MEMORIES OF AN OLD FRIEND

BROWSING ALONG STOREFRONTS ALONG BURRARD TURNING ONTO
FOURTH AVENUE HERE IN VANCOUVER IS ONE OF MY PLEASURES,
NOT TOO LONG AGO IN THE WINDOW OF A SECOND-HAND CUM
ANTIQUE SHOP IX THIS AREA WAS A SMALL DISPLAY OF POTTERY;
ALL THROWN PIECES, RED CLAY, WITH A VARIEGATED BREAKING
GLAZE, OPAQUE IN MOST CASES AND WITH THE MOTT LING AND
STIPPLING OF THE TRADITIONAL COLORS APPLIED BY SPLASH
AND DRAIN.

I STOPPED AND LOOKED FOR A LONG TIME. MY MIND WAS
FILLED NOT WITH THE SIGHT OF THE POTTERY BUT WITHA
PICTURE OF A FACE, MY EAR SOUNDED TO A HUSKY VOICE, MY
NOSE SMELLED WOODSMOKE AND MY MOUTH TASTED WHISKEY,
GIN AND COFFEE IN THAT ORDER.

AS SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE GUESSED THE POTTERY WAS MADE
BY MY OLD FRIEND, THE POTTER OF KNOTCH HILL AND VERNON.
~ HBRING WAS HIS NAME AND HE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST FULL
TIME POTTERS TO LIVE AND WORK IN BRITISH COLUMBIA. HE
WORKED FOR QUITE A TIME AT KNOTCH HILL AND THEN MOVED
TO VERNON WHERE HE BUILT HIS POTTERY AND WORKSHOP. HE
DUG HIS CLAY FROM THE HILL BEHIND HIS POTSHOP, WASHED

IT WITH WATER AND SEIVED IT THROUGH LAWN AND STORED

AND AGED IT IN HUGE PITS IN THE GROUND WHICH HE DUG HIM-
&iLF IN THE DRY TIMES. HE THREW HIS POTS ON SIMPLE KICK

WHEELS WITH HAEDWOOD BEARINGS. HIS SHOP WAS DIVIDED UP
INTO THROWING, DRYING, BISQUE STORAGE, GLAZING,
CHEMICAL STORES, KILN ROOM AND WOOD STORAGE AREAS, HE
HAD STUDENTS OVER THE YEARS BUT WHEN I KNEW HIM HE WAS
TOO OLD AND SICK TO PUT UP WITH THE VAGARIES OF THE
BREED. THOSE WERE HIS OWN WORDS INTERSPERSED WITH
SOME SIMPLE POTTING TERMS ABOUT WOMEN, MIND YOU, HE
LIKED PEOPLE AND ESPECIALLY PRETTY WOMEN. HE WAS NOT
A RECLUSE. HE LIVED A VERY FULL LIFE WITH MANY SOCIAL
EVENTS AND CONTACTS BUT AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, LIFE FOR A
POTTER WITH NO CONTACTS WITH OTHER POTTERS WHO SPOKE

20.