From One Small Part… A New Bert is Born
Every Bert begins with a spark.
Sometimes it’s a shape. Sometimes it’s a story idea. And sometimes, it’s a single part that’s just too interesting to ignore. That’s exactly how this week’s mystery Bert began.
Andy was rummaging through the workshop one afternoon when he came across a vintage ham radio antenna splitter from the Second World War. It sat at the bottom of a box of donated bits, cold and solid in his hand, with the kind of weight that tells you it was built to last. The metal had a soft patina, worn smooth where countless fingers must have handled it decades ago. It smelt faintly of machine oil, that comforting, workshop smell that lingers in old engineering parts.
The moment he picked it up, Andy stopped. This wasn’t just a lump of metal. It had character. It had a story to tell. And in that moment, he knew it couldn’t stay in the scrap box.
That one part became the seed for a whole new creation. Over the next couple of days, Andy quietly began collecting other bits and pieces from around the workshop. Some were from his helicopter engineering days, others from old toys, tools, or vintage finds. A few came from friends who know he’ll always find a use for “odd bits” that other people might throw away.
Right now, all those parts are sitting on the workbench. To most people, they’d look completely unrelated, like the leftovers from a jumble sale of science, music, and mechanics. But Andy’s mind works differently. He’s already picturing the shape this Bert might take. I can see him looking at each piece, turning it over, holding it up to another part, and smiling when something just clicks.
If you squint, you might start to see it too.
This is one of my favourite moments in the creative process, the point where the possibilities are endless. The new Bert could be anything. It could walk straight into one of Weebert’s adventures. It could be a character with a special talent, a story to tell, and a spark of mischief.
I’m not saying what this new Bert will be, half the fun is in guessing. But I will say this: the headpiece might just be the most important clue of all.
So here’s my challenge to you: take a close look at the photo we’ve shared on social media today. Imagine where this part might belong, what kind of character it could become, and what it might be able to do. Post your guesses, the wilder, the better.
We’ll give you another peek on Wednesday. And on Friday… the big reveal.
love
Lotty x
