Watch this Space

What a Space

 Those of you that have visited the pottery workshop

will recognise this as the barn at the end

of our current workshop.

 The National Trust have secured some funding to turn it into

another craft workshop.

 and following a meeting with the Trust

we have decided to move our workshop into this space.

we are not giving up all of our current workshop

we are going to keep two sections of the workshop

that will become our new showroom.

I think I've said this before on the Blog

"Sometimes you just have to grab the chance while it's there"

We have the opportunity to move the workshop yet again

that will be 4 moves in four years.

Not something we would have done by choice, but

this is such a great space.

 

 So why do it?  I hear you ask

It will allow us to get a bigger kiln

and set up better for some production throwing.

This picture shows the barn on the right hand side

and if you look at the roof tiles you can see

the darker bit on the right would also be our showroom.

 We have done it all before this was our last workshop

and this is the bit we will be giving up.

The move will not happen until sometime next year

but we will keep you posted.

It's all very exciting again here.

Field for Somerset

Over the past two months Marion has been running

small workshops for people of all ages

to come and make their own figure for the field for Somerset.

 The figures are being placed in the Bustles ( old calf shed )

in the main gardens.

 people are able to plant the figure, by entering the gate on the left

 The workshops have all been very well attended and it has been great

to see people of all ages loving playing with clay.

 we are quite sure that people have been taking the figures home

and not placing them as we have got through almost two tonnes

of air drying clay.

 as you can see they all have their own character.

 This was the latest shot someone sent us.

 Mean while back at the workshop!

 I've been slipping some pots

 and making lipped bowls for our stand at River Cottage HQ

on 8th & 9th September

 and a new leaf design Pancheon for the National Trust web site.

 in the middle here is Marion with one of the workshops

The Exhibition ends on the 27th August

and our last two workshops are this Tuesday & Thursday

1 - 3pm.

we can't do one on Saturday because we are helping with

running the Barrington Village fete on the 25th.

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.