Town blooms with festival

HUNDREDS of people enjoyed show gardens, art installations and a display of talent at the first Macclesfield Garden Festival.

The festival took place at the weekend, with events at Christ Church and Market Place.

Around 700 people bought tickets to visit the church, where RHS gar- deners created show gardens. There was a Jurassic garden with ancient plants and dinosaurs made by Macclesfield schoolchildren, a sculpture marquee and live music.

And hundreds more people saw events in Market Place, including a ‘wassail’ involving families making noise for one minute to mimic the tradition of wassailing trees to wake them for the summer. There was also a concert with musical and dance performances at St Michael’s Church.

Jon Tilley, organiser, said: “The festival has been about celebrating gardens, art and nature and it was wonderful seeing people taking part. We had £4,000 sponsorship which is not enough so it’s been an emotional rollercoaster but we’re going to do it again, and, like the trees we plant, we hope it grows for the future.”

He is now trying to raise sponsorship to allow the Jurassic garden to be moved to Broken Cross Primary School for the children to enjoy.