‘The Pottery Experience’ Review

My very own floral print!

There are many fun, interesting and exciting activities in Newcastle to do that don’t involve alcohol. One that I particularly enjoyed was pottery painting. In all honesty, I’m not a very artistic or creative person; I quite enjoy watching documentaries, reading or simply going for a walk, so I had very low expectations. I went to the Pottery Experience in Jesmond with my housemates. It was about a thirty minute walk from our house in Sandyford, however, it would’ve been ideal for those in the Jesmond area.

As we entered, we were met with shelves upon shelves of pottery waiting to be painted. This ranged from small plates to big vases, all obviously varying in price. I opted for a small plate which costs £12. In all honesty, it was more expensive than I anticipated, however, it still did not break the bank.

The actual atmosphere within the shop was so calming and welcoming. It was covered in fun artwork and finished pottery. You immediately felt inspired. After choosing our pottery to paint we were then taken to a seating area upstairs. Here, we had access to a huge variety of paints and a time limit of two hours. This was more than enough time and allowed us to truly relax and paint away. I opted for a floral design while my housemate, Meg, drew chickens in a field. It allowed my creative friends to thrive, while my awful attempts at drawing poppies and daisies were a point of humour for the rest of the group – I did try!

Once the two hours were up, the staff at the Pottery Experience took our items for them to be finished. The only downside of this activity was that you cannot take your pottery home straightaway, instead it takes a few weeks for the ceramics to be glazed.

Overall, I would give this experience a strong eight out of ten. Although not being the most creative person, I still found enjoyment in this activity and definitely had fun with my housemates, all of whom thoroughly enjoyed the day. I think to make this a ten of ten experience, it would be slightly cheaper just to accommodate more students, but other than that, I would definitely recommend it!