Festival of flowers for school centenary

Northchapel Primary School held a week of 100th birthday celebrations, ending in a street party on Friday.

Originally, it was a Church of England school, so St Michael’s and All Angels held the flower festival from Friday to Sunday, in conjunction with the school celebrations.

More than 500 people, including village schoolchildren, visited the church over the weekend to see the festival.

Themed flower displays centred on a maypole design, with ribbons draped over the pews.

There was a children’s table of artwork and posies, with arrangements for school sports, music, allotment gardening and break time games.

An early 20th century desk was loaned by the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum in Singleton to add authenticity to the 1916 school room display.

Northchapel Primary provided a display of photographs, historic logbooks and even a couple of school reports.

The logbook from 1898 included notes about the visit of Alfred Lord Tennyson and later the playwright Sir Arthur Pinero, who lived in the parish.

Churchwarden Clifford Bell said: “The church’s west window design by the artist Wilhelmina Geddes, featuring St Francis, was complemented by a vibrant flower display reflecting the festival theme of All Things Bright and Beautiful, which to the joy of visiting children included concealed toy farm animals.

“Everyone involved was delighted with the warm response from visitors both local and from as far away as Tokyo and Chicago.”

The festival was made possible by the financial support of Northchapel Parish Council, private donations, the talented flower arranging team and many others.

Resident priest Peter Hayes expressed his pleasure at the continuing links between the school and church. He was delighted that so many had visited the display.

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