Toff and I stopped by Winchcombe on the way to the coach station which took me to the plane station and eventually home. We spoke with Ray for a while, getting his critique of the recent salt firing. Way back in 1978/79 we three spent lots of time doing much the same thing.
We were there as Ray was exploring salt glazing for the first time. That was the most intense learning experience I ever got as a young potter. Ray has always held Toff’s opinion in great regard, particularly when building and firing kilns is concerned, and while I provided all the young muscle I got to be a part of the give and take between them as they analyzed and theorized and made further plans as they figured it out.
We are all three STILL trying to figure it out.
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| Toff Milway and Ray Finch |
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| Three more reasons to visit the Cotswolds… (L to R) Linda, moi-self, Jane and Carol Just before I left Toff and Georgie’s I made this bird with a toffmilway fish in it’s mouth. I found it difficult to get a good angle for photographing it. The bird is about 14″ tall.   
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Dan, when I saw the title I thought you had gone to selling carpet scraps door to door! This was much better.
Hey, Daniel. Good to see Ray upright and in consultation with Toff. Glad he’s still hanging on. Has he totally given up pot-making?
It is great to see photos of your friends and mentors in England. And the bird with a fish in its mouth is spectacular. I want to see some with Rappahannock River fish (ala Dan Finnegan) next. Question is… will it have two heads? The fish I mean…
Fish tales and travels, what a good trip you are having.