FAVOURITE poems were the inspiration for a flower festival at a Forest church over the weekend.

The festival at Viney Hill Church was entitled Stand and Stare, which is a line from the poem Leisure by WH Davies who was known as ‘Supertramp.’

There were 32 arrangements around the church, including work by children from Parkend and Yorkley primary schools.

The united parish of Parkend and Viney Hill holds an annual flower festival, alternating each year between the two churches.

Organiser Trish Duc-ker said: “We asked the congregation for their favourite poems and we ended up with 32 arrangements.

“Some of the designs reflect the whole poem or just a few lines.

“There are some fun poems, some serious poems and some to make you think,” she added.

Some of the arrangments were by members of the Lydney and Severnside Flower Club,

The poems included I Love Chrysanthemums by Gloucester poet Ivor Gurney with a display by Julie Sparks, The Church Mouse by John Betjeman with flowers by Jane Cole, Shakespeare’s How Shall I Compare Thee? with an arrangement by Val Betty, and Rupert Brooke’s The Soldier, which inspired Jos Mills.

In the entrance to the church, letters spelling ‘leisure’ had been decorated by children of Yorkley Primary School.

Pupils of Parkend Primary School created posies based on the nursery rhyme Ring a Ring o’ Roses.

Some of the flowers used in the arrangements came from gardens and others from local florists.

Mrs Ducker revealed: “The preparations will have started weeks ago, planning and getting the props together.

“The foliage has to be picked a few days before, so it is conditioned.

“The final bit is coming into church and putting it all together.”

•See this week’s Review for more photographs.