Hats off to Preston's super knitter Arthur aged 87

Meet the man who has knitted hundreds of hats to raise funds for charity ... and has kept on knitting throughout the Coronavirus pandemic.
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Super knitter Arthur Wilkinson was not going to let the Coronavirus lockdown stop his charity work.

The veteran knitter from Fulwood, near Preston, was a little disappointed when pandemic restrictions meant he could not attend any of the three knitting groups he belongs to.

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But with wool and needles at hand at home he decided to use his extra time constructively making hats for local charity Integrate.

Arthur gets ahead with a hat   photo: Neil CrossArthur gets ahead with a hat   photo: Neil Cross
Arthur gets ahead with a hat photo: Neil Cross

Arthur, 87, who has made hundreds of hats to raise funds for charity in recent years, said: "It stops me being bored. You sit down and you knit and you don't know time is passing. It's really grand.

"As it happens before lockdown the charity(Integrate) had been given some wool. They said did I want some and I came away with quite a big bag full of wool. I've still got some left."

The former engineer, who worked repairing looms and making parts for looms before moving to British Aerospace, recalled how he first started knitting aged 10.

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He said: "My mother used to knit like mad. She knitted her own jumpers - anything you could think of she could do it. Then at the end of the war when soldiers came home they had no clothes and my mother said knit some squares and they'll sew them up and make them into blankets."

Arthur demonstrates his knitting skills     Photo: Neil CrossArthur demonstrates his knitting skills     Photo: Neil Cross
Arthur demonstrates his knitting skills Photo: Neil Cross

Over the years Arthur says he did "bits and bats" but not much knitting until his wife Margaret became housebound and he was caring for her: "When my wife took ill about 30 years ago she was knitting and I was sitting there doing nothing so I started just to keep her company. She couldn't get out of her chair."

Arthur began by making" twiddle muffs" and selling them to local homes for the elderly to raise money for charity.

The muffs had bells or buttons stitched inside them and residents enjoyed holding them and twiddling the buttons.

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After Margaret died some nine years ago Arthur was encouraged to join the Knit and Natter group at Fulwood library by a neighbour. He also became a member of a knitting group at the Harris library and art gallery in Preston and a group at Fulwood Free Methodist church.

Arthur pictured with some of the hats he has made recentlyArthur pictured with some of the hats he has made recently
Arthur pictured with some of the hats he has made recently

The father of one and grandfather said he finds knitting very relaxing and enjoyed the company at the different groups.

It was at Fulwood library that he started to copy a knitter who made hats. He said: "I do mine on four needles so I don't sew them up afterwards. It's not complicated."

Now he reckons to spend at least three hours knitting each evening. He said: "I can sit down at 6pm .Time just disappears. I don't worry about doing nothing."

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Arthur once started counting how many hats he had made for charity over the years and got to 600 and gave up counting.

As for his own headgear does he wear a bobble hat? While he concedes they are for all age groups he admitted his preference is for a cap.

*Integrate which operates in Preston and Chorley helps young people aged 14 plus and adults with learning disabilities and complex needs. Integrate Project worker Cheryl O'Hara said Arthur's hats proved so popular that when Integrate had a shop on Blackpool Road, Preston customers used to come in and request he made them in certain colours or for Christmas . She said : "He's just a treasure really. He's a gem."

Arthur's hats are now sold from Integrate's Plant Plus centre on Haslam Park, Ashton. Plants, sundries and home-made items are usually on sale from 9am to 4pm Monday to Saturday, but the facility is currently closed due to the current lockdown restrictions.

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