Creating The Little Berghers

By Joy Munden

Pat Mlejnecky and Christopher Meynell had an inspirational idea that the people of Bergh Apton contribute to the 2005 Sculpture Trail by making miniature models of themselves in clay.*
A large number of ‘Berghers’ went to the Village Hall over two weekends, on October 23 and November 6 2004 to take part. People of all ages had fun modelling with sculptor Georgina Warne who helped with their models.

There certainly seemed to be some budding Henry Moores and some very interesting and original figures emerged. The people on either side of me seemed to be very good compared with my figure which seemed rather lopsided.

The whole process was very therapeutic and tea and biscuits were provided to spur us on.
The Little Berghers will be fired in a big pit on January 5 and our works of art will emerge from the flames, hopefully, to gasps of admiration from those present.

Follow this link to see the Little Berghers being fired

Now when you arrive at the Bergh Apton Church of Saints Peter and Paul you will be welcomed by the residents of the village!  A large crowd of around 150 of the residents, self-created in clay, greet you at the Church entrance and welcome you to this historic site and indeed to the historic village of Bergh Apton.

The figures are literally self-portraits made by residents under the tutelage and watchful eye of Georgina Warne and then wood fired and sealed in a pit dug in one of Kevin Parfitt’s fields over a 36 hour period.

Georgina Warne is exhibiting in Garden 8.

The first ‘Burghers of Apton were the inspiration for the original village-wide, all-embracing, project that has now evolved and developed into the Trail success we now celebrate.  The late Verena Murtagh created the Waymark outside Garden 13 on Church Road which depicts the ‘Burghers’.