Isle of Man: 'Fairy house' inspired by Ramsey school revealed
The fourth and final "fairy house" in a collection which sit on tree stumps by a Manx roadside has been revealed.Created by retired builder Bryan Callister, the model was inspired by the primary school Bunscoill Rhumsaa, which it has been installed outside on Lezayre Road in Ramsey. The structure, which took 120 hours to build, is home to more than 140 figures which includes fairies, classic cars and a dalek.Mr Callister, who is also known for creating a 100ft (30m) wide Manx triskelion on North Barrule, said he hoped the new addition "puts a smile on people's faces".
The island is synonymous with fairy tales, with the earliest reference to the mythical beings recorded in George Waldron's Manx notebook in 1731.The first fairy house in the set was created by Mr Callister in 2020, two more were then installed along the stretch of road which forms part of the course for the island's TT motorcycle festival.The latest project, which was made using materials such as heavy duty PVC and slate roof tiles, took six people to move into place.
Mr Callister said he had worked on it "nearly every day for two months" and it had "got me through the winter".As there were only four tree stumps in the area that could be modified, he confirmed the latest addition would be the final fairy house he would craft."I'm a joiner by trade and I've been a builder all my life and it's just nice to do something for nothing," he said.Reflecting on the finished collection, he said "the people of the town just admire them so much, I get so many comments every time I do one."I just want to put a smile on people's faces."
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