Venn Ottery Flower Festival

Venn Ottery Flower Festival.
In the midst of one of the hottest weeks of the year we embarked on the task of setting up for the festival. It was just about bearable in the cool shade of the church, and people arrived to help set up displays, dust the cobwebs and sweep the ailses.  Then the refreshment tent was set up in the beautiful garden of Patricia Avery at Minors, what a fantastic host she was, Thank you Trish. Cakes arrived and the amazing Paul and Stephanie Kinson appeared and set up the refreshments, sorting out all the extras that I  had overlooked and more, you both were a great support. Mum had made lists of people to steward the chuch and arranged for tea makers who all dutifully turned up for their shifts!
...and then the Flower Festival began.
We opened up the side door of the church giving a rare view of the tower and through the main building to the altar. It also gave a much appreciated cool breeze through the church. Not only did we have beautiful flower displays based on hymns, but old maps, documents, photographs  and newspaper reports of Venn Ottery. The Bible and Prayer book that have recently returned to the church were also on display along with a stained glass window dedicated to the Furneaux family who were given the Manor of Venn Ottery, by the King, not long after the Battle of Hastings.
We ended the week with a Songs of Praise service, with all the doors open and the sound of the blackbirds in the chuchyard
Thank you so much to everyone who took part in the flower festival and all those who came to visit, some visiting Venn Ottery for the first time.
Thanks to everyones effort (and perspiration!) not only did the church look beautiful, we all raised over £600.