Sunday 27 May 2012

May 2012

May 22nd
What was I saying about interuptions .....
Someone dropped off some mature clumps of ornamental grasses this morning so I had to get them a home promptly. Fortunately this border was new and empty. Now I have just to find the time to gravel it at some stage. At least the sun is driving me into the cool of the studio more often now, so that's a good thing.

Yes they do look like a set of 'Gonks', do you remember them?
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May 21st
More wood arrived today, as has the sun. and customers from the canal at last. Possibly summer will arrive this year after all. I am doing an hour in the garden an hour in the studio and so on now in a bid to keep a balance on things. I am determined to make it work, problem is you forget that customers take time to serve and friends call round. But it all makes for enoyable times.

I really don't know when I will get this lot logged up and stored.
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May 20th
A quite enjoyable day at Loughborough. A Potters Market organised by David and Louise Salbury as part of British Ceramics Week and the Craft & Design Month sponsored by the Magazine Craft & Design. It was a damn cold day but I had decent sales and hope to have some new visitors to the studio from there. Unfortunately the battery on my camera ran out after one photo. I was good to see old friends, and yes we are all getting older.

 Market stands provided cover but not shelter from the cold breeze.
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May 14th
Raising the boards to increase the depth of the last veg plot, more compost and soil to be dug in and still waiting for seeds to start showing in the green house. It has been just too cold for germination.
At least some of the plant splitting has been successful. I am getting plenty of pots made and the rack for kiln firing is filling up well.

 Yes the seats in the garden are essential!

Problem is having divided up the plants I know I have to plant them at some stage.That means more work out of the studio. Good or bad thing?
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May 12th
Well a few days grafting in the studio and the weather is getting a tiny bit warmer more gardening tasks have been tackled and I am hoping the honeysuckle I trained around the hazel frame will thicken and make sitting atop the septic tank in the sun for breakfast a more pleasurable experience than it sounds.

 There really is no odour from the working tanks.

Four fat Blackbirds nesting in one of the conifers in the garden.

There are a other blackbirds nest in the garden and I discovered the nest of a pair of Yellow Wagtails in the top of an empty propane bottle at the side of the studio.
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May 3rd
Teapots glazed yesterday and medium plates thrown, I have to get my head down and work through the list of stock needed for the year. With all the wet weather drying times are long but I just know that as soon as it warms up I will be chasing to keep up with catching pots at the right condition for handling and glazing.

Plates low down turned awaiting glazing, more plates to turn and teapots lids to hole and fit.
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Sunday 13 May 2012

April 2012

End of the month and a 3 day show at Capesthorne Hall Craft, Gift & Food Fair in Cheshire. Spent the first two tedious days hoping it wouldn't rain on packing up day. The last day passed quick and overall pulled the show into something reasonable sales wise. May is coming and I fear it will go faster than I need.

Sunday 22nd
Studio production is now in full swing. A couple of batches of teapots begun and plates in the pipeline. Still managing to spend plenty of time in the garden though.

Teapots on the go, spouts in the damp boxes lids to turn and handles to pull.
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Tuesday 17th
Back home and can't believe how cold it is still. Burning logs at a rate to heat the studio and work has started. Clay balled up for tomorrows throwing, a glaze sieved and all put ready to go in the morning.
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It was a week of mixed weather. Mornings cold with several frosty starts. A couple of days with torrential rain and wind that put a real chill in the air. Luckily most of the evenings were dry and quite sunny, and as you can see some great days for a bracing wander at the coast.
Places to sit and unwind before more lazing about.
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Monday 9th
Showery weather warm enough until the wind got up. Went for a wander along a river, found these old wrecks then came back to Le Pouldu and there was a tall sailing shipmaking its way to Lorient.
The old style sailing ship.
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Now the serious part of why go to France
The joys off being in such a relaxed environment. I really enjoy cooking but enjoy the eating more. Here are a few examples of my efforts.


Beer battered squid and courgette slices, sat out in the evening sun.
 Tuna, Haddock and Scallop, now that was a nice fish platter.
Barnsley chop - Lamb, and beer battered onion
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Friday 6th

The sun goes down with a decent colour boding well for the next day. I was sat outside on the decking taking an essential drop of libation.
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Thursday
Well there is snow back at home so this seems a much better place to be.
It was warm enough to sit in shorts and shirt sleeves in this small sheltered cove, but no paddling.
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Tuesday 3rd
Off to France, night time ferry so will be in Le Pouldu by tomorrow lunchtime.