It had been a source of painful frustration to the teenage David that all the available ceramics courses required more academic qualifications than he could hope to achieve. Now, at thirty-three years old, with an albeit precarious financial foothold in his beloved profession now secured, he was determined to school himself in the art and science of ceramics. In order to keep the pottery roof over his head, David put his fledgling skills to work to produce saleable products such as piggy banks, parsley pots and eventually candle holders in the shape of Calder Valley landmarks.