Professor Flavia Swann welcomes the group to her home
We were asked not to take photographs inside the house but the postcard below shows the beautiful Arts and Crafts interior which remains intact. The original decor was probably a bit old fashioned for Clarice Cliff and were were told that in some parts of the house the timbers were painted bright red. This has all now been beautifully restored, the gardens were once stepped over seven terraces but the house and land were bought by a property developer and the garden is now much smaller but very beautifully kept.
Piano becomes garden
A notable example of one of their earliest collaborations at Clayton, Staffordshire, is dated to 1899, and was originally called the Goodfellow House after the man who commissioned it. Parker and Unwin were involved in designing many of the interior fittings, which remain in the house to this day, and the initial layout of the large gardens. Goodfellow sold the house in 1926 to Colley Shorter who ran the nearby pottery works of Wilkinson's and Newport. He renamed it Chetwynd House and when he married his star designer Clarice Cliff in 1940, she moved into the house and lived there until 1972.
You can see early black and white photographs of the house soon after completion here
"Colley and Clarice were having an affair and in 1936 Clarice moved into a flat at 20 Snow Hill, Shelton - the principal visitor to the Snow Hill flat, according to Clarice Cliff's biographer, Lynn Knight, was Colley Shorter and their affair was observed with much eyebrow-raising; although, Ms Knight writes, the relationship was "widely known within the industry by this time". Clarice married Colley Shorter in 1940 when his wife died, and she moved to the Shorter family home - Chetwynd House in Clayton."
It was wonderful to meet up with artists Kate Lynch - A Conversation with the Green Man - maker, mender and grower and Joyce Iwaszko - Stoke-on-Trent artist exhibited her work in Middleport Pottery's newly-refurbished Prince of Wales Studios between May and July 2015 - the first artist to use the studios' gallery.
For a more detailed walk please follow the link to "in the footsteps of Clarice Cliff" by local historian Fred Hughes
We also visited Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Museum and Art Gallery
Hidden in Brampton Park less than half a mile from the town centre lies Newcastle-Under-Lyme’s local history museum featuring over 800 years of Borough history.
Set in beautiful parkland the Museum and Art Gallery has something for everyone. Alongside temporary exhibitions programme there are galleries depicting the rich and diverse history of the area.
Highlights include a Victorian Street scene, which allows you to take a step back in time as you discover the wares of Mellard’s the ironmongers, the treasures of the pawnbroker’s shop, the fascinating cures of the chemist’s and the gruesome collection of doctor’s surgical instruments.
Early tea wares
Medals
There is a toys gallery with teddies, dolls and games up to 150 years old and the 1930s/40s house allows a glimpse into what life was like during the wartime years.
Hand sewn sampler and a 70's chid's sewing machine
A sea of teddys
A child's hand crank sewing machine
These two Sindy dolls are from the 1980's
Palitoy Tressy in a Tri-ang Mam'sell Sindy dress
Sindy's sister Patch was a doll from the 1960's
Phlomis - name derived from Greek word for flame, possibly because the were used as lamp wicks.
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