CLARE Skeggs and her mother Doreen share two passions - Beatrix Potter books and the Lake District.
To celebrate her mother's 80th birthday Clare decided to make a set of cute crochet versions of Beatrix Potter characters. She made Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-Duck, Benjamin Bunny and Mrs Tiggy-Winkle from a pattern in the Simply Crochet magazine.
Doreen is no longer able to visit the Lake District but Clare travelled up from near Hitchin, Hertfordshire, with the characters. She took photos of them at Hill Top, Loughrigg Tarn and other spots in the Lake District to show her mum. Then she left them on as a post-box topper in Hawkshead.
She said she did this to give something back to the Lake District and to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.
Her mother currently does not know that Clare is planning to do the same for her local postbox in a village near Welwyn. Since Clare created her post-box topper she has received messages of praise from people in Hawkshead, ranging from very young children to an 84-year-old.
Clare said: "I've been up to Hawkshead so many times if it brings a few smiles to people - how lovely. I've read Beatrix Potter when I was younger, I read it to my daughter when she was younger. She would make up her own stories, it's three generations really.
"I love what Beatrix Potter did with the farms - being a London girl and coming up to the Lake District."
Clare said that she learned to crochet many years ago and returned to it in the pandemic. While she admits it can take a long time to make crochet figures, she uses it as a mindfulness technique to help her relax in the evenings.
When asked why her mother loves Beatrix Potter, Claire replied: "She was a farmer's daughter, she has seen those hard times, and she supports the National Trust. She has her own collection of Beatrix Potter books."
When asked who her favourite character is, Clare said it was Mrs Tiggy-Winkle because she is 'very wise.' She also said that Mrs Tiggly-Winkle was the hardest figure to create.
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