St Peter & St Paul's, BBB and St Ambrose' Church, Grindleton

Garden Weekend, 3 & 4 July 2004

Report from Marion Billows:

Inclement Weather running up to and on the two mornings of Bolton-by-Bowland and Grindleton’s open gardens weekend did its best to make life difficult for gardeners and visitors alike. Fortunately it did not deter the hundreds of visitors who turned out to see the 32 gardens involved in the successful ‘Through the Garden Gates Event’.
They came from far and wide to view the gardens and were very appreciative of the effort and hard work of the gardeners. As usual, the village organisations were all represented in the floral displays in St Peter and St Paul’ Church.
Each arrangement depicted a hymn and all were admired by visitors for their beauty and ingenuity.
The ladies of the parish did a sterling job in the village hall serving refreshments and manning the craft and plant stalls.
They were a little anxious when they heard that a certain TV chef, notorious for his colourful language, had been seen in the next garden to the village hall!
The weekend culminated in a ‘floral Songs of Praise’ in St Peter and St Paul’s to give thanks to God for all his wonderful creation and for the plants and gardens that we enjoy.
The Rector welcomed the Haslingden Choir, who sang several pieces including John Rutter’s ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’ and the Negro spiritual ‘Every Time I Feel the Spirit’.
There were readings from the Bible and also poetry and prose, the readers being churchwardens Jeanne Bishop and Geoffrey Curry and Keith Garside, Sue Lund and Marion Billows.
The service was led by the Rector, Canon David Mewis.
As well as opening their own garden, the Rectory family was responsible for producing all the notices, posters and programmes and for co-ordinating the successful weekend.

Please enjoy some photographs of some of the Gardens: