It's week three,
and our ten remaining potters
are tackling a Staffordshire
classic with the theme being me.
That's not to say the theme is me,
although what a delightful
subject for pottery I would be.
I must mention that to the judges.
No, this week's
challenge is about them.
Not Keith and Rich,
no, it's about the potters,
the challenge is about the potters,
not their fellow potters.
It's about the potters themselves.
Although wouldn't that
be lovely if the challenge
was about their new pottery pals?
No, no, no, wait.
Where are you going?
No, I'm just telling
you about this week's theme!
I haven't even said
my big intro line.
Welcome to the
Great Pottery Throw down!
Oh...
Jeepers, it's almost as if Rose
is operating the camera jib.
Last time... Oh! Oh!
...it was fish on the menu... Ah!
...as the potters
tackled Gluggle jugs...
I'm desperate for it
to gluggle properly.
Glug, glug, glug, glug.
...and a blindfolded
second challenge...
Oh. I've lost the top.
...that had them floundering.
This is so much
harder than I expected.
Oh, good.
That's what I want to hear.
While Cadi's jugs
reeled in potter of the week...
It's really, really wonderful.
I love everything about them.
Oh, my God!
...Shani's
clown fish required surgery.
Now I have to stitch it up.
But Edward sprung a leak...
You've got a stress crack.
...and became the second
potter to leave the competition.
I had a great time.
This time...
The adrenaline!
...it's double the trouble...
Breathe in. Breathe in. Breathe in.
...as the potters sl*ve over
twin Staffordshire flat backs.
Struggling. It's such a hard task.
And cut it fine...
...in a shaving scuttle throw down.
Chunky but satisfying.
You called? Yeah. Hi.
Who will produce the perfect pair?
You should be really proud of them.
They're fantastic.
And who will crack
under the pressure?
Oh, clay's a bit difficult.
Do people know this?
.
It's week three, and our ten
remaining potters are back
and about to tackle their
first slab building challenge.
Slab building, this is
way more complex than just
cutting out slab
and putting them together.
It's a really
difficult challenge, this.
Oh, there's millions
of things to go wrong.
You could have it too thin in one
place, too thick in another place.
It could all collapse.
It might all crack,
or twist, or warp in the kiln.
I'm going to go forward
with positive thoughts this time,
you know, be confident.
Don't be too nervous, if I can.
I think it's a bit of a sink or
swim kind of style with this one.
There's lots of things
that could go wrong,
but if they go right then
it should look pretty good.
Welcome back potters, for
your main make challenge this week,
the judges would
like you to slab build
a pair of Staffordshire Flatbacks.
Your flat backs
should tell us about you,
your hobbies or your
passion, even your job.
Now these Victorian scenes
and figures were designed to fit
flush up against a wall.
They want to work as a pair
but not be totally identical.
Now this is really going to
test your knowledge of the clay.
If you don't judge the consistency
of those slabs just right,
you won't achieve
that straight flat back
and your pieces won't
fit flush against the wall.
All right then, potters,
you've been given six hours
to make and refine your
Staffordshire flat backs.
And your time starts now.
Uh, feeling pretty confident.
Everything went well
when I practised.
A little bit anxious
about slab building.
Starting off with a good bash
is very good for the spirit.
It's all the extroverts who
we're doing the slapping.
Quiet people like me,
we're just getting on with it.
Now that the lads aren't here,
I have something to say to you.
Go on. I don't understand
what Staffordshire Flatbacks are.
Nor do I.
Really? I don't have a clue.
So, Rich, week three -
Staffordshire Flatbacks.
Yeah, what a challenge.
I mean, they are iconic,
and we're asking our potters
to make a pair of flat backs.
They don't have to be identical,
but they have to be flat on one side
because traditionally they
were put up against a wall.
And that's where the main challenge
lies, keeping those backs flat.
If they're putting a lot
of clay and a lot of weight
onto the front of their flat back,
that's just going to
cause tension between the two.
Consequently,
they could split apart.
Yeah, yeah. And, you know,
essentially this challenge
is an aesthetic challenge.
This is a decorative piece.
You know, there is a real
contrast there between a flat back
and that that decorative
front that we're looking for.
You look at this
piece as an example.
And it seems to have
a lot of depth to it.
Yeah. But then you look
at it in profile,
and actually it's so shallow.
It's so flat. Yeah.
But all of that depth is
created by effective decoration.
The big worry for me is the
potters really understanding
how that clay is going
to perform when it dries out.
Yeah. Clay consistency
and construction,
the two big factors
in this challenge.
Yeah, and if they get that wrong,
we won't have anything to
put on the mantelpiece.
Hi, lovey. Hi, Cadi.
All right, guys, hello.
Potter of the week. Yeah!
I know! Get me, right?
Well, tell, us
about your flat backs.
My flat backs are based on half
swimming in the lakes in Germany
and half swimming in
the sea in Brighton.
Cadi and her family will
be bobbing around in the water
in two contrasting landscapes,
with the sea and stone
beaches of her hometown on one
and the forest lined freshwater
lakes of Germany on the other.
My husband's German, and we've been
married for so long,
and I've spent so much time.
Do you speak a bit of German?
I have to speak fluent German.
Of course.
So if I didn't learn German,
I couldn't join in
with any of the gossip.
Kids, study your languages
or you won't know the scandal.
Cadi might enjoy getting her
kit off and taking a dip,
but Jan prefers to get dressed up.
Wow. Blimey.
I've always done a lot of sewing,
so I went with my daughter
to a few craft fairs,
and they turned out to
be steam punk craft fairs.
Oh, yeah. Wow!
I got involved with the whole
crew and started making outfits.
So the first scene is
me having a tea duel,
which is one of the ways
we resolve the arguments
between the airship captains.
You dunk your biscuit in your tea,
and whoever could keep
it in there the longest
without it falling
apart won the duel.
When she isn't tea
duelling with airship captains,
Jan also takes on the
role as a steam punk stand in
for Mother Christmas.
Mrs Christmas is much more busy,
cos obviously she's
trying to prep the elves
and pack the sleigh and everything.
As usual, she does all the work.
So she wasn't available,
so I volunteered
for a number of
years as Mrs Christmas.
I mean, they're
such beautiful stories,
but it strikes me that you've
given yourself a lot of work to do.
Huge, huge amount of work!
OK, well, we'll leave you. On that
note... We'll leave you to it.
Good luck, Jan. Sorry.
Come on, guys. Bye!
Whilst Jan is focusing
on her hobbies,
Shani is recreating some
precious childhood memories.
My earliest memories in Sri Lanka.
I went fishing with my father
and helping my mother cook
the fish that my
father just caught.
Unfortunately, I have no pictures
or anything to show because of, um,
I had faced tsunami and um
everything just went with the waves.
Shani will be moulding
two large slabs of clay
over a former to
hopefully make flat backs
that become new family heirlooms.
That must be quite strange in a way,
that all that documented history
has been wiped away, literally.
Yeah, it is.
Do you find a sort of it
connects you back to those...?
Yes. ..those kind of memories.
Absolutely.
It is for my father
and this is for my mother.
And what would you say
you're most worried about?
It's cracking and warping.
As you know, I'm not a
good hand builder here.
Right. OK. So, yeah.
Well, do keep a really close eye
on the consistency of the clay,
because it will crack
if it's a bit dry.
Bit dry. OK.
Once rolled, the potters can
drape the slabs over formers,
which should allow them to
manipulate the clay into the basic
three dimensional shapes
on the front of their flat backs.
I've made these formers
out of just cardboard
and tissue paper scrunched up,
and they give a general idea
of where things are going to go.
And while most are using an
array of odds and ends
to help shape their slabs...
Homer is just ruining
the whole thing, like.
I mean, I did make it my hotel
last night after a few drinks.
Like, "I really got to go
and make that bloody former."
Dave is taking a different tack.
Looks like you're building a canoe.
This is my way of trying
to get it to stay upright.
All this scaffolding
is going to come out...
Right! ..when it's dry.
It will hold its shape.
Clay makes the best former,
because it will shrink
at the same rate as the
piece of clay you're putting on top.
So in theory, as long
as they don't stick together.
As a keen cyclist,
Dave will be showing off
both his love of watching
competitive hill racing from afar
and the day he had
a memorable close encounter.
I had an unpleasant experience
with a badger on a bike.
The badger wasn't on a bike.
Yeah. Sorry, I don't mean to laugh.
You're not the
first person to laugh.
Badgers are big, aren't they?
They are big.
It was a big unit.
I was cycling very fast downhill.
I just see the badger
run in front of me.
I'm off the bike.
And then eventually, I'm in a
ditch with broken bones
and all this sort of stuff.
Oh, I see! No way. Oh, OK.
And every medical professional,
the first thing they asked
was how was the badger?
So, how was the badger?
The badger was totally OK.
That's all right then.
So the inspiration
for my flat backs comes
from my experience dancing salsa.
And so I've chosen a dancer
for one of my flat backs
and then a salsa musician.
Princess is aiming to create
movement with the texture
of her dancer's skirt in her
tribute to her new-found hobby.
And it's not just Princess
who's caught the salsa bug.
If you sort of bend your knees.
Yeah. And it's back, together.
So... together.
Yeah, you got it.
That's exactly what you do.
And then we'll go side.
I could definitely do that!
Yeah, it's really, really cool.
Well, I'm going to show
the boys how to do this.
There you go. You're doing it.
Thank you. Maybe another lesson.
Yeah.
And dancing fever continues
with Sophie's design.
So my first hobby was ballet,
when I was really young.
I was quite a reserved child,
I think, I was quite shy,
and I was one of those kids.
So next to my figure will be a tree.
So the first one will
be kind of just branches,
more to kind of symbolise that
early life, kind of early childhood.
And then it follows on
to the next flat back,
where it will be sort of a full tree
bloomed, kind of just that growth,
I suppose, represent what
I've been able to achieve
and what I've become.
The trees which symbolise Sophie
blossoming from shy ballerina
to confident graduate,
will also provide the
support for her pair of flat backs.
I love your story, by the way.
I don't know if I told you this,
but I did ballet when I was younger.
Yeah, ballet world's loss,
the potteries gain,
that's what I say. Yeah.
Moisture management is crucial
when dealing with
such thin slabs of clay.
It dries out really quickly,
and then it's prone to cracking.
But I just need to keep
it wet and keep working it,
just to kind of like,
reassure it into shape.
I'm a little bit
stressed at the moment.
It's just, um,
it keeps cracking, the clay.
To combat the cracks,
misting is a must.
So I'm hoping that it stays wetter,
because then I can
kind of manipulate the clay
into the shapes that I
need it to be.
But too much moisture and
they won't retain their shape.
Are you all right?
Yeah, fine. Are you sure?
Mm...
No? Not completely sure? No.
What's up? It's all very wet.
Look how floppy it is.
Everybody's saying
that it's quite dry.
Yeah, I started squirting it with
water, and now it's quite wet.
Yeah, that happens.
Always happy to get wet himself.
Dan's flat backs will show him
kayaking along the Dorset coast
and camping on the
beach with friends.
Would you prefer to
be kayaking right now?
Yeah, that would be more peaceful,
like lost, you know,
fighting the tides.
That would be more...
You prefer to be lost at sea.
Surrounded by sharks... Yeah.
..then being here.
Whilst Dan is using the Dorset
coastline as his backdrop,
Donna has chosen the iconic
cranes of Belfast's shipyard.
It has been on my skyline
all through my childhood,
but all my family
worked in the shipyards.
I have called it No Place Like Home
because there's just
no place like Belfast.
Donna's homage to
places she has called home
also features the concrete
cows of Milton Keynes,
where she was an
art teacher for seven years.
I'm really struggling today
with the clay, with the drying.
It's still a little
too wet to hold itself,
but it's drying out so
quickly that you need to join it
before it gets too dry
or it causes cracks.
Oh, clay's a bit difficult.
Do people know this?
I didn't until today.
Potters, you're halfway through.
Halfway through.
You panicking? Yeah.
OK, good.
I've gone quiet. I've gone into
myself. In the zone. Yeah.
I'm in... OK.
Probably not time for a chat, then.
Just freaking out.
Slip and score. Slip and score.
I'm making the joints
as secure as I can
cos I know I've got so many pieces,
so I'm just overcompensating,
I think, just to hope
that there's no cracks.
There's lots of joints and there's
lots of different layers and things,
so there's a lot that
could go wrong with the build.
My scene is me as a kid riding
donkeys along the seafront
on holiday at my
grandparents in Cleethorpes.
After his donkey ride,
Steven would hit the £0.02 machines
in the arcades,
armed with bags of coins.
Have you enjoyed practising?
I've not enjoyed practising.
I've tried probably five
different versions
of the same thing.
Changed it each time. Really?
I just, yeah...
And it hasn't worked?
No, failed every time.
If it stands up today, then
that's, you know, a win. Progress?
Yeah, progress. Yeah.
The larger the front
of their pieces,
the higher the risk of cracking.
Oh, this is stupidly big.
Get my whole blinking head in there.
Wear it is a hat.
But the shallower the designs,
the smaller the base,
which means less support.
I'm a little worried
about balance maybe.
Um, I've seen other people have
pieces that jut out a lot more
from the wall,
and so I think mine will be
a bit closer to the wall,
a bit more of a relief
than an actual sculpture.
And so I think that
might make it a bit harder
for my pieces to stand up straight.
Daniel's slimline flat backs
will depict his love of nature,
with vistas showing him hiking
in Yosemite National Park
and scuba diving amongst
the coral reefs of Indonesia.
I see people adding quite a
lot of details to their people.
Mine are a bit more of a silhouette
that I'm going to paint on
a lot of details for.
Focus is a little less on the person
and more sort of,
like, the environment.
Adding detail allows the potters
to bring their stories to life...
Me and the badger, my arch nemesis.
...and give their pieces perspective.
So a lot of my detail is
going to be like taking away clay.
He's gonna hold a marshmallow.
He needs some proper hair.
I'm not sure about that hair.
But Shani is still struggling
to assemble her main form.
I think I am taking
a bit too much time than
what I really want it to be.
And I got details,
fine details to put as well.
So I'm... I'm a little bit
behind at the moment.
Jan. Yeah?
Can you tell them
they've an hour left?
You got an hour left!
Hard work.
Keith and Rich
are expecting the flat backs
to fit flush against the wall.
That back is flat, wouldn't you say?
But if the potters have
engineered their pieces correctly,
they should be able to
stand up without support.
What do you reckon?
Very good. Yeah!
Oof! What happened?
This board fell on it.
OK, can I help?
I'm fine, thank you very much.
It's all right.
You're all good, though?
Yes, yes. These things happen.
I was a little bit
worried about Shani.
They were just looking a bit more
like lean backs than flat backs.
So hopefully she'll
be adjusting that
so that they stand
a bit more upright.
I was looking at Steve. Yes.
You know, and he's
still piling elements on,
stacking things up
further and further out.
So I just hope he's thought
about the point of balance.
That's the whole thing, isn't it?
If they're constructing quite a
lot of relief on the front,
you know, it's going to topple over.
I just want to keep adding stuff.
Some of them are rather large.
Some of them are rather large.
I'm wondering if they're going
to fit the actual mantelpiece.
I've never seen a
flat back this big.
I don't know what I was thinking.
What can I say?
You have half an hour left!
Half an hour left, potters.
His arms are a little weedy.
I'm going to redo this arm.
And it'll mean I can change
the angle of the paddle.
I am frantically
attaching flowers and hair.
I've got stones on the beach.
So we're getting somewhere.
I'm not doing too much detail,
so all going to be in glaze.
Graduation cap might be
a good idea, mightn't it?
I forgot about that.
I don't know why, but I
feel like I'm short on time.
Potter's, final ten minutes.
Final ten minutes.
Breathe in, breathe in, breathe in.
I've got loads to do,
and only seconds. Many miles to go.
Stress doesn't do me any good.
So, calm it is.
Those who give up
don't achieve anything.
My lovingly made sprig
mould is now in two bits.
Well, it would have been nice
to have it for next time
I make a flat back, wouldn't it?
Next time!
THEY LAUGH
I never want to see another
flat back again in my life.
Potters, one minute left,
one minute left.
Please start bringing
your Staffordshire flat backs
into the drying room.
I hope it doesn't look like a box.
Just need to stop faffing with it.
Hey, Rose.
Come on, Princess, but
don't drop it. Don't drop it!
Three, two, one!
Well done.
Well done.
Oh, my gosh, what a day!
Your Staffordshire flat backs
will be dried and fired,
and you'll see them again soon.
Potters dismissed.
I am just so happy.
I'm buzzing to have something
that resembles a flat back,
because I have wrestled with
that clay all the livelong day.
wow. I've never done
anything as hard as that.
It was really hard.
The clay was fighting,
drying and cracking and, oh,
I had so many problems.
I'm glad it is over, to be honest.
Hardest challenge, hands down.
I mean, that is the hump,
that challenge was the hump.
And I feel like that hump is
kind of it's on its way down now.
So. Yeah.
Relief.
It's a wheel. It's a wheel!
Big ba*ls of clay.
Big, big, big, ba*ls of clay.
Oh, great.
Maybe it's Richard this time.
The potters second
challenge is, as ever,
a mystery wrapped in Hessian.
I told you so.
Potters, your second challenge
this week is a throw down.
You're going to be
making one of these,
which is a Victorian
shaving scuttle.
And show us how it's done,
we have a master potter,
Rich Miller.
Please, Rich, take it away.
Love it when you call me "master".
So, I'm starting with the body.
Take your clay straight
onto the wheel and off we go.
So in with your thumb,
pull out and straight up.
I'm going to do two pulls and put
a nice rounded profile at the base,
and then flare the top out.
It's just about making sure
that it's wide enough
to take the bowl
which would hold the soap.
You need to dry it off enough
that you can lift it off the wheel.
So that's your body.
So then I'm going to
throw the bowl to go on top.
I'm going to go in with the finger,
and then just lift that
straight out into a bowl shape.
And then I'm going to
gently pull that rim over
into a flat profile and dry off.
OK, so whip that off,
and you'll drop that into your top.
Oh, my God.
And obviously we're going to
add a spout and a handle.
So I'm just throwing that up into
a bit of a V shape.
Yet more drying.
And then you're going
to take your wire
and then cut down towards the front.
You're roughly wanting to create
that so that when you offer it up,
it pretty much is the same
profile as your pot.
And what if they get this wrong?
Have they got another lump of clay?
No.
All right. So...
Next element is your handle.
You're going to be using a bag tie.
Split it in half like so.
Put a 90 degree in.
Same on the other side,
and then flip that over.
This is the most complicated
challenge I've ever seen.
And then you just pull
that straight through the block.
Like that.
And then you'll peel back
the clay and remove your handle.
So you'll have a handle
with a profile down it.
Wow,
They are thrilled.
Curve it round into your shape
and then you want
to dry that off again.
And this is where you need to make
sure it's in perfect alignment
with the spout.
So all that remains now
is to cut all of the openings.
And if you can just go in
once with one swift movement
and then take that piece out in one,
and you just need
three holes in the top.
And that is your shaving scuttle.
Oh, my God, there's so many things,
I don't know if I can remember.
All right then, potters,
this will be blind judged.
So I'm going to ask
the judges to leave.
Continue... Good luck, everyone.
...your game of charades without me.
Well, we have given
you 30 minutes to throw
and alter your
Victorian shaving scuttle.
And your time starts now.
All right, this
one's a complicated one.
There's a lot of different steps.
Centre the clay.
Feeling rather nervous.
A lot of pressure because
there's no spare clay, so.
Hello, Jan. Hiya.
Do you think half an hour
is enough time to do this?
Don't be daft. Gotcha. Gotcha.
Oh, that is not good.
I'm just going... slow and steady.
I don't want to rush any part of it.
You want the top to be no
wider, really, than the bottom.
Screwed up.
It's too thick in the bottom.
Oh, well.
Is that about the right size?
I think that's OK.
Weirdest thing I've ever made.
Next is the bowl
that goes on the top.
Tiny bowl shape.
I'm trying to get the curve of it so
it will sit in the other vessel.
I wanted to kind of like
a bit more time here,
cos I think it's so important
on getting it to fit perfectly.
Guess what?
What? You're halfway through.
OK. Halfway through, potters!
Halfway through!
God that went quick.
What's that Stephen?
That went quick.
Are you in a good mood?
Yeah, I'm in a good mood.
I think you've been in deep
concentration about the...
..Staffordshire flat back.
Don't say it.
I'm sorry I said it. I'm sorry.
SHE LAUGHS
Oh, look at that.
Snug as a bug in a rug.
Time for the spout.
Has everyone made the first part
of your Victorian shaving scuttle?
Yes. Has everyone made
the bowl that goes on top?
More or less.
Has everyone made the spout?
No. Who has made their spout?
Dan. Dan, obviously.
Oh, man.
Mine is a little short and chunky.
Chunky but satisfying.
You called? Yeah. Hi.
Chunky but satisfying, I said.
Ten minutes left potters!
Oh, BLEEP!
Just cut through, just trying to
get this this spout nice and even.
m*rder*d it a bit with the wire.
Just trying to get a nice join now.
We're getting there.
OK, I'm gonna make the handle.
The wire's just
too weak for the clay.
Well, that's not deep enough, is it?
Oh, ba*ls, this is
really not working.
Oh, my God, what's going on?
Oh, lovely stuff, is it?
What have you...? OK.
No.
Yay! OK.
Oh, that was so much
harder than it looked.
Oh, well, I'm just gonna
have to try and use that.
I've done a little plait.
It's on a hair theme. Lovely.
Two minutes left, potters!
Oh, Christ. We're gonna
have to go with this one.
Shani, let's see. Oh, no.
It's not working. Oh, no.
Well, we got time.
We have two minutes.
We've not had much joy with handles.
Look, I've worked out the handles,
so I'm just trying to
get this nice and neat.
Making holes on the top.
Remember? Three holes.
What's Shani doing?
Ten seconds left, ten seconds left.
Nine, eight, seven,
six, five, four,
three, two, one.
Step away from your
Victorian scuttle thingybob.
I'm... The adrenaline!
Horror show.
Keith and Rich will now judge
the Victorian shaving scuttles.
Ooh!
There will not be a
Victorian whisker left in sight
with all these shaving scuttles.
They're looking for
an evenly profiled base
with a smooth rimmed bowl,
a generous spout, and a
perfectly aligned handle,
and they have no idea
whose belonged to who.
Let's do it. Nice deep bowl.
I think the rim could have perhaps
done with just being a bit wider,
so it sort of protruded out
over the shape a little bit more.
There's a nice sort of profile
of the handle, isn't there?
Looks like it's perhaps
been put on backwards.
OK. So this one
just looks a bit like
it hasn't been dried well enough.
And that's left fingerprints and
marks on the surface of the clay.
Perhaps had a little
trouble creating the handle.
The spout looks, again,
just like it's a little bit soft
when it's been joined on. Yeah.
Next.
OK, so this one looks perhaps
a little bit smaller than the rest.
Yeah. The shape of the handle
is very good, but very thin.
Just a little bit on the small
side as an overall structure,
don't you think? Yeah. Yeah.
Wow. Wow.
The top has been flared out an
awful lot, but actually,
at least the bowl matches it.
It looks like the
Starship Enterprise.
Yeah, it's got a style
about it, hasn't it?
Yeah.
OK, so very, very neat spout.
That's been joined beautifully.
Very well blended in.
That's a very good effort.
OK. So we've got
a slightly narrower,
more upright approach here,
in the sense that the handles
were perhaps a bit challenging.
Yeah. I think it just needed
to be a bit drier before it went on.
Yeah, and a bit
conservative on the body itself.
Yeah. It's a bit small.
Next. We haven't got
a hole cut through
to the main body in the spout.
How are you going to shave? Yeah.
That's it, but a
very, very clean spout.
Nice and neat, isn't it?
Really clean at the rim.
Good profile at the base. Yeah.
Not bad.
Next.
So, gone for a bit of a plait.
Like it. Well, you know, why not?
The handle must have caused issues,
so mixed it up with
something different.
Perhaps the rim could
have been a bit wider.
It's kind of been
blended into the body.
Last but one, I really
like that considered bowl.
Very good shape on the body.
Got those angles just right.
Yeah. Good generous rim.
That's a really good effort there.
And the last one. OK.
It's a little bit squat.
Nice rounded handle, though.
And it's gone on the right way.
A good effort just a bit more
a bit more use of the clay
on the body. A bit more height.
Yeah. Yeah.
Keith and Rich will now
rate the shaving scuttles
from worst to first.
In tenth position, we have...
...this one here. Who's this?
Oh, Jan. Really great effort.
Just felt a little bit over-handled.
In ninth place,
we have this one here.
who's this?
That's me.
Daniel. Ah, Daniel.
Just a little bit small at the top,
and the handle is just
a little bit thin.
In eighth place is Dana.
In seventh place, Dave.
And in sixth place, Shani.
Fifth is Dan,
fourth is Stephen,
and in third place is Cadi.
In second position...
...this one.
Princess.
It's a real shame that you just
didn't have the opening,
because the throwing is beautiful,
but honestly,
really, really well done.
So in first place is...
- Sophie!
Brilliant.
Thank you.
I like the proportions between
the bottom and the top.
The spout is very well made.
You've got a lovely clean bowl
on the inside and you've given
the handle a really good effort.
Well done.
It was a real surprise today
to be at the top.
Yeah, really, really nice.
Really exciting.
I'm feeling a bit more confident
now and, yeah, feel better
for the next stage.
I think it was quite difficult.
I was expecting to be last
because of the handle.
I came sixth so not too bad.
I am totally relying on the
flat backs now.
As per usual, my main make
is the only thing I'm relying on.
It's Decoration Day at the pottery
and after a 24-hour bisque firing,
kiln technician Rose is laying out
the potters' flat backs
ready for glazing.
I am super excited to see it
come out of the bisque.
I just need it to come out exactly
as it went in and I will be happy
and ready for today.
Last night I just had dreams
about it just being
a pile of rubble,
but then I always do.
Whenever anything goes in the kiln,
it's always a bad night's sleep.
Yeah, I think what comes
out of the kiln today could
make it or break it,
you know? Yeah.
From the last few
I've been really nervous,
so I'm trying to keep a positive
attitude this time.
So I'm visualising,
and I'm going to attack...
LAUGHS
..in the decoration stage.
Welcome back, potters.
As you can see, your Staffordshire
flat backs have been bisque-fired
and are ready for decoration.
Just like the original Staffordshire
flat backs, your decoration
will greatly enhance the shapes
and forms you've created,
but it needs considered application.
Really enjoy and take care
in your decoration.
We really want to see
you and your stories really come
to life in all their
technicoloured glory.
All right then, potters,
you have three hours
and your time starts... NOW!
SOPHIE GASPS
Thank goodness.
Oh, thank God.
Everyone happy?
Yes.
Oh, my...
That rock isn't good.
I'm slightly worried about that.
I mean, I've got to decorate
to my max now.
Stephen's not alone.
Shani also needs decoration
to come to the rescue
of her childhood-themed flat backs.
Hi, lovey.
Hello.
How are you feeling
about your biscuit firing?
How did it go?
Um, I did have a couple of cracks...
Right.
..uh, on the back.
Oh, I see. Yes. Yes.
Um, I think it was joining
the two slabs together, so...
Yeah, so are you... you're
thinking of applying quite a lot
of detail with the decoration now?
I really... That's what I'm,
my plan is. Yes.
Yeah, yeah. And are you... are you
happy doing that?
To be honest, I'm not an
underglaze person.
Oh, OK. Um, yeah.
I'm starting to enjoy underglazes,
you know. It's really beautiful.
Good, yeah.
Well, carry on enjoying them
and hopefully we will enjoy
what you've done with them.
Thank you so much.
Yeah, good.
All right, see you later.
See you later.
In order to enhance the depth
of their decorative flat backs,
the potters have a variety
of underglazes and oxides
to choose from.
I'm going to get all the base colour
down first before I start
putting in... added perspective,
shall we say?
A little bit more shading,
a little bit more detail,
but we've only got an hour
and a half for each of these
and I forgot how enormous they were.
What was I thinking?
I'm at the moment using
three quarts of each glazes
to get depth, you know.
If you use just one quart, it's
like a bit of wishy-washy colours.
Others are opting for a more risky
route with their colour choices.
So I've used a copper carbonate
in the bushes,
hoping that it gives
a variegated tone to look like,
really, as if you were looking
at a leafy bush.
So for the tree trunk, I've just
applied iron oxide and let it dry,
and I'm going to wipe it back a bit.
And then I'm going to work in
with some brown oxides as well,
and just kind of just get a bit
of a variety of colour.
I find it hard to not use oxides
just because I love what they do,
but I mean they are completely
unpredictable.
So this is the first time that
I've ever used oxides in my work.
I am a little risk-averse.
And um, you know, I do worry
that there might be a reaction
with the oxides that
I can't control.
I think I need to show that
I'm willing to take a few risks.
Potters, you're halfway through.
Halfway through.
I haven't touched my second one yet.
My God.
If there are bite marks on those
paintbrush,
you bite them, you buy them.
Whether the potters are portraying
realistic natural landscapes...
I feel like scuba diving
is... It definitely feels
like you're on an alien world.
All the colours look different.
And so I'll hopefully try
and capture a bit of that.
...or more playful,
characterful scenes...
I think my pieces reflect me -
very positive, nice bright colours.
I like to look on the bright
side of life, you know.
...there's one element of decoration
that's proving tricky to get right.
Um, I worry about how the skin tone
will come out
just because at the moment
it looks maroon like a purple.
These underglazes don't tend to come
out the colour you expect them to.
We could have a whole load
of people with purple faces now.
We don't know.
Uh, it's a yellow and red mixed
together and a bit of green,
just trying so they don't just look
like orange figures
sitting on a beach, it's like...
I'm quite partial to a Belfast tan,
which just comes
straight from a bottle.
So I don't know whether
I perhaps need to, uh,
make mine a little bit darker,
but I'm going to go in with some
darker cheeks and a bit of lipstick
so that it does look like me.
As well as getting the
mix of colours right...
Now I'm trying to bring out
all those vibrant and beautiful
colours from Sri Lanka.
I'm not a good painter.
LAUGHS
...carefully applied underglaze
can enhance their designs and help
build perspective
into their relatively flat scenes.
Oh, look at the hills!
You get the prize for riding
along hills.
I hate riding on hills.
Nah, hills are great.
CADI CHUCKLES
They are, with my electric bicycle.
THEY LAUGH
Potters. You've half an hour left
and you know what that means?
Rose, bring me my glaze!
Very stressed.
Uh, I think I'm running out of time.
Transparent glaze will give
the flat backs a glossy finish.
Go this side.
Well done.
They're big, aren't they?
Yeah, I'm sorry.
You might need more glaze.
CHUCKLES
Might need a bigger boat.
My strategy? I'm going to dip it
and then take it out again.
Do you know how much time
you've left?
I don't know.
Take a guess.
Ten minutes?
More.
Stressing out a little bit.
Getting pretty close to the end
and I don't have everything
I want done, done.
Loads of things.
I've got loads of things.
POTTERY SCRAPING
Who's making that awful noise?
That's me.
Smudged off the glaze with my thumb
while I was busy
doing something else,
like a twit.
Ten seconds left.
Nine, eight, seven, six,
five, four, three, two, one.
Step away from your
Staffordshire flat backs.
Well done, everyone. Well done.
The Staffordshire flat backs will now
be gloss fired to 1,080 degrees,
and the next time they see them,
they will be ready to go
on the mantelpiece for judging.
Wasn't that fun?
I could sit and paint for hours
and hours and hours.
Yeah, I really enjoyed that.
Nice calm session, really.
Just me and the paintbrush.
SINGS A HAPPY TUNE
I took it quite slow to start
with for the first flat back,
where myself and my father
was going fishing.
And I had one hour to
finish the other one off,
so I did rush the second one
a little bit.
I've not... I don't tend to use
that many bright colours and stuff,
but I really went for it with just
trying to slap on
as much colour as I could.
So it's going to be a surprise,
I think.
Um, but hopefully
a pleasant surprise.
Love Power by
Dusty Springfield
It's judgement day
and the potters are back
to collect their glazed flat backs,
ready for judging.
I'm a little nervous to see
how things come out of the kiln.
Ooh! Wow.
I'm a bit worried about them maybe
warping and maybe toppling over.
I'm a little bit nervous.
I think I should stay positive
and see what the judges say,
and if they like my work or not,
I will see.
Fingers crossed they will stand.
I mean, I woke up in the middle
of the night last night, just...
To an image of them just, like,
rocking back and smashing.
I used a load of oxides,
which I don't usually use
in that way, so I'm interested
to see how it turns out.
I mean, it might be awful,
but I think it might be quite good.
Potters, your
Staffordshire flat backs
look absolutely gorgeous.
I can't wait to see them
on our lovely mantelpiece.
Dave, would you please bring
your pieces up to the judges?
It's about my love of cycling
and my misadventures with cycling,
with the... coming across
the badger.
Well, the first thing to notice
is the detail.
You've just put a layer of clay
over there to accentuate that kind
of mountain road effect.
And it's so simple but really,
really effective.
Also, I'm loving the cow
coming out here, and the badger.
Yeah, you've got a really good way
of telling your story
through what you do.
Yeah.
It's got such character.
And I mean, the oxides,
they sparkle and glisten
and they just, they enhance
all of the textures and the surfaces
you've put it on.
Let's see how they look
on the mantelpiece then.
Yeah, look at that, Rich.
Yeah, they look great.
The way you've created perspective
on this hill is just inspired.
Yeah, you're a bit of a one, Dave.
Seriously, I'm just always really
surprised by what you give us.
It's fantastic.
So my design is quite
like a personal journey, I suppose.
Me as a child, to me now.
They look great.
Thank you.
They really do.
I kind of like the simplicity
of the composition.
You've basically got a tree,
and your younger self
and your older self,
but what you've done within that
is quite amazing.
I mean, I love the fact
that the tree is now blossoming
and that works really well
as a symbolism.
And you've managed to get real
definition and clarity and subtlety
in all the brush decoration.
Works really, really well.
Yeah. Your concept comes
through perfectly.
The tree, you know, it looks
like... Is it iron oxide
on top of there as well?
Yeah, I've got iron oxide.
Yeah, so it just has a bit of depth,
and a bit of surface and character,
and I just think they feel
really charming.
Yeah, lovely. Thank you.
Let's see how they look
on the mantelpiece then.
Isn't it amazing when you
construct something and then you
put it in situ, how it gets
an extra life to it, doesn't it?
It's really lovely to see.
Thank you.
I wanted to convey
the passion that I found
when I was dancing salsa last year.
Well, look, as a pair, I think
they work really, really well.
Although they're not very detailed,
they're very precisely made.
Yeah, the texture on the dress
is lovely.
I mean, that's worked so beautifully
and they've just got a real
style about them.
They do sort of ooze
that Latin American kind of feel.
Well, shall we see what they look
like on the mantelpiece?
That looks great.
Yeah. Well done, Princess.
Thank you.
Yeah, really well done.
Lovely. Well done.
My design is of me swimming
with the family.
They are really, really huge
but are rather wonderful, really.
This is fantastic.
The level of detail and definition
is really, really wonderful to see.
The way you've just
created these kind of bobbing heads
in amongst that kind of watery
surface works really well.
Now, Cadi, should we see what
they look like on the mantelpiece?
Those pebbles and the mugs. Spot on.
Yeah, really, really pop.
It's fantastic.
Thanks, guys.
Um, you certainly know how to
play a narrative.
What I would have liked to
have seen is a bit more
subtlety in the colour,
in the decoration.
Yeah, you look like
you might have spent
a bit too much time in the sun.
My favourite bit about the whole
thing is probably the seagulls.
They look wonderful.
Some of the textures coming through,
the sea and the sand, you know,
that's really quite lovely.
Shall we see them up on
the mantelpiece?
They're really lovely things.
Yeah, there's definite
flow in there.
There's some real movement.
No, they're really playful, Dan.
Yeah. And you should be proud
of everything sticking on.
One's a hiking scene, and the other
one is a scuba diving scene.
I love this idea.
I love the frogmen.
Um, it's a little bit stiff.
You know, if you'd maybe
accentuated the flap
of the flipper, that maybe
would have given it a bit
more movement.
Yeah. To go with these two flippers
that are poking up
was incredibly brave.
And you've pulled it off, you know,
it stayed very flat and very smooth.
Yeah, I think they work really well.
They're really fun, aren't they?
Yeah, and all credit to you.
I mean, they are perfectly
They sit so flush against that wall.
Great, well done. Thank you.
Thank you.
Well, I mean, on first impression,
when you pick this one up, I mean,
for the size of it, which is rather
large, it's incredibly light.
I'm loving this detail here.
That's a banana. Yeah, yeah.
A big banana bunch.
Yeah, I love that.
I mean, you've got a few cracks
on the back here,
kind of that lack of knowledge
and understanding of what the clay
does when you're not with it,
you know, when it's drying out.
I love the personal narrative.
I mean, I think there's nothing
better than kind of cementing
something so personal in ceramic.
That layer of decoration, it's made
them very obviously recognisable.
Shani, should we see how they look
on the mantelpiece?
It would have been nice to see
the back slightly flatter.
But, interestingly, the beach
really comes to life.
It really creates perspective
when it's on the mantelpiece.
Well done, Shani.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
My flat backs are all about my
childhood holidays to visit my
grandparents in Cleethorpes.
They are incredibly colourful
and really, really playful.
I love this. There's a real energy
in that and a real naivety
as well, which is really lovely.
On the fact of construction...
Yeah.
...it's a bit unstable.
I mean, the fact that it's going
to be flat up against the wall
is quite handy.
Yeah, definitely.
Yeah, for obvious reasons.
Yeah, you can tell you've had a few
issues with getting your head
around the overall construction
and how that's going to work,
but I just think the colours
you've chosen, it feels so evocative
and this feels like they're lights
and there's movement,
there's action.
Aside from the few issues
you've had with getting your head
around the construction,
there's loads of character
and loads of charm and I just love
how evocative they are.
They do make me laugh.
It's good, yeah.
All for the right reasons.
Just the simplicity of decoration.
It's great.
Yeah, and they just carve
such a striking silhouette
and that sun just pops.
Well, Jan...
They're wonderful. Really?
They're really, really wonderful.
I can't stop looking at them.
And every time I look at them,
there's something else to look at.
I mean, this just says Christmas.
This could come out every year
for your family Christmas
and be a tradition.
It's absolutely amazing.
Really, really wonderful.
I mean, they are substantial,
but the quality
of the construction is outstanding.
What's worked so beautifully
is the fact that all of the texture
on the surface, it comes
around the edge.
You've managed to create such depth
and perspective.
Just the sheer scale of it.
You gave yourself a mammoth task
in terms of the amount of
decorating you needed to do.
All right, let's see how they look
on the mantelpiece.
It's that softness of the
aesthetic and that moulded appeal
that you've managed to get with all
your manipulation of the clay.
Works really, really well.
You should be proud of those, Jan.
Cheers.
My design is based on Milton Keynes,
where I used to live, and me back
home in beautiful Belfast.
Well, Donna...
They're fantastic.
They're wonderful.
They really are.
I'll hand you over to Rich.
THEY LAUGH
They are absolutely stunning.
I love the dresses.
There's just so much detail.
Every time I'm looking at them,
there's something new to see.
What you've done so wonderfully
is that you've taken Milton Keynes
and Belfast here, and you've used
that as your background
to the whole flat back.
It just works really, really well.
We ought to see them
on the mantelpiece.
Yeah. Shove them on the shelf.
They somehow look like a modern
day antiquity. Yeah.
And I love the mirroring
of the figures.
I just think that works so well.
Yeah, they work great as a pair.
They really do.
Yeah, that felt... yeah, that
felt really special.
I felt amazing today.
I think people don't realise how
much their opinions mean
to all of us potters, and
when you get that kind of
feedback, it just feels
totally incredible.
They did look as good as
I could have hoped for,
so it was really nice that Keith and
Rich really liked them as well.
I felt very proud of them.
You know, it's lovely.
In a bit of a dangerous position,
really, that mine is the only one
with the crack, so I am
feeling a bit vulnerable.
I should... I should stay positive
really, you know, just, er, just see
what... what they say and then
let's go from there, you know.
I'm hopeful, um, if I can just
get through, um, I feel
like this is the kind of hump.
Erm, so... Cos I just struggled
so much with the make
of it and the decoration so,
yeah, this is the hump.
If I can get past this,
that's all I want to do.
Another wonderful week.
It's been great getting to know
the Potters a bit more
with their story and their theme.
How do you think they got on?
Yeah, I mean they all did so well.
I mean, this challenge really pushed
them on so many levels.
Donna was one of the only potters
who'd thought about the composition
in terms of the mirroring
of the figures as well.
She'd really thought about how
they'd work together as a pair.
And that attention to detail,
the texture
was just absolutely brilliant.
She'd literally thought about
everything within the whole
kind of challenge. It was wonderful.
Well, I mean, Dave, I just loved
his... his theme, his concept,
the cyclists, they just had
such character.
They were so... Yeah.
I really loved Dave's set this week.
Yeah. And I just think the way
that he emulated that kind of
mountainous road was just really,
really simple but really effective.
Sophie came first in the second
challenge.
How did she get on in the main
challenge?
Brilliantly. Ah, OK!
Yeah, yeah. No, wonderful.
The way she stylised her characters,
it was really simple.
It was a tree and a person,
but she'd got so much
character in there.
It was wonderful to see.
Really sweet. Yeah. Clearly
defined simple concept
but well ex*cuted.
Let's talk about Jan.
Her pieces were absolutely gorgeous.
You could look at those
time and time again and
see something different in them.
They were just really,
really wonderful.
I think she would have been in line
for potter of the week had she not
had such a bad experience
in the second challenge.
Who didn't have a great week?
Shani. Ah. Yeah. Yeah.
Really, she was the one that really
had kind of substantial cracks
in the build, and it was just
that lack of finesse
with the finishing off and actually
sort of getting that whole kind
of story of hers across because
it's a wonderful story.
It's a beautiful story. Yeah. Yeah.
How do you think she got on?
Yeah, I think she just struggled
with particularly
with the decoration.
So, Steven... Yeah.
...like most people in the
pottery this week did not
like doing the challenge.
The most challenging thing with
Steven's was the fact that
one of them didn't stand up.
Yeah. Yeah. And ultimately...
Thank God for a wall.
Yeah, completely.
I mean, they were fine against
the wall. Sure. And they cut
a striking silhouette.
But ultimately, you know, they
should have been able to stand up.
It was a slight oversight
that those bases
weren't more substantial.
Yeah. No, it was a structural
design flaw, I think. Right.
Yeah, really.
Well, I don't envy you.
I know it's always really hard
deciding who's going to leave
the pottery, so best of luck,
but don't take too long.
This is the bit I hate the most.
I get the good news of saying
who's potter of the week, but also
the bad news saying who's
going to leave the pottery.
But first of all, let's have
the good news.
This week's potter of the week is...
Donna, you are potter of the week.
Well done.
Congratulations.
Amazing. Well done.
I can't distract myself any more.
The person who's leaving
the pottery this week is...
...Shani.
OK.
Are you all right?
Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. OK.
Sad.
Yeah, sad to leave the... the family
but, yeah, I learned a lot.
I've not done much for myself
at all since I had my children.
You know, I've dedicated
my life for my children,
so it was very important to
do... do something for myself.
I've done a lot to come here,
and I think I should be proud
of myself coming this far.
I'm really going to miss her.
Yeah, she's an absolutely
amazing lady.
I just want to say. Yeah?
If she hadn't come last in
the second challenge,
you'd have been potter of the week.
Really?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, cheers,
Keith. it was... it was brilliant.
It was wonderful. Yeah.
Wait till next week.
Yeah. Always, always.
Next week. No, you really
gave us a pleasure.
Oh, I'm glad you liked it.
Yeah. No, it was fantastic.
Thank you so much. Right,
I'm... I'll see you later.
OK. Cheers.
That's nice.
So as Shani leaves the pottery one
last time, Donna's Staffordshire
flat backs take pride of place
in the Throw Down gallery.
Hello, mum. Got potter of the week.
You k*lled it, Donna, k*lled it,
Donna!
Oh, I'm glad. That's amazing,
honestly.
The Belfast cranes brought me
luck this week.
Oh, we're just so proud.
Thank you. So proud. Thank you.
Oh, my goodness.
I'll speak to you later, OK?
OK. Love you. Bye. Love
you too. Bye. Bye. Bye.
I'm shaking.
Oh, that felt amazing.
Yeah, that felt absolutely amazing.
Next time...
SHE HOOTS
...the potters take on a farmyard
animal sculpting challenge..
HE MOOS
...before staring danger in the face.
Are you nervous? Terrified.
What if he ends up in bits?
He won't.
With one of the most dangerous
processes in ceramics.
Oh, that is hot.
Who will triumph?
Woohoo!
And whose hopes of staying
on will go up in flames?
Uh-oh. Uh-oh.
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07x03 - Episode 3
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In each episode, a group of amateur potters compete to complete two pottery challenges.
In each episode, a group of amateur potters compete to complete two pottery challenges.