Silent knit ... angels spread cheer
TINY knitted angels are sprinkling Romiley with Christmas cheer.
The woollen angels were tied to railings and trees, benches and buildings across the Stockport village - and were all free to take home.
The angels were the brainchild of St Chad’s Church on Stockport Road in Romiley, although residents had no idea where they had come from when they suddenly started to appear.
An army of church volunteers took to the streets in the early hours and positioned more than 600 without prior warning.
And the church says it’s been delighted and ‘a little overwhelmed’ with the public’s reaction.
Many of those lucky enough to stumble across one of the many multicoloured angels took them home as Christmas tree decorations.
The church said it was praying that the angels would help them celebrate the true meaning of Christmas in their homes and help foster festive community spirit across Romiley.
Rebecca Costello shared a photograph of her angel on Facebook. She said: “Our angel is sat on our tree. A truly lovely idea and it sums up the amazing community spirit of Romiley.”
Katy Camilleri hailed a ‘really magical idea’. She said: “A lovely touch for the village and its children on the way to school. My children loved seeing all the little angels and choosing one each. Thank you very much.”
Ann-Marie Crowley added on Facebook: “Currently on my tree. Brought a smile to many this morning. Thank you so much.”
Parishioner Jill Hookway, operations manager at the church, said the angels were the idea of parishioners Liz Moseley and Marilyn Gregory, who announced the project in the summer and positioned knitting patterns for people to take home at the back of church.
Jill said: “An army of knitters got to work and the reaction has been overwhelming. Pictures have flooded in on social media. We had a team of about 10 or 12 members of the church family who went out at 6am to deliver them.
“They were positioned around the centre of the village - outside Sainsbury’s, near the train station and on railings leading to the school. It was all a lovely surprise for people and the smaller children loved it on their way to school.
“It was a lovely talking point and gave a real buzz to Romiley throughout the day.”