A GROUP of dales women are celebrating after finding a crown they lovingly created for the Queen’s silver jubilee.

The jewel-encrusted crown has been gathering dust in a cupboard at the now closed Methodist Chapel at Westgate, in Weardale, County Durham.

It was made 35 years ago by members of a thriving young wives’ club in the upper dale.

However, some of the original jewels were missing, along with a sword, orb and sceptre.

Carol Pattinson, a founder member of the club, said: “It was in a bit of a sad state.

“It was shabby, covered in dust and several of its jewels were missing or broken.

There is still no sign of the orb and sceptre or sword.”

The crown has been painstakingly returned to its former glory and will go on show as Westgate Women’s Institute’s entry at the Weardale Agricultural Society’s show at St John’s Chapel this year.

It was there that it made its last appearance in 1977 as the club’s entry in the class for cooperative effort, taking second place.

Mrs Pattinson, from Daddry Shield, said: “It has been a bit of a job putting it back together again, but we have all been digging around in our jewel boxes and doing a bit of scrounging to see what we can come up with.

“The result is that the crown has been restored to its former glory. It has been a real labour of love for those young wives’ club members still living in the dale.”

The club, founded in the early 1970s, organised playgroups and raised money for local charities.

It was disbanded when families started moving out of the dale in pursuit of work and wives took up jobs. Some of its members have since joined Westgate Women’s Institute, which accounts for its entry in the co-operative class at St John’s Chapel show on Saturday, August 25.