Woodton Chapel Flower & Tree Festival

December 11th & 12th 2004 ... Report by Rev'd Bruce Waldron

"Love Came Down at Christmas"

"I Saw Three Ships" This is Amy, one of 11 students from grades 4,5 & 6 of Woodton Primary School, who created this display.

"Silent Night" with "The Holly and the Ivy" in the background.

Every arrangement was a Carol. That was the theme for Woodton Chapel's Flower Festival on the 12th December.

The idea came to the Chapel last year through Jill Youngman. Pat Walpole did an arrangement last year that looked like "In the bleak midwinter" and Jill suggested that in 2004 they might make all of their arrangements look like a Christmas Carol.

So, as you entered the Chapel, you were met at the foyer with "Love Came Down at Christmas". You stepped in through the doors to be met with a brilliant array of "Three Ships a Sailing" done by the primary school. Well, actually it turned into a whole fleet of Tudor Galleons because that's what they were studying. Emmanuel Church's Pilots Group had done an arrangement that spoke about the "Three Kings from Orient", and on one of the window sills was a beautiful model of Woodton, complete with cascading snowdrops (carnations actually) filling the window. "My carnations look like a blizzard." Said Pat, who created the display.

At every turn were reminders of the Christmas story and people came from all over the Circuit to see. "I have no friends left!" said Jill, who organized the display. "I've bullied and cajoled them unmercifully."

"We could not have done it without the Church," said the Revd. Margaret Taylor. "We're thrilled at how well we've worked together."

Melded with the amazing displays was a warm and friendly welcome, a hot coffee and teapot, and mountains of sandwiches. "Please eat some." They begged. "We won't know what to do with them."

Congratulations Woodton on a brilliant idea, wonderfully executed, and thank you to the many friends from Woodton Church who worked alongside the Chapel to make this so successful. We wait for next year with bated breath.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Trees & Flowers were arranged by Friends and Members as follows:

TREES
The First Nowell - Monica Churchill
Ding Dong Merrily on High - Mary Penn
Love Came Down at Christmas - Joyce Andrews, Dori Baldwin and Denise Gosling
We Three Kings - Margaret Taylor and Pilots
I Saw Three Ships - Woodton School

FLOWERS
In the Bleak Midwinter - Pat Walpole and Pam Woods
Hark the Herald Angels Sing - Majorie Codling
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks - Kathleen Wilby
Away in a Manger - Jane Bond
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear - Mollie Wright
Angels From the Realms of Glory - Gillian Noakes
O Come all ye Faithful - Jill Youngman
The Holly and the Ivy - Irene Hanner and Olga Smith
Brightest and Best - Joyce Andrews and the members
Silent Night - Linda Horne


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