🎉 Since 1999, so much has changed - both in the world and for our business! We’d like to take a minute to reflect on our journey over the last two decades. 🎉
We started as a little shop with just one floor in the North Laine area. Not many people understood the concept of pottery painting as something they could do, let alone how much fun it could be!
And here we are today: we’ve spread out across another floor (and frankly could do with another two some days). This expansion didn’t happen overnight. As demand has grown, we’ve grown with it to extend downstairs and out to an exterior stockroom so we could provide even more choice, and even more help.
We have proudly supported many local schools and hospitals along the way, providing raffle vouchers and setting up stalls at Christmas fairs. Other local charities we support are Rocking Horse and Martlets - if you missed the Martlets quiz we hosted in March, it was a hoot! And if you can’t tell already from our giant whale mural, we also are strong supporters of whale and dolphin conservation 🐋 🐬.
🏳️🌈 We’ve witnessed 20 Pride celebrations take over the city - that means not just Britney, Jess Glyne, and Fatboy Slim, but also Pet Shop Boys, Boy George, Alison Moyet, and Nile Rodgers & CHIC! We’re really looking forward to Kylie this year! 🏳️🌈
Some of our lovely customers have even been celebs! Zoe Ball from TV and radio, Noah Taylor (who Game of Thrones fans will recognise), Chris Eubank the boxer, several Seagull footballers, Dorothy Koomson the author, and even YouTube star PewDiePie have all painted with us. 🎨 From telly to writing to radio to sport, a huge range of people, no matter their background or career, find a welcoming space here.
Our customers come here time and time again, over several years. First to celebrate their birthday parties, with cake and balloons and goody bags … and then, years later, to celebrate their hen, sten, or stag dos, with cake, balloons, and this time a bottle of bubbly or two! 🎁 🎈🍾 Some have even brought the next generation to come and do footprints a couple of years later. It’s the circle of life! 👶🏼👧🏿
Some people who painted here when they were younger have even grown up to work here: Mimi and Maya both remember enjoying their birthday parties here when they were young. Hazel, who worked here for several years, has flown the nest to set up her own wonderful studio in Newcastle, The Pottery Experience, which is well worth a visit if you’re in the area! And some of our staff are award winners! The talented Luke won the 3D Graduate of the Year at New Designers, and has gone on to study at the Royal Academy of Arts. Our fantastic queen of clay Holly was a winner of the Potclays Award in 2017. 🏺
We are looking forward to the next period and are all excited to see what we may look back on 20 years from now!
Finally we would like to thank all of our customers and staff who have supported our little shop over the years. We are kicking off our celebrations this Thursday 9th May with a EUnity Party - previewing our tributes to some of our favourite European Artists. Come and join us if you can.