At Last I Hear You Cry

I have been looking into changing my Chip and Pin Machine

At Last I Hear You Cry!

Those of you that are regular customers will be all too

familiar with the song and dance routine

that has accompanied any chip and pin sale in the Showroom

over the past Four Years.

Well enough is enough our old Mobile machine is going to be hurled into a Bin

and You very patient customers will be able to sleep

better in your beds at night, without the reoccurring nightmares

that are

 "Barrington Pottery's Chip & Pin Machine".

We do realise that we may be putting some therapists out of work

But Our customers deserve better.

And besides Marion said if I don't change

 the Damm thing she'll throw it in the bin!

And so Research has been done and I think 

 in the words of Baldrick

" I have come up with a cunning plan".

First of all I have signed up to a very modern mobile phone system

that we can use when we are away from the workshop.

This system is totally free, No set up costs, no monthly fee

and you only pay 2.75% of the total sale fee.

So on a sales of a £40.00 pot

the fee is £1.10

You get a card reader that attaches to you iPhone or iPad

and takes card payments in a secure and safe way.

if you don't use it you don't pay .

You down load the app on your iPhone

I've set it all up and it has some great features,

 you can add standard products, you can take a picture of the pot your selling,

you can send the customer a receipt via email

and the customer can put a link on Facebook to say I just bought this

with the picture and it gives all your details and a map where you are.

It is just Brilliant.

I've put the link to a small demo video so you can see it in action.

They also sent me a link so that if anyone wants to go for it

email me and I'll send you the link

that means they will credit my account £10 for each new customer that signs up

via the link I can send you.

So bloody clever!

my email should you wish is

paulthepotter@btinternet.com

http://www.huddlebuy.co.uk/giveaways/izettle?v=1&h=7f31c1d3a364a71ccb88a1f8384b0c5c02413bcd&utm_source=aff1326&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_term=dealpage#prettyPhoto/0/

Here is the old mobile signal unit

which was pretty much a pain in the arse for a workshop

with a mobile signal about as strong as Tinkerbells little finger.

Soon to be replaced with a new system in the workshop

that is attached to the land line and not reliant on a mobile signal.
And the rental cost is less than half of the old one.

See how good I am to my customers!

In fact what I should be saying to our customers is 

Thank You for putting up with so much crap for the past four years.

Come and try out the new system and mention you read the blog

and we might even give you a discount.

The End of Time.

This Year see's the end of Time Team

One of those programmes that the big wigs in TV land just don't get.

I could ramble on about this

But a Lady writing in the Guardian has written an excellent piece

that says it far more eloquently than I ever could.

It starts off like this 

Tony Robinson is waving to us from the other side of a field. "This is the story of how Time Team transformed the understanding of archaeology in Britain," he shouts. "And even made it entertaining!"

Such enthusiasm befits this special episode of Time Team (Sunday, 5.30pm, C4), a spirited eulogy for the beloved archaeological bee as a spade of Damocles hovers above its split ends (the next series, inexplicably, will be its last). The stats are impressive: 20 years of digs, 224 excavations, and any number of young minds expanded, all actioned by men who look as if they have dug themselves up and forgotten to hand themselves in at the local museum.

plus the link to the full article.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2013/mar/23/time-team-a-tv-gem

I have a great affinity with this programme

which grew even more when

Mick Aston came into my workshop and Bought

one of my big Pancheons. 

Here is the link to the Royal Visit blog post.

http://paulthepotter.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/pancheon-finds-good-home.html

He's been back a couple of times since and added to his collection

needless to say I shall be watching tonight's programme.

New Slipware Pots Fresh from the kiln.

The new baking dishes came out of the kiln today.

They have a fresh look.

 But the design is as old as the hills.

 These are approx 8" wide.

 I do like the black.

 I think they work well together.

 I am also very pleased with this green jug.

 We also thickened up the white slip for these small sauce pots.

 and this is a set to match the pie dishes.

 Over all we had a very good kiln firing

and the range of colours seemed to hearald the start of Spring

here at Barrington Court.

The sun is out.

all we have to do is hope we have the prices right

and that we get some customers that like them as much as we do

Back to Basics Old English Slipware.

At the start of the year I decided I was going to make more jugs

and that is still the case.

But I've also been looking at some of my old pottery books

and I have decided that I want to make

Classic back to basics 

Old English Slipware.

Like these 8" serving dishes.

 sometimes when loading the glaze firing you just need that little

bit extra height for peace of mind.

So when it's just a bit to close to call, I add these pre fired slithers.

 I have always loved black slip

and this year I intend to improve my technique with wet slip.

 It's been freezing cold in the workshop

to such a point that on Tuesday we went home at 2pm.

 here are some more dishes

and they are in the glaze firing tonight.

 and some stock in the showroom.

 Lipped bowls.

 and small half pint jugs seem to be selling well.

 This is a 15" cassoulet dish.

 not forgetting the classic jug

this one hit the spot for me.

Isn't it nice when you are really chuffed with a pot as your making it.

 He may not look it, but Cadbury is very pleased

now that the court is open full time again.

He loves seeing the customers and they seem to love him.

 The work on the roof is still ongoing and this is the main reason

our workshop is so cold at the moment.

 We have had one nice day of sunshine when we could have lunch on the lawn.

 more shots on Saturday of some new pots

when they come out of the kiln.

So What Happened Next?

First of all a big thank you

to all of you that offered up your advice.

Across the board with Facebook comments

 the blog and the odd email,

It was a 50/50 split

between cautious optimism and don't touch

it with a barge pole.

And so I had to make a decision as to what to do next

with the seemingly to good to be true kiln.

I had tried to contact the seller 3 times

asking if I could go and see the kiln for myself

as the Ebay listing only had one picture of the out side of the kiln.

which to me looked in pretty good condition.

But in the end I put my bussiness head on and decided that why would

I bid on something I know very little about and the seller

seemed very disinterested in selling or even talking to me about it.

I said to Marion

"We deserve better service"

So I sat back and didn't bid. 

Someone else had shown an interest and if I started bidding 

the price would have gone up & it would have made more money for

an Ebay seller that to be honest had

 "Pissed me off by this stage"

I was prepared to pay £150.

(I've put this bit in just in case the seller reads this

and he can see what his lack of communication has cost him.)

So What did it sell for I hear you ask!

£36.00

That's all he got for it

Mind you if one of you guys has bought it and you find it's in good condition inside

you could make a quick buck

by selling it on to me. 

What would you do?

Hello fellow Bloggers, I would like your advice.

I have spotted a Kiln I am interested in buying on Ebay.

The question is this

" I have asked to see a picture of the inside of this kiln

and the reply was it would be better if I came to see it.

That's fine I've emailed the guy 3 times now asking to come and see it 

before the auction ends at 8pm today.

I understand it needs a new set of elements and a contactor

to get it back up working.

I have spoken to the maker and they have given me a ball park 

figure as to what this would cost.

So the question is

Do I bid and take the chance?

Do I only bid up to a very small amount?

Do I walk away and not bid at all?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111018272072?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649