Pottery lessons popular

Holiday boredom should be at an all-time low among the younger set in Mangawhai as several activities, both learning and entertaining, have manifested themselves of late.

Bennetts chocolate-making has attracted the sweet-of-tooth for some time now. Mary Kelleher has introduced several children to the art of sewing and light construction work for the MAZ. But last holidays Mangawhai potter Gary Smith opened the doors to his shed in Insley St to those interested in getting down and dirty on his pottery wheel.

“I just put the idea out there on the Mangawhai Facebook page,” says Gary, not knowing what the response might be.

The result was resounding with a total of 40 children and a number of mums taking part in the hour-long lessons.

“We started with animals then moved on to pots,” Gary says, adding some were a little daunted when the wheel seemed to take control, but as practice makes perfect, each child completed a project with all pots being fired and a lot of Mangawhai kids learning something entirely new.

Unfortunately the summer holiday period is a busy time for our resident potter so classes will not be available but next year there is sure to be another opportunity.

Forty kids, and even some mums, took part in the pottery lessons.