Gill Pemberton, Denby, Interview
An interview with Gill Pemberton and her early years at Denby Pottery. A fascinating glimpse into how the Chevron design developed and life in a pottery works in the 1960s. The interview was originally published on my first website in 2010 (Retro Pottery Net)
Yes, THE Gill Pemberton! she who designed the renowned and admired Denby Chevron, and Arabesque amongst others. Gill contacted me a while ago when she had discovered my blog – and clarified a few things I wasn’t clear on with the production of Arabesque.
Gill left Denby in 1981 and pursued a whole different career which I hope we have the chance to discuss in another interview, but for now lets hear all about Chevron.
C20Ceramics 
What a great interview! I’ve loved my collection of Denby Chevron, designed the year of my birth, and never imagined I could find the original designer and story. Thank you for sharing!
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Thanks Dodie, yes its always great to know how the design of something came about….and actually speak to the designer.
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Thank you for such an interesting interview. Great to find out that the Denby Chevron ware was designed by a woman. I grew up with this china. My parents were in the army and couldn’t afford a lot of it, so bought a set of specific pieces each year, beginning with dinner plates, I think. We still have a lot of it, including three of the eggcups that the designer loves! It’s very tough, and some pieces are very heavy. I have managed to save a large batch of no-longer in use pieces from going to a charity shop, because it’s too heavy for my now 92 year old mum to lift easily.
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Thank you Susan, interesting to hear. A lot of this beautifully designed and made dinnerware from major producers was expensive in its time people don’t realise that fact….I remember really wanting to get a Midwinter Stonehenge setting for my first house in the 1980s, I was on a reasonable professional salary, but it was still way out of my price range. Fortunately all those designs from the 1960s to 1980s are now mostly affordable, and many like Denby Chevron are so well made that they have lasted the decades, and their designs timeless 🙂
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I just found a perfect, tall Chevron coffee pot at a thrift store today! I have always loved this pattern and was thrilled to learn that it was designed by a woman. Thank you for the great interview with Gill Pemberton!
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Great to hear….and actually many of the mid 20th century great ceramic designers were Women. In many cases they created the surface decoration or pattern on pieces designed by others, (but it was nearly always the pattern which became the best known component) …. but in Gill’s case she designed from concept to finished products…very talented designer.
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I really enjoyed this interview! I’ve just started collecting Chevron, and I am obsessed with all of it’s little details. Great to know more about it’s creator, a real design hero!
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