3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Press and Journal
Wick's Mastermind trophy legend 'happy' to retire aged 90 after decades engraving TV's grand prize
For the past 50 years, Wick's Denis Mann has been the master artist behind the intricate designs on one of televisions most famous trophies.
Each winner of Mastermind has lifted aloft a stunning glass trophy featuring images from Greek mythology.
Now, having just celebrated his 90th birthday, he has finally decided to call time on a long and illustrious career.
Denis lives in Wick with his wife of 64 years Trudi, 84, a community in which he has been a leading artistic light for decades.
The Press and Journal caught up with the couple shortly after he made his last ever trophy for the BBC show.
Born in Perthshire, Denis attended art college in Edinburgh.
After a spell in the Royal Air Force, he became an art teacher in Stirlingshire.
Thinking back to the 'hopes and dreams' of his art school days, however, he then decided to change course.
The next stage of his life came in December 1970, when he joined Caithness Glass as an artist, designer and engraver.
He'd travelled to the company's factory in Wick to talk terms – and as luck would have it another visitor on that day was Bill Wright, the creator of Mastermind.
'Little did I realise then the importance his visit would have for me,' Denis said.
Bill was shown examples of Denis' work in copper wheel engraving, a skill that sees delicate shapes carved onto glass.
Hoping to find 'something different' for a new trophy for his new show, Bill decided the technique was what he was looking for.
The result was that Denis engraved the first ever Mastermind trophy won in 1972 – and every prize since.
Bill's choice of subject for the trophy was the 'Nine Muses' from Greek mythology.
The mythical beings are credited with inspiring humans in the arts.
Denis said: 'Over the years, with only one or two exceptions, I have stuck with Bill's original choice.'
When Mastermind came to a temporary halt on the BBC, Denis left Caithness Glass to go freelance.
He was involved in the setting up of North Lands Creative, a centre of excellence for glass making in Lybster.
Mastermind returned on the Discovery Channel (between 2001 and 2002) .
And of course no-one other than Denis would be asked to engrave the bowl for the programme's winners.
The BBC took over the show once again in 2003, in what is now in its regular BBC Two spot.
And he has been engraving the trophy ever since.
His final trophy involvement was for the 2025 series, when he did the drawings and Wilma MacKenzie, from Argyll, did the engraving.
Wilma will continue to engrave bowls for future Mastermind winners.
She will use the same copper wheel process that Denis used over the decades.
He told The Press and Journal that he is 'happy to be finished' as he has 'done it long enough'.
Speaking of her husband, Trudi said: 'He doesn't blow his own horn.
'As far as he's concerned, it was a job that was done.'
Not many people have Wikipedia pages about them, but Denis does.
'And he did't find out about this until his birthday!
'Guests were giving little sayings and speeches, and my niece mentioned that she was quite proud to have an uncle who was in mentioned in Wikipedia.'
