telling me about Mr. Colley Shorter
of all the people.
And he's all right, Clarice.
Apparently, he's lost his spirit.
That's what they're saying, anyway.
Had to buy the best beef for that.
- You going in there askin' about Mr. Shorter,
people are gonna talk.
- Sirloin steak tonight.
We don't buy door to door. Get on with ya.
- I'm from Wilkinson's.
I'm here to see Colley Shorter.
It's urgent.
- Cliff.
Oh, god.
What the hell are you doing here?
- I wanted to see you.
- You should've, you should have warned me.
Ah, it is good to see you.
- And you.
I hear you're on the mend.
- Bloody cancer.
I'd not bother with it if I were you.
Look, Cliff,
I just,
I couldn't, uh, tell you.
I tried, I did.
- And will you be back?
- Oh, yes, I'm sure they're all anxious
to have me back at the factory.
- Well, I want you back.
- Bless you.
- I know how we can sell Bizarre.
- And there I was thinking that you came here because of me.
- I am here because of you. - Hmm.
I know how much you believe in being bold.
Doing something new.
- You want my help in pushing Bizarre? Is that it?
Hmm? - Yes.
- No.
Cliff, no, no. Bizarre is dead.
- What's wrong with you?
- What's wr-wrong with me?
What, do you mean apart from the obvious?
- Oh, I didn't mean that.
- I know what you meant. I know what you meant.
Well, let's see, shall we,
I've taken the family business and thrown it all away.
I've caused a kiln to collapse.
A man will likely never recover from his burns.
That enough? Do you require more from me?
- We took risks. Together.
And we, we failed, yes.
But then we try again. - At what costs?
- What cost if we do nothing?
I won't give up.
- Cliff, nobody wants Bizarre.
- But Bizarre isn't the problem,
it's the way that we sold it.
- Oh, you come to my home and presume to tell me
you know my business better than me?
- I know your business differently to you.
What, what did Gordon Forsythe say.
"Where The Potteries leads, others follow."
How do we lead if we're not first off the block?
Taking risks, doing something different!
- And what price have I paid for that?
Please just get it into your head now is not the time.
- What do you mean?
You're wrong.
Now is the only time.
And you know what, I'm, I'm going to Monday's board meeting,
because I still believe in Bizarre.
- Good. - Good!
- Good!
- What happened to Colley Shorter?
Hmm? Where did he go?
- You've got a bloody nerve.
- Gladys, I have a plan to get your job back.
I just, I need you and Betty to-
Look, the men are all liars at the trade fair.
They didn't like Bizarre.
But we both know that women do.
So, how do we sell this directly to women?
I need as many of us as we can to come up with ideas
and convince the men.
If you come back, the others will, too.
- Do you always have a cup on ya?
Yes.
You two will have to tell me
if I've got too much of this makeup.
Yeah, you got, Peggy, you've got to keep an eye.
I'm not, the makeup is fine.
Please, god, I'm not a makeup lady.
Which one of you two is next in line?
That'll be great.
- You look beautiful.
If it works for lipstick, it'll work for tea cups.
- Get it up. Up, up. - Hang on.
- Oh, oh! - Oh, come on!
- All right.
Make way for Bizooka!
- Are you sure? Okay.
Well, you're doing a great job.
Make way for Bizooka!
What, you never seen a giraffe on a walk before, lad?
- Okay, Bizarre girls.
- Okay.
Yes, that's it.
Okay.
Ready? - No.
- Nothing we can do, Fred, it's not good enough.
Get the hell out!
- Hey, hey, hey, let's not forget ourselves.
- You deal with it. - Jack.
It's all right, sit down. Sit down.
- No, I don't think so, ladies.
Now is not the time or the place.
- What the bloody hell is that?
- What in God's name. - Well, someone didn't know
when to stop.
- Show them.
- Mr. Colley.
- Morning, everyone. - What is this?
- Pretend I'm not here. - So just, uh, carry on, Guy.
Will somebody tell me what the bloody hell is going on here?
- Products aimed at women are sold directly to women.
Not to men.
I bet you don't buy lipstick, Fred?
- Me? Well, no, not often.
- Oh, but there's people making a lot
of money out of lipstick.
And you don't buy these magazines, John.
- Me, me wife does. Masses of 'em.
- Well, Bizarre- - Not Bizarre.
- Hear me out.
Bizarre doesn't appeal to men.
- That much is clear.
- Well, neither do these things here, but these things sell.
And so can Bizarre.
Because most of the women we know like it.
- We love it.
- If we sell Bizarre directly to women,
we'd be doing what other industries have done for years
with these things here,
but we'd be leading the way in The Potteries.
No trade fairs, no adverts in a gazette,
no salesmen dealing with shop men.
- Go on.
- Yes, go on, Miss Cliff.
Please, how do we reach women?
- Right, uh-huh. - That's right, well.
- Yes. - Sit down, positions.
- You all look marvelous. - Right.
Are we ready?
- Yes, yes. - Beautiful!
All right.
- Clarice, are you ready? - Yes. Yes.
All right. - We're ready then.
Ready, Bizarre girls?
- Yes! - Ready.
- All right. - You got that.
- Smile. - Ready! Here we go!
- I didn't expect that. - Oh.
Okay.
- Don't worry, they'll come. They'll come.
- We need women. - Just you wait.
- Well, let, let's get painting, shall we?
- Yeah. - All right. Yeah, right.
And they shall follow.
They, they will come. - Get them in.
There's some women over there.
Well, look who... oh.
- Oh, yeah.
Show that lady there!
- Oh, they're coming. - They're coming.
I think they do.
There are quite a few of them, isn't there?
- Do you think they like it? - I think they do.
Would be silly not to.
They really are coming in.
We are getting a photograph. All right.
Hi.
- "The famous young pottery artist, Miss Cliff,
is the quin, quintessential woman about town."
Says here you live in London and have a dog called Chichi.
- It says here I'm 20 and regularly enjoy Paris.
- I don't know about this woman here,
but the Clarice Cliff I know sets her own path.
More tea?
All right, we do have it.
- Thank you.
Thanks.
Is that really the sea?
- This one. - Right.
No, I don't, I don't fancy...
Are you done with that one.
Oh, yeah, I'll do it.
- Where is she?
Hey! - Getting changed.
- You haven't signed the contract?
- No.
- Oh, for God's sake. Why not?
We've never had so many orders, you're now art director,
your paintresses had their pay rise,
what's the problem, Cliff?
Have you had other offers? If so, from who?
- Oh. - Give me some time, please.
Ooh.
- Well, I don't have long.
Guy's taking Fred and I to the industry dinner tonight.
Herbert's waiting outside. It'll be quicker.
- Come on, we're late.
My wife bought a crocus set last week,
I nearly choked on my tea
when I saw what I was drinking from.
How'd you get that line?
- Well, I'll have to teach you.
I have to tell you, Fred,
it's taken me many years to get to where I am.
- Fred, I need Miss Cliff for five minutes.
- Right. I'll see you later.
- I heard the Palace got in touch.
Queen Mary wants a set of them.
- Bizarre.
- Oh, do we have to go to the industry dinner?
- Goodnight, ladies. - I mean, they hate Bizarre
and they hate us. - This way.
They'll hate us even more if we're late.
- Come on, it's important.
Don't be a stick-in-the-mud.
Now I hate to keep going on like this, Cliff.
This contract, is three years too long?
- Only three years?
- Well, how long can you give?
- Well, how long do you want?
- Well, I, I, I never want you to leave.
Ever.
If I'm honest.
- Well, then.
Let's say five.
Take it from there.
What? What's this?
- Come on. - What?
A different kind of industry dinner.
"Daily Mail" or "Telegraph"?
- Thank you. - My pleasure.
- I've been thinking.
- Go on.
- I say we ditch the tired old shapes.
We stop playing it safe.
And we experiment with entirely new forms.
- Hmm. - Square plates.
Uh, uh, rectangles.
Angular cups.
Triangular handles.
Candlesticks, cone on cone. - Mm-hm.
- We could do flat-sided teapots.
Sun burst. Sun ray.
- What about factory smoke? - Stop it.
Fantastique!
The girls had quite a pleasant sort
of painting room, I can remember that.
It was good, real good. All the girls enjoyed it.
And we all were one team and we used to have some fun.
She made me appreciate color.
I've wondered about it since,
how she was able to think of such ideas,
but she did, didn't she?
And I did admire the girls that worked there
because they were so clever.
We had to sit in the window
with white overalls and a large collar.
A large spotted bow, like an artist,
and we just sat there painting away.
She brought so much light into it and life
the pottery trade, I think.
Her contribution to the A J Wilkinson factory was,
I think, er, a certain flair.
Her success was off the charts.
I mean, over her career
she sold more than eight and a half million pieces of pottery.
He thought the world of Clarice
Colley Shorter did. They were very close.
Us paintresses would never speak
of it directly, but secrets.
The two houses on the hill,
the collection really was about Clarice and Colley.
He was in another world.
A world different from a row of terraced houses
where she was born and brought up.
This was something different.
It was a fairy story, wasn't it?
We knew she'd been seeing him then.