Craftsmen Potters Association William Blake House. Marshall Street . London .Wl Tel :01-437 7605

Chris Palmer reports that sales at the shop since the beginning of 1974 have been at an encouragingly high level. Associate Membership is increasing at a satisfactory rate and he would like to thank members for sending in their subscription renewals so promptly. The three day week and lighting restrictions caused certain delays in sending information to members and he would like to apologise for any inconvenience this has caused. John Davies, Owen Thorpe and Anthony Morris have been elected full members of the Craftsmen Potters Association. There will be an exhibition of work by Mary Rogers, Mary Rich and John Maltby at the CPA shop from June 4 - 15. Plans are going ahead for the full members weekend at West Dean College in October. Congratulations to Michael Casson who is one of six craftsmen to receive a grant for the current year from the C.A.C. under its new bursary scheme for established artistcraftsmen . 44 applications were received. The grant is for £2,000 and with it Mick wishes to experiment with porcelain bodies and search out new ideas on glazes and slips, and decoration processes and techniques. We all look forward to seeing the results . It is with deep regret that we announce the death of Frank Robinson, a full member of the C.P .A. An obituary will be included in the next edition of Ceramic Review. Federation of British Craft Societies Report of a meeting held in the afternoon of March 9th 197 4.

In the morning of June 1st, the A.G.M . of the Federation of British Craft Societies is to take place : in the afternoon there is to be a conference called by the C.A .C. At the C.A.C . Conference a paper is to be put forward stating the facts about the pattern of distribution of Grants to the various societies. To this end the Federation is asking all the Member Societies to se nd information to the Federation about any application which they have made for grants and whether or not they have received the money . The, Federation must know so that the facts can be amassed and a pattern emerge. Though this is asked for mainly from societies it would also be helpful to know of individual grant applications. This time, at the Conference there will be no written questions submitted beforehand but points will be raised from the floor and be discussed then.

A lack of communication between the C.A.C. and the craftsmen in the regions was complained of by a delegate, for example the deadl ine dates for grant applications were not always known in time . It was pointed out that 'Crafts'

magazine cannot be relied upon to disperse these facts as owing to printing difficult ies , the magazine was often ver; late .

The Federation is to lower the membership subscriptions, ow1ng to the1r grant, and the proposed new rates are : Craft Member Societ ies £10 m inimum + £1 for every 40 members to £20 maximum . Associate Member Societies £5 minimum + £1 for every 80 members to £10 maximum .

Finally each Society was asked to let the Federation know which days best suit their representatives to attend meetings . Mary Rogers

The Federation has announced that No. 6 Queens Square, London W. 1. is now their headquarters and all communications can be sent to the Secretary at this address. C.A.C. Conference. The Craftsman in the Regions On Saturday . June 1st there wi II be a conference organised by the C.A.C. for Regional Crafts Societies . Problems facing regional craftsmen will be discussed . There will be a preview of the spectacular slide and sound show made by Tony Hepburn for the W.C . C. International Crafts Exhibition to be held in Toronto this summer. Full details will be sent to all craft societies by the C.A.C. A course on Traditional West Country Pottery July 27 August 3 is to be held at Dillington House, llminster. The tutor will be Richard Coleman-Smith, a regular contributor to Ceram ic Review. The course will combine practical archaeology and pottery techniques . Full details and an outline programme can be obtained from The Director Dillington House, llminster, Somerset, T A 19 9DT. Richard also says that the book on the Excavation in Medieval Sout~am~ton, published by the Leicester University Press, 2 Umvers1ty Road, Leicester LE1 7RE is now available. This is the book referred to in Richard's article in C.R .No 22.

Wheel Survey. Colin Kellam, a council member is now organising this survey . So far the response from readers has been encouraging. a questionnaire is being prepared and will be sent to all full members of the Association. Other readers who would be prepared to fill in the questionnaire are asked to write to 5 Belsize Lane, London NW35AD

The Craftsmen Potters Association, William Blake House. Marshall Street, London W 1. Full Membership (annual subscription £4.00) is by selection and is open to practising potters in the U.K . Associate Membership (annual subscription £2.00) is open to everybody interested in pottery. Junior Membership (under 21) 38p . All members can subscribe to Ceramic Review at the reduced rate of £1.80 p.a . (Overseas £2.40). Full details from the Han . Secretary, Craftsmen Potters Association , William Blake House, Marshall Street, London W1. Tel. 01 -437 7605.

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