My Story
Family Heritage
My name is Claire Gaudion. I live and work from my home in west Hampshire, near the Wiltshire border. My family home, and where I grew up, is Guernsey in the Channel Islands and this is where my basket making story begins.
My basketry specialises in traditional Guernsey fishing baskets, a craft that I have learned from my Dad, Max Gaudion. Max is a retired Guernsey fisherman and craftsman who made all his own willow crab pots, ponier à cous and courges (local fishing baskets). He, in turn, learnt by watching his Uncle, Wilfred Gaudion weave willow.
Preserving Tradition
For years I watched my dad weaving ponier à cous and twisting willow making crab pots for local fishing. Fascinated by the craft and the material, but also triggered by dad’s remarks about how so few people know how to make these traditional baskets now, one day I decided to have a go myself and made my first ponier à cou. That was about twenty years ago!
To be hands-on making, as well as continuing and preserving a generations-old tradition of heritage craft feels extremely important to me and full of purpose.
Through making, selling, demonstrating and teaching, I hope to contribute to the preservation of this local Guernsey craft and its future.
Guernsey Ponier à Cou
Guernsey ponier à cou were traditionally used for fishing or foraging for ormers on the shoreline. Ormers are a Guernsey shellfish delicacy which may only be gathered from January to April, at the full or new moon, and the following two days.
These heritage baskets are traditionally handcrafted with willow, a wire frame, a wooden handle (usually hazel) and a natural hemp rope strap, creating a very strong utilitarian basket.
Shaped with a curved front and a flat back, they can be comfortably worn over the shoulder, or hung on the wall.
Guernsey Courge
A Courge (Guernsey patois, the r is silent, pronounced like the French ‘rouge’) is a traditional Guernsey fishing basket that was used for holding sandeels (as live bait). It would be tied over the stern of the boat for the seawater to run through and keep the sandeels fresh. The courge would be completed with a cork trap over the hole.
Without the cork trap, the courge offers an interesting form for a contemporary basket. I’m currently sampling variations of this frame basket, re-imagining the courge as a decorative or functional item, while retaining its heritage.
Guernsey Crab Pot
Crab pots are used to trap crabs, lobsters and crayfish on the sea bed. Plastic and metal alternatives have now taken over the use of willow pots in local commercial fishing and the making of Guernsey willow crab pots is now on the Heritage Craft’s Red List of endangered heritage crafts. Guernsey crab pots differ from similar UK withy pots as they have evolved to meet the particular demands of local waters and dramatic tides.
Guernsey pots are traditionally made with 7ft willow ribs and 5ft willow for the twist. Each pot would require at least four rows of twist down the sides, adding strength and resilience to the pot.
I recently filmed my Dad, Max Gaudion 'Making a Guernsey Crab Pot' and this can be viewed on YouTube. The crab pot pictured was made by Max.
The purpose of this film is to create an archival record of the process and contribute to the preservation of this traditional craft.
Any Questions?
Thank you for your interest in my heritage craft. If you have any questions about my craft, products or courses, please ask!