The identity of Brightlingsea’s ‘Bank-Sea’ – the talented crochet artist who creates amazing post box toppers – has been the subject of much discussion in the town.
Just who is the mysterious person who has decorated the town’s post boxes with tableaux featuring everything from Max the cat to the Motley Crew?
Now Brightlingsea Info has tracked down Bank-Sea and secured an exclusive interview – but only on the condition that their identity remains a secret. So, while our interview gives more insight into Bank-Sea’s motivation, it won’t shed any more light on who he, she or they are…
Why do you decorate post-boxes?
I crochet to calm and relax. Crochet is both my relaxation and, according to my smart watch, a source of cardiovascular exercise, as I will often reach my daily step target whilst sitting on the sofa crocheting! My partner once commented that our house was drowning in blankets, and so I decided to decorate post boxes instead to save the house! My aim is just to make people smile.
What does the Post Office think about the toppers?
I did ask permission before decorating my first box. The response from the Post Office has always been very positive; so long as the topper doesn’t interfere with the workings of the box or any signage on the box, they are happy for decoration. In fact they welcome them!
Why do you keep your identity a secret?
There are quite a few people in the town who know who I am, but the joy is in walking past a box I’ve decorated and seeing people smile. If everyone knew who I was, there would be a pressure to create and there would be requests, which I may not be able to fulfil. I don’t want that pressure, so I stay largely unknown, with a name inspired by the artist Banksy.
How do you come up with the ideas?
I have a slightly strange, God-given gift with crochet, that somehow enables me to create something good out of yarn. I do use patterns occasionally, but most of the time the patterns come straight from my head, and I honestly don’t know how it happens. In my work and home life, everything is meticulously planned, yet with the toppers, there is rarely a plan, other than the vaguest of ideas sparking in my mind, and yet somehow, they seem to transpire into something quite remarkable.
Do you put toppers on other boxes?
I decorate both the Tesco large post box and the box by the museum. The museum box is always a tribute to Max, the Brightlingsea Cat, just because our family loves cats and we love following his antics. I try to keep the Tesco one either seasonally topical or locally relevant. The box by the Rose of Bengal is decorated by Scarletts’ Wool Shop and there may be another box acquiring a topper in the near future. A young friend of mine, no relation, has been inspired by Bank-sea and wants to decorate their own box…so watch this space. It would be lovely to see more boxes in the town receiving their own toppers.
• Check out the gallery below to see examples of Bank-Sea’s work.
