Episode 4 The Great Pottery Throw Down


Episode 4

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Transcript


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No, this isn't the bit they used to show between old programmes.

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We're over halfway through and I'm getting there.

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This is the Great Pottery Throw Down.

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Previously in The Great Pottery Throw Down...

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OK, are we ready? Here we go.

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..the potters played with fire...

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-Oh! I meant to do that!

-You're fine, you're fine.

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..and some got their fingers burnt.

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It's broken.

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Matthew rose like a phoenix to become Top Potter...

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..while James crashed and burned...

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Oh, no! Come on, something work!

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..and made his exit from the pottery.

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Now our judges, ceramic artist Kate Malone

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and master potter Keith Brymer Jones,

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have set another three challenges,

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including their largest build by far -

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a garden sculpture.

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I need to get 20 more inches.

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Why have I burst into a sweat? It's ridiculous.

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A fearsome Spot Test.

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It's alive! It's alive!

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-And in last place...

-What happened? You were way ahead.

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..the Throw Down.

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Oh, come on.

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MUSIC: I Can't Explain by The Who

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-# Got a feeling inside

-Can't explain

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-# It's a certain kind

-Can't explain

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-# I feel hot and cold

-Can't explain

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-# Yeah, down in my soul, yeah

-Can't explain

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# Can't explain I think it's love

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# Try to say it to you When I feel blue

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# But I can't explain. #

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There's a lot of pressure mounting.

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There's a bit of competitive rivalry starting to emerge in the group.

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It feels so empty.

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I am competitive. I don't mind admitting that.

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So I'm going to give it my best shot.

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I can feel the tension in the room.

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I think we're all, sort of, feeling quite tense.

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It's good to come back being Top Potter,

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but there's only one way down from the top.

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Bring it on.

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-Well, hello, potters. ALL:

-Hello.

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Huge congratulations.

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The big grand final is within all of your grasps

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and we thought, because you've been working so hard,

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we'd celebrate by making you work even harder.

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This week's Main Make is a mammoth task

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because this Main Make is super-sized.

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With more details, here's Kate.

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We want you to build a large-scale garden sculpture.

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Now, this garden sculpture wants to be self-supporting,

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made in several sections and should measure five feet in height.

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Quite frankly, it's a feat of engineering.

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Because it's such a big deal, you've got the whole day

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to complete these sections, OK? Seven and a half hours.

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So, potters, get sculpting.

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Scary, scary, scary.

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Sure they didn't say five inch?

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Building a five-foot garden sculpture

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is a monumental task that will take five long days.

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First, the potters must hand-build their sculptures in several sections

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using slabs of clay.

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After hardening in the drying room, they will be decorated

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and fired in the kiln for 24 hours.

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Finally, the garden sculptures will be assembled

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before being presented to the judges.

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So, Keith, look at this selection of beautiful garden sculptures.

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Look at this piece here, so beautifully considered

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in the round so it works from all sides.

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Really beautifully executed.

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What we're asking the potters to do

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is to make even bigger pieces than these.

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We're asking them to really scale up and to do it in sections.

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We're asking them to hand-build with slabs, essentially, aren't we?

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Yeah, and they've really got to think about how, practically,

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they're going to fit these together.

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This particular person here has done us a collar and a sleeve

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and it's very, very accurate.

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I mean, this fits perfectly together.

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This really is a feat of engineering.

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-It's like building a house.

-In time constraints.

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It's a tall order.

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The potters will be constructing their garden sculptures

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using the slab building technique.

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This will allow them to make shapes

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that they couldn't otherwise on the wheel.

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I've never slab built on a big scale.

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No experience in slab building at all.

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You need to explain to me exactly what slab building is.

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It's rolling out slabs of clay, joining them together.

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-So it is what is says on the tin basically?

-It is.

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But it's what you do with that slab. You can bend it, you can shape it.

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It's entirely up to you.

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What's interesting is that we've seen some of them

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really be comfortable with the throwing, haven't we?

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And now some of them are a bit out of their comfort zone.

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-I'm worried we're going to break the potters with this one.

-This is tough.

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I'm going to try and do a Matt and be cool and calm about it.

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Matt's like a swan, cool but underneath he's going mad.

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-Pedalling like fury.

-Yeah.

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I'm good at slab building, to be honest with you.

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I'm a good slab builder.

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The potters are using crank,

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a sturdy and tough clay ideal for building big.

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Crank clay is stoneware clay.

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It's a clay that has sand added to it and grogs,

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which is already fired clay that has been crushed up.

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And so that gives it a strength for building on a large scale.

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I've never really used crank before.

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I'm loving this. I love you.

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Sally-Jo's design is inspired by the flower Nigella,

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known for its distinctive seed pods.

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I've drawn out five foot...

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of what would be sculpture, but it's based on seed pods,

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and I want them to stack on top of each other.

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Daunted by the size of the task, she's already rethinking her design.

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I'm a bit concerned about the balance of them, so I'm thinking

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about, perhaps at the base, doing something much more sturdy.

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I've never made anything this big before.

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No.

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SHE LAUGHS

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I'm making a dream tree. It's a three-dimensional,

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triangular sort of structure with a circle breaking the line.

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So a circular slab, which is going to really test me out.

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What you'll end up with is something like this.

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I want the combination of a sturdy figure

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but with fragility built into it.

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I don't know. I've never used this. It just seems like a good idea.

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The potters are using slab rollers,

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ideal for rolling out large amounts of clay to a consistent thickness.

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-Just slowly feed it in.

-And roll it through? Thank you. Brilliant.

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This will help the slabs to dry evenly, which can prevent cracking.

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That's better. That's what I wanted.

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I made a decision to hand-roll my slab.

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Although a hefty rolling pin can work just as well.

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Pretty heavy work. Apologise for the sweat, chaps.

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Not a good look, is it? Trying to stay cool.

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Is it because you're not fit that you're sweating so much?

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So far, with Keith's tears, now your sweat...

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Hopefully we won't get any blood, but there's a lot going into this.

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There is. There is.

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I'm just looking at Matthew, cool as a cucumber.

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That's what this is for.

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Of all the potters' designs, Sandra's has the most elements.

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There's squares and circles and geometrical shapes.

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-You've got quite a lot of slabs going on there, haven't you?

-Yeah.

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-There's quite a lot of faces to it.

-Yeah.

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She's building her sculpture using 50 slabs of clay.

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Two, four, six, eight, nine, ten.

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Ten big ones and loads and loads of small ones.

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-It's not a problem.

-Some sharp intakes of breath from the judges.

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-I think we need to get on.

-There's a lot to do.

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-You've got a lot of slabs there to make.

-Yeah, a lot of slabs.

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OK, Sandra.

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I've started cutting out the bottom of the four pods.

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Once the slabs are rolled out, they are cut to shape.

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So, I'm now working on my disc parts.

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These guys are cutting out.

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I haven't done that yet so I'm a bit scared. Look.

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I'm building a large fish, in fact. Yes.

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It's going to be coming out of the water.

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Jim's fish will be covered in scales and textured in a rather unique way.

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So is this from the footwell of your Cortina here, Jim?

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Is that what's happened?

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My Cadillac! No.

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Yeah, it's a car mat. Obviously, it's got a lovely texture to it.

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So I've created a cut-out for the scales for the fish

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and, from these pieces, these will be applied, hopefully,

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if I can get the sculpture made, to the main body of the piece.

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It's gorgeous.

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I'm fairly happy with that. These ones in the drying room.

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The potters must decide whether to put their cut-out slabs

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into the drying room to stiffen up or to work with soft clay.

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-How are yours shaping up?

-They're just there.

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What is the slab builder's nightmare?

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If you let a slab of clay dry too much and try and bend it,

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it'll snap and crumble like a biscuit.

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If you try and bend it when it's too soft, it will collapse.

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-The whole lot could come tumbling down?

-It could do, yeah.

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I think I can get away with bending these around a little bit.

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Jane is the only potter who has decided to keep her slabs

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out of the drying room.

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I didn't really want it to dry too much, so I can manipulate it.

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I'm not really a slab builder

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so much as somebody that wings it a bit,

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so just keep my fingers crossed.

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Jane plans to bend her soft slabs of clay

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into a column of honeycombs.

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It's sort of based on the life cycle of a bee

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and the different functions that the honeycomb play,

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so I'm going to cut a circular section out of here

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and, sort of, put some texture in it.

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The base section - it's hugely important to get

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these two sections joining together because they will stabilise

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and anchor the rest that's going on up here.

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-You're confident this is going to be free-standing?

-Yeah.

-Good.

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I'm just a bit anxious. It's like they know something I don't know.

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Just got to keep your head down and remind yourself

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that you vaguely know what you're doing.

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-Did you not put them in the drying room at all?

-No.

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This is the bottom of the four pods.

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Sally-Jo did put her slabs into the drying room...

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Just going to... Whoa. It's not hardened up enough.

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..but they should have stayed in for longer.

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It could easily collapse at any moment.

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I'm a bit nervous about this bit.

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Would you mind passing me something? I can't let go of this.

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There's a bandage in that... That's it.

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Thank you.

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It's too late. It's too late. It's died a death.

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After the collapse of that, I really need it to firm up a bit more.

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That's still quite soft.

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Matthew's garden sculpture is a nod to Britain's pottery industry

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of yesteryear.

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That's one of my drawings.

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-I thought...

-Wow.

-Industrial, mechanical,

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kind of like chimney pots, like, nice tubular chimney pots,

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ceramic pipes, looking at the old industry of ceramics.

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I love the clay. I like how it rips.

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So I'm going to go for, like, sort of, half cut and then ripped.

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So you get the contrast between, like, a clean edge and then a rip.

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I just love the way Kate's face lit up then.

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You're showing the quality of the clay, aren't you?

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What stage are you at?

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Well, I'm just making the top one. The lower ones had to go back

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to the naughty step because they didn't behave.

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I tried to put it together too soon and it collapsed.

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-It's that timing, isn't it?

-Yeah. It was too soon.

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So I'm just putting the lid

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on my base section.

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It's a little bit flimsy.

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I'm just making some little clay props to put on the inside

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so that it doesn't cave in.

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Jane - she's putting things together too softly.

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On the other hand, you couldn't hit it and have those marks unless

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it was soft, so it's illustrating the beautiful nature of the clay.

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Well, it'll look really effective when the thing collapses!

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-I don't think it's going to collapse.

-I'm not so sure.

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She's going to go if I carry on.

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-Is it holding up?

-It's slumping a bit.

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Do you want some sort of support? Push that in there.

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That's a good idea.

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Calm down, Jane.

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It's up!

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When building this big, the challenges keep on coming.

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Mustn't rush this bit.

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Tom is assembling the centrepiece of his dream tree.

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This is the bit I'm worried about.

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It's a delicate operation.

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When you're slab building,

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you have to be very careful how you handle the pieces.

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If they're not handled well, they'll warp and misshape

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and then it can often crack in the drying

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and certainly in the firing of the piece.

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I don't know if that's going to survive.

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Don't let Kate hear me say that.

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He's burst out into a sweat again.

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Why have I burst out into a sweat? It's ridiculous.

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-Look at the state of Tom.

-Attractive bloke.

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He's dripping.

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-Are you feeling all right?

-Yeah, I just don't what I'm doing.

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Like I've got time, I'm sitting here talking to you.

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Lovely shapes, lovely shapes.

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-Sandra, seriously, what are you doing?

-I don't know.

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She's wandering.

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It'll get to, like, seven hours when I'm, like, "I haven't finished."

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Ladies and gentlemen, you are halfway through your time

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to complete the sections for your garden sculpture.

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-Halfway through.

-Halfway through the time?

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-Yeah, halfway through.

-I've done nothing apart from roll out slabs

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so it's a bit scary, that.

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The one I'm really worried about is Sandra.

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She's got a lot of slabs going on there.

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I can't do this.

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There's a fine line between ambitious and foolish.

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That's one.

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One slab down, 49 to go.

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Sally-Jo's collapsed seed pod is back out of the drying room.

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It's stiffened up but I just can't afford for that to collapse.

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Part potter, part...

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sort of reconstruction surgeon.

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God, my heart is in my mouth as I'm doing it.

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It's fine. It's just a little miracle.

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The potters have been at it for over six hours...

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I'm running out of time.

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Kind of...hope for the best. I can't do anything more about it.

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Just don't vote me off, that's all.

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..and their garden sculptures are taking shape.

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I put a little in edge here.

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It gives me a base to sit the next section on.

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They've had to design them so that their sections interlock perfectly.

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I have to add the neck so it can slot into the one below.

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Hope it will stack up.

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But because clay shrinks as it dries...

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..it's essential their measurements are exact.

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When you're making a piece of work,

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you need to think about the shrinkage.

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Size it up.

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Usually, for something made in crank, about 10%.

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That's something that you should really consider quite carefully

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in the designing of the work.

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And then you have to think of that

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in terms of the pieces fitting together.

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It's going to be interesting to see what happens

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because there's some thin areas and there's thicker areas

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and it's all going to contract and shrink at different rates.

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If any of these distort,

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well, it's not going to fit.

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Talking of connecting things together,

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one of the best concepts for me - Matthew's.

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-He can just put things on top of each other.

-Like a wedding cake.

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It's going up like a skyscraper.

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You'll be able to interchange the sections.

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Show-off.

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I'm going to have to start putting details on.

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Keep going for the moment until we get a scary sound check.

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30 minutes, guys. You got 30 minutes,

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then these sections need to be in the drying room, please.

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Naughty, naughty.

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I've got loads to do.

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If it looks like I'm panicking, it's because I am.

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I think it may be intermittent,

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rather than trying to do the whole lot.

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I just haven't got the time.

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It's a very organic process. That's what they say.

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-You've got ten minutes.

-Ooh!

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That's great, that's great. I think I'm going to cry.

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-You're still quite hot, aren't you?

-You noticed?

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You should have brought a mankini.

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-I couldn't have worked under those conditions.

-All right. Easy.

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-The clock is ticking...

-Oh, my God.

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..and Sandra's sculpture is still short of the mark.

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I need to get 20 more inches. How am I going to do that?

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Start thinking about getting these sections in the drying room, please.

0:17:500:17:54

-OK.

-Well done, Matthew.

0:17:540:17:56

If I just think quickly...

0:17:560:17:58

30 seconds, guys.

0:17:580:17:59

'With time running out...'

0:17:590:18:01

Real big... I know what I'll do.

0:18:010:18:04

'..has Sandra reached new heights?'

0:18:040:18:06

-Time is up.

-I've finished.

0:18:090:18:11

Give yourselves a round of applause, please.

0:18:120:18:15

An exhausted round of applause.

0:18:150:18:17

Your sections are going to be dry for the next three days

0:18:170:18:20

and then we'll see you back here. Thank you very much. Well done.

0:18:200:18:23

Off they stumble, exhausted.

0:18:230:18:25

Well done. My God.

0:18:250:18:26

The potters have wrestled 300 kilograms of clay

0:18:270:18:31

into six garden sculptures.

0:18:310:18:33

That was a bit of a killer, I have to say.

0:18:340:18:36

I feel thoroughly spent.

0:18:360:18:39

Calm has transcended after the madness of the afternoon.

0:18:400:18:43

That was full on. Absolutely full on.

0:18:430:18:45

And now the nervous wait begins, as any errors made during the build

0:18:450:18:50

could spell disaster.

0:18:500:18:52

I've now got three nights of no sleep as the material dries.

0:18:530:18:58

The potters return to Middleport.

0:19:080:19:10

And the judges have a challenging Spot Test waiting for them.

0:19:130:19:18

If you'd like to remove your cloths, Keith will give you more details.

0:19:180:19:22

Oh, that's nice and soft.

0:19:220:19:24

We want you to transform those into these -

0:19:240:19:27

strawberry pots for growing strawberry plants.

0:19:270:19:31

Oh, lovely.

0:19:310:19:32

You're going to throw appendages to stick on to your main pot

0:19:320:19:36

that you've got there.

0:19:360:19:37

Is there a stipulation to how many appendages that we have to have?

0:19:370:19:41

-You can have a thousand if you want, Jane.

-That's what I was aiming for.

0:19:410:19:45

What you have to do is join them well

0:19:450:19:47

and what you must not do is replicate what's here on the desk.

0:19:470:19:51

You can adjust it in any way you want. Originality is the key.

0:19:510:19:54

OK, judges, if you'd like to leave the premises, please.

0:19:540:19:57

You have two hours

0:19:570:20:00

so, potters, get transforming.

0:20:000:20:03

I'm going to try and create a, sort of, little dragon.

0:20:070:20:11

I was thinking about turning them either into ladybirds

0:20:110:20:14

or perhaps strawberries themselves, so maybe strawberry leaves.

0:20:140:20:18

This is a lovely Spot Test because it shows us

0:20:190:20:22

that a thrown piece isn't the finish of a design.

0:20:220:20:24

It can be the starting point.

0:20:240:20:26

The potters must visualise how their thrown pieces

0:20:290:20:32

will sit on the side of their pots.

0:20:320:20:35

I've made some cone shape which I'm going to turn up,

0:20:360:20:38

so the bottom of the cone I can do some decoration to.

0:20:380:20:41

Yeah, I'm thinking, like, tea-pot spouts, big spouts.

0:20:410:20:45

They've really got to think on their feet

0:20:450:20:47

and design something within minutes.

0:20:470:20:49

We really want to see them push the boundaries.

0:20:490:20:52

I was thinking 1950s UFOs.

0:20:520:20:55

So I'm doing squares and then I'll think about it afterwards

0:20:570:21:01

what I'm going to do, cos I don't know what I'm doing, to be honest.

0:21:010:21:04

I can't get this off the wheel.

0:21:040:21:06

Oh, shoot.

0:21:100:21:11

I actually trained making flower pots.

0:21:120:21:15

I imagine you've got a nice outdoor area.

0:21:150:21:17

THEY LAUGH

0:21:170:21:19

Hiya, James. Oh, no, a crucial bit of surgery going on there.

0:21:220:21:26

I think I'll just cut that cup in half.

0:21:260:21:29

Of course, you've got to cut them in half to put them on there.

0:21:290:21:32

As well as technical ability,

0:21:340:21:37

the judges will be expecting to see real creativity from the potters.

0:21:370:21:41

The pot itself is so nice, it just feels so wrong to be cutting it up.

0:21:410:21:44

It's going on.

0:21:480:21:50

I want to make sure they're well joined

0:21:520:21:54

because that's something that Kate mentioned.

0:21:540:21:57

It's difficult to get a neat join because it's very soft.

0:22:000:22:03

But I shall try my best.

0:22:030:22:05

I'm a bit heavy-handed

0:22:050:22:07

so it's not as smooth a join as I'd like it to be.

0:22:070:22:10

For me, the joining doesn't have to be seamless.

0:22:100:22:13

A join can be shown.

0:22:130:22:15

Put them on very naturally and use your application marks

0:22:150:22:18

as part of the design. That's how I'm going about it.

0:22:180:22:21

But I don't want to see any halfway houses

0:22:210:22:23

of something being half hidden and half shown.

0:22:230:22:26

I want to see a clear decision made and carried out.

0:22:260:22:29

They'll either like it or really dislike it.

0:22:290:22:31

You have one hour left, guys.

0:22:320:22:34

One hour left. You're halfway through your time.

0:22:340:22:37

I've left myself plenty of thickness at the base

0:22:370:22:39

so now I'm trying to...

0:22:390:22:41

play the rim.

0:22:410:22:43

It's like the Wombles, isn't it, actually?

0:22:510:22:53

Wombles of Wimbledon Common.

0:22:540:22:56

I'm adding my quirky touch to it as ever.

0:22:560:23:00

I quite like the idea of these sort of chameleon-like creatures...

0:23:000:23:03

..peering out from the pot.

0:23:050:23:07

-Sally, that looks great.

-Oh, I'm not sure.

0:23:070:23:10

It's like a kangaroo pouch. You can get quite a lot in there.

0:23:100:23:13

I was hoping they would look like strawberries but they don't, really.

0:23:130:23:17

Potters, you've got ten minutes left. This is your ten-minute call.

0:23:170:23:22

I've probably got time for one more.

0:23:220:23:24

I'm actually going to try and get one more piece on after this.

0:23:240:23:27

It might matter that I've only got three.

0:23:270:23:29

You've got beautiful shapes and haven't put them on.

0:23:290:23:31

I just don't care any more.

0:23:310:23:33

Time to develop the eyes, maybe.

0:23:330:23:35

-It's got teeth.

-It's alive, it's alive!

0:23:400:23:43

I'm just trying to get as many things on as possible.

0:23:430:23:46

I know what they want now. This is so not it.

0:23:460:23:49

You've got four minutes left, guys. Four minutes left.

0:23:490:23:52

Maybe they'll appreciate a bit of technical skill.

0:23:520:23:55

I look over there at the master potter and just think, "God, no."

0:23:550:23:58

OK, potters, ten,

0:24:010:24:03

nine, eight,

0:24:030:24:05

seven, six, five,

0:24:050:24:09

four, three,

0:24:090:24:11

two, one.

0:24:110:24:14

Potters, time is up.

0:24:140:24:15

They are looking great, Jim. I would buy that and have that in my garden.

0:24:150:24:19

Let's see what the judges like.

0:24:190:24:21

"I wonder whose this is."

0:24:220:24:25

In two hours, the potters have transformed these chimney pots

0:24:250:24:28

into strawberry pots

0:24:280:24:30

and they will now have their work judged.

0:24:300:24:34

Come in, please, judges. Voila.

0:24:350:24:37

Incredible, guys. So original, every single one of them.

0:24:370:24:41

Kate and Keith have no idea whose pot is whose.

0:24:420:24:46

This one here, obviously,

0:24:460:24:47

they've taken the obvious message of it being a strawberry pot.

0:24:470:24:51

-I take it these are supposed to be strawberries.

-I think so!

0:24:510:24:54

It's really sweet. It's giving a message of what it is.

0:24:540:24:57

Could have been a bit tidier but a really nice idea.

0:24:570:25:00

Yeah, lovely, lovely.

0:25:000:25:01

So, number two. I'm loving this detail up here.

0:25:010:25:04

You know, this idea that this is like some kind of animal

0:25:040:25:07

from the garden that's peeping over the top.

0:25:070:25:10

The honesty with which the cups have been attached - somebody might say

0:25:100:25:13

that's messy, but it's very clear and consistent design.

0:25:130:25:15

There's a sense of the old-fashioned finger marks

0:25:150:25:18

that a pot-maker would use to join handles.

0:25:180:25:20

-Great in its originality.

-So, on to the next one.

0:25:200:25:23

It's almost lost the sense that it was a chimney

0:25:230:25:26

and become another shape. It does that the best out of all of them.

0:25:260:25:30

Aesthetically, it's a really well constructed pot.

0:25:300:25:33

This lovely apple-pie edge.

0:25:330:25:35

I think it's been really tidily attached, whoever did it.

0:25:350:25:38

-Number four. It's like a drainpipe, isn't it?

-It is.

0:25:380:25:41

Really nicely thrown rims.

0:25:410:25:43

I would actually have that one in my garden

0:25:430:25:46

if only it had more holes in it.

0:25:460:25:48

You've got to have as many holes in it as possible

0:25:480:25:51

to get as many strawberries growing out of it.

0:25:510:25:53

This one, lovely clean marks. Those dots at the end.

0:25:530:25:56

But the design is a bit on the conservative side.

0:25:560:25:59

Yeah, I'd agree with you there, actually, Keith.

0:25:590:26:01

-Could have been more original.

-OK, last one.

0:26:010:26:04

It's just not very well conceived spatially, I think.

0:26:040:26:07

-I just keep on thinking of two ears sticking out.

-I don't mind that.

0:26:070:26:11

I think it's quite animated but it's just not well executed.

0:26:110:26:14

The Spot Test is ranked.

0:26:150:26:17

Very hard to decide but sixth place is this one here.

0:26:190:26:23

Sandra.

0:26:230:26:25

The whole thing was too thin.

0:26:250:26:27

The frilly edge is there in some places but not in others.

0:26:270:26:30

And the clarity of the message was missing.

0:26:300:26:33

Jane is fifth and Matthew is fourth.

0:26:330:26:36

Third place, then, judges.

0:26:360:26:38

-This one.

-It's mine.

0:26:380:26:40

Sally-Jo. We loved the leaf detail on it. Lovely.

0:26:400:26:43

That leaves us with two strawberry pots vying for the top spot.

0:26:430:26:48

I'm dying to know, is it Jim or is it Tom? Who has got top spot, please?

0:26:480:26:52

It's this one.

0:26:520:26:54

Ah, well done, Jim.

0:26:540:26:56

Simply because it had this great clarity of design.

0:26:590:27:02

Tongues and the whole animation of it is just reflected.

0:27:020:27:05

-It's very strong.

-You know, one could argue that it's quite messy

0:27:050:27:10

but it's very, very obvious and you've made that message very clear.

0:27:100:27:13

You've completely transformed the pot.

0:27:130:27:16

I'm really pleased.

0:27:190:27:21

I didn't know how those strange faces would be taken, actually.

0:27:210:27:25

A bit of a chuckle here and there does everybody some good.

0:27:250:27:29

Yeah, really frustrating. Jim's far too good a potter

0:27:290:27:33

so we're going to have to find some way to hobble him.

0:27:330:27:36

I asked if I could buy his pot off him, damn him.

0:27:360:27:39

I'll buy his pot first, then I'll drown him second. Yeah.

0:27:390:27:43

Jim and Tom on the top spots. Hard to knock them off.

0:27:430:27:45

Just so annoying that I'm just one place below Tom again.

0:27:450:27:50

-Who do you think is in the strongest position?

-Jim.

0:27:500:27:53

He has that life to his work that's animated.

0:27:530:27:56

Really adds the sense of life to what he's doing.

0:27:560:27:58

-With Matthew, he's so comfortable with the clay.

-He's won me over.

0:27:580:28:02

-So, we've got Sandra, we've got Jane...

-I know.

0:28:020:28:06

..in the bottom and I just don't want that.

0:28:060:28:08

Sandra - she just seemed to struggle with time.

0:28:080:28:10

This week, I've been concerned about Jane. She's off the boil.

0:28:100:28:14

Her Spot Test - beautifully made but just a bit boring.

0:28:140:28:18

The long wait is now over for the potters.

0:28:220:28:25

The sections of your garden sculptures have been drying

0:28:260:28:29

beautifully over the past three days, so go and get them.

0:28:290:28:32

How they've fared will have a huge impact

0:28:320:28:35

on who will leave and who will remain in the pottery.

0:28:350:28:38

Wow! It looks great, Jim.

0:28:400:28:43

There's a big crack.

0:28:440:28:46

It's cracked down here

0:28:460:28:48

and I think it's because I'm using these blinking wet slabs.

0:28:480:28:51

It'll be all right. I'll just hide it with decoration.

0:28:510:28:55

It's disappointing. A big old crack there.

0:28:550:28:57

I turned it over a couple of times as it was drying and I probably

0:28:570:29:00

just applied some stresses to it. This is pretty bad news.

0:29:000:29:03

I wanted to achieve an element of fragility, which I think I've done!

0:29:030:29:07

It's not just Tom's crack that's causing some concern.

0:29:070:29:11

So this is to make it up to the five foot?

0:29:110:29:14

Yeah, cos when it was short I thought,

0:29:140:29:16

"I'll put a bit on the top."

0:29:160:29:17

-I'm channelling Dipsy of Teletubbies.

-Teletubbies, yeah.

0:29:170:29:21

It's really quite short.

0:29:210:29:23

The potters have now reached the final stage of their Main Make.

0:29:270:29:30

They have 90 minutes to decorate their sculptures.

0:29:300:29:34

They'll be raw glazing -

0:29:350:29:37

applying glazes and slips onto clay

0:29:370:29:39

that has yet to be fired.

0:29:390:29:40

So we've got the potters decorating on raw clay.

0:29:400:29:44

We're doing this for the first time.

0:29:440:29:46

Is the raw clay really porous in this state?

0:29:460:29:48

Yeah. Raw clay as opposed to fired clay will soak

0:29:480:29:51

and absorb anything you put on it.

0:29:510:29:54

If you put too much water on it,

0:29:540:29:56

it will just turn back to wet clay again,

0:29:560:29:58

which obviously would not be good. Cos then it would just collapse.

0:29:580:30:02

What would be a nightmare scenario, then? What can go wrong?

0:30:020:30:05

If you have too much water in whatever you're putting on,

0:30:050:30:08

you can destroy the surface,

0:30:080:30:10

because it's raw clay that can go back to mush again.

0:30:100:30:13

Obviously the structure could weaken quite considerably,

0:30:130:30:16

so they have to watch that.

0:30:160:30:17

Yeah, we don't want to take any sparrows out

0:30:170:30:19

with these garden sculptures collapsed down!

0:30:190:30:21

Red...

0:30:210:30:24

yellow and green.

0:30:240:30:26

I'm not a Rasta woman, but in the Rasta religion,

0:30:260:30:28

red is for the blood that has been spilt.

0:30:280:30:30

Green is for the colour of the land, and yellow is for the sunshine.

0:30:300:30:35

I am a bit worried about Sandra's.

0:30:350:30:38

-There's a lot of water going into the raw clay.

-Yeah.

0:30:380:30:40

It's like a muddy puddle. It could crack.

0:30:400:30:42

The potters have been given oxides, a powerful metal-based colorant,

0:30:430:30:47

to decorate their pieces.

0:30:470:30:49

What's this in here?

0:30:500:30:52

So what I've got is a copper oxide and cobalt mixture.

0:30:520:30:55

It's going on quite thick.

0:30:550:30:57

To get the finish they're after,

0:30:570:30:58

they must correctly judge the concentration level of their oxides.

0:30:580:31:03

Oxide can be a beast.

0:31:030:31:04

It just depends if you get your mix dead on, isn't it?

0:31:040:31:07

It does, really, yeah.

0:31:070:31:08

Knowing the thickness of the oxide application is really important,

0:31:100:31:15

because they are very temperamental to use.

0:31:150:31:17

You can over-apply it,

0:31:170:31:19

where you're expecting a green to come out of the kiln, or a blue.

0:31:190:31:23

It turns back into being a metallic.

0:31:230:31:25

You can think you've applied enough, and then in the firing,

0:31:250:31:28

it will completely disappear.

0:31:280:31:30

It's a balancing act, and Sally-Jo is erring on the side of caution.

0:31:300:31:35

I'm putting this oxide on quite thin,

0:31:350:31:37

so hopefully this will go green rather than going black.

0:31:370:31:41

Hopefully.

0:31:410:31:42

It should be all right. So...

0:31:420:31:46

I've got to decide whether or not I'm going to put a glaze

0:31:460:31:49

on these scales to pick out the scales.

0:31:490:31:51

It kind of makes sense, cos scales are kind of bright and iridescent

0:31:510:31:54

and shiny. But at the same time, it could be too much of a contrast

0:31:540:31:58

between that and the oxide, and it could just look terrible.

0:31:580:32:01

It's just that decision. Do I put that on or not?

0:32:010:32:04

-Glaze or no glaze?

-Glaze it!

0:32:040:32:05

-No iridescent colours...

-Do it, it'll be amazing!

0:32:050:32:08

Yeah, let's go for it.

0:32:080:32:10

-You decided for me!

-THEY LAUGH

0:32:100:32:12

Thanks. I can blame you!

0:32:120:32:15

Yeah, you can blame me when it's all gone wrong!

0:32:150:32:17

This is either going to work or it really won't work.

0:32:170:32:19

I don't think there's any middle ground with this, actually.

0:32:190:32:22

Jane is applying her glaze with something she made earlier.

0:32:230:32:27

Kitchen cloth on top of pizza board, attached to a peanut butter jar.

0:32:290:32:34

-That's my family in a nutshell.

-That's my breakfast!

0:32:340:32:36

-Are you going to use anything to rub in to the texture...

-Well...

0:32:360:32:40

..or are you leaving it naked?

0:32:400:32:41

I've got some of the black obsidian glaze,

0:32:410:32:45

which I thought I might just put into some of the centre,

0:32:450:32:48

just so that there's a little bit of contrast.

0:32:480:32:50

I want it to be quite, sort of...

0:32:500:32:52

natural, really, and I don't want too much sort of...

0:32:520:32:56

squabbling between surface decoration.

0:32:560:32:58

Matthew has a more liberal approach.

0:32:590:33:02

He's glazing all over.

0:33:020:33:04

I just need to get lots of slips, oxides, glazes,

0:33:040:33:07

just sort of keep layering it up.

0:33:070:33:09

It does have to be exact to a certain extent,

0:33:110:33:13

however, it can be freely exact.

0:33:130:33:16

It's pretty fun.

0:33:160:33:17

Let's hope Matthew's actually got a bit more skill

0:33:170:33:20

than just slapping it on and hoping for the best.

0:33:200:33:23

Because it's that fine line between it looking really effective,

0:33:230:33:26

or someone saying, "Oh, he didn't know what to do

0:33:260:33:29

"so he's just slapped a load of underglazes on it."

0:33:290:33:31

Jane there,

0:33:310:33:32

-I think she's being a bit too subtle with her decoration.

-Yes.

0:33:320:33:36

I think she could be a bit bolder with it, really.

0:33:360:33:38

Oh!

0:33:380:33:39

Oop!

0:33:420:33:43

Construction-wise, does this fit with that?

0:33:430:33:45

If it doesn't, I'll bring a big angle grinder!

0:33:450:33:48

As I go up, each pod is going to get slightly lighter and brighter.

0:33:490:33:52

So I'm going to start with a really dark green on this one,

0:33:520:33:55

and ending up with white with small green detail on it.

0:33:550:33:58

OK, guys, you've got three minutes left.

0:33:580:34:01

-Three?!

-Three?!

0:34:010:34:02

Three minutes?!

0:34:020:34:03

It's not good. It's not good.

0:34:030:34:05

Oh, my gosh.

0:34:050:34:06

Yeah, I might seem quite relaxed, but inside I'm going, "Argh!"

0:34:080:34:11

The most stressful thing is still to come, though,

0:34:130:34:15

is when we put it all together.

0:34:150:34:17

I'm still not sure it's all going to stand up in one.

0:34:170:34:20

OK, potters.

0:34:220:34:23

In five, four, three, two, one...

0:34:230:34:30

Your time is up. Step back from your sculptures, please.

0:34:300:34:33

OK, guys, because your sculptures are such whoppers,

0:34:330:34:35

we are firing them in the huge outdoor gas kiln today,

0:34:350:34:39

so make your way downstairs. Thank you.

0:34:390:34:41

Gas-fired kilns are the most popular type of kiln used today.

0:34:440:34:48

They're a far cry from the old bottle ovens

0:34:490:34:52

that burned up to 15 tonnes of coal per firing,

0:34:520:34:55

filling the air with black smoke.

0:34:550:34:57

The 1956 Clean Air Act signalled the end of the era of bottle kilns,

0:34:590:35:04

as the industry turned to cleaner and more efficient fuels,

0:35:040:35:07

like electricity and gas, to fire their ceramics.

0:35:070:35:11

And kiln man Rich is loading ours up.

0:35:130:35:16

Welcome to the gas kiln.

0:35:170:35:19

You're standing very proud by that nice, lovely kiln. Look at that!

0:35:190:35:23

Because the sculptures have been raw glazed,

0:35:250:35:28

they're full of moisture, and very fragile.

0:35:280:35:31

You're going to have to take

0:35:310:35:32

the early stage of the firing really slow,

0:35:320:35:35

otherwise it could just blow the sculpture to pieces.

0:35:350:35:39

Rich will be firing them for 24 hours

0:35:390:35:42

up to a temperature of 1,200 degrees C.

0:35:420:35:45

This has to be done gradually,

0:35:450:35:46

or the steam gushing out of them could cause the sculptures to erupt.

0:35:460:35:51

Anything can happen.

0:35:520:35:53

If there's not a pile of rubble in the morning, then, you know,

0:35:530:35:56

it's a bonus.

0:35:560:35:58

-We all may end up with more pieces than we thought.

-Yeah!

0:35:580:36:00

The sculptures are in the kiln right now.

0:36:000:36:03

I just hope that they're not warping, cracking,

0:36:030:36:06

glaze sticking to the shelves - all sorts of things could happen.

0:36:060:36:09

Um...

0:36:090:36:10

There's not much I can do about it now, so you just have to wait.

0:36:110:36:15

Judgment day.

0:36:200:36:21

Later, the potters will find out who will have to leave Middleport.

0:36:210:36:25

But first, there's one last chance to impress the judges.

0:36:260:36:30

Kate and Keith are asking them

0:36:320:36:34

to throw an object that's been testing potters for centuries.

0:36:340:36:38

And they won't stand for anything less than perfection.

0:36:380:36:42

POTTERY SMASHES

0:36:420:36:44

Hello, potters!

0:36:470:36:48

Gather round.

0:36:480:36:50

Now, your garden sculptures - they're in the kiln.

0:36:520:36:54

Rich is looking after them,

0:36:540:36:56

so we thought in the meantime we could keep you occupied.

0:36:560:37:00

You'll see Keith has got his overalls on,

0:37:000:37:02

I'm armed with a tape measure, Kate is looking stern...

0:37:020:37:05

CONTESTANTS LAUGH

0:37:050:37:07

It can only mean it's time for a Throw Down.

0:37:070:37:09

This is where you go up against each other,

0:37:090:37:11

up against the clock, and up against this man.

0:37:110:37:14

So what's in store today, Keith?

0:37:140:37:15

Well, we've seen you make bowls.

0:37:150:37:18

We've seen you make long-necked vases.

0:37:180:37:20

Now it's time to make a plate.

0:37:200:37:23

Now, a plate, for me, is one of the hardest things to make.

0:37:230:37:27

It shows up every single imperfection.

0:37:270:37:29

We want you to throw the widest plate that you can,

0:37:290:37:33

in the same style and specification that Keith's about to show you.

0:37:330:37:37

So, here we go.

0:37:370:37:38

You know, when you're throwing,

0:37:400:37:41

obviously the centring is really, really important.

0:37:410:37:45

Even the king of throwing here has a slight hand wobble

0:37:450:37:47

on this. This is a really centring-important task.

0:37:470:37:52

Obviously with a plate, you want it nice and smooth,

0:37:520:37:56

and a nice flat base.

0:37:560:37:57

Now, this is when I really start finishing off the plate.

0:37:590:38:03

I'm sponging out all the slurry,

0:38:030:38:04

making it really, really nice and dry.

0:38:040:38:07

So I'm using the rubber kidney now to really give me

0:38:100:38:13

that flat surface across the face of the plate.

0:38:130:38:17

It's essential to gently move the kidney from the centre out.

0:38:190:38:23

This will flatten the sides, so you end up with a plate and not a dish.

0:38:230:38:28

And the all-important wiring.

0:38:280:38:30

-That's the hardest part, actually.

-It is, yeah, you're right.

0:38:300:38:33

-You've got to keep the wire tight.

-You have.

-Keep it stretched to its optimum.

0:38:330:38:36

There's a nice, clean plate.

0:38:360:38:38

A nice, clean rim all the way round the side of it.

0:38:380:38:41

As well as width, we're going to be judging flatness of surface,

0:38:410:38:45

thickness of base,

0:38:450:38:46

and we want a stout and healthy rim.

0:38:460:38:49

We don't want to see any sagging or flopping rims.

0:38:490:38:53

And we have, like, half an hour to do that?

0:38:530:38:55

You have ten minutes.

0:38:550:38:57

So then, time to throw down, potters.

0:38:570:38:59

Get to your work stations. Best of luck to you.

0:38:590:39:01

You have ten minutes.

0:39:030:39:04

Time starts now.

0:39:040:39:05

-Frenetic start, that, wasn't it?

-Yeah.

0:39:110:39:13

Come on, Sandra, get that centred.

0:39:130:39:15

Wow, Sandra, it's a monster!

0:39:150:39:17

What's going on back there?

0:39:170:39:18

Look, Jim's very comfortable.

0:39:190:39:21

Nice, he's getting it out wide already here.

0:39:210:39:25

I think, Sally-Jo, you're looking more and more comfortable

0:39:250:39:27

at that wheel.

0:39:270:39:29

She's actually using anything that she can that's solid.

0:39:290:39:32

So you use the wheel tray to support yourself while you're making it.

0:39:320:39:36

Jane's got a rim up.

0:39:360:39:38

Nice exterior ridge on your rim there, Jane.

0:39:380:39:42

I'm not sure Sandra's is centred there.

0:39:420:39:44

Well, no, but she's doing remarkably well.

0:39:440:39:46

Halfway through your time, guys, you've got five minutes left.

0:39:480:39:51

Ooh, Sandra, what's happened?

0:39:530:39:54

Sandra...

0:39:540:39:55

Oh, she's... Sandra, you've taken a chunk out of your side.

0:39:550:39:59

I'll cut it off, it'll be right.

0:39:590:40:01

There you go, gone.

0:40:010:40:03

How's Jane doing over there?

0:40:030:40:05

The rim's far too thick.

0:40:050:40:06

-A lot of clay up there.

-Yeah, a lot of clay up in the rims.

0:40:060:40:09

Matthew's doing all right.

0:40:090:40:10

Looking good, Matthew.

0:40:100:40:12

Sally-Jo introduced a wobble into her rim there.

0:40:130:40:16

I know, I just took my hands off too quickly.

0:40:160:40:18

One minute left, guys. One minute left.

0:40:180:40:20

Go on, Jane, wire that through well.

0:40:210:40:24

Some of them are looking good.

0:40:240:40:26

SARA AND JUDGES: Ten, nine, eight, seven, six,

0:40:260:40:31

five, four,

0:40:310:40:33

three, two, one.

0:40:330:40:37

-No!

-Jim!

0:40:370:40:39

He caught it with his knuckle at the end. What happened?

0:40:390:40:41

You were way ahead!

0:40:410:40:42

KEITH LAUGHS

0:40:420:40:44

Well, I was trying to get the shape just right.

0:40:440:40:46

The wiring-off of the plate is just as important as the plate!

0:40:460:40:49

Right, let's come and have a look, then. Jim, you're up first.

0:40:490:40:53

Jim's rim has a nick in it.

0:40:530:40:55

36 centimetres.

0:40:550:40:58

And is his bottom heavy?

0:40:580:41:00

It's a bit too thin in the base.

0:41:000:41:02

It's more of a dish than a plate. It's a bit too deep for a plate.

0:41:020:41:06

-Yeah, fair enough.

-To me, there isn't a corner

0:41:060:41:09

and a change of angle that's sharp.

0:41:090:41:10

It's a bit like that, instead of like that.

0:41:100:41:13

-Yeah, I know what you mean, yeah.

-OK?

0:41:130:41:14

-Right, then, thank you very much, Jim.

-Great job.

0:41:140:41:17

Here we go, Tom.

0:41:170:41:18

Ooh! 35 centimetres there.

0:41:180:41:20

-That's not bad.

-Nice tidy rim.

0:41:200:41:22

What Tom's got there, he's got enough meat in the bottom there.

0:41:220:41:26

That looks really good. It's a nice flat face,

0:41:260:41:28

but the angle here of the outside rim is a bit too steep.

0:41:280:41:33

Is this a dish or is it a plate?

0:41:330:41:35

It's a...

0:41:350:41:37

-plate.

-Thank you.

0:41:370:41:38

Hey, Matthew. Hello, hello.

0:41:380:41:41

Ooh! 36½!

0:41:410:41:43

OK. It's pretty good, actually.

0:41:430:41:45

The face of the plate is really nice, and it's definitely a plate.

0:41:450:41:49

-Ooh!

-Yeah. Definitely a plate.

-Good.

0:41:490:41:52

-Excellent stuff, well done.

-Well done, Matthew.

-Thank you.

0:41:520:41:55

34 there.

0:41:550:41:56

-I like the face of the plate there, Sandra.

-Lovely.

0:41:560:41:59

Really nice and flat.

0:41:590:42:00

-It's the most platey plate we've seen, I think.

-I think it is, yeah.

0:42:000:42:04

The rim could have been finished off better.

0:42:040:42:06

There's a lot going on on the rim there, isn't there?

0:42:060:42:09

-Hello, Jane.

-Hi.

0:42:090:42:11

Who's going to mention it? Cos this is the elephant in the room,

0:42:110:42:14

or rather the dish in the room.

0:42:140:42:16

It's very dishy.

0:42:160:42:17

33 centimetres.

0:42:170:42:19

-And the rim...

-It's more like a cat bowl!

0:42:190:42:21

SHE SIGHS

0:42:210:42:22

I was thinking risotto, but, yeah, cat bowl.

0:42:220:42:25

This is far too deep.

0:42:250:42:26

What would you call it? It's a mixture between a plate and a dish.

0:42:260:42:29

Um...it's a piece of pish!

0:42:290:42:32

THEY LAUGH

0:42:320:42:33

-Hi, Sally.

-Hi.

0:42:330:42:34

32 centimetres there.

0:42:340:42:36

What I'm liking about the plate is the depth of it.

0:42:360:42:38

Now, let's have a look here.

0:42:380:42:40

It's sort of nice, but it does dip a bit in the middle, doesn't it?

0:42:400:42:43

It's definitely a plate.

0:42:430:42:45

-Yeah, no, it's good.

-Thank you very much, Sally.

-Cheers.

0:42:450:42:48

Right, then.

0:42:480:42:49

The judges must now decide who's served up the best plate.

0:42:490:42:54

Sixth place, then, goes to...

0:42:540:42:57

-Jane.

-Yay!

0:42:570:42:58

Which was a brilliant dish!

0:42:580:43:00

-It was a brilliant dish.

-Pish.

-Yeah!

0:43:000:43:02

Fifth place is...

0:43:020:43:05

Jim.

0:43:050:43:06

-Yeah, it was a bit of a dish.

-Yeah.

0:43:060:43:08

You were a bit careless at the end.

0:43:080:43:11

In fourth place is Sally-Jo.

0:43:110:43:13

Sandra is third.

0:43:130:43:15

Second place, then?

0:43:150:43:17

Well, second place was...

0:43:170:43:19

Tom.

0:43:190:43:21

Well done, Tom.

0:43:210:43:22

I think the main thing, really, that brought you down to second,

0:43:240:43:28

was the angle of your rim.

0:43:280:43:29

Huge congratulations to Matthew, our winner of today's Throw Down.

0:43:290:43:33

It was a good, flat plate, and it was a really lovely rim.

0:43:360:43:40

Really good all-round effort, Matthew. Well done.

0:43:400:43:43

Now, potters, the moment you've all been waiting for,

0:43:430:43:45

because your garden monuments are out of the kiln.

0:43:450:43:49

Rich is stacking them up as we speak,

0:43:490:43:51

so let's go outside and get them ready for judging.

0:43:510:43:53

Off you go.

0:43:530:43:55

Three out of four's good.

0:43:560:43:58

Um... It's good, three Throw Downs first. It's... It's all right.

0:43:580:44:01

Disappointing to come second again.

0:44:010:44:03

I didn't come last.

0:44:030:44:04

-That's the main thing.

-SHE CHUCKLES

0:44:050:44:07

I can't make plates.

0:44:070:44:10

It wasn't good enough, obviously, you know?

0:44:100:44:13

I was so disappointed when he knocked the rim. What a shame(!)

0:44:130:44:16

HE LAUGHS

0:44:160:44:17

Now I know I can make cat dishes, so there's always...

0:44:170:44:20

I've always got a market there.

0:44:200:44:22

The sculptures have been fired for 24 hours.

0:44:250:44:28

I just hope we're all right.

0:44:280:44:30

The potters' prospects now rest

0:44:300:44:31

on the quality of what comes out of the kiln

0:44:310:44:34

Ooh...

0:44:340:44:35

It will be interesting to see

0:44:350:44:37

if their constructions have held up to the temperatures of the kiln.

0:44:370:44:40

Tragic. Oh, dear.

0:44:400:44:42

We're all now a bit worried about how they're actually going to stand up.

0:44:420:44:45

I'm feeling fairly unconfident about going into judging.

0:44:450:44:49

I think this challenge has possibly stretched me the most.

0:44:490:44:52

Some of them are going to be pleased with their decoration,

0:44:520:44:55

and some of them I think are going to be disappointed.

0:44:550:44:58

Even I, after 30 years...

0:44:580:44:59

I close the kiln and I kind of do a little prayer,

0:44:590:45:02

-cos it's down to the fire and the kiln time.

-Exactly.

0:45:020:45:05

On the one hand, you can't wait to see the piece you've made

0:45:050:45:08

and on the other hand, you don't want to be let down.

0:45:080:45:10

Well, this is the kind of moment of truth.

0:45:170:45:19

Here goes.

0:45:190:45:20

Let's see if...

0:45:210:45:24

it's some sort of reasonable fit there.

0:45:240:45:26

And...

0:45:260:45:29

-doesn't quite fit...

-HE LAUGHS

0:45:290:45:31

-..which is a shame.

-Hey, Jim.

0:45:310:45:33

SHE GASPS

0:45:330:45:34

Wow! That looks amazing!

0:45:340:45:36

Does it fit?

0:45:360:45:38

-It doesn't, unfortunately.

-Oh, sorry!

0:45:380:45:40

What about yours?

0:45:400:45:41

Oh, I don't know yet.

0:45:410:45:43

I just really hope it stands up.

0:45:430:45:45

Beautiful.

0:45:480:45:49

Lost all the green, though.

0:45:490:45:51

It's meant to be green!

0:45:510:45:52

Looks promising.

0:45:550:45:56

Pretend that's stable.

0:45:560:45:58

Oh...

0:45:580:45:59

Oh, it's going to fall over.

0:45:590:46:02

There you go.

0:46:020:46:03

SHE CHUCKLES

0:46:030:46:05

Whoa!

0:46:050:46:06

-That's fine.

-Don't touch it!

0:46:060:46:07

-SHE CHUCKLES

-It's fine!

0:46:070:46:10

Ooh! That bit looks good!

0:46:100:46:12

It LOOKS good. I'll show you what the real deal is here.

0:46:120:46:15

-What's happened?

-Oh...

0:46:150:46:16

-Ooh, ouch.

-Oh...

0:46:160:46:17

-It's off...

-Oh, no!

0:46:170:46:19

-Three pieces.

-The base has come off.

0:46:190:46:21

Oh, I see, there as well.

0:46:220:46:24

Three pieces.

0:46:240:46:25

Oh, that's such a shame.

0:46:260:46:28

-Is it the front or the back?

-It's the back now!

0:46:280:46:30

-THEY LAUGH

-Look at this bit as well, actually.

0:46:300:46:32

I wonder if she's seen that.

0:46:320:46:34

There's another one, look.

0:46:340:46:36

Both of them inside are just completely loose.

0:46:360:46:40

Rightio. So I'll glue this together.

0:46:400:46:42

Push that together...

0:46:420:46:43

-Not yet, don't, not yet!

-Yeah.

0:46:430:46:46

No, Jim, please don't. Just...

0:46:460:46:47

Jim, please, don't. No, leave it, leave it, leave it, leave it.

0:46:470:46:50

-JIM LAUGHS

-No, please, just leave it.

-OK, OK.

0:46:500:46:53

Wow, guys. Look at these beauties!

0:46:530:46:56

Sandra, what's happened?

0:46:560:46:58

-It's totally fell off, the thing. I can't believe it.

-Oh, no!

0:46:580:47:00

Please don't fall apart!

0:47:000:47:02

-Look at that.

-Woo-hoo!

-Perfect!

0:47:060:47:08

It's a bit of a mess, though.

0:47:080:47:09

Wow, look at them, guys!

0:47:110:47:13

-SHE GASPS

-Amazing!

0:47:140:47:16

It's really nice.

0:47:160:47:17

-Ooh!

-Nice. Yeah!

0:47:170:47:19

-We were saying it looks...

-It doesn't fit.

0:47:190:47:21

-It doesn't fit, no, you're right.

-Oh, mate!

-Oh, no!

-What a shame!

0:47:210:47:24

I was shot down in flames!

0:47:240:47:26

Trust Tom just to rub it in!

0:47:260:47:27

I've got a little bit of an issue, I think, with this one.

0:47:270:47:32

You're not alone, my dear.

0:47:320:47:34

And that gives me an extra bit of height!

0:47:340:47:36

Do you know what? That is what I designed and planned for.

0:47:370:47:41

Mine's the shortest.

0:47:410:47:43

-But hey...

-But the cutest.

0:47:430:47:45

-Oh, that's lovely!

-Beautiful.

0:47:450:47:47

-I think it's the other way round.

-Yours is really tall!

0:47:470:47:49

So how happy are you?

0:47:490:47:50

-I'm very happy, thank you.

-Very happy? That's cool.

0:47:500:47:53

Thank you for asking.

0:47:530:47:54

'The sculptures have been assembled...'

0:47:560:47:58

Welcome to the Stoke-on-Trent Sculpture Park.

0:47:580:48:01

Wow!

0:48:010:48:02

'..and now it's time for them to be judged.'

0:48:020:48:05

Wow, potters.

0:48:110:48:13

-Hi, Jim.

-Hi, guys.

0:48:130:48:14

Well, Jim, your design concept

0:48:240:48:25

was this fish leaping out of the water,

0:48:250:48:28

which I think you've achieved.

0:48:280:48:30

You don't have any cracks on the main sections of your piece.

0:48:300:48:34

Obviously, it's not quite fitting.

0:48:340:48:36

You were in two minds about using

0:48:360:48:38

-your white glaze, weren't you?

-Not at all, actually.

-No. I...

0:48:380:48:41

I think it really works, Jim, before you say anything else.

0:48:410:48:44

I think it really, really works. I'm really pleased with that.

0:48:440:48:47

I really like this as a design feature.

0:48:470:48:49

It's gone an amazing pearly, glittery kind of white.

0:48:490:48:52

I would have liked to have seen more of them all over the fish.

0:48:520:48:55

And I think one of the really successful things of this design,

0:48:550:48:58

you were asked to make something in sections and, in fact,

0:48:580:49:01

that section is invisible because you've repeated that angle

0:49:010:49:05

up through the head.

0:49:050:49:06

You do seem to have this knack of doing something very simple,

0:49:060:49:09

looks so quick and easy,

0:49:090:49:10

and as we both know, that's not. That's a talent.

0:49:100:49:14

-Did I notice that you actually put something on this?

-I did.

0:49:200:49:23

Yeah, what was that, then?

0:49:230:49:24

Well, I sponged copper oxide in the centre of each panel,

0:49:240:49:27

cos I wanted the green to come up,

0:49:270:49:28

-but I've obviously put it on too thinly, and it's burnt off.

-Right.

0:49:280:49:32

It hasn't come through.

0:49:320:49:33

But the use of oxide on the base is really nice.

0:49:330:49:36

I think it works really well with the texture that you've gone with.

0:49:360:49:39

In fact, this, for me, is a separate sculpture to this.

0:49:390:49:43

I think the use of shiny and matt works

0:49:430:49:45

and I think the seed shapes just about work.

0:49:450:49:48

You did have a struggle, you know, your big pod fell to pieces

0:49:480:49:50

and you got it back together. You know, all power to you.

0:49:500:49:53

-You did well.

-Yeah.

0:49:530:49:55

Obviously, we can't get away from the fact that we've got

0:50:010:50:03

some cracks here, and obviously we have a crack round the back.

0:50:030:50:06

It is a construction issue,

0:50:060:50:08

but I think the proportions of each section are really nice.

0:50:080:50:12

I'm really liking this kind of texture.

0:50:120:50:15

I think this has worked really well with this particular oxide mix

0:50:150:50:18

that you've got here.

0:50:180:50:19

That blue you put in around the edge,

0:50:190:50:21

-I'd have loved that to have been that bit more accurate.

-Absolutely right.

0:50:210:50:24

I understand this is the first time you've done slab building?

0:50:240:50:27

-I've never done anything like this before!

-Pretty impressive.

0:50:270:50:30

-Thank you.

-Well done.

-Thank you.

0:50:300:50:31

-Hi, Sandra.

-Hello.

0:50:430:50:45

-Can we speak to you over the sculpture, Sandra?

-I'm sure you can.

0:50:450:50:48

Mmm. It's very much helped by the antennae.

0:50:480:50:50

SANDRA LAUGHS

0:50:500:50:51

You know, otherwise we'd be missing a little more,

0:50:510:50:54

but you've had a problem, haven't you, with the back?

0:50:540:50:56

-It blew off in the kiln.

-Yeah.

0:50:560:50:57

-And so you've stuck this on, have you?

-This bit.

-Glued it back on.

0:50:570:51:00

I would have made the bases taller to start off with.

0:51:000:51:04

Yes, I actually missed out... One of these is not there.

0:51:040:51:08

-You lost it in the kiln or you didn't make it?

-I didn't make it.

0:51:080:51:10

-There was no time.

-There was!

0:51:100:51:13

You had as much time as everyone else.

0:51:130:51:14

But they're cleverer than me.

0:51:140:51:16

So you've exceeded the height request.

0:51:250:51:28

I might have gained a little bit of height just with this section here.

0:51:280:51:31

-OK.

-Have you gained height here as well?

-No, that was intentional.

0:51:310:51:34

-Was it really?

-I don't think that plug has worked.

0:51:340:51:37

I maybe would have wanted to see a bit more surface design on there.

0:51:370:51:41

-Yeah, I don't necessarily think the black insides work.

-No.

0:51:410:51:45

You know, to me, it just doesn't visually work.

0:51:450:51:47

It looks as though it's something half done.

0:51:470:51:49

I really love the idea, but to me I just don't feel it holds together.

0:51:490:51:53

It's fantastic.

0:52:030:52:05

This very simple but very effective way that you half cut through,

0:52:050:52:10

and then tore the crank body apart to show us this rough edge.

0:52:100:52:15

And you've been really clever with the design,

0:52:150:52:17

because if something had broken, we wouldn't have noticed!

0:52:170:52:21

-Exactly, yeah.

-It almost looks alive.

0:52:210:52:23

It could be something from the past,

0:52:230:52:24

but it could also be something quite science fiction.

0:52:240:52:27

It's got your mark.

0:52:270:52:28

There's a sort of punk anarchy in it, which you know, your hair...

0:52:280:52:31

It's all you. I'm really impressed.

0:52:310:52:33

The thing with you, Matthew, you have a great affinity...

0:52:330:52:36

You have a great affinity

0:52:430:52:45

-to use the glazes and the oxides to their optimum.

-Thank you.

0:52:450:52:49

It's fantastic.

0:52:490:52:51

Kate and Keith have got to decide who is Top Potter,

0:52:570:53:00

and who is going to be leaving the pottery.

0:53:000:53:03

While they come to that decision, you guys can have a breather

0:53:030:53:05

and we'll see you back here in a little while.

0:53:050:53:07

I think the outcome of this is I'm out of here.

0:53:110:53:15

And...you know, I've exceeded my expectations.

0:53:150:53:18

I just wanted to last after the first week, and I did.

0:53:180:53:20

It's like waiting for the inevitable, really.

0:53:200:53:23

Jane looks like she's struggling and she's demoralised

0:53:230:53:27

and thinking, "This is the worst, it's all going to happen."

0:53:270:53:30

Maybe it'll be somebody else - who knows?

0:53:300:53:33

The issues weren't particularly my skills in making.

0:53:330:53:36

It was just the timekeeping.

0:53:360:53:37

I don't know what's going to happen. I'll have to wait and see.

0:53:370:53:40

My fate is in their hands.

0:53:400:53:42

Judges, here we are again, with big decisions to be made.

0:53:420:53:45

Let's start off with the happy business, please. Top Potter.

0:53:450:53:48

Well, Top Potters, we think, are between Matthew and Jim.

0:53:480:53:54

I think the two of them stand as sculptural pieces with Jim's.

0:53:540:53:57

It's a really cheery piece, whereas Matthew's is rather a serious,

0:53:570:54:02

crazy piece.

0:54:020:54:03

Jim's Spot Test this week was brilliant.

0:54:030:54:06

Now, he really did transform that main pot into a strawberry pot.

0:54:060:54:09

There was this sure methodology.

0:54:090:54:12

Such an exciting thing to look at.

0:54:120:54:14

And Matthew won the Throw Down. His plate was really competent.

0:54:140:54:18

It was well finished and really well executed.

0:54:180:54:22

But what about who's leaving this week - are you as certain about that?

0:54:220:54:26

Well, we have decided two that haven't really stepped up

0:54:260:54:30

to the mark with design and construction,

0:54:300:54:32

and they are Sandra and Jane.

0:54:320:54:35

And the little antenna on the top...

0:54:350:54:37

It's a sort of design insult to try and get the height up.

0:54:370:54:40

Sandra's construction is very good - there's just not enough of it.

0:54:400:54:45

She did even admit to us that she'd left a whole section out.

0:54:450:54:49

Let's talk about Jane and where she went wrong.

0:54:490:54:52

Well, where do you start? I'm just so disappointed with it.

0:54:520:54:56

The simplicity of the design... It's far too conservative.

0:54:560:54:59

This looks as though it's going to snap and fall at us

0:54:590:55:02

so it makes me feel insecure.

0:55:020:55:03

I wouldn't want it in my garden. Then it's cracked,

0:55:030:55:06

and she's scratched it and the glaze doesn't work.

0:55:060:55:09

In the Throw Down, Jane came sixth,

0:55:090:55:10

and then with Sandra, Sandra was sixth in the Spot Test?

0:55:100:55:14

-She was, yeah.

-She was. I'm totally, totally in a dilemma about this.

0:55:140:55:19

I just don't know what to do.

0:55:190:55:21

Gather round, potters, gather round.

0:55:250:55:28

As you know, potters, each week the judges decide who is Top Potter.

0:55:320:55:37

Keith and I have agreed that the person

0:55:370:55:40

who we've chosen to be Top Potter has done well in the Spot Test

0:55:400:55:44

and the Throw Down,

0:55:440:55:46

had a clear design message that really strengthened

0:55:460:55:49

through the process, showed us clay in a really energetic and great way.

0:55:490:55:54

The Top Potter for this week is...

0:55:540:55:57

..Matthew.

0:55:590:56:00

-THEY APPLAUD

-Well done, Matthew.

0:56:000:56:03

Well done, Matthew. Second week in a row!

0:56:050:56:08

-Yes.

-Gosh.

0:56:080:56:10

And now to the more difficult task - who is leaving the pottery?

0:56:100:56:14

You've really struggled, haven't you?

0:56:140:56:16

It's been so, so hard, and I have to be honest with you,

0:56:160:56:20

it's been a decision between two of you.

0:56:200:56:23

Now, the person who's going through has gone through

0:56:230:56:27

by the skin of their teeth, and I mean that.

0:56:270:56:30

And the person leaving the pottery is...

0:56:300:56:33

..Sandra.

0:56:390:56:41

Oh, Sandra!

0:56:420:56:45

Oh, no!

0:56:450:56:46

Sweetheart, we're going to miss you so much.

0:56:460:56:49

They really struggled.

0:56:490:56:51

We literally did think of a double elimination.

0:56:510:56:54

That's how close it was,

0:56:540:56:56

and that's how close Jane came to actually going.

0:56:560:56:59

'We just felt that at least Jane finished her concept.

0:56:590:57:05

'She finished it, yeah.'

0:57:050:57:07

I hadn't fulfilled the brief, so it makes sense

0:57:080:57:11

that I got eliminated at this stage.

0:57:110:57:14

Well done, Jim, great work.

0:57:140:57:17

THEY TALK OVER EACH OTHER

0:57:170:57:21

'She admitted herself she was missing a piece.'

0:57:210:57:23

'Frustrating because she's a great character, great touch,'

0:57:230:57:27

really very frustrating.

0:57:270:57:29

I don't want you to go!

0:57:290:57:32

Sandra's just been voted out, which I'm really devastated about.

0:57:320:57:37

She's a really good friend.

0:57:370:57:38

It's really hard...

0:57:400:57:42

Really struggled.

0:57:420:57:43

Can we have a group hug, please?

0:57:430:57:45

THEY ALL TALK OVER EACH OTHER

0:57:450:57:48

'I'm quite surprised at being Top Potter again.

0:57:510:57:53

'Keith was quite emotional and it was nice to see people'

0:57:530:57:57

be like that about the subject that they're truly passionate about,

0:57:570:58:00

and, yeah, I think him saying that I've got an affinity with clay

0:58:000:58:04

and glaze, it's something I'd be happy to have on my gravestone.

0:58:040:58:08

Next week is the semifinal. Really can't believe I'm there.

0:58:090:58:12

I just have to give it my best shot.

0:58:120:58:14

You're up against it now, I think, you know,

0:58:140:58:16

can't let the guard down now.

0:58:160:58:18

I don't know what I'm doing with it, at all.

0:58:200:58:22

The potters...

0:58:220:58:23

SHE GROANS

0:58:230:58:24

..face their most delicate build so far...

0:58:240:58:27

Did I make you jump?

0:58:280:58:30

..a bone china chandelier.

0:58:300:58:32

GASPING, CRASHING

0:58:320:58:33

Plus a mesmerising Spot Test...

0:58:330:58:36

-I were going under then. Was going to be at your command.

-Yeah.

0:58:360:58:40

And a Throw Down that refuses to play ball.

0:58:400:58:44

Don't tickle it. You're the boss.

0:58:440:58:46

But who will be heading to the final?

0:58:460:58:49

That's fighting talk.

0:58:490:58:50

And who will be heading home?

0:58:500:58:52

He's absolutely done nothing.

0:58:520:58:54

It doesn't tell me anything.

0:58:540:58:57

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