The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Easter wouldn’t be Easter without a chocolate egg or two – but it’s a super sweet occasion for one Gosberton Risegate man this year.
Blacksmith fabricator Gary Marshall has helped create a seven feet high and five feet wide Easter egg to help raise money for charity.
Chocolatier Jan Hansen and Gary Marshall with the large chocolate egg ready to be raffled for charity.
Gary, who has been welding for 40 years, was approached by Jan Hansen, the owner of Hansen’s Chocolate Shop in Folkingham, to create a metal framework for the giant confectionary.
And Gary was more than happy to comply – setting to work to manually shape and bend 34 steel bars, measuring about three metres each, into identical curves before welding them into an Easter egg shape.
He said: “The challenge was to make it in two halves to make it easier to transport and for storage purposes, as well as making sure it was light enough for two people to be able to carry, which fortunately I was able to achieve.”
Gary’s creation was then lined with greaseproof paper and cling film before being covered in chocolate, ready to be raffled at Hansen’s Chocolate Shop in aid of St Barnabas charity.
Gary, who usually creates arches, gates and railings, as well as more unusual pieces such as a large metal dinosaur, added: “I visited the shop to see the finished egg and was overjoyed to see it all decorated in ribbon and displayed on a stand I also made.
“Even though it wasn’t the most unusual or largest piece I have made, it was a massive pleasure to be part of the project and I hope it will raise a lot of money for the charity.”
