I make my pottery at home in Sidcup and at The Pottery Hut, which is a teaching studio I now run with my friend and business partner Becky.
I also enjoy working on one off commissions. Do contact me if you would like to discuss a pottery commission of any kind.
More about…
As a young girl, I loved making things; dolls, animals, and all my floaty 1970’s clothes. We did one term of clay work at school; I have a small turtle, and two wobbly mugs to show for it.
When it came to making decisions about ‘A’ levels, I took the science route. A physics degree lead to a research job with GEC, designing components for early satellite television systems. Then I moved to the Institute of Physics Education Department. My brief was to encourage girls to study Physics: I surprised my male colleagues when I knitted a jumper with the slogan, ‘Physics is Fun’ on the front.
I married Chris during my time at university, and settled in Sidcup. After five years, we started our family, and the next twelve were spent happily as a full time mum, eventually of three sons. During this time, I also took some responsibility in New Generation Church, where I am still a member. Through this, I was involved in the beginnings of Lark in the Park in the late 1990s’. This large community project is now loved and established in Sidcup; I helped to lead the arts and crafts, Inspiration team for many years.
Years ago as a new mum, I took various adult education classes: drawing and painting, watercolours and picture framing. Then one fateful day, my chosen painting class was full and there were spaces in upholstery or pottery. I opted for pottery and found myself in a class with inspirational tutor, David Burnham. I became obsessed with clay, the pursuit of pottery skills and knowledge almost immediately.
I started to volunteer with the pottery technician, learning how to recycle clay, mix glazes, load and fire the kilns and I started to set up my own studio at home.
In 1999, I took the technician job on officially, and got my first teaching experience. I enrolled on a City and Guilds teaching course , and was ready to take on David’s classes when he retired.
I thoroughly enjoy taking courses with professional potters and sculptors at West Dean College, and elsewhere. This boosts my own creative work, and enriches my teaching.
Creatively, my first love is the potters’ wheel, but I also enjoy diversions into sculpture and other pottery techniques. A few years ago I built my own raku kiln. In 2014 I made my first portrait heads in clay following a short course with sculptor, Jon Edgar.
I became a keen photographer during the COVID lockdown, after following the excellent free online course by Emma Davies, A Year With My Camera, AYWMC. I also still enjoy dressmaking, knitting, tapestry, eating with my family and friends, visiting galleries, antique fairs, listening to the birds, and walking in the woods. There are not enough hours in the day, nor days in the year.
In 2023, having left the college after 23 years of teaching, Becky and I set up on our own. The Pottery Hut is the fulfilment of many creative dreams; it is now very much a reality.