A Wall of Flowers

St Anne’s Church in Crawley Green Road celebrates her 70th birthday with a massive two-day spring flower festival. The festival opens with a preview on Friday evening 9th May followed by a weekend of displays, activities, quizzes and demonstrations.

Fay Finch with
Flowers for the
festival
..click to enlarge

Organised by Fay Finch and an army of 20 dedicated helpers, the birthday party will be a chance to make amends for the rather austere start in April 1938 just before the onset of World War 2 when the Bishop of St Albans dedicated the newly-built church and handed it into the care of the Reverend E H Ratcliffe.

One person who watched the new church rising above the surrounding trees on the 550ft high Hart Hill was Margaret Litchfield. Now aged 93 and a long standing church member she has been given the honour of opening the festival. She recalls the war years when the sirens sounded. She said, “We all used to dash over to the church and crowd into the air raid shelter under the stage. We felt safe there.” Fay Finch said, “Mrs Litchfield was a wonderful flower arranger until well into her eighties. We all admired her. So we are delighted she could come along as our honoured guest.”

Based on the theme ‘All things bright and beautiful’, the festival will have a magnificent wall of flowers nearly 150 feet long surrounding the church interior in glorious colour. For children there will be prize competitions and quizzes. You can also try your hand at decorating flower pots or watch demonstrations by art students from Barnfield College. “There’s something for everyone,” said Mrs Finch.

Fay Finch preparing in
the church
..click to enlarge

Refreshments and light lunches will be available on Saturday while Sunday visitors will have special cream teas. Mrs Finch says, “This is a must see family event and a birthday party for a church that survived a World War and seven decades of change.”

Peter M Sutherst
for St Anne’s Church Flower Festival Committee
TEL: 01582 731498
MOB: 07702 910 773