WINTER may be on our doorsteps, but Simister was a mass of floral colour over the weekend.

The reason was the Simister's Flower Festival 2000 which everyone agreed was a great success as more than 600 visitors flocked from far and wide to help celebrate the 85th anniversary of St George's Church.

In a packed weekend of attractions, villagers, neighbours and visitors stood amazed at the magnificent floral displays that depicted a theme: 'All Time Belongs to Him.'

At the first flower festival to be held at St George's in 15 years, the hard work of Whitefield Flower Club and Radcliffe Floral Art Group was a definite hit with the guests.

But in nearby Lady Wilton Hall, which celebrated its 150th anniversary this year, villagers were experiencing a Simister premier.

Organiser Judith Hall said: "The art and craft exhibition was the first to be held in the village and was welcomed with great enthusiasm. It has drawn together local artists and hobbyists eager to work together, and from this group came the idea to create a piece of community artwork with the Simister Millennium Rag Rug project." The rag rug project, which is still in progress, depicts village life in Simister and when finished will be hung on the walls of Lady Wilton Hall as an example of a community working together.

And pictured admiring a rag rug exhibit is Carol Knaggs.

To continue that theme the exhibition contributors have agreed to carry on 'working together', with plans to form a permanent Simister Art Group being considered.

Judith added: "It has been amazing. We have had a fantastic response from the community and we all hope they will continue with the art group."

Flower festival organiser, Mr John Harding, said of the weekend: "We sold between 600 and 700 brochures and had a steady stream of visitors all weekend and some even came back twice!

"It was a lot of hard work but well worth it and we have probably raised around £3,000 for the church."

He added: "We had an excellent turn out and the Wellspring concert on Sunday was packed."

Also popular with visitors were a batch of special commemorative Simister tea towels featuring the church, the hall and the village's two pubs, the Farmers Arms and the Same Yet Inn.

To the organisers' amazement and delight they were a surprise sell-out!