Coronation Yarnbomb raises money for Essex & Herts Air Ambulance

The Secret Society of Hertford Crafters (SSOHC) have spent 14 weeks creating 37 hand-crafted post box toppers to celebrate the King's Coronation, raising funds for a local charity.

SSOHC has three aims; to bring joy, engender community spirit, and to fundraise for local charities. For the Coronation yarnbomb, and throughout this year, they are fundraising for Essex and Herts Air Ambulance Trust.

Yarnbombing is defined as secretly covering things in woollen and crafted objects, to create surprise, delight and joy to those who view it.

The group, which has over 150 members, have created a total of 37 Coronation-themed toppers, which have been distributed around Hertford and Ware.

For the Coronation of King Charles III, five themes were selected by SSOHC, which are Coronation, Celebration, King Charles, Community and Conservation.

The crafters, who range from 19-years-old to 99-years-old, have crafted everything imaginable for the Coronation, from Crowns, Throne and Castles, to Bunting and even Balmoral, to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III.

Around 100 members have actively participated in this current yarnbombing event, with many taking part in other yarnbombs by the group, including the Platinum Jubilee last year for Queen Elizabeth II.

Over the last 6 years, SSOHC have raised over £140,000 for many local charities.

Marge Ellis oversees the Coronation Project for the group. Speaking to Greatest Hits Radio, she said, "The result has been breath-taking. when you get 57 little figures for the commonwealth, all on one post box, it's like, you can't do that! But they have.

"We've got the Tower of London, with Beefeaters and six ravens - how can you get that on a post box topper? But my goodness me, the talent and the skill and the imagination has done that."

One of the areas that the group decided to cover was Conservation, which has been crafted into plenty of birds and bees and animals.

"We all know how keen the King is on conservation, we've got panda's for the World Wildlife Fund.

"A couple of our members found out that he's very keen on saving the Black Cornish Bee, and there is a project in the Duchy of Cornwall to save them.

"So we've got a beehive, with bees, King Charles and the Queen sitting there, and they make honey gin, so we thought that was quite a good thing to have on our post box! Anf jars of honey and things like that.

"We've got 'Save Our Planet' which is again, on a bigger post box, so there's quite a lot of things on there: whales, fish polar bears, penguins, trees, bees, butterflies."

The charity which the group are fundraising for this year have also got their own very special post box topper, an Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust (EHAAT) SSOHC’s nominated charity for 2023; 1 large and 2 small helicopters, with pilot and paramedic on helipad.

King Charles III Coronation Yarnbomb SSOHC List of Post Box Toppers

CORONATION

1. Gold state coach with 2 horses & 1 riders, King & Queen consort inside

2. King Charles & Camilla seated back to back on the Coronation Chair/ Throne holding the Orb & Sceptre. He will be dressed in military uniform and ceremonial cloak

3. The doors of Westminster Abbey with a footman and coach outside and on the other side part of inside the Abbey with Charles and the Archbishop of Canterbury

4. Buckingham Palace

5. The Tower of London, Beefeaters and 6 Tower ravens

6. Guards band, 9 musicians & instruments and drum major

7. 4 Guards wearing bearskins, guarding a crown, surrounded by bunting

8. Coronation crown, sceptre & orb with champagne, glasses and footmen

9. Large Coronation Crown

10. Coronation crown on cushion with orb, sceptre and Sword of State

11. Red Arrows (Royal Air Force Acrobatics Display Team); one large Red Arrow and 8 smaller ones

CELEBRATION

1. ‘The Big Lunch’ this a nationwide event that the King hopes will bring communities together. It will show children and adults enjoying a selection of savoury & sweet food.

2. Large Teacup and Saucer with Coronation Logo on cup surrounded by sandwiches and cakes

3. Afternoon tea featuring a central cake stand surrounded by teapot, cups and other goodies

4. Village Green with central maypole surrounded by children holding ribbons attached to pole

5. Maypole with 12 children dancing

6. 5 children sitting on grass (one doing a handstand) holding rows of bunting

7. 3 large Union Jacks with smaller flags and flag bunting round the edge.

8. Centre piece with champagne bottles and pompoms

9. Large tree in the middle with strings of red, white & blue bunting coming down from it

10. An iconic scene of London's Tower Bridge along with some familiar smaller icons such as a phone box and of course a Postbox

KING CHARLES

1. Two Jack Russell dogs - Beth & Bella - belonging to King Charles & Queen Consort. They are rescue dogs from Battersea Dogs Home

2. Highgrove flower garden with birds in nests and bunting around the edge.

3. King Charles fishing. River in rural setting with trees small shrubs and boulders. Fish decorating the edge of the Postbox

4. Welsh Dragon; large knitted red dragon in centre of a half green, half white base. Daffodils in groups surrounding dragon

5. King Charles and Queen Consort walking dogs along the River Dee at Balmoral, with sheep in fields, heather on hills

6. King Charles and Queen Consort in a sailing boat; King’s cypher on sail, and bunting on boat

COMMUNITY

1. Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust (EHAAT) SSOHC’s nominated charity for 2023; 1 large and 2 small helicopters, with pilot and paramedic on helipad

2. The Commonwealth – 56 figures holding flags representing the 56 Commonwealth Countries, all standing round the Commonwealth flag

3. Tall 4 sided pyramid, each side showing the 4 national flowers of the UK - Daffodil, Shamrock, Thistle, Tudor Rose. National flags depicted on base

4. Allotment with shed covered in bunting. Raised beds with flowers, veg and dogs. Garden equipment, apple tree

5. Members of SSOHC – the Yarnbombers – yarnbombing a Postbox

CONSERVATION

1. World Wildlife Fund; giant panda with cub, bamboo shoots

2. Duchy of Cornwall Save the Black Cornish Bee Project. Beehive with bees, King Charles and Queen Consort standing next to it with a bottle of Honey Gin and jars of honey

3. World Globe, Save Our Planet, Whale, fish, polar bear, penguin, trees, bees and butterflies

4. King Charles planting a tree, surrounded by trees and hedges

5. Campaign for Wool – Sheep and balls of wool

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