A group of dedicated knitters transformed the Isle of Wight Postal Museum into a colourful celebration of creativity last weekend, using postbox toppers to raise funds for Alzheimer’s support.
The event, which took place between 24th to 26th May 2025 at the Newport-based museum, showcased nearly 90 handcrafted toppers, each perched on one of the museum’s 260 postboxes.
A creative collaboration
Arthur Reeder, the museum’s owner, first conceived the idea after meeting some of the Isle of Wight’s postbox topper creators two years ago.
He provided his entire collection of postboxes for the project, which became a collaboration with the Women’s Institute.
Debbie Hall, who organised the event, initially aimed for 80 toppers, but exceeded expectations when nearly 90 were brought in.
She saw the event as a unique opportunity to display the many toppers that had previously been tucked away in attics, cupboards and boxes across the Island.
Standout designs and special contributions
Designs ranged from Noah’s Ark to The Beatles’ iconic Abbey Road cover. One particularly striking topper featured a prisoner, which had once stood outside a jail.
Another standout came from Pauline Rippon, who crafted the Alzheimer’s Cafe logo—a group of faceless figures in a boat.
She designed the piece especially for the event and mounted it on one of the museum’s rare oval-shaped London postboxes, which are not found on the Island.
A collection with a story
Arthur’s incredible collection began with a wooden postbox he rescued and restored from a station in Rhyl, Wales, while on holiday.
It now spans postboxes from Inverness to Truro and includes international examples from Ireland, the US and Gibraltar.
Raising funds and awareness
While the event was free to attend, visitors generously donated to the Alzheimer’s Cafe, helping to raise money for the charity’s important work on the Isle of Wight.
The combination of art, community spirit and history made the weekend a celebration of both heritage and heartfelt support.
Well done to all involved.
