6 minute read
Eastnor Pottery
Eastnor Pottery’s founders get creative with clay
Photo by Sarah Monk
Advertisement
With all the fantastic pottery courses and classes that have taken place at Eastnor Pottery & The Flying Potter, one might be forgiven for thinking the sole business activity is providing creative experiences. Far from it! Artist founders Jon Williams and Sarah Monk took on the redundant premises on the Eastnor Castle Estate, primarily as a workshop for designing and making their original contemporary ceramics. The social engagement work came much later as the pair developed their ideas and business acumen. In fact, having recently closed their doors due to the COVID-19 crisis, the absence of customers and rural hush fondly reminds the couple of the time they set up studio in Eastnor 26 years ago! The unscheduled break from normal business activity has also provided Jon and Sarah with a golden opportunity to further develop their ceramic work. Sarah makes unusual but useful objects based upon her life-long passion for domestic ceramics. Items given the Sarah Monk treatment have included toast racks, lemon squeezers, cutlery drainers and even the odd wig-stand! Inspiration, in part comes from childhood memories of Sarah’s family home in Surrey. Dad was an antiques collector and filled the house, floor to ceiling with pots and ceramic curios. Glass fronted display cabinets bursting with china rattled and chinked when you passed. Sarah’s current obsession is with soap dishes and bathroom accessories. Having ditched the use of plastic hand soap dispensers at home and in the studio, she has designed a range of ‘soap pillows’ and bowls to contain her shampoo and
conditioner bars. The full range of her creative products is on show at the Pottery, and also on sale on her website: www.sarahmonkceramics.co.uk Jon’s sculptural ceramics are designed to be interacted with in a fun and unusual way. In 2011 he created a solo touring exhibition of accessible pieces designed to excite the five senses. Pots could be shaken, struck, sniffed and tasted! One of the exhibits, a giant sand pit filled with buried ‘rattle’ pots provided a surprise not only for participants, but for Jon too. The sand was there to soften the impact of dropped pieces. However, participants discovered that by pushing and rolling the ‘rattle’ pots into the sand, you could create amazing textures and patterns. Although Jon hadn’t considered this as an outcome, it was something he very much welcomed; he loves the notion of creative discovery through play. Jon is currently exhibiting a range of water play pots in an exhibition called ‘Making Histories’ at Leamington Spa Art Gallery. Although the Gallery is temporarily closed, a video tour of the exhibition can be seen on the Gallery’s YouTube channel.
EASTNOR POTTERY & THE FLYING POTTER for families, groups and individuals
Book your session today!
01531 633886 admin @ eastnorpottery.co.uk www.eastnorpottery.co.uk
Clinic appointments or home visits within ƚŚĞdŚƌĞĞŽƵŶƟĞƐ Reflexology Relax Restore Revive ĂƌŽůůĂƌŬ&&Z;Ğƌƚ͘ͿD&,d
carolsfeet@gmail.com
Call or text 07925 268466
Jim Croysdale
Re-covering & Full Re-upholstery Loose & Fitted Covers Cushion Inners & Covers Fabrics
New Showroom & New Machinery Dealership
01531 636926
Garden Machinery Service and Repairs ĨŽƌĂůůƚLJƉĞƐŽĨ'ĂƌĚĞŶDĂĐŚŝŶĞƌLJ SALESŽĨDŽǁĞƌƐ͕ŚĂŝŶƐĂǁƐΘ^ƚƌŝŵŵĞƌƐ ƚŽƐƵŝƚLJŽƵƌŶĞĞĚƐĂƚĂŶĂīŽƌĚĂďůĞƉƌŝĐĞ Unit 7 Lower Road Trading Est, Ledbury, HR8 2DJ
Ask any man, and he will tell you that it is every woman’s ultimate fantasy to have two men at once.
Whilst this has been verified by a recent sociological study, it appears that what most men do not realise is that in this fantasy, one man is cooking and the other is cleaning . . .
As a new bride, Edna moved into the small home on her husband’s farm. She put a shoe box on a shelf in her cupboard and asked her husband NEVER to touch it.
For fifty years Jack left the box alone, until Edna was old and dying. She asked him to bring the box to her and open it. Inside were two crochet doilies and £82,500 in cash.
Amazed, Jack asked her about the contents.
‘My mother gave me that box on the day we were married’ Edna explained. ‘She told me to make a doily to ease my frustrations every time I got mad at you.’
Jack was very touched that in fifty years she’d only been mad at him twice.
‘Where did the £82,500 come from?’ he asked.
‘Oh,’ replied Edna, ‘that’s the money I made selling the rest of the doilies.’
Oh really ... !!
90-year old man: "Doctor, my 28 year old wife is pregnant ... what's your opinion?"
Doctor: "Let me tell you a story. A hunter in a hurry grabs an umbrella instead of the gun. He moves into the jungle, sees a lion, lifts the umbrella, pulls the handle and BANG ... the lion drops dead!"
Old man: "That's impossible; someone else must have shot the lion."
DEAN BOSWELL PLUMBING & HEATING SERVICES Fast Local Service at a Fair Price C H R B D G P M
tĞĮƚƐƵƌĞƐƚŽƉƌĞŵŽƚĞǁĂƚĞƌƐǁŝƚĐŚĞƐĨŽƌƚŚĞ ŝƐŽůĂƟŽŶŽĨŵĂŝŶĐŽůĚǁĂƚĞƌďLJƚŚĞŇŝĐŬŽĨĂƐǁŝƚĐŚ͊ B S R & I N G & LPG please contact Mr. Roy Goddard on 01684 833442. Gas Safe Reg. No. 135157
T M
with over 30 years experience
Fully insured Plant Operator:- FOUNDATIONS DRAINAGE OLD OR NEW KERB LAYING EDGING BLOCK PAVING TURFING & FENCING GARDEN LANDSCAPING GARDEN MAINTENANCE
All at competitive prices!
Telephone Mick Kitchin
07533 264989 anytime 01531 635705 evenings
Kirstie Mackay HCPC registered Podiatrist
Routine chiropody & podiatry treatments
including nail cutting, treatments for callus and corns, fungal infections, cracked heels & verrucas Nail reconstruction and medi-pedicures
telephone: 07967 394419 email:
kjm-feet@hotmail.com Ledbury Podiatry
Lodge Cottage Therapy Centre, The Homend, Ledbury, HR8 1AR
A Local Organic Veg Box Delivered To Your Door
