Hi,

first post (and it is about shopping, how embarassing)

Thinking of driving over to England last week of January for some shopping; does anyone know if the post-Christmas sales will be pretty much gone by that time? Also, does anyone know how long the Stoke-on-Trent sales will last (Spode in particular?)

Thanks much in advance
Ashley in Germany

Hi Ashley

Yes, the post Christmas sales will be almost gone, just the really tatty tat left. However, I think that the factory shops in Stoke are always worth a visit as new stock is always being added - regardless of sale time or not. Probably it's just luck if your particular piece is in stock. As you are in the area, there is a Spode seconds shop in the Cheshire Oaks outlet village just outside Chester, (about 3/4 hr from Stoke) also Wedgewood, Villeroy and Boch, Denby, Doulton and Worcester and Le Creuset, where I have just bought a casserole for half price.

Julie

Julie, thank you for the tip about the seconds shop in Cheshire Oaks...I lived in East Anglia ten years ago and bought both Blue Italian, Christmas Tree and Portmeirieon (never could spell that) when they were all about 2 pounds per plate. Just wanted to round out my collection, hee hee.
Also have a group of ladies who have never been to the UK and so thought maybe we'd just drive over and peek at Stoke, see Bath/Stratford, Cambridge and head back home, so if I could combine it with the great after-Christmas sales, it would have been nice, but we may still come anyway. Thanks again!

Hi,
The sales will be well and truly over, even now there is only tat left and the shops look like jumble sales. If you visit some of the outlet villages in the UK like Bicester village in Oxford they have discounts all year round.
Mary