I am a retired teacher and frustrated modeller in clay, not even in Stoke-on-Trent could such evening classes be found. A love of wood led me to joining the John Tonks carving courses having seen an exhibition of work at Winterbourne in Birmingham.

When these finished I joined a sculpture course at Dudley College experiencing all kinds of materials including modelling in clay at last and being introduced to stone carving, the drawback being the weight involved.