Paws around the Potteries - Bears at Emma Bridgwater

Ay up, everyone!  It's Hanley Bear here, and it's time for another one of my Paws Around the Potteries post for my pal Sonning's blog.

Sonning and I had a great afternoon today, as we went to the Emma Bridgwater Pottery with Polar and Grizzly to do some painting in their decorating studio.

The pottery is in Hanley or, as I call it, "Me Town" in nice old buildings next to the Caldon Canal.

Once our human guardians were settled at our table, it was time to pick what they would decorate, what patterns to use and what colour paints they needed.  

Here are the unpainted things you can choose from, and some pots decorated using the little sponge shapes inside them for decorators to use.

And there were lots of different paints to choose from.  Polar squeezed a little from each different colour onto her easel, being very careful not to get any on her clothes or my fur!

Polar was going to paint a big cocoa mug for Dr Rachael to celebrate her not being a nearly-doctor any more, while Grizzly was decorating a plate to mark the birth of his newest great-nephew.

Polar and Grizzly had to paint lots of letters on their items, then add little sponge designs to decorate them.  Sonning and I helped by putting paint on the little sponges ready for Grizzly or Polar to stamp them on their ware.  Polar found a sponge with a horse on, which we painted to look like our friend Horsey, and also used some hearts and bunting.

Grizzly was using seaside things for his great-nephew as he lives near the sea and was named after a famous surfer!  We haven't included a photo of that because it's got the little human cub's full name and birthday on it, and Polar says we shouldn't share that.

While our human guardians put the finishing touches to their things, Sonning and I went to sit in the courtyard.  We think our gardening pal Endon Bear would have loved these tulips!

When they had finished painting, our humans were thirsty, so I said they should have tea and cake in the café, which does very tasty food, including fancy afternoon teas if you order them in advance.

Sonning and I jumped up to look at this cool cooker in a famous Emma Bridgwater pattern, but ran straight back to the table when we saw that Polar and Grizzly had ordered scones with jam and cream!

The scones were huge and delicious, which I think is the best sort of scone you can get.  

I hope we can visit again and go round the factory to see clever people making and painting things, and then have oatcakes at the café, although Sonning says he would like to have a posh afternoon tea instead.  That would be alright, if there are more of those big scones!