Jenny Lewis on fri 6 jun 03
Hi Maurice
I live in London, and am happy to tell you that there is a HUGE amount
of pottery to see, so give yourself lots of time and wear comfortable
shoes!
You may notice that most of my museum and gallery visiting information
mentions coffee and/or food, which I regard as an essential part of the
whole experience.
The museum Liz mentioned is not the Freer, it's the Percival David
Foundation. Sir P D collected superb Chinese stoneware and porcelain
and then donated it to the University of London but stipulated it ALL
has to be on display. So, lots of beautiful things to see in one
visit. They are not open at weekends, only Monday to Friday which is a
pity for us addicts with a day job!
It is near the British Museum, which makes it a good place to visit
first as it can be done in a morning, then go and relax over coffee at
the BM, and then start on that collection which is pretty amazing. You
may know the BM anyway from your previous travels, but just to
concentrate on the pottery you will need more than one day, if you can
manage it.
Not far from there is the CAA - Contemporary Applied Arts, Percy Street,
just off Tottenham Court Road. Lots of good crafts for sale, usually a
special exhibition of some sort, good selection of books. Lots of cafes
etc around, Charlotte Steet is particularly good for Greek restaurants.
The Craft Potters shop (I keep forgetting its official name -
Contemporary Ceramics I think) is in Marshall Street and is a good
starting place, as you can buy Ceramic Review and check the current
shows etc., or get a copy of the Potters Directory, or there is another
book, name escapes me at the moment, of craft galleries in the UK, which
might be useful to you. Even if they don't have a special exhibition
on, there is so much pottery to see. Very good selection of books too.
And of course, there is one of my favourite places, the Victoria and
Albert Museum. Just the ceramics galleries can keep you busy for quite
a while. It's wonderful, but again you need time, stamina and
comfortable shoes! You can recover in their restaurant - good food and
coffee. I have met many Clayarters at the V&A - in fact, last weekend I
met Sherry Walker and May Luk. Lovely weather so we sat in the sun
discussing glazes and grits - all the things that Clayarters discuss!
So, if you and your wife have the time to meet (weekend usually, as I
have to work, dammit) we could try to get together.
The Crafts Council in Pentonville Road is worth a visit - someone has
already mentioned this. Nearest tube station is Angel - which was
recently rebuilt and has the longest escalator in the country or the
world or something. Vertigo sufferers, don't look down. The best day
to go is a Saturday, as you can then wander around Camden Passage
Market, which is an area of little lanes and alleyways full of antique
shops and stalls, some of it junk but lots of it not.
I don't know Oxford very well, although I have been to the Ashmolean
museum several times. They have a marvellous collection of ancient
Greek pottery, Chinese, all kinds of stuff (and a nice restaurant). The
Pitt Rivers museum which has been mentioned is an amazing place. It is
attached to the Natural History Museum (remains of last known Dodo) and
opens at peculiar hours. But well worth finding out the hours and
getting in there. It is a huge mixture of everything you can or can't
imagine, from the earliest wood carvings through Pueblo pottery to
Venetian jewellery, anything and everything in between, from all over
the world. Colonel or General or whatever Pitt Rivers was a Victorian
traveller who collected like mad, and this mad collection is the
result. One of the most fascinating places you will ever see.
There's lots more but I will stop now. Let me know if you need any
other info, and I will try to help out.
Jenny Lewis
in London UK
where it is warm, cool, wet, dry
summer
Liz Willoughby on fri 6 jun 03
Jenny, you are so right, I really had it wrong! Thanks for
clarifying. Getting my trips mixed up! I do remember trying a few
times trying to visit the Percival David Foundation, a couple of
years ago it didn't open until noon, during the week. Maybe it is
changed, so best check times.
Thanks for setting Maurice straight,.
Liz (who is out to lunch!)
Jenny Lewis says:
The museum Liz mentioned is not the Freer, it's the Percival David
Foundation. Sir P D collected superb Chinese stoneware and porcelain
and then donated it to the University of London but stipulated it ALL
has to be on display. So, lots of beautiful things to see in one
visit. They are not open at weekends, only Monday to Friday which is a
pity for us addicts with a day job!
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