Paper figurines by St Albans' 'mystery maker' put up for auction

John Wheeler, 96, became known as the St Albans "mystery maker" during the pandemic

A man who became known as the "mystery maker" is auctioning some of his paper figurines to raise money for children with a degenerative disease.

John Wheeler, 96, from St Albans, Hertfordshire, made his creations in the Covid pandemic and secretly put them in the city's Little Free Library.

When his identity was uncovered, they featured in an exhibition on lockdown life at St Albans Museum.

Now some are being auctioned in aid of a Spinal Muscular Atrophy charity.

The figures stand about 15cm (5.9in) tall and include intricate details

Mr Wheeler began his hobby in December 2019, encouraged by his partner Jacquie, a former Bond St dressmaker.

Born in St Albans, Mr Wheeler said he had always been good with his hands. He made toys for his two sons and worked as an engineer at Rolls Royce in Leavesden, but Jacquie encouraged him to be more creative in his later years.

"She pushed me along," he said.

"At Christmas she put a wooden soldier on the tree but it was too heavy, so she said, 'You're clever, you make one.'

"So I did, then I made a few more and just kept going."

John Wheeler secretly placed his figures in the Little Free Library in Milehouse Lane, St Albans

The figure ideas came from "well-known books with lots of characters", Mr Wheeler said

Getting his ideas from "well-known books with lots of characters", such as Hornblower, Alice in Wonderland, The Wind in the Willows and Oliver Twist, the figures stand about 15cm (5.9in) tall and include intricate details.

During the first Covid lockdown in 2020, he donated figures secretly to the library on Milehouse Lane "for a bit of fun".

He was dubbed the "mystery maker" after Esther Wragg, whose home the library sits outside, shared them on social media.

He also created collections under themes such as military history

He was "caught" in November 2020 placing a St Andrew figure in the library box.

"Lockdown loneliness was very hard - [making them] was something to do and kept me going, kept me busy," he said.

"I put them in the little library and this went on for over a year before I got caught.

"They had builders - I thought they were all builders outside, but one of them turned out to be her [Esther's] husband."

Mr Wheeler also painted the background scenes to showcase his figures

He had no idea about the stir he had caused until his neighbour, Jan Shepheard, showed him the stories online and he was amazed.

"I couldn't believe that so many people were interested in them," he said.

Subsequently, the models appeared in the museum's Lockdown Life exhibition, which showcased the creative ways the community had responded to the pandemic.

Rupert, who was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) at eight weeks old, meets John Wheeler's handmade Rupert Bears

About a year ago, Ms Shepheard met the parents of Rupert, aged two, who at eight weeks old was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a genetic neuromuscular condition that causes muscle weakness and wastage.

They had established a charity Rally Round Rupert to raise awareness of SMA and funds for research. Ms Shepheard spoke to Mr Wheeler about doing something to help and he donated part of his collection to raise money.

"I'm glad [the figures] are doing some good to help Rupert and others in the future," he said.

Mr Wheeler wanted to use his creations to help Rupert and other children diagnosed with SMA

The auction began online at Jumblebee at 08:00 BST on Monday, during SMA Awareness Month.

Rupert's mother, Charlie Mosey, said the charity was "bowled over".

"The charity's trustees are extremely grateful of the efforts of John Wheeler and the wonderful figurines he has made," she said.

"We hope the auction will be a huge success and the display gets the recognition it deserves for its imagination."

Mr Wheeler's figures featured in St Albans Museum's Lockdown Life exhibition