Working through Bloggers Block.

Too much has happened this past month - it all came together in a rush, and there didn't seem time enough between events to blog it properly. So in the Cox way I just kept putting it off, and now of course I've forgotten most of it. So here goes the very edited highlights.
The Potfest trip to Hohr-Grenzhausen was wonderful - the car was packed up to the gunnels and we sailed out on the Hull ferry to Rotterdam at sunset, and met up on board with Hannah McAndrew and the Geordie boys, Andrew and Michael from Northumbrian Craft Pottery - in the bar of course - and the tone was set for the trip.

The drive next day from Rotterdam to Hohr-Grenzhausen went smoothly, and we arranged a rendezvous and coffee en route with Pollie and Garry Uttley from Derbyshire, all arriving in H. G. by early afternoon. We met up with Tim Huckstepp and Clare Wakefield, who had done the Dover/ Calais route from Kent, at the magnificent Westerwald Ceramics Museum in Hohr-Grenzhausen. This town has it all - set in beautiful  rolling countryside it has 2 ceramics colleges, a world class ceramics museum and gallery space, it's the home of New Ceramics magazine and has small workshops, large disused ceramics factory spaces, alongside all the normal facilities of a small town - bars, restaurants, supermarkets, shops - and lots of really friendly potters who live and work here - it's quite simply pottery heaven.

Inside the Westerwald Ceramics Museum

Hannah obligingly giving some scale to this wonderful textural piece.

As the Potfest potters were representing the UK as guest country at the potters market, the town put us all up for the duration of our stay and looked after us really well. I'm just including a few images of our time here and being really cheeky by putting a link in to Hannah's blog as she has written much better than I could hope to do about the whole trip.

The plan was to throw an English tea party as well as exhibiting our work in the market, so Thursday morning saw us all hard at work in one of the old factory units just off the main square

Geoff and Andrew making good use of the loading bay

Hannah poised for slip-trailing action



Tim plating up and making like a waiter ..... and by the morning of the market the table was ready, set...go!

Part of our finished table - much admired and appreciated over the weekend.

After all the hard work came the rewards

Andrew perfecting his "best behaviour "drinking skills - note the posh little finger.

David, Hannah and Clare in pensive mood with a selection of aperitifs before the potters meal on Saturday night ...... so much choice, so little time .....

...and by Sunday night when we'd survived two swelteringly hot days, a thunderstorm, re-packed the cars and vans, we were entertained royally yet again by our hosts. Many thanks to all in H.G. - you gave us a simply wonderful time.

Potfest Scotland comes to Stirling

The new Potfest venue of the mart at Stirling seems to have been a great success. The old mart at Perth had reached the end of its life and was due for demolition – so a transfer to the new building at Stirling was necessary. Set in the rural outskirts of Stirling, with a backdrop of the Scottish hills it feels like we’ve landed in cattle mart heaven

light, bright, clean, wi-fi, restaurant and deli on site

- this is definitely the way forward! Previous customers from the Perth area travelled down to see us and new customers from the Stirling area were in evidence too. I think it should soon build back to what it was in Perth. This was our first proper show of the year and it was good to see lots of old friends again, and some new faces,  emerging from potter winter isolation.

Catching up:

Writing this from the wifi hotspot that is Scottish Potfest in the cattle mart at Sterling – good to know the Scottish cows are computer savvy!
The week between my last walk in Wales and the Scottish Potfest have been non-stop potting . I’m in crisis management mode as the Potfest trip to the ceramic market at Hohr- Grenzhausen, and Earth & Fire at Rufford are looming and the week lying on a beach in Crete that is imminent now seems a trip too far. Perhaps I could concoct a virtual display to put on my stand at Rufford, and just take orders.
Some of the pots out of the electric kiln and this weeks soda firing:

Best laid plans ....

The weather has changed for the worse and takers for a ten mile walk along the coast in heavy rain and gusty wind are non-existent. I have a lie in, and a pub lunch for 17 at the Ship Inn down on the beach front at Tresaith seems to be today's preferred option all round.

By late afternoon the weather has cleared up and we descend onto the beach for paddling, crabbing, rock-climbing and photo-shoots. The waterfall that cascades down onto the beach was impressive with this morning's rainfall - if somewhat muddy looking

I think the week has been a great success - mostly good weather, beautiful walks, excellent company, good in-house catering (  have put on 4lbs in spite of the exercise ) all washed down with 47 bottles of wine ( we didn't count the beer, cider and spirits ). Hope to return to carry on with the coast path south of Cardigan into Pembrokeshire. Thanks everyone.

Cheers!

Thursday - Mrs Overall & St Dogmael

Didn't really plan on a proper walk today as I thought Geoff and I could just reconnoitre some beaches and coves along tomorrow's proposed route between Cardigan and Newport - but we started the day, excitingly enough,  in the nearby Army surplus store in Sarnau. Geoff is here modelling my new workshop overalls bought for the princely sum of £5. I now seem to be an employee of  S&F Motors Ltd and my name is Chris Emery according to my labels. Shame you didn't leave me a crab sandwich, or some loose change in the pockets Chris.

We drove on past Cardigan along some really narrow lanes to the coast at Moylgrove

Just a short walk around the headland were huge cliffs, a sea stack and caves and the path wending its way along the cliff tops towards Newport looked a really good prospect for tomorrow' walk.

On the way back to Tresaith we called in at St Dogmael's just outside Cardigan and spent a couple of hours in the village there looking around the ruined abbey, the churchyard and the visitor's centre

I'm still seeking inspiration for my Potfest competition piece for " Shrines, altars and markers" this year at the shows and the old graveyard there threw up some interesting ideas.

We finished the day doing some rock-climbing on the beach at Tresaith with Ben

Wednesday - Best walk of the week - 9.5 miles

Today's plan was an early start - Geoff would drive us and drop us off in Newquay - and hopefully we would walk back along the coastal path to Llangrannog, where as many of us as possible would meet up for a late lunch. It was another beautiful sunny day, and I was joined by Jan and Sammi from California and Peter, my London cousin's husband. Geoff is hobbling around with a swollen knee, and is now only good for chauffeur and ice-cream buying duties.

We left Newquay, climbing the hill up above the fish factory - fast - to get away from the fishy odour much beloved by the thousands of seagulls who were milling around there hopefully - further along the coast out in the bay we spotted four dolphins, dutifully ticked off in my Chief I-Spy book of things Christine needs to see on her holidays - which just leaves me missing the hardest thing to spot this week - fresh crab sandwiches.

Dropping down to Cwmtydu cove about 4 miles into the walk I saw our car in the car park - Geoff had been sculpting in the car while he waited to see us pass by. I don't really know of anyone else who takes 2 rolls of chicken wire and wire snips on holiday with them.

The cliff top scenery was superb on this stretch

and the path had been specially constructed  impressively  half way down the cliffs.

Llangrannog and lunch were just around the next headland

On Llangrannog beach cousin Cathy was waving - it's quite hard to spot her amongst the holidaymakers - and if I hadn't had to change out of my walking boots into my comfier trainers eight miles into the walk we would have made it in time for lunch at 1-30.

As it was we were 5 minutes late and they'd started on the fish and chips without us - family - huh!

Running, skiving and bouncing

There wasn't much enthusiasm for a whole day's walk today - too many tired legs after yesterday's exertions - with the exception of Marathon Man of course. Mike ran to Newquay, twelve miles up the coast, and we drove there to pick him up at 11am to meet up for coffee with some of the others in Aberaeron six miles further on.

Low tide at Newquay

Mike looked remarkably fresh as he ran down to the harbour to meet us, but was mortified to see he'd taken 2 minutes longer than on Sunday - nothing to do with all the food and booze consumed of course. Next stop was Aberaeron for coffee and a wander round the very pretty town with its many coloured Georgian houses.

Drove home for a late lunch followed by a short stroll along the coastal path to Aberporth

and back to the house just in time for the afternoon trampolining session

Not tempted to join in !