Grand name cracked by lull in china shop

The surprise in the demise of Waterford Wedgwood on Monday was not that it had happened, but that it had taken so long. The glass and fine china group had been struggling for years, and its two constituents both had periods of losses even before their merger in 1986.

Indeed, as long ago as 1850 Waterford Glass’s then owner was complaining about losses and a lack of capital, both chronic conditions endured by Waterford Wedgwood and much of the luxury tableware industry.