God's world in flowers

Over the years, members of the Ladies' Supper Club at Christchurch Methodist Church have earned the admiration of many for their artistry in floral arrangement and the church flower festival a loyal and growing following. A total of 1,100 people attended over the course of the three days.

They enjoyed a trip that took them from under the sea to the polar regions, from desert to rainforest, through woodland to agriculture and industry.

Logs and stumps, a rustic fence and conifer fronds set off a green and white arrangement illustrating Britain's woodland heritage.

In contrast, a centrally-placed metal wheel and a background evocation of gear wheels formed the visual clues a tribute to industry in red carnations with gladioli and alstromeria.

Fish swam past netting seaweed and sea-shells, a chest spilled its treasure and a scuttle suggested ship-wreck in Marine, a blue and white arrangement featuring carnations and delphiniums.

Seventy six per cent of the UK's acreage is still dedicated to agriculture. Milk churns, a sack, baskets of apples and potatoes, grain and a wooden wheel complemented a pyramidical arrangement in the colours of harvest-time featuring carnations and chrysanthemums, alstromeria and beech leaves.

Fiery reds and yellows spilled in a floral lava-flow in Volcano while Polar was an imaginative glacier of carnations, chrysanthemums and gypsophila.

Clever "prehistoric" cave paintings and hand-crafted "stalagmites" gave visual clues to Subterranean's red roses and yellow carnations.

Coconuts and exotic shells competed with flame-coloured alstromeria, dark pink lilies and fiery peppers in Tropical while cacti and dried leaves put a snake and a lizard in arid perspective in Desert's sand.

The 1,815ft Canadian National Tower and Bexhill's De La Warr Pavilion were evoked in Urban's roses and carnations.

Even the ends of the pews had benefited from the floral arrangers' art, designs illustrating 14 mountains.

But the piece de resistance was, rightly, Creation - placed next to the Lord's table as a fitting pinnacle of achievement.

Two arrangements featuring white stocks and green carnations against pure white material saw the goodness of food such as corn, apple and pear in subtle suggestion with the beauty of the flowers predominating.

The festival raised enough for this year's chosen charities, Bexhill and Rother Citizens' Advice Bureau, the Send A Cow relief fund charity, Methodist Network Projects in Chile and the Irvine Unit Palliative Centre at Bexhill Hospital, to each receive at least 500.