The plans in themselves were helpful but lacked an overall picture of what the kiln would look like.  Thankfully there were enough intact arch bricks and the entire wicket (though I've subsequently had to remake this from fresh HTI26's) to enable me to piece together with the help of the plans a structure and plan.

The bricks, plan and burners (yet to be fully tested) cost me £200.  I have had to buy an additional 80 HTI26 refractory bricks, ceramic paper, ceramic blanket and Supalux board and have also had to commission the frame from a local metalworks near Stroud.  This would make the total cost of materials, original bricks and plans bro £800.

Building the kiln was, however, frustrated by the need for it to have a home to live in.  There being no other structure to house it the first teas was to build a shed.

Thank you to all of you able to make it to my open studio.  This was my first ever open studio and the first time I've exhibited my work.  I was delighted with the comments and kind words and was also pretty pleased to have sold more than 100 pots over the two weekends!
Around 600 people visited us over the 4 days of open studios and thankfully we were blessed with sunshine and blue skies - good job as my wet weather programme was not fully rehearsed!  
I hope you enjoyed the pots, the chats, the pimms and the tea and cakes (thank you to Becky for her amazing efforts on that front).
A big thank you must go to Lizzie Walton for her amazing organisation to deliver yet another brilliant trail and to Alison Vickery and Galina Gardiner for their guidance and advice; it was just great to be asked to form and informal trail 'hub' with them.
Here are some photos from the event: 

I've recently been experimenting with a new and really rewarding way of working.  I have been making a range of ovenware that combines throwing and slab building to give me some flexibility in the base shape of the pots I make.  I've long wanted to explore the possibility of retaining the beauty of throwing lines whilst at the same time break away from the constraints of a round wheel thrown base.  These pots (see pic below) are made by rolling a slab base and decorating with plaster stamp impression moulds I made and attaching a wheel thrown cylinder that is altered when leather hard.  GREAT Fun!  I'll post the firing results soon...

It was a bit of a shock to find the kiln had still not reached temperature when I went to open it on Sunday morning.  As this was such an anomaly for a kiln that is usually so reliable I had anticipated a firing disaster.  Thankfully the results were some of the best we've had!  Not sure how I go about replicating though......

The down side is that I have to repair the elements in the kiln - any advice/assistance gratefully accepted!