November 7th is the last in the series of 1st Saturdays where we make glass between 11am – 3pm and take questions about the process.

and advance warning… we are open by appointment between 1st December 09 and 1st March 2010. We will most likely be at the studio working, as its a quiet creative time for us… you are still welcome to call into the studio, but best phone first as we do go off exploring and to see other exhibitions at this time of year.

Now this was beautiful. A beautiful warm Autumn day at Hutton le Hole. The day before we took the show down in fact. The river was shallow and running fast across a stone bed. Little eddys formed and made perfect circles of shadow on the surface of the water. I stood for ages to watch and wonder that the whole thing looked more fire like than wet.

Spent a day in York on 16th Oct. Been under the weather since then… but had to put this on the blog.. as it is one of the strangest things I have ever seen on a pavement in a town centre. Maybe the pizza was dropped because the eater saw the chickens head, or maybe it was a chicken head pizza topping… who knows… but very very surreal either way.

A very beautiful exhibition at York Art Gallery. A way of decoratively stitching clothes, to preserve the cloth and mend clothing. A form of fine workmanship and craft carried out by Japanese women out of pure necessity. Some of the clothes had been in use for 30 years, and were layered and repaired. Very  Wabi Sabi, very beauitful. I am not usually into fibre work, but this show really moved me. I guess mostly because the women who made the garments were still evident, through the work and also in the supporting exhibition information and films.

Also popped into see the York Quilt Museum on the same day, kind of by accident, but very pleased to have found it too ! A day of womens work in the best possible sense, from a time when cloth was precious, used and cared for until it was worn out.

This was the light and view on Hornsea beach, the morning after a wonderful meal at the Pipe & Glass near Beverley.  Just as the lens saw it ! Stunning light.

Sadly, one of the two remaining copper beeches in the centre of the village, split into two during recent high winds. It had to come down. The workmen said it was the most dangerous tree they had ever worked on due to the nature of the break. The power company had a lot to do to make sure it did not bring down important cables, and the sight of the workers swinging from ropes suspended by a vv large crane was better than a circus. The was an audience for most of the time. Sadly I missed the bit where the crane nearly went over with the weight of bough. The tree must have been 140 years old, and we will all miss the hole in the village landscape.

This is just brilliant. Watch the video on the Craft Scotland site to find out more !

Heartfelt congratulations to Emma Walker of Craft Scotland, for her vision her understanding and fearless action.

In many cultures the spider is seen as the ultimate symbol of the female contribution to life, creativity and a weaver of fate.

You just can’t knock the effort and industry of this one. Very glass like in the early Autumn light.

This Saturday ( 3rd Oct ) we blow glass.

This is one of the rare days when we make and take questions.

If you want to see the process at first hand you will find us working between 11am – 3pm as part of our series of first Saturdays.

Gave a presentation today to a great many suits about who we are and what we do.

Brilliant day in Scarborough and the surf was up. The sea was littered with men with boards and wet suits !

Enjoyed the day, I hope it makes some connections for the policy makers and movers about the many benefits of creative work in all respects socially , culturally and economically and how a well grounded appreciation and support for this work directly benefits the local community.

Photo Credit – Chris Read / christophe.read@gmail.com