German tea party ahead of international Penrith gathering

Organisers of the annual Potfests in Penrith have taken time out from organising the Cumbrian event which starts July 30 to visit a German event.

Chris and Geoff Cox, potters from Penruddock are just back from a trip to a German ceramics festival where they helped to throw an unusual, if not unique, tea party.

Geoff said: ""About three years ago we threw a banquet in Penrith town centre, under the bandstand, when two groups of potters with potters’ wheels threw cups, saucers, mugs and plates straight from the wheel on to the table.

"This year we were invited to do a similar project in Hohr-Grenzhausen in the Rhine Valley. The town is the home of the Westerwald Ceramics Museum, probably the most important in Germany, and we welcomed several potters from that area to Penrith for the Potfests last year.

"Each year Hohr-Grenzhausen hosts a major ceramics festival when thousands of visitors travel hundreds of kilometres to see the work of potters from all over Europe. The event takes place all through the town and, along with a few of our regular Potfest potters, we were invited to throw a tea party in the town square. We made buns, cakes, doughnuts, cake stands, plates, bowls, fruit - all on the wheel – as well as place mats, serviettes and even the table cloth, all in clay."

The tea party was a great success and went down so well that the town is thinking of doing a similar project every year with potters from different countries.

Geoff added: "This year’s Potfest exhibitors are coming from Denmark, Holland, Belgium, Germany, France and Spain. Our special guests are coming from the area around St Amand en Puisaye in central France, a forested area famed for its wood fired ceramics. Longer distance potters will come from Australia, Japan and, for the first time, from the USA but even home grown talent will travel hundreds of miles - from Ceredigion and Kent, Norfolk and Nairnshire, Brighton and Banffshire.

"Potters are a strange breed and they’ll have been making and firing for weeks and then packing up vans or cars to travel for hours or even days to be part of a pottery show near a small market town that’s 100 miles from any major cultural centre.

"They do it because they want to be part of Potfest – an event that they recognise as one of Europe’s premier ceramics festivals. They come to sell - it’s how they survive – but they also come to meet other potters, to see new work for inspiration and also to show their work to an appreciative audience - they make it to be seen. Without our visitors, why would they come? The excitement is growing now with just a few weeks to go and we’re really looking forward to seeing what potters have created for this year’s Potfests."

Potfest in the Park at Hutton-in-the-Forest is now in its 10th year, Potfest in the Pens at Skirsgill Mart, its 17th - the oldest potters’ market in the UK. Between the two shows, around 250 potters will be showing and selling their work.

Potfest in the Park - Friday, Saturday and Sunday - July 30 /31 /August 1

Potfest in the Pens - Friday, Saturday and Sunday - August 6/ 7 /8

Further information on this year’s events, the exhibiting potters and Geoff and Christine’s own work can be found online at www.potfest.co.uk.

Caption:

The group of UK potters with the Tea Party table in Hohr-Grenzhausen town centre plus the Tea Party itself (Geoff Cox is centre of the LH group, Chris Cox is left of RH group)

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