A group of residents at Stoke Gifford Retirement Village, off Coldharbour Lane, have spent nearly 200 hours creating a knitted effigy of the Queen to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee.
The figure was guest of honour at afternoon tea on Sunday (5th June 2022) as the 230 residents at the village came together to celebrate.
The ‘Knit and Natter’ group of up to 12 residents at the ExtraCare village met weekly over three months. Supporting one another the residents created an inclusive environment for all to enjoy, especially for those with a past love for knitting who are now faced with challenges such as blindness, loss of dexterity or memory loss. The talented group, whose members range in age from 63 to 93 years, created a welcoming environment that made knitting accessible for all to enjoy.
Members of the group were invited to the BBC Radio Bristol studios on Thursday 2nd June to discuss their ‘knitted Queen’ on the breakfast programme, where host James Hanson commented that the effigy would take some beating, calling it “resplendent and so impressive”.
Knit and Natter group member Josie commented:
“The group is very friendly and welcoming; we really enjoy sharing our creative projects. We talk about anything and everything and put the world to rights. As royalists we think the Queen has done a wonderful job, she has devoted her life to the nation.”
Activities coordinator Natasheya commented:
“This is an outstanding achievement by a fantastic group brought together with love and passion in celebration of without doubt ‘the most outstanding achievement award’ ever given to an employee with 70 years’ service in the same job. We were so excited to showcase the knitted Queen at our afternoon tea this Platinum Jubilee!”
The knitted Queen has now begun her reign outside the library at Stoke Gifford Retirement Village!
View more photos on the Facebook page ‘ExtraCare Stoke Gifford Retirement Village’.
