North West Regional Group Meeting

A meeting of the North West Region Medieval Pottery Research Group will be held on Saturday 24th March in Liverpool.
Apologies for the short notice but Rob Philpott, Sam Rowe and I thought you would like the opportunity to see the recently discovered assemblage of pottery from Rainford, St Helens reported on by Sam Rowe in the last MPRG newsletter: http://www.medievalpottery.org.uk/nlcurr.pdf

This important material suggests a source for some of the Cistercian-type wares found in the North West and provides evidence for an early post-medieval production centre in the region. Sam has been working hard to get the assemblage washed, sorted and catalogued before her placement at Liverpool Museum ends in a few weeks.

The day will start at 10.30 and will be an informal occasion with the morning spent looking at the evidence for 16th and 17th century pottery production in Rainford, St Helens. In the afternoon we will discuss the significance of the recent discoveries at Rainford for pottery use and distribution in the area, in particular Cistercian-type wares. Participants are welcome to bring along groups of Cistercian-type wares and early blackwares and yellow wares from excavations in their area. There will be an opportunity at the end of the afternoon to visit the new Liverpool Museum and see the pottery in their displays.
We will finish by 16.00.

Rob has kindly organised a room for us in the Maritime Museum basement, Albert Dock; for directions and details of public transport please see the Liverpool Museums website:
http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime/visit/directions.aspx
Parking is not easy - dropping off pottery can be done at the Maritime Museum from 10.00, parking might be possible outside the Dock Traffic Office but there are only about 4 spaces and it will be first come first served. Failing that, there is parking at Kings Dock - 10 minute walk but £5 for 5 hours. There is also a small carpark outside the Dock Traffic office - this is just being renovated so the charges are not visible at present.

If you would like to attend please email Julie Edwards vicepres@medievalpottery.org.uk

International Conference: Pottery in Graves

An international conference will take place in Caen on 30th-31st May 2012 entitled
"Des pots dans la tombe, IXe-XVIIIe siècle. Regards croisés sur une pratique funéraire en Europe de l'Ouest". For further details visit the CRAHAM website http://www.unicaen.fr/crahm/spip.php?article631&lang=fr