Popular Isle of Wight pottery shop owner celebrating milestone

Andrew Bristow, 72, of St Lawrence, is celebrating 50 years at Bonchurch Pottery.

His father, Tony, was a potter, and came to the Isle of Wight in 1961.

He set up Bonchurch Pottery, where Andrew, who started pottery in 1974, is to this day.

“When I started, it was an opportunity,” said Andrew.

“I was in Australia at the time – went for the surfing and did all sorts of boring, manual, unskilled jobs – and my mother wrote to me and asked if I’d like to open the pottery again.

Andrew Bristow at work. (Image: Contributed.)

“I went out to Australia when I was 18, and she must have been a bit worried about me, and I thought: Yeah, I’ll give that a go, work for myself, doing something creative.

“I must have been 20 when I came home, and it developed from there.

“There was a lot of frustration at the beginning. It was in the blood, but I wasn’t skilled.

“I set about creating my own style, survived at the beginning, and became, really, in pottery terms, moderately successful.

“It’s a labour-intensive occupation, and if you want to become a multi-millionaire, you’d have to expand to such an extent you wouldn’t be involved in the creative process, and I would miss that side of it.

(Image: Contributed.)

“I’m enjoying it now, more than ever, because I’ve built up my skill. I can’t wait to get to work.

“I’ve had some part time help in the past, but it’s just me at the pottery now.

“I take pieces home to show my wife, and of course I never get those back. We have quite a few in the house, and the best stuff goes off the shelves straight away.”

Asked if he has a favourite piece, Andrew said: “Favourite, plural. It would be difficult to single one out, but once they’re done, I’m always thinking about the next one.

(Image: Contributed.)

“I must have made more than 10,000 pieces over the years.

“In the early days, I had to sell, so I made mugs, jugs, all that sort of stuff, so a lot of pieces.

“Now, I try to do more one-offs, as well as the other stuff.

“It’s a great life, but I was lucky, because I had somewhere to do it.

“I rented the property off my mother, then bought it. I have brothers and sisters, so I had to pay market price.

(Image: Contributed.)

“If I had the time back, I’d do pottery all over again. I think I’ve got the perfect set up, I feel like the richest man in the world.

“People come in, pick up a pot, and ask if I’d like some money for it. What more could I want?

“I’m keen to keep going, but I’m 72, so I’m in the lap of the gods now.

“I’m happy as anything, going down to my studio and creating things.

“I love to see the look on customers’ faces. I used to have one gentleman – he’s passed away now – who would come down every summer and buy seconds when I needed the money.

“There was a lot of haggling, and it became a fun event. I enjoyed seeing him.

“He came down for years and years, and he bought so much stuff, I don’t know where he put it all.

“His children come down now.”