Great-great grandmother hopes to raise thousands for NHS charities with 'Knittingale Hospital'
Video report by ITV News Arts Editor Nina Nannar
While Nightingale hospitals were being built across the country in response to the coronavirus outbreak, a great-great grandmother was creating her own "Knittinggale" hospital in wool.
Known as "Norfolk's knitting queen", 91-year-old Margaret Seaman was desperate to do something to help raise money for NHS charities while in isolation with her daughter Tricia at their home in Caistor, near Yarmouth - and the "Knittinggale" hospital is her response.
The masterpiece is still a work in progress, but already includes a plaster clinic, adult and children's wards, an A&E department and a reception.
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Margaret's knitting skills have already raised thousands of pounds for charity with recreations of Great Yarmouth's sea front, and Sandringham House in yarn.
This time, as a tribute to NHS workers and as a reflection on these times, Margaret thought a hospital seemed the natural choice.
"Just to raise some money and do something to help with the virus and everything, I thought 'what can I do?'" she told ITV News.
"I'm no good to go out to work any more because of my age.
"I thought well, 'I can knit', I've knitted the other things and raised money with them, Sandringham and the sea front, so why not knit a hospital and raise money for the NHS."
Margaret started knitting in earnest just seven years ago when she was 84 after her husband died.
She works until midnight every day on her creation - and hopes it will be people joy during lockdown.
"I hope people will enjoy looking at it.
"If they enjoy it as much as I have knitting it, that'll be fine," she told ITV News.
The money raised on her fundraising page will be donated to her three local hospitals; the Norfolk and Norwich, the Queen Elizabeth in King's Lynn and the James Paget in Gorleston.