I finished 'Barry' (as I had decided to call him) late September. It had been a hefty project - more than 4 months from start to finish.
Doug and myself arranged to meet up in Birmingham for the official handover on October 1st.
Barry was loaded in a homemade crate for protection, and on the morning of the 1st I headed out - A lift from Janet to the station, a train to Birmingham New Street, and a taxi to the Symphony Hall.
Only, it was the day before the Conservative Party Conference (also being held at the Symphony Hall), so the entire area was cordoned off. When I arrived, not only couldn't I get into the Hall, but there were armed police everywhere.
And it was raining.
The Police seemed interested about what was in the box. I explained it was a costume for a Genesis tribute band. Of course. What else would it be ?
Eventually, we managed to meet-up in a nearby pub - In my opinion, all the best art-related meetings take place in a pub - and we loaded Barry into Doug's car.
Bye-bye Barry :-(
(Above) All finished.
Here's Tony dressed up.
As well as the mask, I also made some additional 'twisted limbs'. You might just be able to see the nails on the end of the fingers - those are actual fake nails. The costume was put together by Janet, her sister Christine, and their mum, Margaret. They all have my thanks for their efforts.