And so it begins...

And so it begins...
Almost invariably I don’t sleep will before any travel, and so a trip away is always preceded with a very early morning cuppa!

What better way to start a journey than with a cup of tea, consumed from a NZ Railways mug. I call it a mug because the sturdy proportions of these classic travel accessories are so robust that they can hardly be regarded as a ‘tea cup’, despite the fact that they sit in a saucer. Manufactured by the now defunct Ceramco of New Lynn in Auckland NZ, these inelegant but highly successful pieces of industrial design served travellers for many years, largely no doubt because of their substantial wall thicknesses. Originals can be found, but more recent reproductions are available from Studio Ceramics in West Auckland.
This is all by way of an introduction to the themes underlying this blog- travel and ceramics, followed closely by design. Over the next few months I’ll try and update you with interesting examples of things seen, some that fall neatly into the preceding categories, others that are loosely related or have earned inclusion just because they’re interesting!
- Nick C