Sunday 12 August 2012

Four years on, and I'm still rollin along.

Would you believe it
It was four years ago this week that Marion and Me
were both made redundant on the same day.
It was the fourth time I had been made redundant.
and we both agree it's been the best thing to happen to us.

 This is the shed that was my workshop at the time it measured 10ft square
I remember at the time there were a lot of ifs and Butt's.
But you have to start somewhere. 
 As with most potters I had this idyllic romantic idea
of just working from the garden shed and being able to survive
by just making what I wanted, when I wanted.
Then I woke up!
I got my workshop at Barrington Court
and Marion got a new job to be able to keep me going.
 Being a full time potter has proven to be the most exhausting job
I have ever done, but the most rewarding by far.
This is my old gas kiln in the back garden.
 we now have two electric kilns as well
and we have moved to bigger workshops twice
since then.
 We have grown
but I have stuck to my ideals of only making the type of pots
I want to make, OK I may of had to give in to making some blue pots
but I've been looking back over some of my old posts
it makes fascinating reading
well for me anyway.
The old workshop is now the dispatch dept.
The blog has been a great help, over the years
and many people tell me they have followed me from
a early stage.
Your comments,suggestions and advice
have proved invaluable.
so thank you all.
I hope to be able to tell you about our next adventure
in a couple of months.

9 comments:

Barbara Rogers said...

Good for you...I often enjoy reading your blog. It's great to follow along your adventures and success!

smartcat said...

Congratulations to you and Marion too for having the courage to start on a new adventure at what must have been a discouraging time.

WOW!
FOUR YEARS! HERE'S TO MANY MORE!
KEEP ON DANCING ROUND THE SUN!

Mr. Young said...

Always a great read! Good to hear a success story like yours, it always gives me hope for my own.

Hollis Engley said...

It's always good to read about your progress, Paul. I'm an admirer of you and Marion and your work. One of these days we'll get over there.

Anna M. Branner said...

It's amazing to me what you have accomplished in these 4 years! Your current workspace is my favorite of those I have seen. So happy for you and Marion too now that she has been able to join you!

Hannah said...

Happy Birthday to you. It is great to see it all happen I must say though really, it feels like only yesterday that you wrote you had been made redundant. Where does the time go?

Linda Fahey said...

thank you for that post, Paul the potter !! Just what I needed to hear. This month will be a year for me. A lot has happened in that year. A lot of ups and downs and shifts, and questions and hard, hard work. Your post was a boost !

cheers!
Congrats and may it continue for a long time !!

Paul Jessop said...

Thanks for all your kind comments, I love reading other blogs it makes you feel as though you are not alone on the bad days, and it lets you share the good stuff.

Ron said...

Just the other day I was thinking about when Sarah and I were there and you took us out to Barrington to show us around. You took us out to where the pottery would be expanding. It was a bit of a mess but you have turned it into an amazing place to work and for folks to visit. I can't wait to come visit you again.

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