If you've been to the village of Warkworth recently, you may have noticed some magical and mystical doors that no human could fit through.
Residents have spotted fairy doors springing up around the village, with some locals counting around 5 or 6. But they may be surprised to know that there are roughly 40 doors in the village and its surroundings.
And one man, who describes himself as 'a bit like Banksy' but goes by the name of Stanley, is behind all of it. Of course, neither of those are his real name.
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He explains: "I give my name as Stanley because supposedly, the fairies saw the name on the tools I was working with and that's my name. That's how I've come up with the name. It makes it more fun."
"Basically what happened was at the beginning of lockdown, I found a horseshoe when I was out walking so I made a fairy door out of it. Everybody liked it and a friend asked me to make him one, so I did.
"When I first started making them and hiding them in the forest, I hid them in really obscure places because I wasn't sure if people would like this sort of thing. It's just a fun thing for me to do. As time went on, I decided to put them where people can actually see them, but there are some really obscure ones!
Stanley estimates there are around 40 fairy doors in Warkworth, with a dozen of them in his garden alone. But some have gone much further afield to Greece and Ireland. And he has not only built fairy doors themselves, but a whole lore around the creatures who live behind them.
He continued: "For each little door, I make up a story of the inhabitants and I try to make them funny. It's not intended specifically for children, it's more things that would interest and amuse me."
Stanley shares the stories on his website - For those with Wings, which has 'modern fairytales' that he has penned himself. There's even a newspaper, The Sandwort Gazette which tells 'the very latest in local fairy news' along with a few classified ads.
But does he have any plans to reveal himself? No - at least not to the wider public.
Stanley said: "I try to keep it sort of secret. The reason for it is I don't if people would object to it, you see. You get sort of guilty or shift about it as if you're doing some sort of crime, so I carry a little bag with the stuff in.
"I've got it down to a fine art, I think it's a bit like Banksy who has to spray the pictures quick and get away. I've got to be quick when I do the ones which are conspicuous!"
Stanley is keen to stress that he doesn't make any money from his creations, and as I look around his living room, I can see plenty of other hand-made objects which he's made himself - there's even a fairy door on the table.
He continued: "People have asked if I sell the doors. No, I don't. If someone has expressed an interest, I give them one. This isn't a money-making venture, it's just a bit of fun. My father was a joiner so I've always grown up with a background in making things. That's it really, I just like making things. That's the sort of background I come from."
Though Stanley said he wasn't sure that people would like the fairy doors, they have had an almost wholly positive response on Facebook at least.
One commenter said: "How amazing is this. What a lovely thing to do," while another said: "I love this! Can’t wait to look for them with my kids! Thank you!"
A third simply said: "Fabulous."
So, if you find yourself out in Warkworth and spot a garden full of fairy doors, you may just have uncovered Stanley's secret identity. But just as I've done, keep it quiet!
