Robert Bibby our village potter was born in Doncaster in 1945. He first became interested in pottery and art whilst at Wennington School, Yorkshire in 1956, eventually going onto further education between 1964/65 at Leeds College of Art.  Robert then studied Art at Cardiff College between 1965/68 before finishing his education with an Art Teacher Training Course at Hornsey College.

After finally finishing education and training he moved to Toronto Canada for what we would now call a ‘gap year’. He did casual work to earn money and lived in a community who told him that there was an old potter’s wheel in the basement.  So, providing himself with clay he took the wheel back to his room and started producing large pots. This in itself confirmed in his mind that his future lay in pottery, ceramics and teaching.

Returning to the UK., in 1971 Robert taught ceramics and pottery at Stanground School, Peterborough where he stayed until 1975.  It was during these years that a friend had found an old farm house in the South of France and suggested that several of them club together and buy it but this seemed to get too complicated and Robert’s father bought it outright.  So from 1975/1981 Robert moved into what was a dilapidated farm house with no electricity or water and proceeded to renovate this whilst enjoying the “good life”.  He made an income from working in the vineyards until he had time to begin his pottery and building his own makeshift kiln out of fire bricks (digging up the necessary clay) and constructing his “stick wheel” out of car parts, a tractor tyre and concrete – a design used by early potters.  Out of interest you can see Robert using his “stick wheel” on “You Tube” or see a similar one he has built in his studio.

Although Robert visited the Uinited Kingdom during this time, he eventually decided to return for good and lived in Whittlesey between 1981/1988 continuing with his pottery.  He was now selling at craft fairs, American Air Bases and other venues including Peterborough Bridge Street Market where he was appointed Chairman of the Street Market Committee.  During this time he was also a supply teacher and teaching at Peterborough Regional College.

In 1988 he moved to Kings Cliffe and looked around for suitable premises to use as a Gallery and Pottery and it was by chance that whilst exhibiting at Lilford Park that an Estate Agent gold him about Woodnewton Methodist Church. Having viewed the property he decided that it was exactly what he wanted and bought it in 1989 with help from COSIRA and a renovation grant.  He eventually opened properly in January 1991 and initially shared the building with other artisans – a wood carver, a puppet maker, a gilder, a stenciller, a furniture renovator and a leather worker but in 1997 Robert decided to expand using the whole building for his own use so that he could hold teaching classes.

Now, Robert still holds classes for everyone and once again shares the building with The Art Group, another potter and a clay worker.  When he first started making name plaques these became his main product and they are so popular that many have been sold all over the world.  He continues to sell his own pottery and ceramics and displays at exhibitions all over the country from local venues to London.

2018