My haven, Grayson Perry: The Turner Prize-winning artist in his studio in north London

My haven, Grayson Perry: The Turner Prize-winning artist, writer and broadcaster, 60, in his studio in north London

  • Grayson Perry shared items of significance from his studio in North London  
  • They include an old teddy bear called Alan that was his first Christmas present
  • He also has a collection of old maps from different countries that inspire him 

Grayson Perry (pictured) has shared items of significance from his studio in North London

1. MY BEAR NECESSITY 

Alan Measles was my first Christmas present. Sitting on his special little throne I made for him years ago, he is an inspiration for me. 

If your parents aren’t up to the job, then the wonder of child psychology is that you make up a good parent – and that’s what I did with him. 

For me Alan is like Winston Churchill, the Dalai Lama and top racing driver Lewis Hamilton all rolled into one. 

2. FOOD FOR THE SOLE 

I’m a big fan of the poet Philip Larkin who was a curmudgeonly yet sensitive soul. After I gave a talk about him the Larkin Society presented me with this framed pair of his darned socks. 

Beside them are words from a letter to his parents in 1947, saying he’d been told to ‘strengthen the heel and toes by preliminary darning: do you advise this?’ That’s how precious socks were in those days. 

3. BEST DRESSED

I have several hundred dresses and this one, designed by a Scandinavian student called Thora, is bonkers with its appliquéd glittery stuff and pearls, its flowers and frills. 

It comes with a headdress too so I look like a mad post-modern saint or a pink Madonna. I dress up when other people dress up. I need an audience definitely. It’s been horrible this last year, I’ve only dressed up half a dozen times. 

4. MARVELLOUS MAPS

I do a lot of maps in my work on paper, tapestry and pottery, and this is the art book I refer to most. It has beautiful maps from different countries, and in different formats and styles. 

We look at maps for guidance when in fact they’re just as biased as any other document. They’re quite a male thing too. 

Men will have one on the wall that looks nice but they pretend it’s because they need it, when really it’s just because they want a decorative thing on their wall. 

5. A VERY WILD RIDE 

I rode this customised Harley on my TV series Big American Road Trip. Black is so boring, so I said to the guy who built it I want nothing black on it apart from the tyres. 

When he saw my paint design he called it the Gobstopper, after the sweets. I grew up in a north Essex village where if you wanted to get out you got a motorbike. 

Ever since then I’ve enjoyed the speed and danger, and of course the showing off. If I’m riding this motorbike I might as well be walking around in a ruff. 

6. BOY RACER

When I was 40 and doing therapy I remembered I’d really wanted a radio- controlled car as a kid, and my wife Philippa said I should buy one – that’s her with me and our daughter Flo in the photo by Martin Parr behind me. 

I became quite good with my car, and what’s lovely is at race meetings you’d see little boys and their dads both doing it. I still sometimes race a tiny one round the studio. I’ve always been one for a hobby! 

 As told to Andrew Preston. 

  • The new series of Grayson’s Art Club starts on Friday 26 February at 8pm on Channel 4.

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