Art group says it with flowers in colourful Tall Ships tribute
SMALL ARMY OF HELPERS PREPARE STUNNING DISPLAY
A veritable army of floral ‘artists’ are about to swing into action and turn a church into a stunning tribute to The Tall Ships Races.
The talented members of the Sunderland Floral Art Club are planning a sweetsmelling display of 55 flowerbedecked ‘ships’. That’s one for each of the vessels which are coming to Wearside.
And the public will get to see the finished work when it goes on show in a flower festival from Wednesday, July 11, to Saturday, July 14, at St Peter’s Church from 10am to 7pm each day.
The exhibition is called Ships of Friendship and, in a clever play on words, each of the designs will have a theme name with the suffix ‘ship’ on the end.
The public can look forward to beautiful displays with names such as Seamanship, Membership, Readership, Apprenticeship and Protectorship.
Pam Jameson, programme secretary for Sunderland Floral Art Club, said most of the club’s 32 members will be working hard in the church from July 9 to get the finished product ready for two days later. It’s all hands to the pump with friends from Herrington Flower Club also helping as well as other friends, said Pam.
But just how will the display work? Hudson Road Primary School is making little flags which will be placed into mushroom tubs along with white gladioli and other flowers, to depict the ships. “It will hopefully look like the fleet,” said Pam.
She said a “small army of helpers” would be putting it altogether and added: “There is a lot of enthusiasm for this.”
Pam added: “Our members together with friends from Herrington Flower Club plus a small army of helpers including Bishopwearmouth Garden Centre, Karl, June, Pat, Lily, and members of the Mothers Union are happily pooling ideas and working together as a team to make “Ships of Friendship” an enjoyable event for everyone and to benefit St Peter’s Church.
“We would also like to give a special mention to the pupils from Hudson Road school who are making the 53 flags – one to represent each country who has a vessel registered to take part in the race.”
Sunderland Floral Art Club was formed in 1961 and meets on the third Tuesday of each month in St Cecilia’s Church Hall in Sunderland, from 2pm. The only exception is August when the club takes a holiday.
Membership is £25 a year or interested people can come along as visitors for a £4 admission fee payable at the door.
Monthly activities usually include a demonstration by a qualified florist and, at the end of the session, the demonstrated pieces are usually raffled.
The club also holds outings and also supports charity with the Great North Air Ambulance as its current chosen cause.
And while the tall ships display is a huge challenge, it’s not the first time members have faced exciting projects.
They put together a huge floral carpet for a display in the Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens previously, said Pam.
“Any time we get the opportunity, we take part in things. We take the opportunity,” she added.
The club comes under the umbrella of the National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies and Pam loves being part of such a supportive organisation.
“We have all made friends that we possibly would not have made otherwise,” she said.
And that band of friends is open to new members with Pam adding: “Everyone is welcome.”
To find out more, come along to one of the monthly meetings or contact Pam on (0191) 522 7832.