Shakspeare Glass

11/06/2026

It's hardly looking like summer right now, with grey clouds and a spattering of rain. But inside the gallery and shop we have cake, coffee and tea to keep you warm and damn good views!
Plus of course, plenty of beautiful glass to peruse.....

09/06/2026

Back from hols and it's business as usual, so for anyone with online orders they'll be sent out from tomorrow!

Thanks for your patience and allowing us the space for rest and reset!

Remember you can shop all glass at www.shakspeareglass.co.uk for online delivery, or pop into our Langport Gallery.

21/05/2026

One of my least favourite jobs in glassblowing is emptying the pot out. I have a day pot furnace and if you switch it off, it's best to get as much glass as you can out to minimise the risk of the pot cracking (which is bad).

This is a pain - I designed my furnace for efficiency and insulation, I normally keep my furnace on 24/7 and almost do a full rebuild rather than replacing the pot (they cost about £900 last time I looked).

And to empty the furnace you need to get right down to the bottom of the pot to gather all the glass out, I just don’t have the angle to do this easily.

My pots hold about 140 litres of molten glass when full, and I think as of today I probably have about 40 litres to get out – which doesn’t sound too bad – when you say it quickly. But it’s quite a lot of molten glass to cool down and not trip over.

You almost have to put your hands in the door! So if you are in Langport today and you see steam coming out of the workshop doors and hear the occasional “bon mot” just walk away!

17/05/2026

We just want to remind customers that although Will is taking some time time off from glassblowing, the gallery and online shop will still remain open.

The gallery will only be closed for Shakpeare HQ's annual holiday, for two weeks from the end of May. It will reopen from June 10th.

Orders will also not be sent out until after the 10th of June if you are ordering online.

For now though, it's business as usual!

You can shop all glass at www.shakspeareglass.co.uk

14/05/2026

Unforseen Consequences.

One of the bigger jobs to do is have a clear out. A refinement!
I have stuff everywhere. And we all know that the minute you throw something away, you need it.

A lot of times, ranges have their own specific set of tools, tucked away in a safe place. This means that every box I open seems to bring back a flood of memories – and possibilities, which inevitably slows one down somewhat!. I happened on my “Tableaux” toolbox this week. I haven’t made one of these for a while. They were hot cast and involved a host of peculiar bits and pieces – hence all in a toolbox together.

I started making Tableaux when I was working as a technician in High Wycombe, mid 80's and they became a sort of glass history of my life. Based on rockpools, they have adapted and evolved as my life has changed, and they bring back lots of memories - lying on the sand with my kids staring into these magical little worlds. My first waterproof camera. Being cut off by the tide! Our first dog, strange camping trips.

I am not sure if I will ever make another Tableaux and if I do they will undoubtedly be different. But you never know, and that makes me reluctant to jettison this motley collection of “tableaux” tools, that are completely useless for anything else - bits of graphite and metal, files and pokey things, each one with a purpose. So, inevitably, I just closed the lid and put the box back, just in case!

07/05/2026

It’s only a couple of weeks to go now until the big switch off. A strange time. Half of me sort of feels like I am in holiday mode and the other half is panicking about all the stuff I need to make before I turn the furnace off.

Glass blowing is a strange craft in many ways it’s all or nothing. The furnace is either on or off – you can’t just pop it on in the morning and be up and blowing by lunch. It will take a week to cool down slowly and a week to heat up again. It is quite the commitment, and when it is on, it’s on 24/7 burning gas, which rather concentrates the mind.

When we look around the list of jobs we need to do is growing daily. From painting floors to stripping out the Glory Hole! In my mind’s eye I am seeing a sparkly new workshop emerging and everything working perfectly. If only!
I am already thinking of some new designs that I want to make and new avenues I would like to explore.

This is one of my favourite times of the year, when colours are changing in the landscape, and there are lots of places I want to go on my time off to get inspiration. New colourways and forms.

But for now, head down and back to the proverbial coalface.

01/05/2026

💥 First in a series of posts by Will 💥

I’m going to be taking a bit of a sabbatical, which means (big news) that I am actually going to turn the furnace off.

As some of you know, I managed to break a fair few ribs on New Years Day and true to form didn’t really rest for long enough – the furnace was on and orders were piling up. I have now been advised to properly recuperate!!!!!

Blowing glass with cracked ribs is not a good idea.

It seems a good time, I can plan it with my stockists, we have stock and the economy is not good, thanks Donald – the final straw.
I have not turned the furnace off since the last rebuild. It’s not just me, some of our kit needs some serious TLC too. It feels quite an exciting opportunity to have a reset.

We plan to be back and blowing in September, raring to go, fit and healthy with some new designs. The gallery will stay open as normal – just maybe a bit cooler and we have lots of stock to keep you going. Our website is still up there www.shakspeareglass.co.uk and if there is anything special you want, please leave us a message, we might have it in stock or you can preorder for the Autumn as well.

02/04/2026

Two days in and two to go.
There's still time to visit us as we hold our Workshop Sale over Good Friday and Easter Saturday.
Open from 10am both days, we'll be offering 20% off ALL Shakspeare Glass, plus some absolute steals that we've freed from the back of the store cupboards!
Come along and grab yourself a beautiful bargain.
There's some absolute corkers still available.

24/11/2025

How's about this for a great Christmas gift solution!
Will has made a limited run of Winter Hedgerow and Hedgerow tumblers, which can be bought boxed in pairs, and make the ideal gift.
You can of course buy more than one pair...... just gorgeous for Christmas and really special glasses.
Available online in pairs here: https://shakspeareglass.co.uk/products/tumblers-specials
Also available as singles in our Langport Gallery.

21/11/2025

We'll be open 11-3pm so don't forget to take a wander down by the riverside and visit us at Westover House for baubles, icicles, and beautiful Christmas gifts.

If you came along to the Late Night Christmas Shopping and enjoyed it or you missed it and wish you had then get this date in your diary and come along for another load of lovely festive fun in Langport
Carols from the wonderful Langport Community Choir at 3.30pm and a dance performance by the fabulous GingerFred Dance Studio at just after 4pm then quiet pet-friendly fireworks on Cocklemoor at 4.30pm
🤩🎄🎅🎁🎇