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The official launch of this regional arts and crafts centre comes after a £2.8M refurbishment to transform the charming but needy former brewery into a prestigious new arts centre for the region.

He was invited to do the honours by Sarah Brooker, a Nailsworth-based textile artist who is an old art college friend of his.

She has a craft studio at the Brewery arts centre.

Grayson Perry gave a talk about his work to an audience of 40 invited guests and did not disappoint those who hoped he would turn up as his transvestite 'alter ego' Claire.

Photo: Clint Randall

Eyecatching attire

For the occasion he wore full make-up, a pink print dress, pink and purple tartan jacket, pink tights and hair band and white Mary-Jane shoes.

As he told BBC Radio Gloucestershire's Clare Parrack, pink is his favourite colour "because it's the most embarrassing colour for a man to wear".

Grayson said he was "very touched" when he was presented with a selection of presents made by craft artists based at the centre, including a pink felt handbag, a perfume bottle and a tiara.

He added that his eyecatching attire was one of his least outlandish costumes because he travelled to Gloucestershire by train and "a lot of my outfits I can't even sit down in, let alone in a little narrow British Rail seat".

Even so, he certainly raised more than a few eyebrows among Cirencester's more staid citizens...