Creations bring history to wells
MEMBERS of the community made colourful floral displays for this year’s Bollington Well Dressing Festival.
‘History in petals’ was the theme and there were floral boards on display with designs for the Queen’s 90th birthday, the Great Fire of London, Shakespeare and Winnie The Pooh.
The opening ceremony with mayor Allan Williams and children from Dean Valley Primary School, took place at the Greg Fountain, on Flash Lane, and the displays remained on show for visitors to view over two weeks, with a trail leaflet available in shops, the library, town hall and post office.
The dressings are made using flowers, feathers, leaves and other natural items stuck on boards filled with damp clay to create pictures – a process called petalling.
It’s part of a tradition of decorating wells, rivers and water features as a way of celebrating a community’s plentiful supply of pure water.
Bollington has springs and wells but they are in inaccessible places, so the well dressers decorate the town’s brooks, the River Dean and locations such as the Greg fountain.
Chris Gosling, leader of Bollington Well Dressers, said: “We had some beautiful designs.
“We have to use unusual materials to get the texture and colour correct, and this year lavender petals, coffee beans, peppercorns, camomile flowers, bark, sheep’s wool and even cat fur ended up on the wells.
“The opening ceremony was spoiled by rain but the Dean Valley students had learned several delightful country dances and though drenched they danced their full programme and were given a huge round of applause.
“Our petallers worked very hard but we would like some more volunteers to come forward for next year.”