Programme of Meetings 2023-’24

2023

GLASGOW Monday 4th September, 2.00p.m. to 4.00p.m.: Pandemic Finds

This will be the first in-person meeting in the West of Scotland since the covid postponement, held in the usual venue of Prtick Burgh Halls, Glasgow. We hope to see you there.

EDINBURGH Friday 8th September, 7.30p.m.:  Summer Finds 

Our traditional opening meeting. Please bring a along two or three recent additions your collection (or indeed any pots you have not previously shown us) and tell us where and why you acquired them.

EDINBURGH Friday 13th October, 7.30p.m.:  Dr Louise Boreham: Cumnock, Compton and Loch Ness

Louise who is a long-standing member of the Society has investigated and published on the Cumnock and Compton potteries with which she has family connections.

GLASGOW Monday 6^th November 2023, 2.00 p.m.: Douglas Bowie:  Port Dundas Pottery and George Duncan Guthrie of Bendigo

EDINBURGH Friday 10th November, 7.30p.m.:  Robin Jones: Piggy Banks and Money Boxes

In a repeat of his very successful talk given recently to the SPS Western Region meeting, Robin will discuss the various types of children’s money boxes made by various Scottish potteries. Robin has asked that members bring along any money boxes or piggy banks to show at the meeting.

GLASGOW Monday 4^th December 2023, 2.00 p.m: A Christmas Gallimaufry

Please bring a pot, any pot – a favourite, a puzzle, a sherd. A picture, a photograph, a titbit of news, anything connected in any way with Scottish Pottery and tell us about it in three minutes.   We’ll follow with  a mince pie and a glass of something nice!

EDINBURGH Friday 8th December, 7.30p.m.:  A Christmas Cornucopia (via Zoom)

This will be a show and tell evening and members are asked to display one or two items of interest or recent purchase and explain why they form part of their collections This will be a Zoom meeting to which all SPS members are invited. The link for joining the meeting will be sent out to members a few days beforehand.

 2024

EDINBURGH Friday 12th January, 7.30p.m.:   Short talks from members

Please do assist by offering to give a short talk on any topic relating to Scottish pottery. We are not necessarily looking for final versions of carefully researched papers so please do not be intimidated.

EDINBURGH Friday 9th February, 7.30p.m.:  Roger Stewart: Bernard Leach and Michael Cardew: Influences on Studio Pottery in Scotland

Our membership secretary Roger has an enviable knowledge of St Ives and Scottish Studio pottery, and this talk will outline his latest research findings.

EDINBURGH Thursday 7th March, 2.00p.m.:  Claire Blakey and Sarah Rothwell: Aspects of the pottery collection in the National Museums of Scotland.

This meeting will take the form of an afternoon visit to view the British Ceramics Collection at the Collection Centre of the National Museums of Scotland, Granton, Edinburgh  The visit will begin at 2.00pm and we will be hosted by Claire Blakey and Sarah Rothwell, two of the curators. Unfortunately, numbers will be limited and the names of those attending must be supplied in advance for security reasons.

EDINBURGH Friday 12th April, 7.30p.m.: George Haggarty: Scottish East Coast Commemorative Pottery c 1815-1840.

George is currently publishing Alastair Leslie’s remarkable collection of late 18^th and early 19^th century pottery, some items from which will feature in this talk.

EDINBURGH Friday 10th May, 7.30p.m.: Derek Hall: Guess who’s coming to Dinner? Ceramic form and style in medieval Scotland. A reflection of dietary change and external influence.

Derek Hall, an archaeologist specialising in ceramics, will consider the effect of the introduction of new eating and drinking habits into Medieval Scotland by looking at the development and manufacture of different types of pottery vessels.