National Treasures: Schubert, Street-Porter and Stoke on Trent...
Monday saw me at The Albert Hall on a balmy evening to marvel at Daniel Barenboim and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra performing Schubert’s 5th symphony and Bruckner’s 4th. It was a glorious evening which demonstrated yet again what a fantastic institution the Proms are. There’s a lot of fuss (rightly) made about the Last Night each year but for me it is the season as a whole that means the most. A wonderful part of summer in London, the Proms had the hang of broadening access decades before it became a Government staple. By the way, Barenboim was seven when he first performed in public, and Schubert’s 5th (not his 1st, his 5th) symphony was written when the composer was just 19.
I was reminded of this on Wednesday morning when I locked horns with Janet Street Porter on Radio 4’s National Treasures debate. The HLF’s Liz Forgan and Christopher Frayling from the Arts Council were alongside me describing how they make decisions about who to fund, but for Janet it was all too ‘safe’, too ‘middle aged, white and middle class’. For my part, I think the funding system works pretty well. Decisions are taken by experts, not politicians, and access for all is hard-wired into the system, but Janet’s point nagged at me: would a modern day Schubert get the support and the platform to have completed five symphonies before they’d even left their teens?
Also last week I had the pleasure of launching another hardy annual: Heritage Open Days. The launch took place in Stoke at Burleigh Pottery.
Burleigh Pottery is one of the last working Victorian pottery factories left in England and I was lucky enough to be shown around by the factory owners. Established in 1851 the factory produces earthenware products with probably their most characteristic piece being the blue and white ‘Burleigh Ware’ still produced using traditional methods.
They also gave me the chance to try my hand at decorating a piece of Burleigh Ware using cut transfers, however. I’m not sure how well my technique went down with the craftsmen and women I met that have been doing the job for more than 10 or 20 years. Interestingly, most of the factory is run using a remarkable 1800’s steam engine and the sound of the steam pumping through the walls reminded me of Willi Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Other hidden treasures included a steam run drying rack which had been operating for over a century, and a labyrinth of shelves in the loft of the factory holding countless moulds for toby jugs, jelly moulds, plates and cups.
Burleigh Pottery is just one of the 3,589 building and places across England – an all-time record - which threw open their doors at the weekend, providing free access and events. I had a wonderful morning exploring the factory and I hope that the million or so visitors that took part across the country had just as much fun.