An excellant day out!

On Saturday, I jumped in to my friends car and we headed off to sunny Buxton (well okay it was raining to start with, but later the sun did shine). Our destination was Ceramics in the Dome.  I have never been to a ‘proper’ potters fair before, simply because they are usually miles and miles away,  and I work weekends, but I have so  longed to go to one and then I found out that this was almost on my doorstep (slight exaggeration but hey), so a days holiday from work was duly arranged.  I have an absolute passion for contemporary pottery, maybe it’s my background as I hail from the Potteries and my late father was a pottery designer and my late  uncle was a potter.  If I could choose my career path again, I might well go down the path of clay and glazes and kilns and raku and woodash, ooooh dream, dream, dream.   Well, we arrived at the Dome in Buxton and we were not dissapointed, my friend (who used to be a potter -how could she give it up?!!) and I were in seventh heaven. We were surrounded by top quality ceramics – mugs, jugs, platters, polar bears, ah, the polar bears, more about them later.  I was able to meet people whose work I had only spied in Ceramic Review or occasionally in lovely craft galleries, I was also able to meet someone whose blog I have been lurking on for a good few months, (yes, I own up, I am a lurker!) Hannah MacAndrew has a pottery up in Scotland where she makes the most beautiful slipware,  It was lovely to be able to say ‘hello’ at last. 

This is the Hannah MacAndrew mug that I own, with it’s lovely little birds running round the top.

A few pots came home with us on Saturday….

A small head by Sally MacDonell

Two pebbles by Emma Williams, amazing colour.

A bowl by Katherine Winfrey with hares running all the way around it.

Small wall plaque by Alasdair MacDonell (husband of Sally above), such a talented couple.

A new mug for my horlicks by Toff Milway, once met, never forgotten!

Last, but certainly not least, a polar bear by Paul Smith, his work is mainly  inspired by fairy tales and has a wonderfully quirky illustrative style, I loved his red riding hood and wolf  hugging each other, but I will have to save up for one of those.  The polar bear now stands by my bed, on my dresser like a gentle guardian.

We had the most wonderful time and met some really lovely people (potters are always lovely people), and when we have saved up some more money, we would like to do it all again please!

Next stop Earth and Fire  yehhhhhh!