A collection of hand-finished bone China has gone on sale commemorating the upcoming coronation of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla.
The range, made using centuries-old manufacturing processes in the heart of the Potteries, an area around Stoke-on-Trent, marks the May 6 ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
The bespoke design incorporates the royal coat of arms and a garland of laurel leaves symbolising peace.
Also featured is a decorative border of oak leaves signifying strength and longevity alongside the emblems of the four nations of the UK — the thistle, rose, shamrock and daffodil — while an entwined ribbon symbolises the partnership of the king and queen consort.
The range, from the Royal Collection Trust charity, features Charles's cypher, which is stamped in gold foil, designed by The College of Arms and consists of initials from his name and title, rex, which is Latin for king.
Ian Grant, the trust's head of product development and buying, said the process of designing and manufacturing thousands of pieces brought enormous pride to the staff working to produce the range.
The trust, part of the royal household, has been making commemorative china for 30 years.
But Mr Grant said: “This is probably the most momentous occasion we've developed a product for.”
Mr Grant, who started in the industry as an apprentice at Wedgwood in 1984, said designers and artisans needed to create a line of desirable products “very quickly” after the coronation date was announced.
The exact manufacturing location is kept under wraps, but workers there, some of whom started in the pottery-making industry as teenagers and are now in their 60s, spoke of their delight at being involved in marking such a historic event.
Mr Grant said each stage requires “years of training”, building to an “amazing process” which gives value to the Made in England stamp each item has applied on its base.
The china is fired in a biscuit kiln at 1,238°C for 11 hours, baking the pottery to such an extent that, when emptied at 4am, it will have shrunk by 15 per cent — a percentage indicating a fine quality bone china.
Pieces are then put in electric vibrating machines filled with small composite cubes of wood and pottery which act to “polish” the item without damaging it, allowing it to be glazed, and fired again at 1,080C.
The items are then decorated with a hand-applied silkscreen litho print.
In their still unfinished state, the colours on the decorated items — featuring paint containing liquid gold — are mismatched.
But once fired for a third and final time at 810°C, the heat and chemical processes turn the browns into golds and the green becomes a deep and vivid royal blue.
Even the boxes into which the pieces are packed are handmade by another Stoke-on-Trent firm, where an experienced team can make 200 packages an hour.
Mr Grant said: “Our guests and visitors to the sites at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse always look for something a little bit special when they visit us.
“So we wanted to make sure that this product met the expectations of our visitors but also truly and properly reflected the occasion.”
The range comprises a coffee mug priced at £30, pillbox at £40, tankard at £50, an eight-inch dessert plate also at £50, and a tea cup and saucer at £75.
There are also several limited edition lines which will be hand-numbered, produced in smaller runs ranging from 150 to 1,000 and be “a little bit more special”, Mr Grant said.
Profits go to the trust for the care and conservation of the Royal Collection.
UAE v United States, T20 International Series
Both matches at ICC Academy, Dubai. Admission is free.
1st match: Friday, 2pm
2nd match: Saturday, 2pm
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Rameez Shahzad, Amjad Gul, CP Rizwan, Mohammed Boota, Abdul Shakoor, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Amir Hayat
USA squad: Saurabh Netravalkar (captain), Jaskaran Malhotra, Elmore Hutchinson, Aaron Jones, Nosthush Kenjige, Ali Khan, Jannisar Khan, Xavier Marshall, Monank Patel, Timil Patel, Roy Silva, Jessy Singh, Steven Taylor, Hayden Walsh
the pledge
I pledge to uphold the duty of tolerance
I pledge to take a first stand against hate and injustice
I pledge to respect and accept people whose abilities, beliefs and culture are different from my own
I pledge to wish for others what I wish for myself
I pledge to live in harmony with my community
I pledge to always be open to dialogue and forgiveness
I pledge to do my part to create peace for all
I pledge to exercise benevolence and choose kindness in all my dealings with my community
I pledge to always stand up for these values: Zayed's values for tolerance and human fraternity
Result
2.15pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,950m; Winner: Majestic Thunder, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
2.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,800m; Winner: Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
3.15pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,600m; Winner: Native Appeal, Adam McLean, Doug Watson.
3.45pm: Handicap Dh115,000 1,950m; Winner: Conclusion, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
4.15pm: Handicap Dh100,000 1,400m; Winner: Pilgrim’s Treasure, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
4.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,400m; Winner: Sanad Libya, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
5.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,000m; Winner: Midlander, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
Results
2pm: Serve U – Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Violent Justice, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
2.30pm: Al Shafar Investment – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,400m; Winner: Desert Wisdom, Bernardo Pinheiro, Ahmed Al Shemaili
3pm: Commercial Bank of Dubai – Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Fawaareq, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
3.30pm: Shadwell – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer
4pm: Dubai Real Estate Centre – Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Rakeez, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar
4.30pm: Al Redha Insurance Brokers – Handicap (TB) Dh78,000 (D) 1,800m; Winner: Capla Crusader, Bernardo Pinheiro, Rashed Bouresly
Can NRIs vote in the election?
Indians residing overseas cannot cast their ballot abroad
Non-resident Indians or NRIs can vote only by going to a polling booth in their home constituency
There are about 3.1 million NRIs living overseas
Indians have urged political parties to extend the right to vote to citizens residing overseas
A committee of the Election Commission of India approved of proxy voting for non-resident Indians
Proxy voting means that a person can authorise someone residing in the same polling booth area to cast a vote on his behalf.
This option is currently available for the armed forces, police and government officials posted outside India
A bill was passed in the lower house of India’s parliament or the Lok Sabha to extend proxy voting to non-resident Indians
However, this did not come before the upper house or Rajya Sabha and has lapsed
The issue of NRI voting draws a huge amount of interest in India and overseas
Over the past few months, Indians have received messages on mobile phones and on social media claiming that NRIs can cast their votes online
The Election Commission of India then clarified that NRIs could not vote online
The Election Commission lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police asking it to clamp down on the people spreading misinformation
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Porpoise
By Mark Haddon
(Penguin Random House)
The specs
Engine: 4 liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous electric motors placed at each wheel
Battery: Rimac 120kWh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power: 1877bhp
Torque: 2300Nm
Price: Dh7,500,00
On sale: Now
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Women%E2%80%99s%20Asia%20Cup
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Race%20card
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THE%C2%A0SPECS
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Company%20profile
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ENGLAND%20SQUAD
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Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
The%20specs
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