Sasha Galitzine, left, with Hermione Spriggs

THE spirit of Gerry Dalton, the master creative behind a secret world of statues – most of which were discovered after his death in 2019 – reemerged this week at a “fabulously bonkers” community experi­ment close to his home.

The Gerry’s Pompeii charity organised the Ferret Roulette event in Meanwhile Gardens, Westbourne Park, on Saturday afternoon.

Ferrets, which are said to love dark holes due to their hunting instincts, were placed in a central chamber before emerging from one of six exits.

Each exit represented a poetic answer according to organisers who said the system of “divining” answers from the animal kingdom is an evolution of a game widely played in rural agricultural fairs across the country.

Sasha Galitzine, who set up the Gerry’s Pompeii charity following a campaign to protect the statues he created, said: “We think that when there are so many different questions that need to be asked, it’s a bit reductive just to ask other humans for all the answers. There must be more imaginative ways for us to have dialogues with different species.

Some of Gerry Dalton’s statues

“Initially ferrets were used by the aristocracy to go into burrows and root out rabbits for food. Ferrets are trained hunters and loved going down tunnels and burrows.

“They love burrows and appearing from out of them. I think the bucket was like a new form of burrow for them.”

Sue Lloyd had travelled down with the ferrets from Yarm Ferrett Rescue near Stockton-on-Tees along with Hermione Spriggs, whose PhD at UCL is focusing on ferret behaviour in Yorkshire.

Ms Spriggs said: “It was quite a scene, people were looking from balconies and over the fences. But the important thing I think was to bring people in rural areas who have these kinds of relationships with animals together with people in urban areas, like here in London.”

Another charity helper, Kyle Berlin, told the crowd: “Artificial intelligence is very in vogue, but we are interested in the natural intelligence of the ferrets.”

He added: “I would say they ferrets are better equipped at dealing with somewhat broad philosophical questions. Specific questions, like who will win the Derby, may be harder.”

Ferret Roulette in action on Saturday

The event was described as “fabulously bonkers” by Elaine Arthur, a resident of Hormead Road, who said: “I now think these little furry creatures may indeed have the answers to life’s mysteries, judging by what was revealed on Saturday”.

For over 30 years, Gerry created hundreds of artworks in his ground-floor flat and garden that flanked the banks of the Grand Union canal.

“It was a parallel world of an intensely private extrovert”, said Ms Galitzine. Although Gerry was well known by his neighbours and was a loving presence on his street, the full extent of his work was only uncovered following his death in 2019.

Gerry’s Pompeii is a charity that plans to continue Mr Dalton’s legacy by creating memorable community-led encounters via the arts. “There is so much amazing community energy in this area,” said Ms Galitzine.

“But there often aren’t enough opportunities to bring together different groups of people.”

The charity is organising an alternative summer fete in July that Ms Galitzine said would enable people “to create and have fun together through interactive sculptures and the power of play”.