Knitted post box topper brightening days at the Lawe Top returned to pride of place after going missing

The knitted topper was created by members of the craft group run by the Workers Education Authority (WEA) at Talbot Road Methodist Church in South Shields.

Members, tutored by Janet Wylie, made two post box toppers, with one placed on an Ocean Road post box and the other atop the red pillar box in Fort Street, near the People’s Mission on the Lawe Top.

The club has links with the Mission, and has fundraised for the church in recent years.

The works were put in place on Tuesday, July 27 – with the creators dismayed to learn the Lawe Top topper had gone missing by Wednesday tea time.

Janet said they were retrieved when a woman nearby saw spotted it in the possession of some passersby and gave chase.

"The topper has been saved and will put back in place with some strong cord,” she said.

"The crafty group have links with the People’s Mission and (church member) Tracey Brydon who is heavily involved with many of their activities.

"We have been overwhelmed by the response, interest and kindness of the Lawe Top community.”

Post box toppers have been appearing across South Tyneside in recent months, with crafting fans creating the knitted wonders during the pandemic – and placing them on post boxes to make others smile.

The Gazette reported earlier in July on the efforts of keen knitter and crocheter Janice Welsh.

The 62-year-old nurse decided to create her first post box topper in March, which was a stunning Beatrix Potter scene featuring Peter Rabbit along with friends Mrs Tiggy Winkle and Jemima Puddle-Duck.

That was placed on the post box in Stanhope Road, and she has now updated it for the summer.

“I worked on the Covid ward for seven and a half months and it wasn’t very nice, so that was my sanity – just coming home and sitting crocheting and stuff on my days off,” she said.

Janice was also wise to the threat posed to her toppers, and left a note asking people not to damage or steal the creation.

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