On Monday we decided to go and watch a good friend of ours at the Sunderland Glass Center, Davey Martin is such a talented man and this craft of glass blowing is seen less and less with all of the imported glass we see in our homes today, mass produced.
We went to the center full of expectations and we weren’t disappointed.
This is Davey but you will have to forgive the photography as I forgot my camera and had to rely on Chris’s phone.
![Glass Center1 Glass Center1](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5IJEZjHpeoPB7Cnh3U96xLmstoOYYig2wPphjrd2SQI8w-lKTVPzzKFWOk1evSoVJTN3F6-naC8A8bQhdQephXpqSh06YkjCFTI0zR4yJ4SLV5KFkiBqAWoraZFjHBPVBJ5-RBzLrQ72X/?imgmax=800)
Davey used to be a retained Fire-fighter with Chris but his full time employment took him away from it. We managed to stich together a video of Davey at work showing his skills.
They do demonstrations to the public on a daily basis and there is no entry charge so it is well worth a visit.
There is loads to view there like these exhibits.
![Glass Center3 Glass Center3](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbhhUoz33Fxh6N7IIw0s9u5ndgFfM535ybRnvk2QvT9xZURoIAmJAMkFQfzJMBx9iTaMOBvk1wBPUj6fRSWbgR1JOh_aQfOCbMWcnKosKbzZrDnoX5CpB6aeU9Ilqz6aDF2y3724p2yYCf/?imgmax=800)
![Glass Center4 Glass Center4](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqkc1wi22Y8WlAvamE3UcjacTUD5UHxBMbHgiHq1WHwlo1pW9i0G3p5pfXgPnQ37HZGXfNzTJcegsSc3rrJN6O-4xVoRvSDYEC2d4rksGgl7MRFODrYliQpTdZo7_3ZrEh3kd9hmjrvi3/?imgmax=800)
![Glass Center5 Glass Center5](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRjWqRnLtUe-cBMFdiqKPsb0Mq4m6PTLaP1hwEnxs5r4p4v7Xve2d09C8D5hG8R9rQjFKaALo6eXiBJjaOnCZGyqx7WfcTVNzsyeHQfwDSWIKJJD7katt748NQe7fAub5SEuVbGwq2-FA2/?imgmax=800)
![Glass Center6 Glass Center6](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFIIHSVrjljvBc-Emc-lbGnDLAkmrxTkdocZP5dDV9oWR8Aqw8XN0YsTiVGW0mVqnL9Qkx5V9dXSjtYIsq6aOFTWYBH5s7ei4sMZOYU6U7YZEF-eh-Q1-WGRG-7QgLd1sjzAtIRET1GU5/?imgmax=800)
![Glass Center7 Glass Center7](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6eS-FW3Ofb_wblZqcK8GMgnFbWUgIWqFBtlRCCJCBvECg_-GqH8jJhozhShyphenhyphenchSIsAoozsA_7j98To6jk5-1wG1HtL7JFOv8Ma-9S84IlXpMN66Y-9Ga1GQ91yR77GuZhuLL2C5sPnLxA/?imgmax=800)
I’m lucky to have a few pieces made by Davey so thought I would show you some of them.
The bowls is what Davey was demonstrating in the video.
This is a piece he made for Chris as a gift for him retiring from the Brigade.
![Glass Center9 Glass Center9](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtvOawJAgeaAcxA3D9NidIQ8s8-G7vS3DGrJaevELH7PUqdMiiNhWmJkoEvxUotFSFK9K0ruexQusMcId8aXDp5IMzHHcftejoIXQ001h6uDT1GKAtRjYyt5KdsmeCo5D2vknz2MhEUAy/?imgmax=800)
isn’t is gorgeous?
![Glass Center8 Glass Center8](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNAnaaZxD62pyHnDAhELtamG8s4UfcFfPeBdtuKRpVsnnsx_ABMDrGV8GeH5WvnVQYNVoubmA3QZ_3NcduvZAYof0AaAyvukZU1bJVsen5ZDBQk5WZw2F7-QksPLLQrli7kBi_whwcHhc/?imgmax=800)
and this is another bowl in different colours.
![Glass Center10 Glass Center10](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJWD2yfwiOwjD63zOOt6SKFddP4n_qANqdh4pJyQhUyPsMveLlaexAMdQVisrqdoZdZPwGpgjmKfYO80usMOrviS8XBzwU-DLp2YTmebHsEZLwyH4gP5bEZCdOEZ28JLP8gVBwpfl_HJU/?imgmax=800)
Now those eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed something inside the bowl in the above picture.
Glass baubles.
![Glass Center12 Glass Center12](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_ArbBUayPa_vVo9aDT_hYUVgOSoe5qROtl1C8v2eVcX1_6R8P4Mtu7JKR6UclTVrtuLIUAw3WlXi17w47q88VmDm7vX_T-jpRkMeI1-vOTHmiqbfrJ8iL3CLQYvn73naiTYyl8LotihH/?imgmax=800)
Simply stunning and unique.
![Glass Center11 Glass Center11](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVm3tb0unr7v7TTVcw6ftYTzeKxP20T8VnUAQrCVvUigetKdZOciyi5rFESQc8h0k2ADwmpotZUj_BW93UkCjipMY2aJUrRUJ_lRQZbNETjxSAk0ngpA7lU80tp2jBJ2F3zYQfJZnU7wNE/?imgmax=800)
You can even book up and have a try at making these yourself.
Paperweight
![Glass Center13 Glass Center13](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRW2DePDlNASRM8anntfQfrr7NStpPkhNL-pw64B60FX4DHomkWksqkNoW0U9nXsjMlWwv9NPXQ_OcHmTM5Y7oXv3QmMuci77TMRfw3bIz2k5_2ijcR-PkmBVJ11_sZwNU7r_dsmwdmQhU/?imgmax=800)
Now all of this as wonderful as it is I left out one small detail.
Davey absolutely loves his job, I truly believe he would do it for nothing. Why? probably because no two pieces are alike, every piece is one of a kind.
Please support your local craftsmen, it would be such a shame not to have these talented men and woman.
![Jak Signature Jak Signature](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyO8uXheA3astiCRP7lzkrPbISxexjqM7OS0MBMNp0q80SYE8Od8aroy-G9pvhIrivK-QERa6BZh57JEMwrleukLQ2eS7QA3xq4JRVJ5PwqqgyCwErGAoIc28LK5Oert5wun8Ynom2l89A/?imgmax=800)