Last Thursday marked the launch of our second dinner service for Wedgwood called Sailor’s Farewell.

It’s a story on a plate and shows a sailor’s loved-one as she waves goodbye on a rock with her scarf flying in the wind. The motifs around the china show the sailor’s adventures on the high seas both above and below the waterline.

The rust red sails of his sailing ship pass by whales and merfolk fishing, there are two little dogs alone on the high seas, seagulls flying above the lighthouse, and the enticing sight of a house under a palm tree on a faraway desert island. Below in the depths is a frogman, a curious octopus and the flashing fins of many fishes.

I originally saw a beautiful drawing by John Craxton of a sailor’s wife waving farewell and this sparked my imagination. It blends my love of craft and simple folk art in a fun and lyrical way.

The experience of creating this new dinner service has taken about 18 months. It has been a long process to get exactly the right shade of blue which looks as good in the tropics as it does in a lower northern light of Europe.

The blue has a linen effect to emphasise the embroidered hand drawn quality of the motifs. We also wanted the china to look good beside slate and wood because we like to mix our services with wooden salad bowls and slate for cheese.

Pop along to see the complete collection at Ham Yard Hotel for Afternoon Tea or take a look on Shop Kit Kemp.