Garden of nuns' holiday home open

The 22 gardens available for visiting on June 30 and July 1 will include a holiday retreat for a Roman Catholic order of nuns.

The women were forbidden from joining their families for holidays and St Mary's in Third Avenue was built to provide them with a break from their convent.

The house had its own chapel, over the garage, and a cross above the garage door can still be seen by those who go along on the weekend.

Mike and Allison Terry moved in 11 years ago to a property with 14 bedrooms, including a priest's room. The nuns' cells and chapel were still in place.

Mr Terry (53) described the couple's back garden as a large plot, mostly laid to lawn with herbaceous borders. He said: 'We've not taken part in the open gardens weekend before but it seemed a nice thing to do when we were asked.

'We have been round gardens on previous weekends and enjoyed seeing them and meeting people. It's a good way to see some of the neighbours and other people in the village.

'It was nice to mix with local people and interesting seeing what they do with their gardens.'

This year's selection of gardens features 12 different locations from last year's weekend.

Other roads in which they are sited are Hoe Lane, Limmer Lane, Broomcroft Avenue and Second Avenue.

The spectacle of the gardens will be augmented by a flower festival in St Mary's Church in Felpham on June 29, 30 and July 1.Its opening times will be 10am to 5pm on the first two days and between noon and 6pm on the final day.

The displays will have the theme of William Blake to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the poet and visionary's birth and his strong links with the village.

Felpham Allotments Society is also holding its open days on the same weekend to add to the attractions of the festival.

Proceeds from the event this year are being divided between the church and St Wilfrid's Hospice at Chichester. Last year's festival raised 2,500 for the Macmillan cancer care nurses.