One talented gran has knitted and crocheted a brilliant Fallen Soldier Remembrance Day tribute post-box topper and raised hundreds of pounds for charity.
Pam Prentice took up knitting over lockdown, with little left to do as the country ground to a halt. She began by creating PPE, which ultimately led to her picking her needles up once more.
As she created gowns, caps, and laundry bags she found herself filling her downtime with side projects to create knitted goods for loved ones.
The 76-year-old found that when it came to Remembrance Day last year, she wanted to do something to help raise money, and took it upon herself and utilised her rediscovered hobby.
This year she wanted to do something more and this led her knitting and crocheting a helmeted soldier, resplendent with poppies, in Belmont, South London.
After raising over £400 last year making and selling knitted poppies, the gran is now hoping to top that this year.
Speaking to The Mirror, she said: “The British Legion march a parade through Belmont and they come past the post-box so I thought it’d make a nice photo.
“I’ve seen the toppers elsewhere, but I thought 'oh I’ll do one myself'. Last year I did poppies and raised over £400 but I thought I can’t do poppies again so I’ll make my first post-box topper and I put it up on Wednesday.”
Since then, the response has amazed Pam, leaving locals wowed. “I’ve had loads of comments from people driving through and past. My phone doesn’t stop going off now," she said.
She added: “I got a message this morning, ‘I got stuck in a traffic jam but I was so glad because I could look at it’.
“Just at my aerobics people were giving me money too.”
She was proving such a hit with her knitting and crocheting that her son told her she should change her Facebook profile picture so people can realise she was the person behind the post-box topper.
After making the topper in October during her downtime when she wasn’t working, Pam put it up last Wednesday and has seen crowds around it regularly ever since.
Pam’s daughter wrote on the fundraiser: “My talented mum Pam has spent many days making this fallen soldier to sit pride of place outside Belmont Conservative Club.
“He has been handmade with love and is dedicated to the memory of all our fallen heroes for remembrance Sunday.
“Please join us in remembering them and all our current and future soldiers by donating what you can.”
The idea of a post-box toppers also became popular during the late Queen’s Jubilee celebrations.
