07 Jan 2024
With this year’s festive postbox toppers campaign having come to a close – raising over £23,600 for charity – we find out a little about just some of the makers behind these woolly masterpieces! Are you surprised to hear the makers range in age from three to 85?!
Candy Stuart and Lucy Dronfield head up the creative side of the St Albans Postboxes team. They spend most of the year sorting, creating, cleaning and restoring toppers so the postboxes of St Albans can look their best every Christmas. They love crochet and the joy these creations bring, as well as raising as much as possible for the hardworking charities.
Toddlers-In Nursery School joined the fun this year and the children worked together with their carers to produce their own topper.
Clare Seldon is the mum of three boys and crocheter of Stick Man (a firm favourite in photos) and Santa as requested by her sons!
Diane Macdonald has lived 45 years in St Albans, and said: “The postbox toppers are a lovely festive feature of our historic city. I’m pleased to have knitted again this year, my fourth, to help raise money for worthy charities. I like to have a theme and with the toppers being so varied there is pleasure for everyone.”
Claire Toms added: “I love all things textiles having trained in textile design and had a studio for many years.
“Crochet has been my way back into finding my passion for all things fabric again. It’s so lovely that it is also raising so much for great causes. A win win situation!”
Other creators included Glynis Mattheisen and Alex Crick, who spent many hours crocheting this year’s topper – even though they’ve relocated to Scotland!
Herts Belles WI is a St Albans based branch of the Women’s Institute who are part of the makers, and Woodland Folk Youth Group – part of the Youth Group St Albans Woodcraft Folk – have created a postbox topper for the last four years, now a favourite session each autumn term. This year they’ve have upcycled small socks into sock people, to span the world with friendship.
Jane Reid and Beverley Evans actually knit tea cosies for a day job – but they have also knitted for St Albans Postboxes for several years.
Jefferson Eco CIC helps the community, the environment and small businesses. Based in the centre of St Albans, one of their aims is to promote the positive effect art and crafts can have on mental health.
Fourteen-year-old Matilda Stuart made her topper as a skills project for her Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award earlier in the year.
It was inspired by the granny square tree at St Saviour’s Christmas Tree Festival. She’s rightly very proud of the results!
The Sopwell Knitters and St Albans Library Knit and Natter Group work on toppers as groups.
Yve Cattermole said: “I am a disabled lady who is also deaf. This is my fourth year knitting for St Albans Postbox toppers. Our charities are such good causes. Hope you enjoy our contributions. Get giving people – every little helps to pay a kindness forward in these difficult times.”
Yve has also shared photos with a friend in Norway, Elisabeth, who has started decorating her mailbox and is starting a bit of a trend in that part of the world!
This year’s St Albans Postbox Toppers charities were Hertfordshire MIND and Cancer Hair Care. You can still donate to the campaign at https://donate.giveasyoulive.com/fundraising/st-albans-postboxes-2023
