“Ears ringing!” I thought they will be if I don’t go to hand bell practice on Tuesday night. My neighbour Jim, (Conductor, organiser and backbone of the ‘Silverdale bell ringers’) had coerced me into going along to their next practice session after I had made enquiries into the possibility of them performing as part of the 2013 Silverdale and Arnside Art and Craft Trail.

And so I found myself stood in the dark, outside a little wooden shed at the corner of the institute field, thinking, “I’ll give it 10 minutes…” …….And what happened next is a whole other story, but suffice to say I spent the next hour and more, transported to a magical festive land of chiming bells and synchronised tinkling harmony. At one point Jim passed me a bell. I think it was a ‘dumb-bell’ as it didnae’ chime for me. Oh dear, I felt I had failed a test. They need new members and that was partly why I went along. They’re a fantastic friendly group so if anyone out there is interested let me know and I can put you in touch with Jim.

But speaking of bells, I forgot I hadn’t shown you my latest commission.  ‘A wee house by the sea’ featuring St. John’s Church, Silverdale.

You may be interested to know that the pottery used is of old Victorian origin that I have ‘beach cleaned’ from Silverdale Shore. In times gone by the foreshore was used as a tip and bottle dump and slowly, as the tide shifts the shoreline, new treasure gets exposed. I have been lucky enough to find beautiful pieces of china and broken trifle dishes that make wonderful angel wings, (although these are a rare find now.) Another neighbour once found a horse’s head which I believe he still keeps in his wardrobe! And that would be another story again too……….

Shore salvaged pottery