RETIRED school teacher Angela King has turned her lifelong passion for hats into a trip down memory lane.

Angela and husband John were invited last week to the SKILLS morning at the Baptist Church in Tea Gardens to stage a hat parade for the residents of Peter Sinclair Gardens and Estia’s Aged Care Facility.

Angela had brought with her dozens of hats from her collection and with each creation came a story.

“I feel a responsibility to the owners of the hats that have been given to me,” Angela told News Of The Area.

“They all have a history.”

Over the years, Angela has collected 150 hats, their age dating back to 1912 then through the decades to the 1960s.

Angela spoke about and paraded the hats while husband John finished the morning’s entertainment with an amusing tale.

“I remember when I was young, a woman came to church with a frog in her hat,” John said.

“The hat had all sorts of plastic fruit as trimming and in the crown of the hat sat this frog which went on to hang from its feet from the brim.”

“It did this a number of times before settling back in the crown.”

“I don’t think the lady to this day knew that she had a frog in her hat,”.

The morning ended with a delicious lunch prepared by the members of the Baptist Church.

Angela and John, who come from Lake Macquarie, have travelled far and wide showing off their hats to residents of aged care facilities.

“I like to think of it as a ‘Ministry of happiness and memories’ because the residents seem to really appreciate it and enjoy the trip down memory lane.”

 

By Margie TIERNEY