Chelsea winner joins church flower festival

An award-winning flower arranger will be sharing her expertise at a Durham church's flower festival.

Mildred Stafford was a member of the teams that won gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2005 and again this year.

She'll be joining the Saint John's in Bloom event in Shildon from 28 September to 1 October.

The festival is being organised in conjunction with Shildon and District Flower Club and will feature a craft show on the Saturday.

It is the second time the church has staged a flower festival.

The theme for this year is Holidays and Happy Days, and sponsors include International Waste Metals, who donated £500 to the church's quiet garden built on waste ground outside the church.

Festival organiser Adele Todd will be to turning the porch into a floral railway platform for the event.

She said: “The theme is celebration. The festival is built around the idea of hobbies and holidays and will celebrate what people do with their spare time. It‘s about what makes people happy.”

Linda Readman, president of the flower club, said: “The festival will be a celebration and we have seventeen arrangers taking part plus other people helping out.”

Mildred Stafford, who lives near Rushyford and is also a member of the association, said: “I am looking forward to the event. I do everything I can to support the flower club.”
　
The show is on between 10am and 4pm on the Saturday, 9.30pm and 7pm on the Sunday and Monday 1 October is a Schools Day. Tickets are £4 on the door, with children free.