Rachel, a retired police detective, found a new passion as a result of the COVID lockdown. She took up crocheting.
She crocheted a variety of items at first, then narrowed it down to postbox toppers. She saw people queuing outside pharmacies and post offices. They were socially distanced and looking sad. To cheer them up, she crocheted colorful and amusing toppers for the postboxes next to them.
In the beginning, Rachel and her twin sister Ruth would go out on their bikes late at night and early in the morning to install the toppers. Then the local newspaper, the Rhyl Journal, put out a plea asking for whoever was doing this to step forward. Rachel answered the plea.
‘People’s reactions blew me away’, Rachel said. ‘They would walk all around town to see how many they could spot. They took selfies alongside them. Donations of yarn began piling up in mu living room. I even received an award from our mayor’.
‘I can’t believe how my retirement is turning out. There’s always more to do. A postbox without a topper looks naked to me now.’
Rachael and her yarnbombing are in our calendar Dull Men’s Club Calendar 2022: Quirky Passions.
Prior Anorak of the Year awards:
2018: Kevin Beresford in Redditch, founder and president of the Roundabout Appreciation Society and most recently author of the calendar Benches of Redditch;
2019: Archie Workman in Cumbria, drain spotter. He finds, restores, replaces neglected drains on verges.
2021: Richard and Emily Gottfried in Cheadle Hulme, avid minigolfers, even more avid about keeping detailed records of visits to over 1,000 courses. They continued golfing during COVID lockdowns using a rollout putting green in their living and comparing scores with others on the internet.
