More than a quarter of a century after she stopped making her distinctive Gombey gift dolls, Marion Macpherson is bringing out a new generation of the detailed, foot-high miniatures.

One or two of the dolls have been put on display in shops in St George, quickly renewing interest in Mrs Macpherson’s craftwork and sparking memories for some people who remembered the original dolls from the 1980s.

A 30-year hiatus between the last batch of Gombey dolls and the new ones begs the question what has the talented doll maker has been doing during the intervening years. Has she been clowning around?

Actually, yes she has.

To many people Mrs Macpherson is better known as Dottie the Clown.

For more than 20 years she has performed as an entertainer at children’s parties around the Island. She travelled to North America to learn clowning and ventriloquism, and followed her passion to work with children and make them laugh. As Dottie the Clown she also performed for a Saudi prince visiting Hawkins Island, and Hollywood celebrities Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones.

She feels the time has come to wind down her clowning activities having seen bookings diminish, particularly after many guest workers left the Island during the economic downturn.

The decision to return to dollmaking came late last year when she and her husband spotted a plastic doll dressed in a Gombey outfit.

Mrs Macpherson’s original Gombey dolls had won prizes at the Ag Show. During the two years that she made them, somewhere in the region of 175 were purchased. Many were sold at the Bridge House in the olde towne. Other than the Gombeys, she also made a town crier, washer woman, flower vendor and mango lady doll. But it was the Gombeys that proved the most popular.

Last October, when she saw the plastic Gombey doll on sale she knew she could do better. “I said to my husband, perhaps I should stop the clowning and do the Gombeys again.”

With her husband’s encouragement she set about making her first doll since 1985.

She builds the dolls from scratch, using a combination of wire, stuffing material and cement to mould the body and creating authentic-looking Gombey outfits complete with tassels, velvet cape and peacock feather headdress.

It takes her longer to create the new dolls than it did to create the originals, partly due to the need to reacquaint herself with the skills needed to ensure the dolls are as accurate and detailed as possible.

“I needed to do a lot more work on them. It takes me two weeks to make four dolls from scratch,” she said.

It is also harder to source the materials for the miniature costumes today than it was 30 years ago.

“Nearly all the material shops are gone,” said Mrs Macpherson, who has managed to get what she needs from a fabric store in the Walker Arcade, Hamilton.

“It is taking me longer to do the Gombeys than it used to. It takes a lot of energy. The first couple I did, I had to really work to get the measurements and proportions right. I am a perfectionist.”

The new dolls have been displayed in shops in St George, including Bermuda Memories on Water Street, and Home WorX on York Street.

“I’ve put a few out there because I wanted people to start seeing them again and to know that they are on the market again,” said Mrs Macpherson, who lives in St George.

“People have come up to me and said they are better than the plastic ones. Each one is handmade and numbered on the base.”

Because of the wire structure, the dolls’ dancing positions and poses can be altered, however Mrs Macpherson stresses they contain small parts, including pins, and are not children’s toys. Instead, they are aimed at older customers, such as those looking for a relatively unique gift that reflects Bermuda and Bermudian culture.

“I think they will be popular with the Gombeys themselves, and with tourists and Bermudians who are going overseas to see family and want to take them a gift. It is a souvenir of quality.”

Mrs Macpherson hopes to expand the availability of the dolls, possibly by finding a retailer at the Clock Tower Mall in Dockyard. In the meantime anyone who is interested in the dolls can contact her on 297-1460.