Alfred Clough talks about The Last Bottle Oven Firing in The Potteries 1978

In August 1978 a group of increasingly elderly men (who still possessed the stamina and the skills required) together with a massive team of volunteers and staff from Gladstone Pottery Museum, fired the The Last Bottle Oven in The Potteries.
More about The Last Bottle Oven Firing in The Potteries here lbof1978.blogspot.co.uk/
This was the last firing, ever, of a traditional coal fired oven, in the traditional and time-honoured way. It took place at Hudson and Middleton Works, in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent.
The mastermind behind the project was David Sekers, Museum Director at the time. The Fireman responsible for the event was Alfred Clough, a local master potter and retired pottery manufacturer.
In October 1978, Alfred Clough presented a talk about the event to the British Ceramic Society. An audio record was made of the talk. This has lain dormant for almost 40 years. But now it has been edited, and together with still images of the Last Bottle Oven Firing, a 20 minute movie has been created.
More about The Last Bottle Oven Firing in The Potteries here lbof1978.blogspot.co.uk/