My head hurts! And digging the clay was so much fun!
Thanks for the replies folks. The balls of clay feels a bit like plasticine and seems to keep itself to itself - doesn't transfer to the hands now it's a ball, like porcelain does - also looks glossy.
You know, a question that was upper most when I truly started out with clay was 'what's the difference between earthenware and stoneware?' The answer back then was one fires at a higher temp and both have their names on the bags. Now the question is uppermost again, but this time it's how do I know if the clay I got will be 'earthenware' or 'stoneware' - what is the difference at the ground level? I know I'm gonna have to test fire to each temp, but what am I looking for with each fire and are there clues what might be what before I get to the kiln?