Shropshire potter passes skills to youngsters
It has been 40 years since Mike Fletcher first opened the doors of Wenlock Pottery, and now he's passing on his long honed skills to the next generation.
From taking pottery orders for big chains like Nandos to hen nights based around classic thriller Ghost, Mike's business has seen many changes over the last four decades.
But now the 61-year-old is focussed on passing something on to children who would never usually get a chance to try their hand at throwing pots – in a bid to protect the skills that are becoming increasingly rare.
"Everything is a push button today," he said. "Everything is very fast, it's at you fingertips. Everyone wants everything yesterday. Something about pottery and ceramics – it takes you back to basics. It's getting some mud and making something out that lump. Then you can use it at the end, you feel you've made it.
"I'm in my 60s now. I've put a fair amount of time into this, and we want to give it back to the public.
"Schools just don't have the facilities anymore. I've been going into schools, then schools have been coming here. They all make a little pot, but them in a kiln and then glaze them. Then they can say 'look what I've done'."
Whether young or old, Mike says pottery is therapeutic and a good skill to know.
"It's a dying skill and there's not a lot of us left that made a living for more than 40 years. At least instead of sitting at a desk or a screen, they've got their hands muddy and created something out of nothing.
"You don't have to be fantastic at arts and crafts. It's all about having a go and having some fun.
"It's very therapeutic."
He added that classic music is played in the background at workshops. And that the BBC show the Great Pottery Throw Down raised awareness of the ancient profession,
