Jug Update

These larger jugs are approx 11" Tall

 The tall green jug has green slip inside the smaller one

only has it in the rim and outside. I find that some jugs just look better

with and some look better without.

It's all about the potters eye as to what makes a good pot.

 Tall elegant and simple these jugs make me smile.

 Again the taller jug 11" has slip on the inside

and a rustic quality that is rare in Electric fired pots.

Two blogs in one day

Time for a cup of tea.

A Quick Blog Pot update.

I realise that not everyone that reads the blog looks at my Facebook page

so here are some pictures of work that has

shown it's face on Facebook!

I've been making some larger platters.

 My quest to make more jugs is paying off

as two of these have sold already.

 These are the same jugs but with the sun shining through the round window

in the workshop.

 and here I am rustling up a quick batter mix in one of our small

Pancheons on Pancake day.

 This Jug sold for £45 in the online auction to aid potters in Japan

who's workshops had been devastated in the earthquake disaster

a few years ago.

 This jug is still sitting on the showroom shelf waiting for a new home

but I love this jug.

The large platter at the start of the blog finished

in what I call my

 "Cardew Style"

 and a second in a more traditional style.

 The small Pancheons are normally plain but I reserve the right to decorate

one every once in a while.

 and as a bit of fun 

Bells.

I have some nice big jugs cooling down in the kiln at the moment

so don't be surprised to see a new blog very soon.

2014 The Biggest Year of our Lives

The First of March

see's the official start of our 6th Year

at Barrington Court.

As the years have gone by, we have moved

along the building.

This was our first showroom back in 2009

as I look back at this picture

I feel as if we had this pretty much

spot on , I did like it.

But the workshop space was very limited

and the National Trust wanted to create

more workshops in this space below,

further along the building.

This room was a total of 5 bays long

Ideally I would have liked just 3 of

the bays, to double my workshop size

and give me the same size showroom,

But we either had to take it all or none.

So we set about changing this into the new all singing

 all dancing workshop & showroom.

With No Money, it was a big decision.

 But we got stuck in and in the end the showroom

which is in the picture above and below looked

Amazing.

Just what I wanted, the way I wanted it!

Then the NT gained the funding to replace the roof on the barn

at the end of our workshop

and in August 2012 a decision had to be made

Do we take it?

Of course we do!

It would give us the chance to grow,

with a separate school room, more

natural light, and the chance

to be able to fit in a bigger kiln.

There's not much that happens quickly

when your dealing with the NT.

And it was May 2013 before the barn was looking like this.

So we set about putting our stamp on it

We try and keep as much character as possible

in any area we live & work in.

And when a room has no character

we set about creating it

as we had to do in the School room.

Once again with absolutely no budget

to work with.

It works a treat.

And on the outside we have to keep it

as simple as possible.

It's proving to be a great space to work in

the natural light during the day

is just so nice for working in

and in the evenings the sun sets

are just a dream.

So here we are the start of year six

it's often been said that the first five years

of any business are the hardest

and more people go out of business

in the first five years, than at any other time.

But I feel as if I've found my feet

I Have a clear idea of the direction I want to go

and with Marion now on board,

and our wedding in August,

We Both feel that 2014 is going to be

 a good year for us.

Neglected Potters Wheel Owners, it's time you came out of the closet and headed to Somerset.

I thought I might  just ask what might seem a silly question

Do you have one of these you don't use?

How can you be so cruel ?!

Is it sat in a cold damp garage covered in dust & cardboard boxes

never seeing the light of day or a bowl full of warm water?

Is that oh so very comfy seat being neglected

never to have the delights of a warm bum sat upon it?

Has that 13amp plug just been dangling over the edge of the tray

getting in your way and taking up space?

Shame on you!

 Now is your chance to redeem yourself.

As ever we have no spare money to just go out and buy

two new wheels, but the pottery school is starting to get booked up

and one of our wheels has died.

We like this type of wheel but we are open to ideas

so if you can help

we are looking to obtain two more potters wheels.

So do yourself a favour make some room, get a bit of cash for it

and give us a call or maybe email might be better,

 it's a kind of dating agency for unloved potters wheels.

what could we call it?

what about,

Mucky Love.com ?

Ok Maybe not.

#OpenforBusiness@Barrington Pottery

The Somerset Levels has never had so much Media Attention

with the floods.

If only they would come back when businesses are

able to re open after the largest amount of rainfall in a Generation.

This shot from the air gives just a flavour of the extent of the flooding.

Luckily for us here at Barrington Pottery we have been able to keep open

and keep working.

The weather is getting us down a bit now, but at least we are not flooded.

The ladies in Barrington organised a coffee morning in the Village Hall

to raise funds for the flood affected people.

and they raised just over £1000.

We have been busy making stock and orders

and we have made a few changes to showroom

I finally feel as if i'm getting somewhere with it. 

Today is another day of rain, but this is about as bad as it gets outside our workshop.

 The Flue to the log burner is still leaking

and running down the pipe

but we can cope with that for now.

 Our Cottage has had a few close shaves with the flooding

but as yet we are still dry at home.

 I'm glad I put a new roof on the old workshop in January

and it's still there.

 Here are some of the new jugs in stock

Half Pint, Pint & Pint & a Half sizes.

 We have had the odd days with a break in the weather

and on one of these we stopped in at a church that had been recommended to us

by one of our customers

 Hornblotten church was just amazing.

and a little light relief from all of the misery of wet weather.

Anyway chin up wellies on

it's half term here and Marion is doing play with clay

this week 11am - 3.30pm

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday.

We have had to increase the price to £3 per person

but it's still good value and the kids love it.

Fresh Jugs from Paul Jessop

 As a part of my New Year, New Start

I promised myself I will make more jugs.

This morning I opened the kiln on my first batch.

These are 3lbs of clay and are approx 8" tall.

 Here on the central table in our showroom is part of our range of pots

I've put all the green pots together but I think a mix of colours 

would probably work better. 

We use a tag line at our shows

"Simple Honest Pottery"

Here are some of the jugs in more detail. 

 I do still love the plain and simple jugs best

and this afternoon I deployed one of my Christmas presents

a stick on tape measure.

I can never find my tape measure so this will enable me to set my calipers

to set sizes for making pie dishes and pot lids.

You can buy these really cheap from fabric shops

Janet at Barrington Patchwork has them in stock.

Sharing my walk to work and my Turning Chuck.

 We Live and Pot in the Beautiful Village of Barrington

Here in Somerset .

In between the day's and day's of rain

I have been walking through the village to the workshop

and here are a few pictures taken on route.

The local farm shop Rowsel.

Across the road is St Mary's Church where we are due

to be Married later this year.

 Here is a nice Wisteria waiting for the weather to warm up

and look spectacular again.

This great big house has always been a favorite of mine

I love the windows and the stone.

This is water street heading down to Barrington Court

where our workshop is.

an old sign on a wall next to a pear tree.

A Lovely foot path that runs by a shallow stream

that Caddy likes to paddle in.

This is at the end of the footpath and a view over the 

cricket pitch.

It's a cold frosty morning down at the workshops.

So first things first to light the log burner and put the kettle on.

Today's task was to turn some larger jugs.

and for this I use a Chuck

This is a chuck I have had for over two years now

It's one I threw

It's just a tip I wanted to pass on.

It works a treat and has done for years now

all I do is wet the wheel head to stick it in place.

Having been given an Honorable mention

in the top pottery blogs for 2013

I felt I would pass on some more of my making tips

it's not so much the chuck idea that is new

but the fact that you can keep and use the same one

for years and years.