The 2017 Isle of Man Flower Festival gets underway on Sunday.
Thirteen venues around the Isle of Man will be blooming with colour for this year’s event, which runs from July 2-8.
The theme this year is Charity Is …
Committee member Judy Matthews said: ‘We are very excited about this year’s festival.
‘As ever, we look forward to welcoming old friends and meeting some new ones. As well as a wide variety of displays, a number of venues are organising events to tie-in with the festival.
‘It promises to be a great week.’
The Flower Festival is also combining some old-style craft with modern technology.
Becky Dorricott so impressed her festival colleagues when she demonstrated the skilful art of making paper flowers, she was encouraged to make a demonstration video, so that others could try their hand too.
The video is now on YouTube, under Flower Festival Tissue Paper Window Flower.
Already, in Ramsey, a number of shops have put up paper flowers provided to them by Becky.
Ramsey Baptist Church’s display, on the theme of Charity is LOVE, inspired by Emperor penguins, has already created a lot of interest after a number of hand-made felt penguins were unveiled.
Edward the Emperor Penguin, a full-size model that will appear on the driveway entrance to the church, based in Mountain View Innovation Centre in Jurby Road, is now awaiting his finishing touches before he joins the display!
Each venue has its own opening times and many have laid on a number of extra activities. You can find out more by picking up a programme, checking out the www.flowerfest.im website or by contacting the churches direct (detail is on the website). Keep an eye on the festival’s Facebook page, too, for more updates.
St Peter’s Church in Onchan, for instance, has a number of events lined up for the week, including a number of concerts. On July 4 and 5, from 3pm, it is hosting a ‘fizzy afternoon tea’, with trips to Molly Caroon’s Cottage included. Tickets are ?8 and ?5 and booking is essential – telephone 675797.
The participating venues are: The Cathedral Isle of Man, Peel; St Mary de Ballaugh Old Church; Jurby Church; St Andrew’s Church, Kirk Andreas; Ramsey Baptist Church at Mountain View Innovation Centre; St Olave’s Church, Ramsey; Christ Church, Laxey; Onchan Elim Pentecostal Church (in Second Avenue); St Peter's Church, Onchan; The Abbey Church, Ballasalla; Old Grammar School, Castletown (Manx National Heritage); Ballabeg Methodist Chapel; St Peter's Church, Cregneash.
To keep up to date, visit the festival page on Facebook or go to www.flowerfest.im.
• Due to a change in circumstances, Onchan Elim Pentecostal Church, in the Family Centre Second Avenue (off School Road), is unable to open on the morning of July 8, as published in the festival programme. The afternoon tea on that day will now be held 2pm-5pm. Visitors can still call in from July 3-7, from 10am-6pm.
Almost ready: Edward the Emperor Penguin is awaiting some finishing touches
