The Kindness of Strangers.

Evening all, I hope this bank holiday Saturday finds you bright and breezy despite the recent weather.
I want to tell you a little story about something that happened to me just a couple of weeks ago.  It was one of those dreary wet rainy April days, just after the hose pipe ban had come into effect and out of the blue a parcel landed on my door mat.  I wasn't expecting anything, so this alone added a little excitement to my day.  When I opened it I discovered a pristine copy of the Briglin book by Anthea  Arnold.

Now, if you have read my blog before, you will know that I am a huge Briglin fan and as such I already own a copy of this book thanks to my lovely sister.  As you can imagine I was quite confuddled.  I quickly checked my Amazon, Abe and eBay accounts to check I hadn't pressed the wrong button at some point, but no.  On the back of the packaging I discovered one of those little gold address labels and there was a phone number.  Moments later I had explained my confusion to a lovely lady on the telephone and she was able to explain everything to me.

A week or so before I had bought an unusual Briglin item on eBay.  It was a lamp base with a bird added, I think using the scraffito technique,  I hadn't seen one like it before.  I will show you a piccy but please excuse the shade it is a  temporary one I already had whilst I go in the search of the perfect shade.

The base arrived and it was so well cushioned I could hardly contain myself when unpacking it.  I was utterly pleased with it in every way except for the fact that there wasn't a Briglin back stamp.  I was quite  disappointed by this although I still thought it probably was Briglin, ideally I like to know if something is unmarked and I mentioned this in my Ebay feedback.

Back to the telephone call... the lady on the telephone explained to me that her husband was upset that he hadn't told me the lamp base wasn't marked and as such he had decided to send me a copy of the book.  She asked me to open the book as her husband had photocopied the first photograph in the book and popped inside for me.  The photograph was of all the potters stood outside the Briglin pottery and here is the copy...

Look closely at the picture and then it will dawn you as it did me, that I was talking to one of the Briglin Potters!  Back in Briglin days the lovely lady was Lyn Colavecchia, now she is Lyn Lovitt.  I have to admit I was slightly star struck.  We chatted for a few moments about my Briglin collection and I have to admit I began to feel quite guilty about the comment I had made on eBay.  So Mr and Mrs Lovitt just in case you read this, I believe you, I now know the lamp base is Briglin and thank you very much for the book too.  By the way Mrs Lovitt, to me you are like a Super Star!  That is how the kindness of strangers is what turned my day from dreary to bright!