The creators of the wool sculptures which have captured the imagination of the Spalding public have been left devastated after they were destroyed by vandals.
Three residents of Georgian Court – Carol Usher, Jan Neale and Kitty Dickinson – came up with the idea of knitting creations on tree stumps adorning Spalding’s riverside.
They created a figure of The Queen to mark Her Majesty’s 90th birthday, came up with a “Cat Of Many Colours” and recently put together a “Tree of Peace”.
However, the first two were destroyed by vandals over the bank holiday weekend and the creators are now having second thoughts about continuing their voluntary project.
Jan commented: “To think someone has just come along and wrecked our hours of work and effort is just heart-breaking.
“People have asked us if we’ll do another one and we just don’t know – we’re too upset to think about it.
“People have asked us if we’ll do another one and we just don’t know – we’re too upset to think about it.
“All we did was decide to try and brighten Spalding up a bit and, together with Carol and Kitty, we spent hours and hours knitting.
“The amount of wool used – not to mention room taken up in my flat – was enormous.
“We didn’t mind it because it was worth it to know how much they were loved and appreciated, but we’re now all devastated about what has happened.”
Voice reader Jeff Woods said that the creations had initially received such a fantastic response and he was appalled that two of them had now been damaged beyond repair.
He said: “It is a rare thing when ordinary people decide to brighten up our world and to give us a smile, but that’s exactly what Jan, Carol and Kitty had done.
“There have been so many people walking or driving past them who have given them a smile. The number of people stopping to take pictures was testimony to their popularity.
“It’s just so sad that the vandals have shredded and ripped them from their stumps.
“There’s very little left of two of them and Jan and her friends are understandably devastated.
“Fortunately, their ‘Tree of Peace’ hasn’t been touched so at least some evidence remains of the spirit and creativity of three very talented ladies.”
