Dad remembered with unique teapot urn

8:21am Sunday 6th July 2008

A Pembrokeshire businessman who wanted one more cup of tea with his dad created a very personal reminder of his father when he had his ashes made into a unique teapot urn.

John Lowndes' father, Ian, died ten years ago, aged 75.

Like many people Mr Lowndes was unsure of what to do with his father's ashes. He kept them in a box at his Broad Haven home until he heard about local pottery company Here in Spirit.

The company incorporates the cremated ashes of loved ones into clay to create individual urns.

Treasuring the times he enjoyed a cup of tea with his father, Mr Lowndes asked potter Neil Richardson to make a teapot using his dad's remains.

But, since the story was picked up by the national press, Mr Lowndes says the personal item has become very public.

"It's not a religious thing, I just wanted one more cup of tea with my dad, but it's now becoming the story of the day, which it wasn't meant to be," said Mr Lowndes, who is director of the Blue Jeans Trading Company, which has branches in Haverfordwest and Saundersfoot.

Peter Coates, a partner at Here in Spirit, based in St Clears, said: "This piece was commissioned specially. It was something that we haven't come across before and Neil, who makes the pieces, discussed it at length with John.

"It is a fully functional teapot. John is waiting for his two sons to come home to have a ceremonial cup of tea with them."

The company has patented the technique of mixing a small amount of ash into the glaze of urns, and prides itself on the pieces it creates and is open to suggestions.

But Mr Coates admits there are some requests which cannot be fulfilled.

"We did have a call from a woman who wanted some gnomes, but unfortunately our techniques couldn't stretch that far," he added.