This is our own annual competition and the winners are announced in October at our AGM, the first meeting of the new season. The theme is chosen by members, who are asked to vote on submitted entries and prizes are awarded, including holding the DCPG Trophy for the year.
A reminder of the rules:
1. The item must be made after the theme is announced (usually in January).
2. It should be made by one person only and that person must be a paid up Guild member.
3. It should be mostly or entirely ceramic.
Click here to see how the competition works
The theme for the competition in 2025 was:
Natural World
The winners were chosen by an online vote by our members and the first prize went to Fenella Mowbray for her extraordinary piece of art that looked something like a sponge or coral, or was it a piece of volcanic pumice?
Second prize went to Tony Bowler for his vertebral sculpture, a piece of abstract perfection
Julie Leaming won third prize for her striking bird sculpture.
A new trophy was awarded to Fenella, as well as vouchers for Blue Matchbox ceramic supplies to all three prize winners.
Fitzwilliam Competition 2021
Theme: Time
Winner: Beverly Benson for ‘Father Time’
First Prize of £80 to Bev Benson for Father Time
Second Prize of £50 to Fiona Cristol, for Tea Time Teapot
Joint Third Prize of £25 each to Jerry Seaborn and Margaret Tatton-Brown, For the Life Time Postbox Topper and the Summer Time Platter.
2019 – Entries were exhibited during the annual AGM meeting at Kings Langley Church Hall and the winner announced.
Background
The Fitzwilliam Competition began as a memorial to a founding member, Stan Romer, whose estate funded the three prizes. This has now been taken over by Sylvia Fitzwilliam, widow of another founding member, Mervyn, who was chairman until 2013. Mervyn and Sylvia supported the Guild throughout those years in many ways, including organising workshops, garden parties, outreach events, firings and the quarterly newsletter. They maintained all these activities in the spirit established at the Guild’s foundation and which those running the group today endeavour to follow.
The rules of the competition are
- that the competitors must be paid up current members
- the work is made entirely by the one member who submits it
- the work must be recent – made after our Open Day, when the topic is chosen by vote
- the work is mostly ceramic
The winner receives a 12 month custodianship of the bison trophy (below). In addition, cash prizes are given to First, Second and Third places.
The competition is judged by an independent potter who is also invited to be the guest speaker and demonstrator for that evening. In 2019, the adjudicator was DCPG president, John Higgins.
| Year | Theme | Winners |
| 2021 | Time | Beverly Benson |
| 2020 | Planters | Beverly Benson |
| 2019 | Birds/bird baths | Andrew Gardner |
| 2018 | Totem poles | Wendy Peters |
| 2017 | Things with lids | Les Parrott |
| 2016 | Teapots | Mark Compton |
| 2015 | By the Seaside | Jenny Birch |
| 2014 | Contrasts | Ruby Sharp |
| 2013 | Ceramics and Mixed Media | Les Parrott |