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I'm listening to The Archers

Autumn sunshine in the studio

Hello, how has your week been? 

As ever, I’m not really sure where the time has gone this week, and while I absolutely meant to write and send this yesterday by the time I actually sat down at the computer it was 7pm and therefore time for The Archers, which given the current story line I didn’t want to miss. Are you a listener? My family mock me for my love of The Archers, but it has been a familiar companion for much of my life, I mean I’ve often not listened for years when living overseas, but there is something vaguely reassuring about its steadfast presence in life if one is to tune into BBC Radio 4 at 7pm and it is generally understood that I am unavailable for 15 minutes at that time of day!

Last weekend we went to the 50th birthday party of one of my book club friends, it was a truly fabulous affair in their very lovely city garden, the weather could have been kinder but it could certainly have been much worse and we enjoyed not only delicious food and drinks but a silent disco! It was my first silent disco experience and I think they are the most brilliant idea - an opportunity to listen to music you enjoy while dancing with people you like, yet being able to remove the headphones means you can actually chatter and laugh with said people which is always the best bit about music and dancing for me. I will be seeking out more opportunities to have a dance and sing this way - hopefully long before my next milestone birthday.

In The Garden

Well, the deed in the front garden is done! I had a momentary wobble as waiting for the turf remover to be delivered I noted that the ‘lawn’ was looking better than it had done for the previous 18 months, the grass almost competing with the moss. Still, the machinery arrived and there was no going back. I also wavered over removing the mixed hollies against the wall, it seems so wrong to just dig up living things because you don’t like them, but I think it will prove to be the right decision because the beautiful rambling rose planted by my parents will now see the light and shine even brighter next year along with the one I’ve planted.

My fingers are firmly crossed that the blackbirds and robin of the front garden are currently enjoying the worms from the soil and not the wildflower seed!

 I did not remove the turf myself but Josh and Katie who help me in the garden took on the heavy work and boy they earned their keep that day! I was required only for driving the trailer from the drive through the village and into the bottom of our field where we unloaded it into my ‘wildlife corner’ where it will happily compost over time. Now I am not experienced in towing a trailer, let along reversing it out of a drive with walls either side onto a narrow, walled lane; it took a bit of getting used to (slight understatement) but by the fourth trip I’d got the hang of it. During the day I paid homage to my Mum several times for all the years that she towed our horse trailer here, there and everywhere along country lanes and tracks, never for a moment losing her cool or giving any suggestion of what a mind flip the whole reversing malarkey is - bravo Mum!!

Despite the fact that autumn seems to have (prematurely in my opinion) well and truly arrived the garden is ticking along. The tomatoes are still producing a few ripe fruits every few days, the raspberries likewise if only I can get to them between torrential showers, and the rhubarb is looking good too. The apples are abundant and I must find time to preserve them in various ways as there is only so much stewed apple I can eat for breakfast each day.

The birds have definitely won on the raspberry harvesting stakes so far

I did pick some rhubarb leaves to make some more ceramic rhubarb dishes

In The Studio

I’ve finally found my way back out to the studio and have had a lovely week tinkering around in there, in fact the reason I didn’t write yesterday is in large part because I spent the afternoon out there; the sunshine was pouring in and I happily sat at my workbench glazing rhubarb leaves as I watched Gertie scratching herself on the wall and soaking up the rays.

Leaf glazing in progress - currently in the kiln

My pottery skills, such as they are, have been acquired almost exclusively via YouTube thanks to the generosity of many potters who share their wisdom and experience. I’m so grateful to this platform and the way in which it has made information so widely available. However, I do know that there is always more to learn by going back to basics and this week I have embarked upon a series of ‘core skill’ videos as I get back to throwing, I think it will be a good challenge for me and I’m enjoying being taught in this way. I don’t know if many of you are potters, but if you’re interested I can happily share a list of video resources.

I have so many ideas of what I’d like to be producing in the future, but want to be intentional about it. I feel I need to pin down my style so that whatever pieces I produce have a cohesive feel about them; I definitely like making functional ware for I love the idea of people regularly using something in their home that was made by me in mine, but I also love the unpredictable magic of Raku and smoke firing which create more decorative objects, so I think there’ll be a bit of both. Anyhow, the week began with lemon squeezers which I love making, so there’ll be more of them.

My very first go at raku was this funny chicken (a sculptor I am not!)

Last night, after a pan fried pizza à la Claire Thompson from her book Tomato (link here on Sarah Raven’s website) we watched Good Luck To You Leo Grande which we thoroughly enjoyed; Emma Thompson plays the role of an sexually inexperienced widow seeking to broaden her horizons brilliantly and Daryl McCormack is a superb partner in this funny and moving film. It’s available on Netflix until the 29th of September and I highly recommend watching if you haven’t already.

And so, I leave you with my very best wishes for a good weekend - the sun is shining here and the garden calls as does Gertie!

With love,

Vx

ps. I came across this excellent article by

Alexina

this week on how to navigate Substack, so if you feel mystified by the platform it’s a great place to start.

pps. As ever, a click on the ♥️ is massively appreciated - each every one makes me smile almost as much as a comment or reply in my inbox. Thank you. xx