by Mary Graham

mgraham@thekmgroup.co.uk

Under usual circumstances, pottery
is a carefully-crafted work of art, taking weeks to complete.

But a team of potters aims to
change all that when they try to beat a Guinness World Record for
the number of pots made in an hour.

The current record, held by Mary
Chappelhow, from Newcastle, is 83 in one hour.

David Melville, from Rochester, and
Billy Byles, from Ashford, will try to outdo that. They will be
among a group of four who will each take to their wheels on Sunday,
June 28 during a pottery festival, in the grounds of The Friars,
Aylesford.

And if that is not daunting enough,
Mrs Chappelhow will be there, trying to beat anything Mr Melville
and the other three can do, in defence of her record.

The pots they make will be small
flower-type pots, which will be studied and measured by Guinness
officials on the day.

Mr Byles, from Aylesford Ceramics,
said: "I’m aiming to not just beat the record, but completely smash
it. I have been doing this since I was 12, so it’s not the speed
that bothers me, but I think I will find it pressured having an
audience, especially an audience made up of fellow potters.

"Still, if they can cheer us on
that will help."

It normally takes three to four
weeks to produce a finished, glazed piece of pottery.

• The pottery festival and market runs from Thursday, June 26 to Sunday, June 28, 10am to 5pm at The Friars, Aylesford. More information from 01622 790796.