Winter Flower Festival in Melbourn

I have just come back from the first day of our Winter Flower Festival.  VERY successful - the write up in last week's Daily Telegraph brought people from far flung places - and they were not disappointed.  Our chief  Flower Arranger Rebecca Gatward has done a brilliant job, especially as she  is at present working at Michigan University so much of the organising has been done long distance by email!  This is my offering - Aladdin rubbing his lamp and the genie

not, I am afraid, a very good shot - this was yesterday when it was being put together.  Today the spotlights were on but I was too busy to take photos!  On Wednesday we went to Savin's to get the flowers - we spent hundreds of pounds - well, in February you would.  I only intended to do the genie and the lamp but on Thursday in church when I was setting up the framework for the niche everyone said oh, you must have an Aladdin.  I went home and rang Marian Murphy who was knee deep in the final dress rehearsal for Cinderella by Barkway Players (Marian is the brilliant wardrobe mistress and a fellow member of MESCH)   Had she got an Aladdin costume?  I went haring up to Barkway in the dark and collected the exotic brocade pyjama suit which Marian had bought in a charity shop. It was made by George at ASDA so goodness knows what Asda customers get up to in their leisure time.

So on Friday morning I started on the flowers - the bamboo was a wonderful find, the Thai restaurant in the village has just closed down (sadly) and the bamboo was just asking to be pruned.   Two days up a ladder was very taxing and trying to construct a standing figure in a couple of hours was beyond funny.  But we got there.   I have got lights in the ectoplasm going from the lamp (eBay £4.99 purchased for me by DD2)  and round the turban.

On Friday evening, dead on my feet, we went to the first night of the Barkway Pantomime.  What a delight!  What they lack in finesse they make up for in joyous enthusiasm and it was such fun.  Nice to see Viv and Kevin from Art van Go also enjoying the show.  Marian had done a marvellous job with the costumes.

And this morning bearing two cakes and a pan full of carrot & corriander soup I went over to the church at 9.30 to help with last minute jobs and then we opened at 11.   Marian came over to see the show despite having got to bed at 2 a.m. and having a matinee this afternoon.  Lovely of her to come.

Anyone for  Jane Brett's cup cakes and  Earl Grey?

This arrangement  by Rosemary Gatward is on our beautiful 14th century Rood Screen

This arrangement  by Julie Woods represents the three wise men

Kirsti Llewllyn Beard and Debbie Mutty did all the candelabras - it took the two of them two hours to wire all the little beads  and crystals onto the silver birch branches.   Sunday evening when the Festival is over  we shall have Evensong at 4.30 and all the candles will be lit.  Magical.

Mussels for supper tonight - George cooking.  Me with my feet up.  That niche is 13 feet off the ground and hard going for an old lady.  And I have been on my feet all day, either stewarding or in the kitchen.   In two year's time when we have the next festival - will I be able to get up  a ladder?   All I have to do now is make another pan of soup and do two hours stewarding in the morning and then out to lunch.  But as we are lunching with a bellringing couple we have been told we must  be finished lunch by 3.30 as they are ringing at 4.    How lovely, bells and candles and Evensong and the scent of the flowers....  You forget the hard work.