Barrington in the Snow

I was just looking at pictures to post for the blog

when I realised I had taken these nice pictures

in the snow last week and not put them on the blog.

We are so lucky to live in Barrington,

 we have a great bunch of friends

and a beautiful village.

So this is a kind of filla blog 

with some nice pretty pictures, This is our cottage. 

 This is the local church, the one we made the bowl for.

 and towards the church from the front of the cottage.

 This is Pound cottage just next to the church

Lilliputt Lane did a model of this some years ago.

 This is the Barrington Oak

our local, now owned privately and no longer in the hands 

of Punch taverns, Thank God!

Towards our cottage from the Church steps.

 and this is Milly, finding a snow free zone in the back garden.

Slow,Slow,Quick,Quick,Snow!

 We started back for real on the 14th January

and I felt I didn't do too bad on the Monday.

I made 30 ramekin dishes as a kind of warm up

before I got stuck in to our first order of the Year for 

18 one pint Tankards

10 wassail cups

12 half pint tankards. 

 This year I have made it a rule that for every day 

I make pots for orders,

 I will also make a few jugs for the showroom, otherwise I will 

struggle to get the showroom stock back up to a reasonable level.

So by Wednesday it was starting to look promising.

2013 looks like it's going to be another action packed year with lots going on,

The building work is slowly starting to progress

the Electrician's turned up today to make a start.

While we were off at the start of the year I found a few pictures

on Google images of our pots in use at some of last years customers

This one below shows our Devon style jugs

in the deli in Berlin called Mogg & Melzer.

and a ramekin at the same place in a German food magazine.

I also found a few images in a fashion magazine shot in the same deli

it's of a young woman in stockings and suspenders sat on the floor

with her foot resting on a plate with one of our ramekins.

I showed the picture to Marion and said

" look it's one of our ramekins",

and Marion said do you realize the woman is only wearing stockings!

I hadn't noticed!!!!

I think my sad ometer just went up ten notches. 

and this rather more sedate picture of one of our pancheons in use. 

So back to those orders, and as you can see below I've been getting back

in to things, but it's felt a bit slow after my initial flurry

suddenly I had 60 handles to put on which slowed me down,

and putting handles on in a freezing cold workshop is no fun. 

I have tried to not do the stereotypical British thing and talk about the weather

because at the end of the day it is only weather.

But we have been walking to work in the snow, if nothing else

 Cadbury loves it. 

I'm hoping we can start firing the kiln again later this week

and get the workshop back up to some kind of workable temperature.

So Happy New Year to all of our blog readers

and we look forward to meeting as many of you

 as we can in 2013.

Looks Like it's Gonna Happen.

One thing we have learnt about having a workshop

on a National Trust property is Patience,

nothing ever happens straight away.

We are fine with that

the one thing we both have plenty of is patience.

We were told that the building works would start on the 7th January 2013

with the scaffolding going up first.

and sure enough up it goes.

The second thing that was due to happen was the Electricians

were going to start installing a new electric control panel this week,

so the power was going to be on and off at points.

So we thought great lets take an extra week off and just let them get on with it.

Monday morning email:

you guessed it

 " electrics now starting next week". 

 Wednesday morning email

You guessed!

Electrics now starting week after next!

I think we might earn more money this year

if we ran a book on when the workshop

will be finished.

But following our visits to Winchcombe and Toff Milway

earlier this week, we are really starting to get excited

about this great new space.

keep posted for stage by stage updates.

Winchcombe Visit.

 The great thing about giving ourselves some time off

at the start of the New Year, is that we are able to visit other potters.

.

So yesterday Marion and Me went to see our mate

 Matt Grimmit at Winchcombe. 

They have stock in the showroom. 

 and  a History of pot making that makes your head spin.

 Here is Matt next to the biscuit kiln with some fresh thrown mugs on the racks.

 Me & Matt

don't worry I'm thinking what your thinking!

 A slightly slender figured unfinished Ray Finch Pot

 and a finished but never seen Michael Cardew dish.

 one of the tools used to decorate the handles

I always wondered how they did that.

 This is the arse end of Ray Finches wheel with it's own wedging bench.

Thank You Ray I'm going to steal this idea

and build one on the back of my main wheel.

Such a simple idea.

and this rather quirky shot is of 

Michael Cardew's kick wheel.

I had to take the shot at this angle because there was a door resting on top of it! 

The back and the front of the old bottle kiln.

 These next shots are taken inside the kiln. 

 Great Jars

 Kiln shelves

 and a bit of both.

 We completed our day by having lunch in a Winchcombe tea shop

and visiting Toff Millway's Conderton Pottery.

it was raining by then and getting rather dark

so I didn't get to take any pictures here.

But we had a nice chat and his showroom is such a contrast to Winchcombe.

We had a great day and picked up some great ideas for our new workshop.

 I took Caddy for a walk this morning and the farmer was muck spreading

Phew!! what a smell.

but his tractor tracks made me think?

Which do you think came first? 

and some people are stupid enough to ask where we get our 

inspiration from.

I always just want to shout!

JUST OPEN YOUR EYES!!!!

New Year - New Workshop

Well here we are at the start of another Year

and once again we are starting it by planning

our new workshop.

We have decided to give ourselves a good break

this year and we won't be open again until the 14th January.

But in True Paul & Marion style we were in the barn this morning

talking through some of our ideas.

The building work starts next week with the scaffolding going up

for the roof to be replaced & repaired.

there going to use the same roof tiles but hopefully

add some insulation and make it waterproof.

The far end is going to be the showroom, and Marion talked me

 through her vision this morning.

We can't wait to get started on it and Marion has set me

 the the task of sourcing some of the items

needed to make this showroom our best ever.

Does anyone have a spare 3ft Chandilier?

We are also on the look out for a second hand Log burning stove

it needs to be a big one to heat this space

so if you know anyone selling one

point them in our direction.

And I have to turn this end into a pottery workshop

This Barn will have 3 Phase electric

so I'm also on the lookout for a larger kiln.

We did apply for a grant but we didn't get it

so how we are going to pay for all of this we are not sure yet.

Anyway that's never stopped us so far!

We are going to look at some other potteries

next week for some ideas.

So if you have any suggestions we would be happy to hear from you.

Good luck and best wishes for 2013.

Paul & Marion