Biddulph Grange Video

 https://youtu.be/F8UBVSBS9i8

Albert Camus QUOTE

Intensity 

Live to the point of tears.

Desire for meaning in a meaningless world.

Rebellion - fight injustice.

Hubris - excessive pride or self confidence

 

 

Christopher Hitchens

 Does this have resonance today?

The following is a quote from Christopher Hitchen's autobiography "Hitch 22" which was published in 2010. 

James Fenton was the winner of the Newdigate poetry prize for the sonnet sequence titled, "Our Western Furniture". On the cover of the first published version was a paragraph from Commodore Perry's * report to Congress in1856.

"It seems to me," opined the gallant commander: that the people of America will, in some form or another extend their dominion and their power, until they shall have placed the Saxon race upon the shores of Asia. I think too that Eastward and Southward will her great rival in future aggrandisement (Russia) stretch forth her power to the coast of China and Siam and thus the Saxon and the Cossack will meet .... Will it be in friendship?  I fear not!  will the world look with breathless interest; The antagonistic exponents of freedom and absolutism must thus meet at last and then will be fought the mighty battle on which the world will look with breathless interest; for on its issue the freedom of the world will depend."

* Matthew Calbraith Perry was a commodore of the United States Navy who commanded ships in several wars, including the War of 1812 and the Mexican American War. He played a leading role in the opening of Japan to the West with the Convention of Kanagawa in 1854. Wikipedia

Reawakening Pottery

 Re-awakening 

This was a difficult topic for me. I can remember being told frequently as a child, " You are in for a rude awakening my girl."  Is remembering the same as re-awakening? Returning to Kidsgrove my birth town after living in France I began a new blog which is called Living Life in Reverse because everyday I am reminded of the 60 years I lived here. The houses I lived in are still here. The school I taught in has been demolished and replaced. The Leisure Centre no longer exists.The shopping experience has completely changed. The old railway line has been transformed into a tree lined walkway. Some of this is positive and some negative.  I arrived just before the first lockdown and I was taken to a grand exhibition in Stoke called the British Ceramics Biennial. Then the pandemic arrived and all thoughts of exhibitions, eating out, theatre visits, sporting events and even shopping were put on hold. 

 Last week  however I experienced a true re-awakening  when I visited the Gladstone Pottery Museum. I am a Potteries girl. My sister was a figure paint-tress at Royal Doulton's. My mother and I always turned over the figures in shops to search for my sister's initials. My next door neighbour worked in the clay-end and frequently regaled us with stories from the clay-face. My first job when leaving school was lab assistant at the British Ceramic Research Association. I worked in the plaster lab. We were researching how to make plaster moulds last longer. I had to go to college to two afternoons and three evenings a week to study pottery. 

My main subject at college was pottery. In the college holidays I did a stint at Meakins, scrubbing gold off hollowware. When I was a teacher I went to pottery classes for teachers one evening a week. When I was in France I went to pottery classes. The corny cliché applies to me you can take the girl out of the Potteries but you can't take the Potteries out of the girl.

Oh and of course I have watched every episode of "The Great Pottery Throw Down" twice. Although I didn't cry not even once. 

I have considered pottery classes but--well-- you know the old arthritis in my fingers makes it a no-no.

P.S. The TV programme "What's my line" had a contestant who was a saggar maker and the following week he had a saggar maker's bottom knocker. I watched the programme in our next door neighbour's house. He said " Oh yes that's Jim Jones he knocks bottoms for Jack Hancock."