Thanks to Jonathan for this lovely piece on Miss Crocus, one of the many Mennyms you can see around Ryde from this weekend as part of Ryde Arts Festival . Ed
We’ve been getting involved with Ryde Arts Festival for some years now, and usually end up making something.
This year the organisers had an idea that was a stroke of genius. They decided to create a family of Mennyms.
People who were made of fabric
The Mennyms started life at the hands of a writer called Sylvia Waugh. She imagined a group of people who were made of fabric, but lived among ordinary humans. They were an extended family, all living in the same house, and Sylvia wrote five books about them, in the process winning the prestigious Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize.
The idea took hold, a series of workshops was arranged at Ryde Library, and ideas about who these mysterious Mennyms might be started to emerge.
Uncle Vernon, in his square. Frank, working on the trains and in the gardens, who’s married to Arcadia, who misses the open road, and Soobey, and Now there’s Miss Crocus, with her dog Brigstocke. They came home with us for a while.
To create ten life-size fabric people
Various people undertook to create ten life-size fabric people, who all have their own names and stories and relationships, and who are going to be seen around Ryde during Festival week. I came late to this project, and Jo was already well into the process of making a shape with wire and stiff foam and stuffing, all covered with calico, while I was working away.
She was making Miss Crocus Pack and her dog Brigstocke. She had a body with legs, and arms, but they needed sewing on, and her feet and face needed some work, but most of the work was already done. I just helped out a bit with fetching and carrying, and a bit of construction work.
A real character comes into being
The thing about making a life-sized fabric person is that this lump of stuff gradually starts being something, and then it becomes someone. As each piece gets added, and decisions are made about what to use for each feature and how to make it, a real character comes into being, and you find yourself talking to her.
I found I was not just talking to Crocus, I was actually deferring to her. ‘Do you like these eyes?’ and ‘How would you like your hair?’ It was most odd. Jo was finding and making and adjusting her clothes at the same time. She picked up a wicker shopping basket on wheels that was perfect to carry Crocus’s shopping, and Brigstocke just jumped in.
First she went to Ryde Library
So after a good deal of work, Miss Crocus Pack was ready to go out into the world. First she went to Ryde Library to meet her fellow Mennyms, then she discovered the books, and after that she had a cup of coffee at French Frank’s.
Of course, being made of material, Mennyms don’t actually eat or drink, but they want to appear as much like humans as possible, so she pretended to drink, and Brigstocke was able to sit in the window and watch the people go by. Dogs aren’t allowed normally, but they made an exception for him, because he’s very nearly, but not quite, an actual dog.
Luckily Crocus had her hat with her
Crocus made a lot of friends in French Frank’s, and after that she asked to go down to the sea and sit in the sun. They enjoyed looking across the Solent at low tide, and luckily Crocus had her hat with her, because she’s very fair-skinned, and might have burned otherwise.
They had a lovely time, out and about with us, and now they’re back in the Library, chatting with the other Mennyms. You can see her now if you happen to be in Ryde Library. She is sitting with Brigstocke very quietly in a chair near the entrance.
All ten Mennyms will be in Ryde Library on Saturday 27th June
There’s going to be a Grand Festival Opening at 10:30 on Saturday 27th June. All ten Mennyms will be in Ryde Library with their makers and everyone involved in the whole project. There’ll be an exhibition showing how they were made, and everyone will be welcome.
Then, from Monday 29th June, all the Mennyms will be appearing in locations around Ryde during the Festival week. Rumour is that Crocus has got herself a job in a posh clothes shop. They’re going to let her sit in the window with Brigstocke for the whole week. They’ll like that. Especially as Brigstocke is very inquisitive and loves meeting new people.
Spot the Mennyms Competition
You can also join in the SPOT THE MENNYMS COMPETITION. The person who spots the most Mennyms will win the prize, which will be a special photo taken by a professional photographer of the winner with all the Mennyms.
Good luck, and Miss Crocus and Brigstocke say thank you and is looking forward to meeting you all.
