It's a Raku Kiln - Honest !

I now have every thing assembled to start building

my Raku Kiln.

I must admit I did feel a bit odd buying the last few items I needed this morning.

The list read as follows:

1. propane Gas bottle

2. 9v battery

3. wire cutters

4. respirator mask

5. Jig saw blade.

In this modern age this looks like a terrorist shopping list.

I felt so bad about it I decided not to buy the Gas bottle today.

if the police had stopped me in the truck,

that would have taken some explaining.

anyway all set to go.

I will post step by step reports on the building.

England World Cup Fiasco !

Taxi !

Well, Well, Well.

If you believed all of the Hype,

This was Englands best chance of winning the world cup since 1966.

In fact from my point of view it was probably the worst

world cup ever. Not only were our first two games so poor that you had to question

the whole England set up.

But I watched the first game in the Local pub, the game was bad enough

but the lack of beer did nothing to raise the spirits.

The second game, while poor in it's self was watched

at home with a steak meal and cool beer from the Fridge

all courtesy of Marion. By Far the best way to do it!

Thank You Marion.

For the third game, on Wednesday's afternoon, I went down the local pub

That Actually Ran out of all Beers while the game was on.

Can you actually believe that, It's not as though the pub was packed

with beer guzzling punters. I think there were about 14 of us in there.

I'm thinking of writing to the local parish council to ask if we can

change the name of the pub in honour of this catastrophic failing

that is on a par with the England performance.

I think

"Capello's Bar"

would just about sum it all up.

If it wasn't all so predictable it would be enough to make you cry.

Quick Update

I'm very busy at the workshop at the moment,

But Marion has had the Camera all week for work, so I haven't got any

pictures to show you.

This Fantastic Pot was my Birthday Present

From Marion on Sunday I'm Now 48 and feeling good.

I took this picture on the Sunday morning when we were out walking through the Village.
and this up on the Hill

This Bowl came out of the Kiln last Thursday

and sold on Saturday Morning.

I'm getting all my bits together to build my Dustbin Raku Kiln,

My ceramic fibre turned up on Tuesday

and I bought a round kiln shelf and Tongs yesterday at CTM Supplies,

where I bumped into Svend Bayer.

( come on it's not often I drop a Name in is it ? )

I've made all my own clay Buttons, but they need firing yet.

so once I start building it I hope to show each stage.

I'm Also making pots for the Summer show at The Somerset Guild of Craftsmen

that starts on 10th July.

I sold 4 Pots at the Contemporary Craft Fair

including the large bowl with wording, and I'm pleased to say

the West Country Potters Association have sent me a cheque

so thank you for that.

More pics when I can get my hands on the Camera.

Better than Socks - Fathers Day Approaches

Marketing is alive and well at Barrington Pottery

I've had these on the shelf over the past week

as an antidote to the traditional socks or Tie.

I'm down to my last 3 pint tankards

so I've decided to offer half pint tankards at £10

including a free bottle of Cider.

Burrow Hill Cider did me a deal on the Cider..

I've tried it myself, just as a precaution....

I also understand that not all Men like Cider,
so rather than just telling them to
"Bugger Off"
I have a nice selection of larger Mugs for Men.
If like me in a previous life, you spend half your day drinking
out of these paper cups,
Then you might just like to drink from a real hand made mug
when you get home.

I have the added Bonus this year of having my Birthday
on Fathers day, so it's a double whammy for me.
I've told my Three Daughters, that Mum bought me 22 pairs
of socks for Christmas and I haven't worn a Tie
since August 2008.

So it will be interesting to what they come up with.

New BP Leaflet.

Not all Businesses in the UK with the initials BP

are Bad.

I thought I would see if putting a headline that relates to a major news story

would increase the visitor hit numbers to my blog.

If you have hit upon it by chance, Then Welcome to you.

I do have a new leaflet,

and Barrington is a very nice peaceful corner of England.

I'm off to the Somerset Art Weeks offices this morning to sort out the proof

for the SAW Guide,

Then over to Johnny Leach's place to drop in some of these leaflets.

I didn't make it back down to the Contemporary Craft Fair

on Sunday to collect my pots, but I am told I did quite well

the bowl with the wording sold

and last night a lady that bought one of my jugs at the show rang me up

and ordered a larger and a smaller one to make a set.

so I am very happy with that.

Please feel free to go back to searching for BP news stories,

but why not add me to your favorites before you go

and when you need a bit of R&R in your busy days

click on me here and see whats happening at the pottery.

I'll do my best to make the world not seem so bleak.

World Cup Feaver

Today See's the start of the 2010

Football World Cup in South Africa.

They are calling it "The Greatest Show on Earth".

I'm not quite sure about that.

But as Kids My Brother Dan and I were Football Crazy.

It's a game of two halves , but I think this picture was taken in our

sitting room at home in Stevenage.

during the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.

Our Birthday's are only one day apart and always fall during the world cup

I'm June 2oth and Dan's was June 21st

so I would have just turned 8 and Dan would have just turned 11.

Sadly Dan is no longer with us, but I'm sure he'll be taking a keen interest

in the games.

His spirit will be out there some where..... I've just realised where he will be!!

You know when the camera pics out the good looking women in the crowd.

Dan will be the one Picking them out for the camera man.

That was him all over.

He had more hot women than I had hot dinners.

The boy did well, it was always going to be a hard game.

if that had gone in it would have been a goal.

Ok enough Fun back to the Potting.

Bread Crock

This Bread Crock has been finished for some time

But I wanted a wooden lid for it.

I had one made, but I wont show you that one.

Darek from my evening class made this one for me

Just how I wanted it to look.
and it fits perfectly.
This crock was for an order, but I'm going to make some plain ones.
I wondered what you thought.


I'm taking 10 pots down to Bovey Tracey today
for the WestCountry Potters Stand
at the Contemporary Craft Fair that's on
Friday 11th, Sat 12th & Sunday 13th June.

Walk The Dog & Buy a Pub...

I had a very early start this morning, I was in the workshop

at 6.45am, but I don't seem to have achieved much at all.

Before evening classes started at 7pm this evening I took caddy for a walk.

This is the steep lane up to the top of the hill
at the moment it has a wonderful smell of wild garlic.

and once at the top you can see Burrow Hill.

The wheat field is looking fantastic.

I have a sign up in my showroom that just says

Barrington Pottery

"Inspired by the surroundings"

as you can see, as simple as ever.

The long clay tiled roof in the top of this picture is where

my workshop is.

as You can see in this picture

it really is at the edge of the Somerset Levels.

Oh and by the way the local pub is up for sale

£350,000 freehold.

It's not very good at the moment but it could be so good

it has great potential.

and us locals reckon you could pick it up for £295,000.

and we'll happily tell you what needs doing to make it a success.

we kept telling the other guy but he never took any notice.

He knew best.

He couldn't get wet in a shower.

Some Very Interesting Visitors...

Over the past month, I've had some very interesting visitors in the showroom.

When this lady walked into the workshop, I was as ever,

listening to Pink Floyd.

As the next track came on

" The Great Gig in the Sky"

She asked if I was a big Pink Floyd fan. we got talking about how I started my pottery at school listening

to the Dark side of the moon album in the after school pottery club, while

the sixth formers were all making clay pipes to sell at

the Knebworth festival.

Do you know who she is ?

This is Carol Kenyon, a singer in her own wright but also

Backing singer for Pink Floyd

and she is the lady that sings the great gig in the sky.

and I didn't have my camera on me.

she had just finished a world tour with Roger Waters.

It was quite an odd feeling to be listening to her singing

while she was stood in my showroom talking to me.

She was very nice and she did buy a pot.

which I know is the only question you fellow bloggers were asking yourself.

Another of my customers Peter, turned up at my workshop in this fantastic old car.

And there's more !

Another couple came in to see how I'm getting on with the bread crock they ordered

and announced that they are starting a new Lifestyle magazine.

and they would like me to do an article about my change of lifestyle

and also promote my pottery courses.

And more. !

Four ladies from the Somerset Tourist board came for a morning taster session and we had great fun making pots for two hours.

They want to promote me as well.

And one other lady of note came in on a very hot day wearing a very tight silk summer

dress, I was busy at the time wedging clay but she caught my attention,

I decided to carry on working as it was obvious to me that she wasn't carrying any money.

when I looked around again she was stood in the workshop just watching me,

it was at that point I could tell that she didn't have even so much as a credit card

concealed about her person.

she just said " Beautiful just Beautiful".

then turned and walked out.

A Potters Life Ah !!

It's a tough job but someones gotta do it!

This is what my students have been waiting for.

Tuesday night evening classes seem to be going well above are Andrew, Darek & Rebecca.

and here on the top shelf are their first ever pots.
Some interesting Ideas.

This bowl is great, even if the glazing was a bit fraught.!

I like this small bowl with Archie's dog bowl in the background..

interesting use of slip with these two bowls by Darek.

these two came out very well.

I managed to fit all the jugs I made recently in at the bottom of the kiln.

With this one being my favorite.

as ever inspired by Michael Cardew.

I will be adding some jugs on my Etsy site this week.