SIMON LEACH ---A POTTED HISTORY

    Born in St Ives (Cornwall) in 1956 I have no recall of The Leach Pottery as we moved to Lowerdown later that year. My grandfather Bernard, already an elderly gentleman when I was born was quite an impressive figure within the family and I remember quite clearly one Christmas he gave me the advice "look for beauty but also usefulness in a pot".  Words I still carry with me today.

    My Lowerdown childhood must sound idyllic to pottery collectors and enthusiasts alike as I was surrounded by pots of every description and also by people who were "passing through" either as guests or serving their apprenticeships under my father David.-Many of these people still inspire and influence my work.

    Leaving school I served an apprenticeship to Westland Helicopters in Yeovil before setting out to travel the length and breadth of Europe, settling for several months on the Greek island of Gavdos, where it could be said I had my first pottery.  A distinct lack of kitchenware, with no finance and no shops in sight I needed to make a wheel and kiln.  Both were crafted from local wood, stone and determination and I was soon to eat off the very clay that was beneath my feet.

    Returning to UK the serious business of adulthood reared it's head and I began a sharp learning curve as apprentice to David for the next five years.  From David I learned not just to make pots but to appreciate the art and form of a pot and to critisise my own work in order to better it.  For six years after leaving the safe walls of Lowerdown I worked as a potter near Exeter, having my own small studio and showroom in Silverton where I was able to gain confidence in my own work.

    In 1990 I moved to Eastern Spain and continued my work in Stoneware, Porcelain and Raku. 2003 saw me move 'down the road' to my present premises where I have an expanding workshop and along with my partner Catherine manage the pottery, showroom and ceramic courses.  Here time is given to experimenting with clays and glazes derived from local materials.  There is a great sense of satisfaction in holding a bowl that has a glaze of carob or almond wood ash from the hillside or even a shovelful of the garden soil as it's glaze, and along with it's clay body, has all come from such humble origins.