Welcome!

This long established workshop is rethinking itself into a CERAMIC CAFÉ.

The pots won't change but we invite visitors to watch, to learn, to chat over a coffee, to have-a-go, and perhaps to buy.

We have produced a video so you can find out more about us.

JOHN RIVERS is the potter, who has built his own gas kiln and digs his own clay locally.

PAT SMITH is the gentle presiding presence and occasional chef.

John pots to show and sell.

John and Pat run occasional courses: Saturday and weekend schools.

Pat has a real job, but also works in textiles and loves cooking.

Please follow the links above to discover more about Riddings Pottery.

To navigate the webpages click on the button to the left of the page heading, ie 'Courses'.

Contact us at: riddingspottery@hotmail.com

News

The website was still full of last year's news recently - sorry!

John had a new hip over Christmas and many things got behind schedule. But now he's working fiercely for this year's shows.

Next week-end (May22nd - 24th) is the SCOTTISH POTFEST in Perth Agricultural Market on the northern ring road out of Perth. It has been a popular show for 11 years with folk coming from all over Scotland...real interest in the work of the 80+ exhibitors who come from across the UK, from Europe, and one regular from Australia. Sadly the Centre is to be demolished later this year so this may be the final Scottish Potfest. Don't miss it. We each have a large cattle-pen to customise and it's big enough for a real display.

Saturday June 6th will be a "SATURDAY SPECIAL" here, at short notice. 9.30 - 5.30 hard graft on the wheel (with a little 'free-form' work as a relaxation). 3 places still available, an excellent lunch from Pat, and good company.

Sunday July 5th our OPEN DAY. Last year's was a big success. Our home is open, Pat's varied textiles are on show/sale. John's pots (including many seconds) likewise. There will be a rolling programme of demonstrations throughout the day, and the gradual opening of a hot gas kiln firing...pots still too hot to handle, fresh from the kiln. See the excitment, and the disappointment! More details soon.

Then John will be at the Edinburgh Festival for his usual fortnight - August 17th - 30th. It's the "West End Craft and Design Fair" at the west end of Princes Street. It's John's 27th year there, the centre of his ceramic year.

As to his work, John likes to feel it's always developing. The elusive 'copper red' glaze is a bit more biddable now though firings are going ever higher: up to cone 10 in gas.

He found a gorgeous poster showing all 26 letters and all 10 basic numbers photographed on butterfly or moth wings where they've evolved by chance - in fabulous colour configurations. You can see a few among the 'Artistic Range' in "POTS". A lot of recent pieces have been attempts to create glaze patterns along these lines. That, and the Hubble space photos are 2 pretty substantial challenges!

Cheers
John & Pat