A pilgrimage
“We’re off to see a man about a handbag!”
Learning about Ray’s time as a Sister in the 1990s made me curious about how the group had adapted to thirty years of changing politics. Currently there are no active Houses in London but the Sisters can still be found across the UK. I discovered that my friend Bruce Guthrie – radio producer and dramatherapist – was planning to take up the veil in Bristol with the House of the Blue Moon. Following a conversation about the handbag and my meeting with Ray, myself and Bruce, soon to be known as Novice Niche Whimsy, formulated a plan. A small band of Sisters would make a ceremonial pilgrimage from Bristol to the Museum of Croydon to offer blessings over the exhibited handbag and meet Ray to discuss their ministry.
A few weeks later, on an early Tuesday morning in June, the four Sisters piled into a car and began their journey from Glastonbury. On arrival they were guided to the ‘back of house’ archives in the Museum to meet with Ray. After brief introductions, the group settled into serious discussions about the current problems faced by those in the LGBT+ community. These included those of working class queer people who find themselves trapped in unwelcome homes, of transgender people struggling to find acceptance in society, to the growing problem of LGBT+ immigrants seeking refuge from homophobia.
An audio programme, ‘Croydon Handbag’ documenting the Sisters’ visit to the Museum. Featuring the voices of the Sisters, Mark Goldby Museum of Croydon staff and Ray Harvey-Amer. Recorded and edited by Bruce Guthrie, Avonside Studio. (c) Bruce Guthrie
“…there is an innate desire to better understand and relate to those who trolled the troll before us. The chance to gaze upon such a wonder and compare it to our own tools of shame-fighting and joy-spreading was too good to pass up. Our spirits soared when we learned later that we could actually meet with the Sister himself.”
Manifesting
The group were soon ready to change into their attire, a process they called ‘manifesting’ - a ‘revealing of your true self’. They began by painting their faces with ‘clown white’ face paint, a custom borrowed from the Edinburgh House according to Sister Aura. Ray and I were captivated as they painted designs onto their faces, climbed into long dresses and secured eccentric hats with rainbow veils to their heads. They were adorned in badges, rainbow jewellery and trinkets from past Pride events, however a polite but firm request meant that they did not unleash their usual “tsunami of glitter” into the archives. They were fascinating to look at and impossible to ignore.
A procession
Ray took me aside and proceeded to demonstrate his head piece. First, he fixed a coif and guimpe (made from a Guys & St Thomas’ hospital pillowcase) to his head, then a bandeau (with a margarine tub lid for structure) and topped it off with a black veil. He delicately wrapped his habit in a pride flag and informed me that he wished to begin his procession through the museum with the Sisters; to once again reunite his habit with his handbag.
The Sisters were given a printout of ‘Amazing Pride’ to sing (a queer take on ‘Amazing Grace’) as they slowly walked through the narrow archive passageways, crowded into a lift and spilled out into the museum galleries. Singing along the way, the Sisters were led to the case of Ray’s Handbag and as they stood circling the case, Ray carefully placed the folded habit on top, and made the following moving speech:
“And today we greet our Bristol Sisters, who have travelled far and worked hard to campaign for the LGBT community. Supporting one another, loving one another, letting people out of the closet so they know who they are, and not what others tell them who they are. And we remember Mother Molly of Claphouse Fame, locked in that handbag for so many years, and we present her back with her habit and say: ’Come out fighting Molly! There’s still work to do!’”
Several pin badges were donated to the Museum by the Bristol Sisters, and have joined Ray’s collection in honour of their meeting. I felt lucky to have been a part of the encounter - it felt like something spiritual had occurred in the museum that afternoon. Ray’s words “there’s still work to do” rang in my ears and I felt moved to act on them to continue the work he had started all those years ago. An idea was beginning to form…
All images are copyright of Mark Goldby