Welcome to the Leach Pottery blog



I have always struggled to keep a diary - try as I might, it is a discipline which has eluded me.  I love stationery so I have many partially filled notebooks and journals on my shelves and desk, but I quickly get distracted and move on to the next.  So please bear with me as I start to write this blog - it isn't something that comes naturally. 

I also feel that a Leach Pottery blog is long overdue.  I have been in post here as Director for 5 years now, since the pottery was reopened to the public following the restoration in 2008.  Throughout that time so much has happened - so many changes, developments, setbacks, triumphs and crises - but there has been little done to track that story.  So I suppose I should start with where we are now on this slightly rainy summer day in July 2013.

FIRING

Today we are firing the large soda kiln.  It is a clean up firing in as much as we are clearing out and firing stuff that has been hanging around in the studio for a while. But we are also taking the opportunity to fire individual work by our potters in preparation for the Cornwall Design Fair at Trereife near Newlyn which takes place in the middle weekend of August (16-18). We have a whole marquee this year and will be selling our tableware, work by our potters and also holding demonstrations, workshops and raku firings.  Richard (our technician) has been building the stands and Roelof (Senior Production Potter) is getting everything organised.  I am just hoping the weather improves!

CLAY DAYS 

Today Amanda (Education Officer) is running her fabulous Clay days workshops in the old pottery workshop with another happy band of parents and children.  We do this every Tuesday and Wednesday through the holidays. Yesterday they were making sculptures and today's lot are on coil pots. 

THIRD GENERATION

We have a new gallery space in the reception to the old pottery and our current show is called Third Generation and features the work of Bernard Leach's four potter grandsons - Simon, Philip, John and Jeremy.  All of the pots are for sale and the exhibition runs throughout the summer (entry to this bit of the site is free as it is to the shop).  I have added a few photos from the opening two weeks ago - thanks to Matt Tyas for the pictures.