I carved a tree stump in Cottingham, near Hull, many years ago ~ it’s always proved popular and is often commented on, mainly due to it being in quite a prominent position (in a private property, but next to a busy public footpath) but also due to the subject matter: nicknamed the “Cottingham Fairies” (as opposed to the Cottingley Fairies of the early 1900s!), the tree trunk was adorned with gnomes, pixies, elves, fairies, snails and leaves.
It was a surprise to hear from the owner of the Fairy Tree, asking if there was any way the stump could be removed and transported to a new location, as they were moving house; despite the new home being less than a mile away, it disappointingly seemed too big a job and the couple were resigned to leaving the tree with the new house owners.
Some time later, I received an email from the original couple to say a cedar tree was having to be docked at their new property and would I be interested in carving Fairy Tree Mk 2?! With the Fairy Realm being my favourite subject matter for carving I could hardly say no, and set to designing a number of mini scenes that would spiral around the huge circumference of the tree stump. Amongst the characters seen were a swan-riding gnome, a couple of pixies travelling on a snail, a couple of fairies sitting, laying or dancing, and a leprechaun in tribute to the customer’s Irish ancestry. Various other Fairytale images were dotted about, such as a frog prince, a dragonfly, and a group of toadstools: all great fun to carve.
