Winchelsea held its first Flower Festival for five years in aid of the Organ Appeal, and the town rose wonderfully to the challenge raising over £4,500.
The flowers were truly spectacular, the theme being Harvest and the Elements, with four very different interpretations of pillars of fire, three “water” features, an ingenious display of air plants, seed heads and hanging flowers disguising the scaffolding supporting the organ.
A doll’s house featured with its own garden as earth, some beautiful sanctuary arrangements celebrated harvest and the primary school excelled with its wonderful contribution of flowers in children’s wellie boots.
We are hugely grateful not just to the talented arrangers but the brilliant band of helpers, cooking and serving food and drinks all day, the meeters and greeters, those who put up marquees and gazebos, those who organised the book and plant stalls that went inside them as well as the artists of the town who were displaying and selling their paintings. The wheelbarrow brigade who rushed about transporting everything to the church, at the start and finish and who were also on weather alert when the wind and rain arrived, to rescue whatever was needed.
It was all done with great good humour and willingness. We also had many very generous donations of food and sponsors for arrangements, wonderful raffle prizes from local businesses as well as a champion ticket seller. Without all these things our special weekend would not have been possible.