Clay HUGS – A gift from the Bovey Basin
HUGS is a special type of clay known only to clay workers in the Bovey Basin. It occurs where two distinct seams of Ball Clay merge together and become one. The clay HUGS featured above, which I have dressed in orange ribbon to match my safety jacket, was presented to me by quarry manager Darrin Hewings, during a visit to Southacre Quarry last year. Whist onsite Darrin also demonstrated the official sigh for HUGS which can be ‘read’ by quarry workers over long distances.
In our current times of lockdown and social isolation, this extraordinary clay – lovingly named HUGS – is a reassuring emblem of strength, compassion and unity.
Lu La Buzz Lockdown 2020
https://www.clayheritage.org/archives/960
https://www.claysidecallings.com