Whilst many people know Paddy as a weaver and Life President of the Association, she is an equally skilled potter. She is also an accomplished silversmith, all of which led to her acceptance as a member of the Somerset Guild of Craftsmen in 1994. Janet Maher (JM): Can you tell us a bit about your long involvement with the Association and your background in the crafts? Paddy Bakker (PB): My first love was pottery, which I spent a lot of time doing at school. When I went to college, I wanted to continue and, although they had the equipment, they had no tutor, so I joined the weaving class. I had woven a cushion cover at school. I got married after college and spent time in Kenya where my husband was a doctor. We finally settled in Taunton in the late 1960s, and I took up pottery again. I potted for quite a few years selling at fairs and did some commissions. My pottery studio was in a room at the back of the garage and was very cold in winter. There were also several wet summers and I had nowhere for my clay to dry before firing, so I decided to return to weaving and joined a weaving class at the local technical college, buying a 4-shaft loom for home. The class tutor was a Somerset Guild member and encouraged me to join. I bought a large 54-inch loom which I ultimately sold to the Frome weaving workshop and bought my 24-shaft dobby. I completed the Certificate of Achievement in weaving around this time.
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