A Grey and Drizzly Wigan Evening



Let me set the scene: a factory car park, drizzling rain, and a dress made entirely out of Uncle Joe's Mintball wrappers. If you'd told me a year ago this is how I'd spend a Monday evening, I'd have asked what you were on. The dress — and matching hat — was the work of Lisa and Jess at ReDoo4U, made from scratch over months for Wigan Pride. It's genuinely stunning. Every wrapper was placed with more precision than I put into most life decisions. The plan had a model lined up: a drag artist. The reality, thanks to a last-minute stand-in, was Jess's husband Steve, rebranded for the evening as Madam Steve. He had zero drag experience but absolute maximum commitment, including waving regally at a car that beeped at him mid-shoot like he'd been doing this his whole life.

Person in red costume outside Uncle Joe's Mint Balls factory, Est. 1898, Wigan, UK.
Person in elaborate red costume outside Uncle Joe's Mint Balls shop, established 1898, assisted by staff member.
Two people in vibrant red costumes stand outside a brick building on a wet street.
Person in red adjusting bright red pointed boots on model wearing a skirt made of red chip packets.

A Double Concern



I picked early evening for the shoot, banking on golden hour light bouncing off all that foil. Instead we got a flat grey sky and drizzle, so I had to talk the dress into looking good the hard way — metering the natural light first, then working flash in gradually from the lowest power up, coaxing some shine back into it by force. Location-wise, we had competition. A double-decker bus was parked directly opposite our spot, and someone (who was probably having a nosey) had chosen that exact evening to sit in the doorway we needed. Both vanished right before we started, like they'd been booked as extras and then quietly wrapped. Later, a car did a full lap of the block six times, presumably to confirm that yes, that is a giant Uncle Joe's Mint Ball waving at you!

Person in red costume and blue wig poses by Uncle Joe's Mint Balls brick wall advertisement.



Our runner team included Gracie, Steve and Jess's daughter, who spent the entire shoot holding a light stand with her hood up, radiating the specific teenage energy of someone who has been informed, not asked, that they're helping tonight - or maybe she was embarrassed that her dad was getting dressed on a street corner. Honestly though, the real star was the dress. Up close, it's proper craftsmanship — not a costume thrown together, but something Lisa and Jess clearly poured serious time and care into, for a cause that matters to them. If you're local, the special edition Wigan Pride tins have a golden ticket hidden in one, with a VIP behind-the-scenes tour of the Uncle Joe's Mint Balls factory as the prize. Having seen what goes on in there, I'd enter for that alone. What a hoot! It's days like these that I realise how lucky I am to have my dream job.

Person in red costume outside Uncle Joe's Mint Balls factory, established 1898, wearing candy-themed dress with wings.
Person in blue wig, red dress, and floral headpiece poses outdoors near a red brick wall with signage.
Person in red ReDoo hoodie poses with blue-haired performer in red costume near brick wall.
Woman in blue wig and red dress spinning energetically against a brick wall backdrop.
Person in red costume poses outside Uncle Joe's Mint Balls factory, holding candy tins, wearing blue wig.
Person in red costume with blue hair poses outside Uncle Joe's Mint Balls factory in Wigan, England.