THE YORK GHOST MERCHANTS - BLACK BOX EDITION 14 - MINSTER STONE GHOST. No. 26/30 This Ghost was made as part of our 14th Black Box Edition in 2021and has become the most meaningful Ghost we have produced to date. in April 2022 we sold 15 Ghosts from the edition through the Raffall system and raised £28,561 in doing so. In a lifetime we meet tens of thousands people. The most meaningful relationships are often family members and of course those few who we connect with and call our close friends. Others we may meet fleetingly and share only a relatively short time with but who’s impact and legacy will have a lasting impression upon us. Just over a year ago myself and Mr Bloodworth were fortunate to meet one such person. We has a strong desire to produce a Black Box Ghost carved from the off cuts of York Minster stone and met with an apprentice stonemason at the Minster stone yard named Matthew Rowe. Through our regular meetings and correspondence over lockdown we came to know Matt as a diligent and talented craftsman with a real commitment to our collaboration. In January 2021 Matt began work on a limited edition of 30 hand carved stone Ghosts, the first results really took us by surprise as the Ghosts which he humbly presented were truly beautiful creations. On 10th June that year Matt delivered a box to the shop containing the final ghosts of the edition, each one perfect, each uniquely and subtly different to the next. Their form, fine ridges and chisel patterns are lasting testament to the hand that made them. It was clear that he was both satisfied and proud of the work he had done and rightly so. Tragically Matt took his life only a few weeks later at the age of 36. Coming to terms with this devastating news has taken us a good while and has had a profound effect on all within the business who had come to know Matt during the time we worked together. I am not really sure that you do “come to terms” with an event such as this. Our thoughts and deepest sympathy are extended to Matthews family and close friends, we have met with them at witnessed their grief and shared it with them. Ten of Matts stone Ghosts now reside with those who were closest to him. We strongly believe that Ghosts are not always spectral figures that linger in the passageway; Ghosts exist in the memories left by those no longer here, the places that were special to them and to the treasured belongings that are passed down after them. Ghosts live on in the stories told and in the resonance of certain significant objects. Writers, musicians, crafts people, makers, artists and artisans are the talented few who leave behind a legacy in the work that they create, their fair hands, passion and creative minds give life to works that outlive them. As a stone mason Matt was able to do this as stone masons have been doing for centuries. There is something eternal in stone, and in the Minster that seems a relic to something long gone - it’s hard to imagine its construction, the empty patch of land first scaffolded with wooden planks, the pillars constructed block-by-block, the roofless shell, the half-carved faces, sketched-out plans. The city around it small and nascent, and a buzz around the centre of tradesmen, architects, bishops and masons. The stonemason’s craft is both perpetual and fleeting. York Minster has been standing since 1472 and seems immune to time, flying over the city through war, fire, flood, winter, spring, unchanged and still. But yet, the building is alive - shifting, crumbling, new carvings replacing old carvings, and masons work in the Minster Yard every day, using the same tools and magnesian limestone as the men who began the building. . In this eternity and sky-reaching, monumental craft, there are no names left of these men. Unlike famous painters or sculptors, masons are anonymous, save for their small masons-mark carved into a quiet corner of the work to signify completion. But their work is everywhere, and will continue to be at the centre of our cities and will be continued forever, or until their work finally stops and the tonnes of stone are downed by rain and ivy, back to the earth. The largest works of art in this country are made by anonymous artists. Masons have never been celebrated craftsmen - in the beginning, the builders of cathedrals were just labourers, yet their conjoined effort produced cathedrals built to stand for eternity - works intentionally so beautiful it seems impossible they were built by human hand. There are grotesques and figures and fine details so high up on the Minster towers that the next eyes to set upon them will belong to the next mason, who comes to take it down and re-carve it. It is not just about religion, it is a work of eternity, an achievement of collective dedication, something quiet that goes on forever. Matt produced thirty Ghosts for us; each Ghost is carved from limestone offcuts from the pieces destined for the ongoing repairs of York Minster. These Ghosts represent many hours of skilled craftsmanship and bear the textured marks of the chisel, every mark a conscious decision preserved in stone. The base bears Matthews masons-mark a stylised representation of peregrine falcon as the letter M. This is the 14th Black Box Ghost and precedes the 15th edition Residents Glass Ghost as it was completed before these and made available to friends and family. After meeting with Matthews family it was decided that he would want people to cherish the Ghosts and the decision was made to make them available in the most democratic way possible while raising money for a charity close to their hearts. 100% of the sales profit after the Raffal commission will go to CALM a charity which takes a stand against suicide. They are standing up to stereotypes, and standing together to show life is always worth living. This charity has been recommended and supported by Matt’s family. The Raffall is open to those overseas though postage will be charged. There is free postage to UK winners. Winners will be notified via Raffall immediately after the draw has been made at midnight on 21st November. In order for the funds to be released to the charities all winners must press the 'accept' button located on their Get Prize screen that is accessible via the claim button located on their winning tickets. Good fortune & fortitude. Always TYGM