A VILLAGE shop and post office are fit for a king after the postmistress and her creative team of customers decorated inside and out ahead of the coronation.
Adele Waples - nicknamed 'Crochet Ninja' - has created an intricate post box 'topper' for outside the village store on Main Road in Great Leighs.
Using her incredible crochet skills, Adele has made woolly figures of King Charles wearing a crown beside Queen Camilla, and decorated the topper with red, white and blue bunting.
The shop's window is decorated with a gold-coloured throne, royal robes for King Charles and Queen Camilla, and a crown and a tiara, thanks to the help of customers Judy Goodrum and Kim Spencer.
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Postmistress Elaine Rollings said: "Judy, Kim, Adele and I worked together throughout the year to come up with different ideas to decorate the branch and the post box.
"We do love a royal theme and Adele made a very ornate crocheted crown for the platinum jubilee.
"When we started planning for the coronation no one had any idea that a customer from the village, Anne Wilson, was going to be very lucky to be invited to King Charles III’s actual coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
"They put the names of recent recipients of the British Empire Medal into a draw and randomly selected Anne, who organised our big platinum jubilee party, to attend.
"This has added to the royal excitement in the village for the coronation.
"Whenever we decorate the post office window and post box this attracts a lot of interest.
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"People stop to have their photo taken beside the front window and post box, whether it is Christmas, Easter, Halloween or any other theme.
"These displays are a real talking point. Most bring joy to the community and big smiles for my customers and passers-by.
"I really want to thank Adele, Judy and Kim – my creative team - for all that they do. We have great fun planning and creating these displays and I know that the people of Great Leighs really appreciate them."
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