MOVING TO THE COUNTRY

THE FIRST IMAGE IN THIS BLOG IS THE “BEFORE” PICTURE OF THE DILAPIDATED CHAPEL AND TWO EVEN MORE DILAPIDATED COTTAGES THAT SANDWICHED IT. I BOUGHT THE THREE FOR THE HANDSOME PRICE OF $1200, IN THE EARLY 1960’S. IT HAS A PLAQUE ON THE CHAPEL “ZION PRIMITIVE METHODIST CHAPEL 1853”. IT HAD A COVENANT ON IT WHICH MEANT THAT BEFORE WE COULD PURCHASE AND ALTER IT, THE LAWYER HAD TO TRACE ANY LIVING RELATIVES OF THE ORIGINAL BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE CHAPEL. THIS WAS 110 YEARS  PREVIOUSLY, IN A SMALL COUNTRY VILLAGE NAMED KINTBURY IN BERKSHIRE. ENGLAND TOOK ABOUT TWO YEARS OF SEARCHING, BUT EVENTUALLY THEY WERE TRACKED DOWN AND WE COULD MAKE THE PURCHASE, FOLLOWED BY DOING THE RENOVATIONS.  I HAD DONE RENOVATION WORK BEFORE ON ANOTHER HOUSE, SO I KNEW WHAT WAS INVOLVED. THIS TIME I HIRED A LOCAL  ARCHITECT, MAINLY TO GET THROUGH THE MANY PAPERWORK HASSLES WITH THE LOCAL COUNCIL.




THE VILLAGE OF KINTBURY HAD SEEN BETTER DAYS. DATING BACK OVER 900 YEARS PREVIOUSLY, IT WAS INCLUDED IN THE FIRST SURVEY OF TOWNS AND VILLAGES AND CENSUS OF THE POPULATION, KNOWN AS THE DOMESDAY BOOK.  IT WAS UNDERTAKEN AFTER FRENCH KING WILLIAM THE CONQUERER BEAT ENGLISH KING HAROLD AT THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS ON ENGLAND’S SOUTH COAST.  HAROLD DIED AFTER BEING SHOT IN THE EYE WITH AN ARROW. AT THE TIME, KINTBURY WAS CONSIDERABLY LARGER AND WAS A CENTER OF THE ENGLISH WOOL TRADE.

 

THE DILAPIDATED CHAPEL WAS HALFWAY DOWN THE NARROW MAIN ROAD OR HIGH-STREET. THE FRONT DOOR WAS SET BACK FROM THE ROAD BY ABOUT FIFTEEN FEET, GIVING A 15’ X 30’ FORECOURT WHICH WAS JUST BIG ENOUGH FOR PARKING A SMALL CAR. THE ATTACHED,TINY COTTAGES FACED DIRECTLY ONTO THE ROAD. IT ALSO BECAME A TEMPORARY WORKING STDIO WHEN I WAS BUILDING PROPS FOR THE WEST-END. SHAW’S ”ARMS AND THE MAN”  REQUIRED A COPY OF A 1901 DE DION-BOUTON AUTOMOBILE. PETER PAN NEEDED A NEW FULLY-ARTICULATED 25’ CROCODILE THAT COULD BE DRIVEN FROM INSIDE BY A YOUNG ACTOR LAYING FLAT ON HIS BELLY. MY INDOOR STUDIO WAS TOO SMALL TO ACCOMMODATE LARGE PROJECTS, SO EITHER THE CROC OR THE CAR HAD TO BE PARKED ON THE FORECOURT WHILE I WORKED ON THE OTHER. IN A VILLAGE FULL OF ENGLISH ECCENTRICS I QUICKLY DEVELOPED A GREAT REPUTATION FOR ENCOURAGING STRANGE OCCURRENCES. THE PUB ACROSS THE STREET, ONE OF SEVEN IN THE VILLAGE, LOVED IT AS THEY GOT CUSTOMERS COMING TO TEST OUT WHAT THE LATEST THEATER PROJECTS MIGHT BE, SITTING ON OUR FORECOURT.

I HAD BOUGHT A LARGE, FRONT-LOADING ELECTRIC KILN AS THERE WAS NO NATURAL GAS IN THE VILLAGE AND PROPANE KILNS WERE UNHEARD OF AT THE TIME. I QUICKLY FOUND OUT THAT I ONLY HAD HALF A CERAMICS EDUCATION AND THAT I HADN’T BEEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY  TO LEARN ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT GLAZE AND COLOR DEVELOPMENT. THIS, APPARENTLY, WAS NOT UNUSUAL THEN, AND IT STILL NOT UNUSUAL NOW. I HAD A FEW STOCK GLAZE RECIPES THAT EVERYONE ELSE ALSO USED. I USED THEM AND ADAPTED THEM TO SUIT MY CURRENT NEEDS AND VOWED TO DO A THOROUGH RESEARCH PROJECT ON GLAZE AND COLOR AS SOON AS I HAD TIME. INCOME WAS STILL COMING FROM WINTER THEATER AND SUMMER TRAVEL.THE SPRING AND AUTUMN WAS WHEN I STARTED TO REBUILD MY POTTERY-MAKING SKILLS AFTER A FEW YEARS ABSENCE, AUGMENTED WITH PROP-MAKING AS JOBS CAME UP.  AS TIME PROGRESSED I WAS ABLE TO QUIT THEATER, TRAVEL AND PROP-MAKING AND JUST CONCENTRATE ON CLAY.

TOMORROW: DESIGNING AND DEVELOPING A PRODUCT RANGE AND FINDING MY MARKET PLACE