She is also a member of the Manningtree Business Chamber, a voluntary local group which is involved in creating events to champion firms in the town.
One of these is a monthly vintage and collectables market which launched last year and runs from May to October, with the first this year on Saturday, May 5.
Town comes alive
“Last year it was fantastic to see the town come alive with people enjoying our great traders including reclamation pieces,” said Winning. “People are beginning to discover the potential of revamping crafted furniture and discovering beautiful objects that make our homes so unique.”
Winning, a former child actor, has been a freelance make-up artist for 20 years, which includes running creative make-up courses for young people at the V&A. She moved to Manningtree four years ago to be near her family and have more space to explore her art and running her business, Nice Anubis.
Her art involves rescuing discarded shop mannequins, from which she creates lights and other pieces. Mel said: “Some of the mannequins are so beautiful and then they were discarded, so I like to give to give them an afterlife.
“I called my business Nice Anubis as I love theatrical objects and there’s nothing more theatrical than ancient Egypt – this civilisation created make-up. Anubis was the Egyptian god who helped the dead to an afterlife.”
For the market’s stallholder bookings contact melanie.winning@gmail.com or 07952 337389.
