2019 was a good year! I showed in “Craft in Focus” (Waterperry Gardens, Oxford), “Potfest in the Park (Cumbria), as well as “Ceramic Wales” (Wrexham) and, once again, “Pottery and Food’ (Wardlow Mires, Peak District). Having persuaded Julienne that we are still up to sleeping in a tent (unless we can borrow someone’s van), and that festivals like these are pretty much essential for reaching a wide audience of enthusiasts and collectors, I was all set to add “Art in Clay” (formerly Hatfield, now Windsor) and the CPA show in York for 2020. Then came Coronavirus. The shows bravely tried to find a way, but one by one they had to cancel or go “virtual” (no sales for me by that route). One went ahead - “Potfest in the Park”. Fewer potters, more spaced out, but almost as many visitors as usual, and higher sales. Some people seemed to have driven over four hours for their ceramic fix, and all were very grateful to the Cox family for sticking with it and to the potters for putting on such a show.

“Ceramic Wales” has decided to give 2021 a miss, but the others are crossing their fingers and taking applications. I see from correspondence that potters are building up stock and exploring new ideas, ready to burst back en masse. Let’s hope we can.