Shed mending

It is surprising how much damage half a ton of clay does when it leans against a wall....

Now the clay and kiln bricks are in the right shed.???and his is mended!

Saying goodbye

Leaving a garden we used to work in. The house has been sold, the owners moved on...but we are still in contact.
We have the job of clearing a few things for them.
It's the last garden job in a village we moved from in 2012.

Sad, but we do need to reduce working for others.
We need time to do our own garden, I need time to make my own work....if you look at the right side of the blog you will see 'pots'....click on that and you will see a few examples...

returns

On the penultimate day of our Tour de Famille we collected four boxes of my work that were in an exhibition in the Royal Academy in Conwy on the North coast of Wales...must have been three years ago.

I'd been under the impression that they'd been moved on by a local friend to a gallery where I'd known they were wanted and would sell.....in the RCA they had been placed next to some work that is priced exceedingly cheaply. No matter the quality, many potential customers will look at the price first

Unfortunately we weren't heading back South....

away

We're away in South Wales for a long weekend, staying with friends , seeing the Wizzard and his lady on the way down..a much needed stop overnight on the outskirts of Manchester. Good to see him playing cycle polo, something I did in the late 60s....
Chilling out with friends,resisting even the pull of a Saturday market in Abergavenny!

We briefly walked two Long Dogs over the local fields and started sloe picking until we realized that the estate shoot was on...and they hadn't used the shooting points set up in the field...so we beat a retreat to save risking the gamekeeper's ire!!
Tomorrow afternoon we ride at the velodrome,just one race each before supper with the Carpenter and his family.  Baby is due in just over a week so hopefully we'll be back again soon!

Monday we pack up our hired van with grandma's wardrobe, three sets of shelves and a cupboard with pottery tools, cones and such. Along with a kiln chimney ,spare HTI kiln bricks and other things I've forgotten- these have been in store in my friend's lockup for a year!! Then we collect a small doughmixer from another potting friend before heading off to Bristol for a family visit for the Pirate.

Then the long haul home on Tuesday, unpack on Wednesday morning and return the hire van.

It has been an experience driving a brand new transit van...SIX gears!!
The Transit I drove from '99 to'02 had four forward gears...it was at least ten years old then!! Compared to that,this one feels like a cross between a car and a lorry!!

being uninspired...

Just come across this on a lino printing group on fb....

exactly.


living in hope.

More festival. Steve Mill's kiln and last pots

 Steve was supposed to be firing his kiln at the festival, but died recently.
This left a gap in the proceedings...we all miss him for all sorts of reasons.
A kind and thoughtful and caring potter, with wit and dry humour.
One of the founders of Bath Potters' Supplies, run by potters for potters.

 A fast fire Bourry box, woodfired kiln....

 Fast indeed!
Then 20 hours later the unpacking, with Kath Mills photographing, with Joe from Red Fox Pottery, the official insta gram and face book photographer for the festival

 Joe Finch and David Frith, the kiln firers

 beautiful results!

 A good size packing chamber, for the physical footprint of the kiln

getting out...

We needed a leg stretch yesterday, so tookmy daughter's advice on the route...we are staying with her and family just North of Aberystwyth, ready for the International Ceramics Festival starting this evening.

North on the main road to Machynlleth, turn right at the big clock and up the road a couple of miles before the promised rain started sprinkling gently.
Not a bad thing, to cool a little..we weren't going hard, just steady. It was a relief to be off the main road as we headed back down the lane....as I remembered it....now widened to a road width...through Llanwrin. It was sad to see the pub closed,but at least the building looks a well cared for home.

Back to a main road that comes from Dolgellau to Machynlleth, just a mile away from the old bridge over the Dyfi. We were glad to see a newer bridge built for walkers and cyclists....and very glad for a coffee stop back in Machynlleth!

On the road South again we stopped to look at the waterwheel of the charcoal and ironworks at Furnace. For about 50 years in the 1700s iron ore was imported to here by water from Cumbria and pig iron made here.
The wheel must be 40 feet in diameter .
 I like the modern touch...the bench made from steel.

It was an enjoyable ride, only 30 miles,but we were glad to be back!

back to work

After a slow start.(..and waiting for showers to pass!) we rode over to the next village to do a gardening job....The Spring Prune !! Secateurs at the ready ...
four hours and two wheelie bins later we called it a day.
We left a mostly trimmed garden and a happy customer...front garden next time.

He also has said I can move my wheel into his garage....it needs a good clean, a window mending and the front doors draught proofing.  He already has some paint for the concrete floor.

Now to get The Carpenter and The Oily One to bring the workshop contents up from Wales....they've been saying that they wanted them moved....

cars!!!! and bikes...

Thursday morning we managed to be up bright and early,to drop the car at the garage four miles from here in our local small town. I'd thought that I had a week in hand,as usual, but that was the day the MoT (or WoF to our Kiwi friends...) ran out. 
We left the car in Graham's hands...hoping he didn't have a"shout" as he is a retained fireman...aided by his top apprentice, Gary.
Today's ride wandered here and there, South to begin with then North along the coast road past what used to be Butlins. (and still a holiday camp)  From Alloway, down to the coast and along the front to Ayr Pavilion. Around the back streets to avoid the town traffic,to brunch in a nice cafe.
Returning to Alloway we explored the cycle/footpath along the old railway, then across the "bypass" to the lanes to Dalrymple.  We tried to find a different lane,but failed,  and as it was nearing garage lunchtime went the direct route there!
The car's luck had run out too....a small patch to be welded on,due to rust, a little front suspension problem (not surprising with our potholed roads...avoid one and hit the other....) and a tyre to renew, which I'd already ordered.

No car until Monday lunchtime, all being well.

Back on the bikes,a detour to find a friend then home for a rest!

While the Pirate was resting, I started organizing the woodstack.  When it is in three places,it looks more than it is.....and now we know that it isn't big enough.
After his rest, he came and helped and rigged up a better rain cover for the occupied wood bin.  I swept out the little back yard..several times....as we will be putting one of The Birthday Gazebos there.  It wont be ideal to work in,but as we can't have another shed or anything......

Kirkmichael to Kirkmichael and back...

 Ayrshire to Perthshire, 140 miles...for the Scottish Potters' Annual weekend, with three demonstrators, exhibition for members, Raku workshop with David Roberts, all in the Field Studies Council centre, Kindrogan Hall .

 fire alarm.....

 Cairngorms to the North...with snow...

 Ronnie Fulton

 Patricia Shone

 David Roberts second left (and Pirate on the far right) at the Raku Kiln

 The Pirate's present...a Mermaid by Ronnie Fulton, with my Nessie...bartered for a small saltglazed salt pot....

We had an enjoyable time, got inspired and had a good rest as well...much needed.

re-stocking the Etsy shop.

New cards are gradually going into my Etsy shop...one is pulled two ways...to gradually fill it up...but that means a lot of stock is tied up , capital just sitting there.
You then need to make even more to have saleable work in hand and to take to other physical (as opposed to virtual) places.

 There will be cards from my photographs going in soon.

Every day we take a break  and collect windblown firewood...mainly ash

 A chance for a breather, get half a day's wood and some exercise together.

 Looking over the local barley field, across Ayrshire fields to the Galloway Hills, which will possibly be white with snow again on Wednesday.

The cafe cards went down well with Murray's cafe owner...lets hope they are selling too!

I've tried out a few more shots of their Salt and Pepper pots...great fun!
An indoor shot taken in our village cafe, Jock's, has gone there as a card too-can't say I'm not trying!!

Meanwhile we've been knocked back on a possible site for the workshop caravan. That project is running out of time as soon the owner will need it off his site to prepare the ground for a new van.   Something will turn up....I need to get back to pots!!