View

Posted on January 21, 2023January 22, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Eleanora street, Life, Photo, pot bank cafe, Reflections, Spode site, Stoke, Stoke-on trent, the QuarterLeave a comment

A combination of objects and their reflections inside and seating and buildings outside. This was three years ago when the place we were visiting was called the Potbank cafe. Now its owned by someone else and called the Quarter. Its based at Eleanora Street on the Spode pottery site in Stoke, Stoke-on-Trent.

Some of the buildings on the Spode site are due to be demolished and apartments are to possibly be built there instead. If it happens it will be sad to see our industrial heritage destroyed in order to build as many ‘units’ as the developers can cram on the site. The view out of this doorway may change, quickly or slowly, no necessarily for the better.

Spode planning application

Posted on November 30, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged History, Industrial archaeology, Planning permission, proposal, Spode factory, Spode site, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

The old Spode factory site in Stoke-upon- Trent, the town the city of Stoke-on-Trent is named after, is due to be developed. However the intended development has changed since it was suggested several years ago. The place was due to be an Artisan quarter. With places to eat and buy art, and making an area in the town that would bring tourism in. I think it was even suggested that a supermarket could be built on part of the site. Then a hiatus, one half of the site nearest Stoke Station was sold off and knocked down. All the historical buildings were seen as useless and a great swathe of land was sold off to developers, then, nothing. I think they probably bought it so they would have an asset they could develop later or sell off for more money? In the meantime studios were developing on the side nearest Spode museum. The council has already disposed of a great number of ceramic moulds that had been stored at the factory. A hotel called the potbank opened up and shops were refurbished in Stoke along the frontage of the building. There is also a restaurant called the quarter. But times are hard and the development didn’t really go far. Now there is an application to convert some of the old buildings into 113 apartments a gym and a cafe among other things. I would say great, but there is already a lot of traffic in the area and no doubt this will cause more. The river Trent runs nearby also has caused flooding in the past. There was an article in private eye magazine questioning the company who intends to do the work. Anyone who wants to object needs to contact Stoke City councils planning department by 18th December 2022.

Planning application

Posted on July 15, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged apartments, Art, Building, creative industries, historic, History, Life, Planning, Spode site, Stoke, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

I’ve just written a comment on our local council website to oppose planning approval for development of the historic Spode Factory site in Stoke, Stoke-on-Trent.

Planning application in for Spode Site. Search on Stoke.gov.uk for details. Planning application 67906/FUL comments need to be in by 20.07.22.
I wrote :
Elanora Street and the surrounding area in Stoke Town are subject to a lot of heavy traffic. I think this proposal will have a negative effect, particularly around peak traffic flow times.
In addition, as a Studio holder based at the Acava Art Studios on the Spode site I am concerned about how my business will be affected. I need vehicular access to my studio when collecting or delivering artworks and art materials. I would want to be reassured that artists in the studios will not have there businesses restricted or inconvenienced.
Spode Site is a heritage site. It should be developed with an understanding of its historical value to the town, city, and world. But instead the city council seem to be taking the low brow option of cramming ‘apartments’ onto the site.
Like the Goodsyard proposal currently in the process of being considered, it is another uninspired use of land.
In a decade of austerity it is also a question as to whether anyone would want to buy an apartment on a brownfield site where the history has been removed!
Security on the site has been reduced due to council cuts. There have been incidents of intruders entering the site in the evening and nights. Has consideration been given to the security when the work goes ahead?
Finally I want to say I believe this proposal is ill-conceived and destructive of a historical site. The development will be detrimental to Stoke’s standing as a heritage centre. So much of our local history is being allowed into crumble into dust. The council has a short sighted bias which does not seem to want to take responsibility for Stoke-on-Trents culture

Reflected sky

Posted on March 2, 2022 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Art, England, Fine Art, Landscape, Painting, Sky, Spode site, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

I can’t find the photo of a finished painting. It had more detail on the wooden supports between the panes of glass. The paint was peeling off and chipped and that’s what attracted me to the image. I’m the final version you can see me and my phone reflected in the surface. It’s an image of the Spode factory site. Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire.

The other side of the studio.

Posted on May 18, 2021 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Art, Exhibition, Fine Art, Fun, Gallery, Landscape, Nervous, Paintings, Portrait, Spode site, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, studio at SpodeLeave a comment

Looking in through the door to the left side of the studio. I’ve got a lot of work that has been exhibited, I just need to sell some of it! I woukd like to find a good art site to sell my work for a reasonable amount (not an on line auction, or on the other hand, an expensive and exclusive site). I just want these to go to good homes.

Have been offered a space in an exhibition for local artists in June. That will be fun! It’s been a whole year since I’ve dealt with the public face to face. I feel quite nervous about it.

Spode window.

Posted on September 4, 2020 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Art, Eleanora street, Exhibited, Fine Art, Painting, Spode, Spode site, Stoke-on-TrentLeave a comment

I’m in the reflection, you can see my fingers holding my phone in the bottom right hand pane of glass. Acrylic on canvas. Approx three foot by two foot. Painted a couple of years ago and exhibited at Spode and The Waiting room gallery at Longport. I’ve not painted much for the last six months because of covid 19 and doing my MA in illustration. But I know I need to paint again. I don’t want it to stop. I will be planning to paint more images from the Spode site. I love industrial archaeology. I hope to celebrate more of it in paint.

Reflecting

Posted on July 6, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acava Studios, Art, Blogging, Eleanora street, Lfe in lockdown, Life, Memory, Spode site, Spode studios, Staffordshire, Stoke, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

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This is from last year or the year before when I was taking photos at Spode and manipulating them in the layout app that I use to mirror and duplicate photos.

I haven’t been down to my studio at Spode for months with the lockdown, it just didn’t feel safe. The studios are not easy to socially isolate at, with mixed toilets and narrow corridors. I need to go back and build my confidence again. I’m still paying the rent though. I won’t give up on the idea. Just wait! I hope I will soon be creating there again

Co-op Stoke

Posted on October 31, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Co-op building, Colour, Photo, Spode, Spode site, Staffordshire, Stoke, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

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I love this old domed building in Stoke. I had thought it was a cinema, but apparently it was a co-operative shop before it closed down. I still think it was probably a cinema before that? It’s so grand. The white of the building and the browns and terracottas of the building on front of it make a good contrast. The hot was taken from the Spode Site car park in Eleanora Street, Stoke. The view is looking towards Hartshill and the D Road. It was taken on my phone one day last week.

Flat back pottery

Posted on September 27, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, British ceramic biennial, China Halls, Clay, Design, Fun, Life, Pottery, Spode site, Staffordshire, Stoke, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

The British Ceramic Biennial has some hands on workshops that are free and open to the public. Last week I made a flat back pot using a mold of a boat with Donald Trumps head in profile and a pair of boots walking in the other direction. There is also a lion with a union jack, a monkey, and other figures and plants. There are other pots shown above. Each of them has been designed by an artist, so they are possibly controversial, maybe a bit tongue in cheek.

Today I painted glaze on my pot that had been fired. I didn’t remember to take a photo of it, but I have taken photos of some of the larger pieces now they have finally been fired.

I’m glad I had a go, it’s definitely worth a visit.

Doves or pigeons?

Posted on September 18, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged BCB, China Halls, Eleanora street, Kingsway, Midlands, Spode site, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Stoke-upon-Trent2 Comments

I know they are ceramic, but I’m not sure what species? They flew across the China halls, landing on a tower and on the ceramic land and vegetation. BCB installation.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Spode site