Events: Special Sale 2006

18 One-Off Painting - WIZARDRY

On COLCHESTER CORNER SHOP
Building retired 1998
Painted by Hazle, 1997 & Sharon Stroud, 2005

A typed note on a compliments slip says, "Spare painted for Collect It magazine but finished Jan 2005 as a Wizardry Shop. Originally painted by Hazle 1997, finished by Sharon Stroud."

The green trim and red door were the livery for the Collect It shop in 1997. Originally planned as an LP500 only 155 were completed. This bisque obviously languished somewhere in the workshop partially painted for 7-8 years!

A frog and bat are left and right of the Wizardry sign with a witch's hat in the window. I've not heard of another Wizardry on this model - but I've seen small magic shops like this in real life.

19 Last MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET

On SMETHWICK
Limited Edition No 374/2000
Part of Hazle 2000 Millennium Series
Painted by Michelle Bland in 2001

The three standard films - Casablanca, White Christmas and Some Like It Hot were partly created with decals. Films painted as short-runs, as here, are fully freehand. This title was first done for John English Gifts.

This nostalgic family film was first made in 1947 - when it got three Academy Awards - and remade in 1994. The main character, a symbol of all that is good about Christmas, behaves like a real-life Santa Claus bringing hope to a cynical world.

On the fascia, the title sits on a roof top with white snow and gold flakes under a blue sky. Santa Claus is by the left doors. SHOWING NEXT has graphics from White Christmas and Scrooge.

20 Rare - PORTSMOUTH FOOTBALL CLUB

On RUGBY with two canopies
Retired as a standard building 2003
No 173/600 (from Winners LP600)
Painted by Chris McAllister in 2001

This building is a model of The Rugby Museum from the town of Rugby where the sport was started in 1823, when William Webb-Ellis ran with the ball during a rowdy game of soccer.

The museum is housed where William Gilbert first turned his shoe-making skills to making rugby footballs. Hazle painted it as Gilbert's Rubgy Museum LP400 (based on its former name) with no canopies. The museum sold the ceramic while it was a current piece - they may still have one on display. Also done as a Sports Shop mainly with one canopy. (The Sports Shop with two canopies was an early version.)

Some stockists and fans had their local football or other sports club painted in its own colours. These specials were included in the Winners 1966 LP600 which had two canopies. A combined total of only 250/600 were painted. My records say that were four were done as Portsmouth FC, also known as Pompey. The flag on the wall and crest in the window are attractive features.

Click here for a link to the BBC site about the museum. "This isn't a sterile, catalogued museum - this is an atmosperhic horde collected out of a passion for the game and for local history." The images section gives a feel of the place with the exterior very similar to Hazle's!

21 End of Line - THE CHEQUERS FELTWELL

On LONDON RED LION
Building retired 2000
Painted by Terri Harris

This is the Victorian Pub based on The Red Lion at 2 Duke of York Street, London mentioned in my recent posting about the St James' Walk. A must-see visitor attraction, this Grade 2 listed building has brilliant-cut mirrors and mahogany interior.

Feltwell is a village in South Norfolk. RAF Feltwell is a US Airforce base and The Chequers is their local pub. About 50 'The Chequers Feltwell' were painted for US personnel in 1998.

22 One-Off Painting - THE COUNTY HOTEL

On CHESTER
Painted by Iona Driver in 2004
AP in gold on back (Artist's Proof)

This is quite a frequent hotel name in the UK. Above the door it says WELCOME with Rooms From £40 Mid Week on the raised edge plaque and Bar Lounge, Ensuite Rooms, TV in all rooms and room service above the main window.

Apart from various bank names and Jubilee Library LP100 (part of the five-piece Jubilee Parade) I only know of one other special.

23 Prototype TAVERN AT CHRISTMAS LP200

On LONDON TAVERN
Altered Mould for the LM200
Painted by Terri Harris in 2002
Prototype & Painters' Sample in Gold on Back

Part of the Christmas Collection 2002, a three-piece LP200. The gold sticker on the back has details. This altered mould has a row of Christmas lights and many tiny windows panes have been smoothed out to for words and images to be painted. On the ground floor, instead of drinkers round a beer barrel, there's a modelled Christmas tree. The pub door is now in the centre and all the panels have mullioned glass. The blue wall is also different from the London Tavern. The Prototype has the same painting as the LP200.

24 One-Off Painting - TEDDY & FRIENDS

On LONDON HAYMARKET
Building retired from standard range in 2000
Painted by Iona Driver in 2004

Primarily painted as ANTIQUES from 1990-2000, in real life the model is at 34 Haymarket in London. A listed 18th century building with original shop fittings, it is currently home to Fancy That, a Hazle stockist. Probably the only Teddy Bear Shop on this, the 18ct gold has a third firing in the kiln.

From 1720 Fribourg & Treyer traded here for 261 years selling cigars, snuff and tobacco to famous faces like the Prince Regent (later George IV) and Beau Brummell - from the St James' Walk.

25 End of Line - CLIFTON COLLECTABLES

No 38/200 - last one - LP Discontinued
On CANTERBURY BAKERY
Painted by Chris McAllister & Lisa Coulson in 2001

Clifton Collectables in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire (where golf tournaments are played) has been a Hazle stockist virtually from the beginning. An early version of the store done on the Small Shop building is even rarer. They still have one on display if you are going that way - but it is not for sale! This painting was developed when they moved to new premises.

Chris has painted items both in the first floor window and on the ground floor, including an attractive array of collectables with of course a tableau of Hazles. The owners told me the dog outside really does resemble their own boxer.

26 Prototype for RODS 'N' REELS LP15

On LONDON OLD CURIOSITY - building retired in 2005
Painted by Carol Whaley in 2004
Around 6-7 painted on this shape for a shared LP15

Occasionally an LP is painted on two buildings and this theme was shared with the Sidmouth model. Part of the first Cyber Signing in 2004.

Built in 1567 Old Curiosity is the earliest shop still in London, pre-dating the Great Fire of 1666 when much of the city was destroyed.

The shop is full of all imaginable kit, including famous brand names. Carol consulted a fishing catalogue to get everything right. The orange doors contrast with the sea blue walls. It is closed and a sign says, "Gone Fishing". Typical!

27 Prototype for VARSITY SHOP LP10

On WINDSOR THAMES STREET
Painted by Doreen Bright in 2004

Although it says Artist's Proof on the box and AP on the ceramic, as a one-off painting it is really a Prototype. Done for the first Cyber Signing, it took about six versions to get to the LP10! This is the only Varsity Shop in a green colourway and all of the graphics and most of the words on the windows and walls are unique to this piece.

Varsity, an informal term for university, particularly applies to Oxford and Cambridge and this shop is based on one in Oxford. The Varsity title in 18ct gold has a third firing in the kiln.

This pair of buildings from the 18th century are at 20 & 21 Thames Street, which runs along the wall of Windsor Castle. Created as the centre piece for the Jubilee Parade in 2002, 'Windsor Jubilee' is impressed on the back.

28 End of Line - KEYBOARD FRIENDS

On LONDON OLD CURIOSITY - building retired in 2005
Numbered Painting No 14/19
Painted by Iona Driver in 2004

Near the end of 2003 the idea of a ceramic for the group came up and members had fun making suggestions. Iona painted it as a High Street Cyber Café, established in 2003 like us!

The globe reflects the worldwide nature of Hazle Ceramics and the internet. Hazles are on the computers and inside walls. Barely visible here, on the far left a lady is at her computer in the dark with a lamp overhead. She seems to be in a different time zone - thus illustrating the Night & Day on the fascia board! The group web address is shown above her. On each piece a cat is in the middle window, with a dog on the right.

Charles Dickens knew the Holborn area, having lived at 48 Doughty Street, now the Dickens' Museum and a Hazle model. He definitely visited The Old Curiosity Shop in Portsmouth Street, part of Care Market in the 19th century. Portraying this 1567 building as a Cyber Café shows Hazle Ceramics moving with the times!

29 Last One - KEYBOARD FRIENDS

On NOTTINGHAM - Hazle 2000 series
Numbered Painting 5/5
Limited Edition 1460/2000 on Boots
Painted by Sharon Stroud in 2004

This lovely model is based on an early Boot's shop from Goosegate in Nottingham. The philanthropist John Boot was trained in herbalism by his father. He and son Jesse developed their business with the aim of making medicines available to all, rich or poor. John succeeded in having the doctors' monopoly on dispensing removed. On the Hazle Windsor Walk in 2004 we visited Boot's Passage, from the days when the local Boot's had a Lending Library in common with many other branches.

This Keyboard Friends was developed as an alternative to Iona's version above for the first group Cyber Signing. The coat over the staircase, the little girl playing with her bricks, the cat and dog in the windows and of course the Hazle Ceramics on the wall give this Cyber Café a very homely feel. The upper windows have people and computers too.