On Saturday, with the Courthouse playing host to a Raku workshop and a handthrown ceramic demonstration, fingers were crossed for fine weather. Clear, sunny skies meant the umbrellas and waterproofs could stay packed away as one corner of the car park contained a raku kiln, and the other a potter’s wheel. Harrogate College tutor Fiona Mazza took the workshop participants thorough the process of producing raku pots, from choosing glazes, decorating the pots, to drying and firing them. The fairly spectacular final stage is for the pots to be placed in a metal dustbin. The sawdust and newspaper held within bursts into flame, giving the raku pots their distinctive patterns and appearance. The audience was shown how to create horse hair decoration, by the positioning of horse hair on the pots as soon as they were removed from the kiln. The hair sizzles and burns, leaving a lightning like decoration, and a very distinctive smell. Young people from the Saturday Arts Club worked alongsid