There’s something poetic about Halloween, that time of year when light and dark sit side by side, when the nights draw in, and old stories feel alive again.
It feels fitting, then, that our Skellyberts are back in the spotlight.
They’ve been part of our story since last year, a collection of steampunk-inspired skull sculptures created by Andy from pieces of Victorian wood, old clock springs, and a touch of aviation history. Each one stands tall and proud, wearing a top hat made from a helicopter rotor bush (of course it does, this is Andy we’re talking about!).
When we first introduced them, we never imagined the reaction they’d get. Many found their way into new homes, becoming part of other people’s stories, and this year, as Halloween approaches, only a few remain. But these few feel extra special, as if they’ve been quietly waiting for their moment to shine.
The Skellyberts began life as something quite ordinary, offcuts from vintage Victorian table tops, some leftover clock mechanisms, and an engineer’s eye for detail. Andy took those pieces, shaped them into skulls, and gave each one its own character.
They’re not frightening … they’re fascinating.
Each one is a little reminder that creativity isn’t about perfection or polish. It’s about seeing what could be, not what’s missing.
And perhaps that’s the real magic of the We Are Bert workshop, where every scrap, every forgotten thing, is given another chance.
It’s not about ghosts and ghouls.
It’s about resurrection, the creative kind.
Last week, we were finalists at the Soldiering On Awards. We didn’t walk away with the winner’s trophy, but we left with something just as valuable: perspective.
We met incredible people doing extraordinary things, many of them veterans like Andy, each with their own story of rebuilding, reimagining, and keeping going against the odds.
And it made me realise, the workshop and the awards have more in common than I thought.
Because in both places, you’ll find people who refuse to give up.
Who take what’s broken and make something new.
Who believe that purpose and creativity can exist side by side.
That’s what the Skellyberts represent to us.
They’re not just sculptures. They’re stories carved from wood and willpower, proof that from the old and discarded, beauty can rise again.
For us, the Skellyberts are more than Halloween decorations or steampunk art pieces. They’re a metaphor for resilience, for never being too old, too late, or too broken to start again.
And maybe that’s why people connect with them.
Because deep down, we all have a little “Skellybert” moment, something in our lives that’s been shelved, forgotten, or written off.
It could be a dream you’ve not had time for.
An idea that’s been gathering dust.
Or a creative spark you’ve convinced yourself you’re “too busy” to follow.
But here’s the truth I keep learning from Andy:
Creativity doesn’t have an expiry date.
It waits patiently, like an old table top in the corner, until you’re ready to pick up the tools again.
At Weebert’s World, that’s exactly what we try to do, bring stories back to life.
From Andy’s scrap-built robots to the adventures of Weebert and his friends, our world is built on second chances and imagination.
We don’t see scrap; we see possibility.
We don’t see broken; we see beginning.
The Skellyberts are part of that bigger story, the grown-up cousins of the playful Berts who live in our books and stop-motion dreams. They remind us that creativity crosses generations, connecting the child who imagines and the adult who builds.
So, as Halloween approaches and the Skellyberts step into the light once more, here’s what I’m holding onto:
Success isn’t about being seen.
It’s about keeping going, creating with heart, and believing that every idea, no matter how small or strange, can have its moment in the spotlight.
We didn’t win the Soldiering On Award this year, but maybe the real win is in the work itself.
In the joy of creating.
In the hands that carve.
In the belief that imagination, once sparked, never really dies.
And if that isn’t worth celebrating this Halloween, I don’t know what is.
What could you bring back to life, a project, a passion, a forgotten idea?
Maybe this Halloween, your story deserves a second chance too.
with love
Lotty x
