IT was with great sadness that I read that Royal Worcester Porcelain, as I know it, will be no more.

My mother died at the age of 38 years when I was seven years old. She was the daughter of Charles Day who, I believe, had eight children altogether.

My grandfather worked at the Royal Porcelain when they produced small vases with narrow necks which I believe had fruit painted on them. The neck and bottoms were painted in gold - real gold, not substitute.

My grandfather died in 1890 so he could easily have been one of the founders of Royal Worcester. He often spoke of a Mr Grainger and Mr Gimson. He mixed his own colours and when he was taken ill, from which he did not recover, both these men came to see him to try and get the formula for mixing the colours.

Unfortunately, he died before they got to our house so that particular formula died with him.

My grandmother had a lot of these vases in a cabinet and I was so upset when she died that I never had any of them. They would have been worth a fortune today.

It is therefore ironic that my two sons and grandson who work at Royal Worcester are among those being made redundant.

No doubt orders will be given to countries like India and Pakistan where labour is cheap. It will probably be shipped back and stamped as Royal Worcester.

We no longer have Kays in Worcester where I worked for 30 years, Lea & Perrins sauce is, I believe, made in Birmingham. It is terrible to think Worcester is losing its identity. and it's all probably because of profit.

Obviously every firm has to make a profit to stay afloat but to lose a part of history is terrible. I hope the people at the back of all this rest easy at night.

MRS I CHAMBERS,

Worcester.