FOBO - The Festival of Bottle Ovens 2018
Gallery 1 - Images from some of the events and activities - The display at Gladstone Pottery Museum - Last Bottle Oven Firing 1978
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| Last Bottle Oven Firing 1978 - Display at Gladstone Pottery Museum Photo: Terry Woolliscroft Collection Date : 25 July 2018 |
01 August 2018 - FESTIVAL OF BOTTLE OVENS - Launch Day at Gladstone Pottery Museum, Longton
The Festival of Bottle Ovens 2018
at Gladstone Pottery Museum, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent.
at Gladstone Pottery Museum, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent.
The Festival was opened on 1st August 2018
by Councillor Lillian Dodd, Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent.
by Councillor Lillian Dodd, Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent.
Here she is cutting the ribbon, introduced by Angela Lee, Museum Manager.
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| FOBO 2018 Launch Day Photos: Phil Rowley Date: 1 Aug 2018 |
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| FOBO 2018 Launch Day Photos: Phil Rowley Date: 1 Aug 2018 |
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| FOBO 2018 Launch Day Photos: Phil Rowley Date: 1 Aug 2018 |
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| FOBO 2018 Launch Day Photos: Phil Rowley Date: 1 Aug 2018 |
The Lord Mayor, Councillor Lilian Dodd, opens the
Festival of Bottle Ovens at Gladstone Pottery Museum
Movie: Courtesy of Stoke-on-Trent City Council Date: 1 Aug 2018
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| FOBO 2018 Launch Day Photo: Brian Colclough Date: 1 Aug 2018 |
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| FOBO 2018 Launch Day Photos: Brian Colclough Date: 1 Aug 2018 |
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| FOBO 2018 Launch Day Photo: Andy Perkin Date: 1 Aug 2018 |
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| FOBO 2018 Launch Day Photo: Andy Perkin Date: 1 Aug 2018 |
08 August 2018 - HISTORIC BUILDINGS OF LONGTON - talk by Phil Rowley
Friday 10 and Saturday 11 August - WILLOW WEAVING: Potter's Ware baskets
11 August 2018 - OATCAKES ALL ROUND
DOUBLE BILL:‘Baxstuns, Sprittles and Oats’ Dr. Pam Sambrook (historian and author of The Staffordshire Oatcake – A History) gave a historical review of the origins and development of the Staffordshire oatcake, from the Pennine moorlands to the Potteries.
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| Photos: Terry Woolliscroft Collection |
Then Ray Johnson MBE celebrated all things oatcake - the king of foods in Stoke-on-Trent. Together with four volunteers he recreated the Ancient Ceremony of the Grand Order of Oatcake Tasters as performed down the centuries, ending with the immortal Oatcake Anthem.
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| Photos: Phil Rowley and Pam Woolliscroft |
15 August 2018 - WALK THE OVENS
Excellent guided walk by Phil Rowley visiting most of the remaining bottle-ovens in Longton, as well as a number of other interesting buildings.
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| Photos: Terry Woolliscroft Collection |
Saturday 18 August BOTTLE OVEN TALKS
Bottle Ovens – An Archaeologists View - Talk. Stoke-on-Trent City Archaeologist, Jonathan Goodwin, explored bottle ovens from the ground up. |
| Jonathan Goodwin lecture Photos: Terry Woolliscroft Collection Date 18 August 2018 |
Saturday 25 August LITTLE LONGTON BUS TOUR
Short tours to see most of the remaining bottle-ovens in Longton - and plenty of other interesting buildings in the town - on board a 1978 PMT double-decker bus. The bus went past the bottle oven which was the last one ever to fired in The Potteries at Sutherland Works in Normacot Road, Longton. Information was provided on-board by your 'conductor' Phil Rowley.
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| Phil Rowley, Gladstone Pottery Museum volunteer comes downstairs after doing his 'conductor's job' on the top floor! |
SMOKING OVENS
Using theatrical smoke-making machines Paul Niblett, long time volunteer at Gladstone Pottery Museum, successfully created an illusion for visitors!Wednesday 29 August THE REUNION
During the officially-registered 'Potteries Bottle Oven' day some of the volunteers who made the final firing happen in 1978 were at Gladstone Pottery Museum to chat with families and descendants of the original placers and ovenmen. David Sekers, Director of the museum back ion 1978 described it as "a really heart-warming party: such a good bunch of people ..." |
| The Reunion L-R The Kindlers / Pam Bott (Woolliscroft) and David Sekers / David Sekers Photos: Brian Colclough Date 29 Aug 2018 |
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| Photos: Terry Woolliscroft Collection |
Saturday 01 September 2018 RAKU FIRING DAY
"Wonderful day of raku sessions at the museum today, some truly beautiful pots glazed and fired. We will have Raku demonstrations by Tex Roberts at our special Clay, Smoke and Fire event on 21 and 22 September." Nerys Williams |
| 01.09.18 Raku Firing Day Photo: Nerys Williams |
Friday 7 September Longton Heritage Walk the Ovens
Jane Corfield and Jon Goodwin of Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s Heritage Team make a walking tour of Longton Conservation Area. The tour took in the key elements of the conservation area and outline its history and development.
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| Photos: Terry Woolliscroft Collection |
Sunday 9 September Biking to Bottle Ovens
Potteries Heritage Society event - a pleasant morning cycle taking in 20 bottle ovens in the north of the Potteries. |
| Photos: Terry Woolliscroft Collection |
Friday 14 September - Salt, Pepper and Vinegar
The James Kent Ceramic Materials - Bottle Ovens in Fenton |
| Photos: Terry Woolliscroft Collection |
Wednesday 26 September Phil Rowley's "Firing Ceramics"
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| Photos: Terry Woolliscroft Collection |
Saturday 29 September The Last Bottle Oven Firing 1978
Kathy & Paul Niblett were members of the organising team for the last firing of a bottle oven, with coal, in 1978. Their fascinating talk covers the organisation behind this significant event and the challenges it involved. Kathy Niblett presented the talk to a lovely large audience at Gladstone Pottery Museum. |
| FOBO 29.09.18 Photo: Chris Parr, The Stoke 2000 |
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| FOBO 29.09.18 Photo: Chris Parr, The Stoke 2000 |
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| FOBO 29.09.18 Photo: Chris Parr, The Stoke 2000 |