Topic: Leaving Caithness

[ALLAN]

Hi all,
       Just a post to say that I was told yesterday that I was one of the workers that would be made redundant before the move to Crieff,oh well! another chapter in my life beckons .Please,no sadness for me required;I am actually pleased that I am going,onward and upward :hiclp:

[Leni]

I know you want no sorrow, Allan, but I am actually very angry for you!    IMNSHO it is a conceit beyond belief that your artistry, talent and skills are being so cavalierly dispensed with! 

I wish you all the very best in your next venture.  Please do let us know what / where that will be! 

BTW, I still want another Allan Scott paperweight for my collection!  Do contact me as soon as that is going to be possible 

All the very best to you and your family  :hug:

[Simone]

I know you want no sorrow, Allan, but I am actually very angry for you!    IMNSHO it is a conceit beyond belief that your artistry, talent and skills are being so cavalierly dispensed with!

Ditto Leni... I'm absolutely furious, but will bite my tongue for a little while...

Dartington have treated the Caithness workers appallingly and have shown NO respect whatsoever. At least when Edinburgh Crystal left, they hadn't dispensed of any of the 41 workers, and the infrstructure up was intact.

It's obvious where the set-up is going if they've gone from 41 workers to 7, of which none are lampworkers...

What's next for Dartington? It's downhill all the way from here...

RIP Caithness Paperweights... it had some great moments in paperweight history.

[Frank]

Who will be left Allan?

Presumably Dartington are going with giftware not art, which fits. I guess they will outsource mostly and use Crieff as a showcase for tourists.

Perhaps it is time to cross the seas Allan I am sure plenty will be very keen to hire you... or go for your own studio? Whatever you decide to do I wish you all luck for the future!

[RAY]

what a bummer Allan, well you will have to get Harry and yourself and maybe poach some other workers from Caithness and open your own studio and let ebay sell them for you just like the other Scottish makers

[chrisc]

I spoke to someone at the weekend who knows Helen MacDonald and they told me she is definitely leaving Caithness (may have already just left) along with Allan.  She has done the 2008 collection of paperweights which are due out as usual next month.  But given that Helen, Allan and Gordon Hendry have all gone then I can’t think there can be any designers left among the few Caithness staff transferring to Crieff.  So it sounds to me as if the 2008 collection may be last of the Caithness limited edition weights.

[SueZinKC]

Hi!  I am brand new to this forum!  I would be most interested to know where Helen MacDonald has set up her studio and if she is selling her work.  We are huge fans - so much so that we have the entire Biblical weight group along with many other of her amazing weights.  I am so saddened to hear that Caithness was driven out and the wonderful artists were not treated kindly or fairly.  We feel we have lost friends!  Thank you so much for your time. 

[josordoni]

Hi Sue! Glad you could get here!

(I invited Sue to come and chat here - you have never seen the collection she has of Helen's work - it is out of this world!)

[alexander]

Welcome
 
Helen has just joined this forum so you'll be able to ask her yourself 

http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,19342.0.html