Some years ago now, back in our fund raising days, Janice Astley was in conversation with a lady who has now moved away from Preston. They were discussing the subject of knitting and the lady said that she would love to learn how to knit. Janice, not being a person to allow the grass to grow under her feet, decided there and then the church ought to have a knitting group and our Knitting Club was formed.

Currently there are nineteen members along with Janice, Veronica Frost and Jude Gallagher, who give tuition, advice and much encouragement and myself, Barbara Hothersall who makes the tea and coffee and collects the subs. We meet every Thursday evening, summer and winter (apart from Maundy Thursday, or when the floor of Oak and Willow is being re-polished or Christmas and New Year). The bulk of our membership has been with us since the very beginning and most of the ladies are from outside our church. We are very informal with everyone doing their own bit of knitting or crochet and receiving help if and when they require it. Down the years we have produced chickens, ducklings, rabbits, mice and "little people" for Easter time and we produced 70 plus of the latter for Laura and Bran’s wedding favours. One Easter we knitted 250 chickens for a primary school in Lea. Poppies have been produced for the last few Remembrance Days. We also have some other loyal knitters who do not come to the group but knit for us.

The knitters pay £2 per week and this money is used from time to time for various good causes. We twinned a toilet (with whom I cannot now just remember), and we provided the fine new toaster in the kitchen. The Rosemere Cancer Foundation has just launched its Twenty Years Anniversary Appeal to raise money for the purchase of the latest and most advanced robotic surgical systems to treat bowel, gastrointestinal and gynaecological cancers. Several of our group have cause to be very grateful for the service of Rosemere and so we have decided to donate £250 to the appeal.

We met originally in Sycamore but have outgrown the room and now meet in Copper Beech. There are no gentlemen in our group but they would be made very welcome should they care to join us! We usually have a meal out somewhere at Christmas time or when the floor is being treated. Our fund raising days are now but a memory and Jan’s idea has now become a tradition. However, the lady who’s wish started it all off, never actually came to us, after all!