T HE Bishop of London, the Right Reverend Richard Chartres, a keen collector of Harry Juniper pots, describes the potter as a "national treasure" and anyone who knows Harry, would undoubtedly agree with the bishop's sentiments.

In 1940, Harry was aged seven when he moved from London's Notting Hill Gate with his parents and his five-year-old brother Ron to Torrington, to escape the wartime bombing.

Although Harry later moved to Bideford, Torrington will always have a very special place in his heart. "The people of Torrington were amazing to my family and accepted us with open arms. Such was the welcome that my parents vowed that they would never return to London," said Harry.

At secondary school Harry's art master, Captain Joe Keene, encouraged Harry's love of drawing and painting and had a huge influence in persuading Harry to continue with his studies at Bideford Art College. Harry also loved music but unfortunately, his music teacher was not as encouraging as his art master and when he expressed a desire to learn to play the clarinet his music teacher told him that he would never be able to play clarinet because his lips were too fat and ticklish. Despite this, Harry promised himself that one day he would play the clarinet.

At 14, Harry started at Bideford Art College where he was given every possible opportunity to explore his creative talents and will always be grateful to the principal of the college. "Jim Paterson, the principal was a lovely, jolly Scots man who made every student believe that they could be the next Leonardo da Vinci. He was without doubt one of the most inspirational men in my life," said Harry.

Mr Paterson, who would send Harry off to the library to find books on various potters, recognised his natural affinity for working with clay and introduced him to Malcolm Watkins, who was head of ceramics at the Smithsonian Museum, Washington. Malcolm was instrumental in influencing Harry's later interest in sgraffito pottery. Harry said: "Malcolm explained to me the similarity between some of the pots he had seen in Brannam's and those which had been excavated in the eastern shore of Chesapeake Bay in the USA. Many of the excavated deposits were similar to late 17th and early 18th century traditional North Devon style pots. I was fascinated with the links and became interested in the decorative 'sgraffito' harvest jugs, which had been made in North Devon and sold as part of a thriving trading industry with Bideford and Virginia in the late 17th and 18th century."

Harry made his first harvest jug in 1958 for Torrington man Burt Waldron. "Burt was the Torrington Town Crier and a real character and when he won an international town crier award I made the jug for a bit of fun," said Harry. Burt was overwhelmed with his jug, and even took it on a trip to the USA to show it off.

Over the years, Harry has made thousands of harvest jugs some with designs depicting, political stories, naughty postcard series, Dad's Army, and specially commissioned jugs to celebrate various personal occasions. One jug that will always stand out as a special one for Harry was made following a trip to Clovelly one evening in September. "I remember watching the Coldstream Guards taking part in the beating the retreat. It was quite a surreal scene watching the soldiers on their white horses travel around the Clovelly boundaries and when I got home, I was inspired to illustrate the scene in a comical way on a harvest jug," he said.

Like most of Harry's jugs, as soon as it was displayed in his shop for sale it was immediately purchased. A Mrs Garside from Torrington, who was emigrating to Canada, bought the jug and in 1993, following her death, she bequeathed it to the Burton Art Gallery and Museum where it is now on display.

Many of Harry's jugs form part of the collection at the Burton but the first jug he ever made is not part of the collection. "The first pot I sold was made was in 1947 when I was 14 and I sold it to Peter Cox who was the head of Dartington College of Art. The jug was returned to the Burton a couple of years ago for their collection but they returned it to me and it is lovely to have it back," he said.

Harry draws inspiration for his work from his inherent sense of humour and from quirky, fun and topical stories locally and nationally. Every year Harry designs and donates a jug to Torrington Cavaliers to commemorate their bonfire and help with their fundraising. "I grew up with the Cavaliers in Torrington and always enjoyed their sense of fun and it is nice that I can still give something back to Torrington" said Harry.

The name Juniper will always live on in Torrington because three years after Harry's father died, he made a special pot inscribed with his father's name, placed the ashes inside the earthenware pot and buried it in one of the leper fields in Taddiport which his father owned at that time.

Harry's famous jugs, which take about six weeks to make can be found all over the world. He has made pots for relations of Guy Fawkes, Sir Francis Chichester and he receives commissions from as far afield as the USA and New Zealand. At a time when the economic downturn is forcing businesses to up their marketing and sales strategy Harry is bucking the trend and refuses to have a website as he "does not need to rely on new technology to bring in sales".

Harry is probably one of Bideford's busiest and fittest 77-year-olds and he continues to work seven days a week. Every morning he rises at 5am and spends an hour playing his clarinet, which he bought when he was 47 and taught himself to play despite the predictions of his teacher all those years before.

He then fires up the kilns in his shop in Bideford's Rope Walk and enjoys a nice breakfast before starting his day's work.

Harry is incredibly content with his life. "I love my work with a passion and will never tire of working with clay. I enjoy playing my clarinet at home and with my band and I enjoy my 'Walk and Talk' weekly walks which are organised by Jessica Christie at Torridge District Council as they are a great way to keep fit and to meet new people," he said.

Harry's son, Nick, and daughter, Sue, are carrying on with the gift of making pots they have inherited from their talented father and both have brought their own style to the Juniper pottery dynasty so thanks to Harry and his family the North Devon potting tradition will continue to flourish in the future.