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Community rallies to reopen pottery studio after fire

Alice Cunningham
News imageContributed A family of a mother, father and their three adult daughters sit in a pottery studio, smiling at the camera. They all wear matching navy aprons over their clothes. Contributed
Kate Radford (second from right) has managed to set up a new pottery studio with the help of her family and potters after a fire

A pottery studio destroyed in an electrical fire is set to reopen after a community rallied together in support.

Kate Radford, 56, lost her studio of 30 years in May after the blaze ravaged the 18th Century building in Kensworth, near Dunstable, Bedfordshire.

She said she felt moved after pottery class regulars came together to help her set up a temporary studio in the days after the fire, so sessions could continue.

Seven months on, Mrs Radford is opening her new studio, which she said had been the culmination of hard work and the support of her family, friends and potters.

News imageContributed Firefighters wearing uniform and helmets stand outside a building that has been destroyed in a fire. They are gathered together, talking, with their backs to the camera. The building's roof, windows and inside has been destroyed.Contributed
The fire destroyed the studio which had been located in an 18th Century building

On the morning of Friday, 16 May, Mrs Radford said she was was alerted by a jogger that her studio was on fire.

By the time she arrived, "the fire had taken literally the whole of the pottery", she said.

Everything inside was destroyed, but Mrs Radford said that by the Monday, several of her potters had come down to help her set up a temporary space within an old disused barn on the site.

They helped provide pottery wheels, kilns and other equipment so that she could continue her classes after two weeks.

News imageContributed Another view of the pottery studio that was destroyed in a fire. Its wooden roof has been left broken and charred. The windows and door have been blown out. The contents inside the building have been burnt and destroyed.Contributed
Mrs Radford had had her pottery studio in Dunstable for 30 years

"It's absolutely amazing, it makes me choke up now thinking about it because it's such an important thing for many people as well," Mrs Radford said.

"It's sort of like a hub that you go to and there's no phones, there's no television, you're just there chatting to each other, you're making and you're getting on with it... it's just such a supportive environment."

News imageContributed Six people stand or sit behind pottery stations. Four people sit behind pottery kilns working on clay. Two others stand behind a table and roll out clay for their creations. Pottery equipment rests on walls, shelves and in drawers. Contributed
The new studio has all new equipment, a new kiln room and accessible work stations and toilets

Since the fire, Mrs Radford has been working on opening a new studio in another barn that had been used for storage.

It will offer a larger space, a new kiln room, new toilet facilities and more, and across Friday and the weekend it will be open from 11:00 to 15:00.

"Hopefully it'll be really great because we're inviting people along so they can come and have a go on the wheels," Mrs Radford continued.

"There's going to be people here showing them how to use the wheels and they can make some sort of small sculptural pieces as well, so hopefully it should be good."

News imageContributed A close up of two pottery wheel stations. A man and woman sit behind each as they work on clay.Contributed
Mrs Radford hoped the new pottery studio would be well received by her potters

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