Climping set for biggest ever festival

Jude Sennitt will be among 20 to 30 gardeners welcoming visitors to admire their blooms on June 9 and 10 to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

The biannual event dating back to the nineties has been expanded to a third day by its organising committee to mark the special year.

Committee member Carol Cashfield said she hoped the bigger than ever occasion would receive a warm welcome.

“We are trying to do something different this year,” she said.

“The open gardens are always popular.

“We get a lot of repeat visitors because we have been going for a while. People organise their holidays so they can come down especially to visit the gardens.”

Three new attractions have been organised by the committee to make this year’s weekend special.

One is a gardeners’ question time with Stephanie Donaldson from Country Living Magazine.

The others are craft stalls in the church hall grounds and a garden master class with local garden designer Wendy Robinson.

The weekend will open on June 8 with a flower festival in the village church of St Mary’s, which will run during the three days.

That evening will see the question time at 7pm in the church.

Tickets cost £10 each.

The gardens will be open on June 9 and June 10 with a bus touring the village for a £5 ticket for both days.

The master class will take place in the afternoon of June 9 in a gazebo next to the craft stalls.

A jazz concert in the church will end Saturday with four professional musicians booked to show some of their experience of working with the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Harry Connick Jr and Shirley Bassey.

Tickets are £10.

Advance tickets which offer entry to the question time, jazz and open gardens are available for £20 from [email protected] or Sarah Tyrrell on 01903 715882.

Proceeds will go to the church and St Mary’s Primary School in the village.