{"content":[{"text":"Tales from the Emporium: I","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.059526,"width":0.232736,"height":0.015542999999999994}},{"text":"It was still too early for customers to be about.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.107556,"width":0.36536799999999997,"height":0.015543000000000001}},{"text":"Sal and Sara were taking the stock off","bbox":{"left":0.53618,"top":0.107556,"width":0.3022790000000001,"height":0.015543000000000001}},{"text":"the displays, one shelf at a time, and dusting.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.131496,"width":0.35964199999999996,"height":0.015543000000000001}},{"text":"It was so much part of the weekly","bbox":{"left":0.530094,"top":0.131496,"width":0.2656210000000001,"height":0.015543000000000001}},{"text":"routine of running the Emporium that it took little conscious attention.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.155587,"width":0.544934,"height":0.015543000000000001}},{"text":"So they were","bbox":{"left":0.715605,"top":0.155587,"width":0.10470899999999994,"height":0.015543000000000001}},{"text":"chatting.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.179526,"width":0.068131,"height":0.015543000000000001}},{"text":"Sara’s skills as a potter were now almost as good as her older sister, but she was still","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.227405,"width":0.677562,"height":0.015543000000000001}},{"text":"full of enthusiasm about exploring different clays, pigments and other additives.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.251344,"width":0.6278520000000001,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"Sal","bbox":{"left":0.798522,"top":0.251344,"width":0.025912000000000046,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"thought to herself that she was just as enthusiastic a few years ago when she was","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.275284,"width":0.65181,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"still setting up her studio and shop in the two adjoining grounded coaches.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.299223,"width":0.588082,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"It seemed","bbox":{"left":0.758894,"top":0.299223,"width":0.078739,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"longer than five years, but much else had happened during that time.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.323163,"width":0.547186,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"Sara had just discovered an online video about Eddie Curtis’s pots inspired by the","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.371193,"width":0.6500999999999999,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"dramatic coalmining waste on Seaham beach on the coast between the Tyne and","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.395132,"width":0.6480950000000001,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"Tees estuaries.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.419072,"width":0.12296000000000001,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"Eddie had conjured up quite chunky pots with impressive textures","bbox":{"left":0.29363,"top":0.419072,"width":0.5210679999999999,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"and colours – some carved out of blocks of clay rather than thrown or slab-built.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.443011,"width":0.6321589999999999,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"Sara was asking Sal how much difference it might make that Eddie used a decidedly","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.46695,"width":0.6709860000000001,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"old-fangled oil-fired kiln.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.49089,"width":0.18974600000000003,"height":0.015543000000000029}},{"text":"Sal said it was hard to say but as the oil-fired kiln would be","bbox":{"left":0.360338,"top":0.49089,"width":0.46500900000000006,"height":0.015543000000000029}},{"text":"a reduction kiln, just like their wood-fired arrangement, then the only real difference","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.514829,"width":0.657948,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"would be the absence of wood ash.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.538769,"width":0.281572,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"But, if necessary, pots could be fired inside","bbox":{"left":0.452165,"top":0.538769,"width":0.34125,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"saggars to keep the ash off the pots.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.562708,"width":0.290711,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"The two potters were mulling over whether there were any parallels between","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.610738,"width":0.6069960000000001,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"Seaham’s unique beach and nearby Brindlecliffe beach.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.634678,"width":0.44427500000000003,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"As the name of the town","bbox":{"left":0.614946,"top":0.634678,"width":0.19345899999999994,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"suggested, the beach was under a cliff which had strata of both red and white rocks.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.658617,"width":0.667864,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"The sea steadily weathered the cliff so the beach pebbles were a mix of both colours,","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.682556,"width":0.676944,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"combined with black flinty nodules and the inevitable seashells.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.706496,"width":0.502033,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"While Sara was well aware that seashells would degrade at firing temperatures,","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.754375,"width":0.6318699999999999,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"she’d seen plenty of pots where moulds had been taken from shells and used to","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.778314,"width":0.635014,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"shape pressed clay.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.802405,"width":0.159682,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"Sal had said adding vermiculite to the clay would give a","bbox":{"left":0.330275,"top":0.802405,"width":0.44026599999999994,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"pearlescent effect as the mica survives the heat in the kiln.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.826344,"width":0.465265,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"Sara and Sal then","bbox":{"left":0.636076,"top":0.826344,"width":0.14349299999999998,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"debated just how much white earthenware clay – which would melt and vitrify at","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.850284,"width":0.6320190000000001,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"stoneware temperatures – could be added without causing problems.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.874223,"width":0.549266,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"Sara","bbox":{"left":0.719937,"top":0.874223,"width":0.03779500000000002,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"wondered if adding black pigment would emulate sea-worn glossy grey-black flint","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.898163,"width":0.644136,"height":0.015542999999999974}},{"text":"nodules.","bbox":{"left":0.160588,"top":0.922102,"width":0.067851,"height":0.015542999999999974}}],"images_bbox":[],"images_bbox_not_text_overlap":[]}