A FORMER sculptor who discovered a love of bubbles after being temporarily blinded in his forge has found hundreds of new fans after settling in Wallingford.

Bubble blower Felipe Gonzalez, 38, performs across the county, creating 12ft-high shimmering bubbles from his self-designed wand.

The dad-of-one, who moved to Clapcot Way earlier this year, says he was obsessed with bubbles long before he launched his own company two years ago.

He said: “Years ago, I was blinded for a little while working as a bronze sculptor, and thought then that the simplest pleasure I would like to have was to blow bubbles.

“When my eyesight recovered, the first sculpture I made was of a jester blowing bubbles.” Since then, he has entertained thousands of children across Oxfordshire, and was even asked by chef Raymond Blanc to perform at the 25th birthday celebrations of his Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons restaurant in 2009.

He spent last weekend blowing bubbles at Bunkfest on Wallingford’s Kinecroft.