AN INAUGURAL flower festival was in full bloom on its opening day as people from far and wide embraced the sunshine to see the beautiful sights on show.

The four-day event features a variety of imaginative floral displays inside Blackburn Cathedral, along with extravagant displays and giant structures.

A floristry lecturer who attend the event with her students believes that the festival is a positive for the area and hopes similar events will stem from it.

Sam Cook, from Blackburn, said: “I think its really amazing, they’ve all done some fantastic designs.

“It’s lovely to see a massive flower show come to Blackburn, hopefully they might do it year on year.”

The unique display was created by renowned designer Bill Dixon, together with Hans Haverkamp and a team of experienced floral artists from across the UK.

Preparations have been under way for nearly two years for the event to allow the beautiful event to flourish.

Michael Sabben, from Ribchester, said: “Its an amazing initiative. I think the displays are showing a modern type of representation. It’s lovely weather for it all also.”

Fellow Ribchester resident Christopher Ratcliff has held flowering exhibitions himself and admired the amount of effort needed for an event like this to bloom.

He said: “We know the amount of thought and effort and how important it is to get the right balance, and I think it has been very successful.”

Flower enthusiasts travelled from further away to come to the event, including Gill Ralph who came from Chester with her flower club.

She said: “I’m absolutely amazed. I think it’s just wonderful, it’s very soothing. I’m certainly very very impressed.”

Marjorie Lownax from St Helens said: “I do love flowers, and I think it’s all absolutely beautiful.”

The festival incorporates an underlying biblical theme as it follows the journey of Jesus through the medium of floristry designs.

The acting Dean of Blackburn Cathedral is tremendously proud of the event and the message of the church which was on show.

Rt Rev Philip North, who is also the Bishop of Burnley, said: “The volume of the church has been turned up. What we’ve got here is a really imaginative and careful flower festival.

“There’s been a lot of changes and regeneration in this area recently, and for this to happen at this particular time looking so beautiful is a real pleasure.”

The flower show will continue 10am-6pm on Saturday and noon-4pm Sunday, and tickets are still available.