We had a really lovely day out yesterday when we went - as always - to Hay-on-Wye for the day and came home with a few extra books. I also did very well on the Torquay Pottery front too! These lovely spotty pieces came from an antiques place on the way - the big jug dates from 1952-1962, as do the bowl and plates in front of it, and are Babbacombe Pottery (that's a little area on the coast at the edge of Torquay). The teapot/coffee jug (it has a strainer, so I'm inclined to think it was meant to be a teapot) dates from around WW1 - 1920s, and is Torquay Pottery. You got more spots for your money in those days. It is slightly damaged inside the lid as that part was always liable to be bashed a bit in use. Now the conundrum - I need to defray my costs on buying these, so do I sell the perfect jug and keep the damaged piece, or do I sell the damaged piece and keep the perfect jug which will then be worth more in due course. Perhaps I should just sell the plates and bowl and keep both the other pieces. Decisions, decisions . . .
I also came across this slightly wonky pinch-topped vase and had a gut feeling it was Torquay pottery too, although it was made from white clay. The pinch-top is something used on some Torquay vases and jugs. Then I turned it round and found it had a proto-Scandy design with the leaf-like splashes of colour which later turn into a full-blown Scandy pattern, so my hunch was right. It probably dates from the late Victorian period. I know - I'm becoming an anorak about this subject aren't I?!
The books we bought will be the subject of a seperate posting.
Meanwhile you will have to be content with one of the few photos taken at Hay, as I forgot to take my camera out of the car! Arggggggggggggh! This is the view of the Brecon Beacons (Pen-y-Fan to the right with its twin flat peaks) as we headed towards home.
That's strange, we were in Babbacombe on Sunday, eating ice cream and riding on the cliff railway, up and down to the beach.
ReplyDeleteI've noticed you often write about something and I go...it's funny you should mention that...
Hi Kath - I think it's called Synchronicity isn't it?! I had a dash of that yesterday, as I was looking at a Christopher Isherwood novel in one shop and thinking really I should spread my reading a little wider, went to another and there was the same book (not difficult in Hay, I'll admit, and then a little along was a book about Sally Bowles - also written by Isherwood and I had only just been reading an article about Sally Bowles at the weekend.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed the ice cream at Babbacombe!
I love reading about your torquay pottery ...so interesting about that vase ....to sell or not to sell???? do you collect mainly vases/teapots/jugs or have you lots of plates too...I would sell the plates and bowl,if not ....or try to keep the lot xx
ReplyDeleteJust one plate so far Angie. I have mostly jugs and a few vases and bowls. I really wanted something to represent the Spots side of the Torquay potteries range, so may keep the bashed coffee pot as it has more age and character.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who went to Babbacombe yesterday so even more synchronicity!
ReplyDeleteLove the spotty pieces, particularly that bowl. Lovely to see and there's nothing wrong with being an anorak....