Have had no time for this in the last few weeks so there is lots to catch up on.

First things first. I heard my first cuckoo of the year on 30th April and have subsequently heard him quite a lot, moving round the village and fields.

Next off. My courgette and squash plants took a month to germinate. Was on the point of ditching them on to the compost heap and trying again, but up they popped. Have still not planted my potatoes and am getting quite distressed about it. WILL do it this week.

Look across the fields surrounding my village. Acres of dazzling oil seed rape in flower. Is there a name for that acid yellow colour with it's edge towards the green? Nothing else like it. Field upon field rolling into the distance of lumious day glow yellow. The sky darkens and a storm blows up. Zoom in to peculiarly shape mushroom on the field path. Pull further in to find a woman crouched as low as she can get with a small brown dog pinned to her leg, trying to make the tines of an inadequately small umbrella touch the ground to stop the diagonal hail and rain from slarting in and stinging and soaking. This about sums up the season and weather of the last 3 weeks.

On to the Stamford Arts centre and a weekend of dancing and music making when the fabulous Blowzabella came to town with Brittany band Esquisse. Bals on the Friday and Saturday nights, dancing beneath the chandeliers in the Georgian ballroom.

One week on and the ballroom is filled with potters and transformed into our market venue. Stamford Pottery Market has finally come to pass.

 There were stalls in the ballroom and next door in the blue room. Everybody had made a great effort and all the stands looked very smart. A goodly number of visitors came and it seemed like more than last year but it's hard to be accurate about that as it's free entry and there are 3 entry points into the show so keeping a tally would be quite tricky.

 I have the impression that it went quieter quicker on the Monday than last year.

 All the potters donated a bowl for the potluck tom-bowl-a and we raised £270 for East Anglian Air Ambulance with that. One little boy was so pleased with the pot he won that he instantly wanted another go. I hope he doesn't now believe all gambling results in a guarenteed win. He will quickly be disabused of that out in the world. Another man paid  the tenner, got his mother to draw out the ticket and the resultant bowl was bonus birthday present for her. There was great warmth towards Air Ambulance.

When I have time I will upload images of everyone's stands into a rolling gallery on my Stamford Market page.

 

2 days off (ha, ha) and then the van was reloaded and I went down to Blackthorpe Barns near Bury St Edmunds for the Fireworks Market. Lovely venue (ancient, thatched barn), beautiful looking show, great organisation (we were looked after so well and 2 ales, 'Fireworks' & 'Potter's Nod' had been specially brewwed for the occasion), but just not enough people through the door. It's its first year so the punters haven't found it yet which is a big shame as they missed a treat. Lets hope the work gets out for next year.

My hands now need to get back to the wheel as it's Potfest Scotland at the beginning of June. Stock is uncomfortably low and I need to hold panic at bay and get productive. All power to your elbow.