Yesterday was quite the adventure. We had a delicious breakfast of butter milk biscuits and bacon rashers. We then set out with Mr. Ray to the Sunderland National Glass Centre. We  saw a glass blowing demonstration which is the picture above. Below is  a picture of the glass maker with the glass that has just come out of the furnace, this ball of molten glass is called a gather.

The maker  is using a few sheets of wet news paper. Ouch!  After shaping the glass some more, the maker then heats the glass enough to where it flares up. then he uses the iron that the glass is on and he swings it around till it makes a bowl with waves in it.

He adds some finishing touches and it cools for about two days in a special oven that brings it slowly to room temperature.   If it cools too fast the glass will crack.   The black sleeve over his leg keeps the glass from burning his leg.

The Sunderland area had at one time ten glass companies. Maybe that why there is so much sea glass to be found in the North Sea.

Keep on smiling,

Joshua