Park is hive of knitting excitement

What a buzz officials at Lytham's Park View 4U site started when they made an appeal for knitted bees.
Ralph Rowley with a knitted bee found at Lytham Bowling ClubRalph Rowley with a knitted bee found at Lytham Bowling Club
Ralph Rowley with a knitted bee found at Lytham Bowling Club

The powerful reach of social media meant the cuddly hand-made insects winged in from not just across Fylde but from all over the UK, too.

In just over a week, the number of bees received to promote tomorrow’s Bee Wild Day has topped 300.

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Now Park View has approached the Guinness Book of World Records with a view to gathering 1,000 hand-made bees by the middle of next month, when a queen bee sculpture is due to arrive at the park.

Knitted bees at Park View 4U, LythamKnitted bees at Park View 4U, Lytham
Knitted bees at Park View 4U, Lytham

Julie Norman, Park View 4U’s ranger and education manager, said: “Our Grow Wild project teaches people how to identify native wildflowers through lots of activities happening on the park throughout the year, including Bee Wild Day on Friday, April 6.

”As a way to entice people to our Bee Wild Day we joined up with Anthony John of Seriously Hooked Up, who runs a knitting and crochet social in our Eco Pod.

“He designed a crocheted bee pattern and we advertised for people to make bees to launch our project.”

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She said they were ‘overwhelmed’ by the public response to the appeal, with bees being sent from as far afield as Doncaster, Brighton and Bristol.

Knitted bees at Park View 4U, LythamKnitted bees at Park View 4U, Lytham
Knitted bees at Park View 4U, Lytham

“They are flying in on a daily basis from all over the UK and they have even received photos from America of people who have heard about their project and are making bees for the,” she added.

Three hundred of the woollen bees have already been hidden in various locations around Lytham, each carrying an invitation to Bee Wild Day, which runs tomorrow from 10am to 4pm.

Anyone finding one should take it on Friday to Park View where they will be given some free wildflowers seeds to create your own mini meadow.