Well, the site's been up for a week now and I've had an all round positive response to it. Many thanks to all the people who've sent me messages and said such encouraging things. I will try and write this about once a week but worry it could end up as a failed new year's resolution. Time will tell.

Am back in the workshop with a newly composed scarey list of 'things to make'. So many pots to make, so little time and real life can be so intrusive when you're trying to get on with the pots. Have finally put my hands to the wheel and made a start and must just plod on. I know I should be potting like mad and making loads of stock but the dates just aren't frightning enough yet.

Newly hatched birds. Coming into the world on the coldest day of the year so far.  Not yet ready to fledge as no wings or tails

Listened to Open Country on the radio today. Not one of my usual programs but it was about Whittlesey just east of here and where I used to skate as a child if it was cold enough for Whittlesey Wash to freeze.  It was all about the archeological work going on the the clay pits there and how the Fens have preserved everything perfectly. Wooden boats from 1300 - 800 BC and eel traps made of fen osiers. The best bit was to hear Peter Carter, fenland man and eel fisher recognise the same techniques of basket making in the traps that he uses and work out the time of year the iron/bronze-age traps were set by the direction they were pointing and his own knowledge of the tides and eels. The power of the craftsman.

Test match special is back on the radio tomorrow. I cannot bear to think of the last test match, the least said there the better.