Silent knit ... postboxes with woolly hats
IT’S the time of year when amusing woolly hats make an appearance – and the pillar boxes in one town are no exception.
All sorts of festive scenes have appeared on the boxes, from snowmen sliding down a slope to Santa hanging out with his elves.
Elsewhere reindeer are seen riding on top of three polar bears and Postman Pat poses with Jess the Cat and his van.
A total of 29 of the knitted creations have popped up – 27 in Hertford and the rest in Watton-atStone and Great Amwell, both also in Hertfordshire.
They are the handiwork of a group of yarn bombers calling themselves the Secret Society of Hertford Crafters, who are using them to raise money for charity… and brighten people’s days.
Leading member Jo Baily, a market researcher when she’s not crocheting, said: ‘The idea is to make people smile and it’s absolutely worked. Driving around Hertford you see crowds of people standing at postboxes smiling and looking at these things. Raising money is also brilliant.’
Laminated cards urge passers-by to donate money to Isabel Hospice, which provides free end-oflife care to patients and their families in Hertfordshire. So far they have raised more than £1,200.
One of the ‘hats’ depicts sunflowers, the charity’s symbol, decorating a Christmas tree.
The 100-strong knitting group produced a spectacular cascade of knitted poppies at Hertford Castle last month, raising £14,000 for the Royal British Legion.
Around a dozen members started on the Christmas pieces back in February, with others joining in as the festive season approached to make sure they were ready in time. The knitters estimate around 50 hours of work went into each piece, with 250 balls of wool used overall.