Why we are celebrating!

Celebrating 40 years!

“This year our pottery is 40 years old.”

After completing a year studying ceramics at Exeter Art college, and following a stint as a thrower at Honiton pottery, Gerry set up his own pottery in Fangfoss in 1977.

“The pottery is based in an old Victorian school in the centre of Fangfoss – a village 10 miles East of York. In the 1970’s the education authority and the Church were selling off their small rural schools, replacing them with bigger, centrally placed ones, and bussing the children to them. A lot of the schools were turned into houses, but some escaped and were converted into small workshops – like ours.”

Gerry is a production potter, making pots with strong functional forms, that people want, and are able to afford. He originally specialised in sprig ware for tourist markets and for commemorative work, later expanding his items to include domestic ranges and gift ware. He made pots, and still does, for Durham Cathedral, Iona Abbey, the Jorvik Viking Centre and lots of other outlets throughout the UK. More recently he has been producing more individual pieces for galleries, and exhibitions , using a variety of clays.

“We are celebrating our pottery’s 40th anniversary with a number of specially planned events. We feel we have been lucky doing what we want to do, making a living out of something we enjoy and want to share it with people”.

“We have made 40 ceramic leaves which we are going to hang up in public places in East Yorkshire, for people to find. We are asking them to take the leaf home, phone our number on the back, stating the leaf’s number and location to win a prize. “

We’ve also organised a series of workshops for children and adults and are doing a number of talks and exhibitions. We’ll be working closely with the Northern Potters Association which is also celebrating its 40 anniversary with a number of events.

We’ve kept scrap books of photos and press cuttings since 1977, and are drip feeding a photo a day on social media – starting with the empty school.  In March we are having an exhibition called “Past, Present and Future” where we are displaying archive material (some bought back from second hand shops!) alongside our current work.”

We’re looking forward to this year tremendously and see it as a way of promoting pottery and ceramics to everyone. Our intention is to try and get more of the general public interested in ceramics, get them involved and have a go.”

An up to date list of events can be seen on the website:- www.fangfosspottery.co.uk