TPH mark is Paddy Hancock

Big 20cmh the word 'coffee' has been burned into the clay surface

When talking to Pat Sinclair about her time at crown Lynn, she mentioned that Paddy worked there for a while and that he signed his work TPH. Pat couldn't remember his surname.

I thought the letters sounded familiar and finally got around to checking the mystery marks and here I am. This has to be the same potter!!

I recalled seeing photos of hand potters at Western Potters and searched around and found an article in a Crown Lynn Ceramics magazine Autumn 1976 about the pottery supply shop, Western Potter Supplies and it features both Pat Sinclair and Paddy Hancock.

A similar article is in the New Zealand Potter magazine from 1978.

I've been given a reprieve from thinking that my memory is failing

You are correct with the details - TPH was 'Paddy Hancock' his real name was Thomas Pratt Hancock hence signing TPH on the bottom of his work. At the time of making the coffee pot he would have worked from his studio in Great North Road in Avondale. The word wasn't burnt into the pot - he used to use a tool to write (etch) the words free hand and then he used to paint/colour the word - sorry i'm not technical so don't know what he used - but just used to watch him working!! The pot would have had a cork top He worked full time as a potter for a few years before having health issues and later moving to Australia where he passed away at the young age of 59.