Here we are, more than 2 months on since my last post, so just wanted to let you know what has happened since then and to let you know the outcome of the Flower Festival itself.  Well, we have a brand new rector, the Reverend Stanley Gamble, whose service of Institution was on Monday 27th August.  People came from far and wide to be at the service so it was standing room only in the church and outside the crowd had to use umbrellas and rain coats!  However the atmosphere was warm and welcoming.  The supper was most welcome after the short walk to Killinchy Church hall. Stanley and his lovely wife Sarah and little daughter Grace are now enjoying life in their new home. 

Now back to the Flower Festival news.   Alison Nelson and her energetic committee who along with parishioners, helpers, local businesses, the Kilmood Play Group, groups of musicians, organists and singers plus the visiting public made the event such a success. So much so that, after costs, a grand total of £14,509.14 was raised.  So much more than we had expected! 

Now we have a Captain of our ship so to speak we are steaming ahead with developing our website that was started earlier in the year.  Also our monthly church magazine is having a facelift and is now called NEWS FROM THE PEWS  

Can't wait to see next month's magazine!

Our first Car Wash and table top sale was last weekend with a wide selection of bric a brac, jams and preserves , local cards  and handicrafts. A band of brothers and sisters washed the steady stream of cars while hot drinks and biscuits was being dispensed inside the hall.  Please note our 'Captain'  was undergoing training and was declared a fully fledged Car Wash Technician by the end of the morning (3 hours later!)  The next car wash will be on the Saturday 3rd November 2012 between 10 am and 1 pm.

Finally before I sign off for the last time, the future of our parish seems so much brighter and our wider community continues to be  forward looking and outward reaching!  The parishioners have been invited to Afternoon Tea at the Rectory this afternoon to 'Come and meet the Gambles' and raise some money to improve the children's facilities in the Parish.  I will be heading there knowing there will be a warm welcome!

Thank you for sharing our last 8 months.

Just a few more of Mary's photos showing the hospitality following the close of service. Also there are photos of the catering volunteers who gave up their time to provide and serve tasty treats and meals  along with pots of tea and coffee.Ken and Mervyn the two gardeners who took up residence in the Sexton's Cottage sold  lots of beautiful plants in aid of the Flower Festival . Some of these plants had been sown by our late Rector (an enthusiastic gardener himself)  Mervyn  brought them on to sell at  the Flower Festival.

Bumped into Mary another keen photographer and asked her for some photos to put in the blog. There is no doubt that Mary included subjects that may have been overlooked by others so we hope you will enjoy seeing some of her photos

Killinchy Silver Band

As promised in my last post here are some photos of our great musicians who played at the Closing Service.I'm still hoping to get photos of the lovely ladies who were behind the scenes in the kitchen! The Killinchy Silver Band had been playing in the church during the Flower Festival,  they are very talented musicians and their music is enjoyed by young and old. Irene McIlveen (red jacket) is the conductor who keeps this merry band under control!   As you can see it was a tight squeeze in Kilmood but that did not affect the music which was great because here in Kilmood we love to sing with gusto! These photos were taken by Olive with her film camera. So if anyone has photos that are not digital they can still feature on the blog just pass them onto one of the committee members.    

 

Closing the Festival

Last night was sunny and warm and the Kilmood area was busy with people coming back to the church for the closing service at 7pm. The service was lead by the Area Dean the Reverend Willie Dixon and the address was given by Reverend Ray Devenney who had been a minister in the parish for 19 years about 10 years ago.Looking around the church I recognised many  members of other churches in the area as well as our own parishioners The church was full to capacity so when Killinchy Silver Band led by Irene McIlveen started to play, the congregation rose to the challenge and sang with great gusto! Again we remembered the Reverend Allen Delamere, the man who suggested this event but sadly did not live to see the final outcome. As the church emptied everyone headed for the marquees where they were treated to tea and coffee and delicious cakes and tray bakes. The community spirit is truly alive and well here in Co Down.  Meanwhile, the Sexton's cottage was bathed in the evening sun. More photos to follow in the next post!

And on the 3rd day...

Just back from putting out the cards in the Sexton's cottage and making a price label for the lovely handmade brooches Alison's friend Heather has donated. They would make lovely presents for friends! Apparently yesterday afternoon we had soda farls and pancakes being made by Freddie Strickland. Joan tells me orders had to be taken and written down to make sure everyone got the number of freshly baked farls they had ordered!
The flowers in the church are still as fresh and magnificent as they were on Friday so if you haven't visited yet there is still time. The closing service is not until 7pm.

If you like to take photos, the outside of the cottage is very picturesque and even more so today as we have been lent a vintage black bicycle with a basket decorated with fresh flowers. I'm thinking it would make a lovely subject for a painting! Alison Cook has just posted me a great photo she took earlier this morning with her Blackberry so here it is for you to enjoy ! Better still pop round for tea and cakes and a walk through our church Flower Festival and get your photo taken with the bicycle........mmm a perfect Sunday.

Statistics!

Just thought I'd let you know some numbers!

United Kingdom

436

United States

20

France

6

Ireland

3

Panama

2

Germany

1

Norway

1

Above is the breakdown of views by country for this week.
We have had 1169 page views since we started  and 838 page views last month .
We'd like to thank you for looking at our blog and hope you will continue to view it over the next few weeks.

A Great Opening!

Despite the weather we had a very busy day! The opening service was well attended and Lady Eames cut the ribbon to announce that the Flower Festival was well and truly open. The arrangements looked splendid and many visitors commented on the vibrancy of the colours and the originality of the designs. Well done Heather! The coaches brought visitors from further afield  and many local folk came in their droves. We were delighted that the well honed catering team coped well with those who had booked  lunches and high teas.

 Inside the living room in the cottage

 Cutting the ribbon

 The cottage minus it's chimney

A busy time for all in one of the two marquees

The Sexton's cottage was open for the plant sale in one room and the baking of soda bread and card sales were in the other. It was hard to believe that it was just about 12 weeks of a make-over with many long hours by a few hardy and dedicated volunteers! Do pop in tomorrow from 10am to 9pm and you will be made most welcome.

Rain Drops

Rain drops may be falling on our heads but our spirit is undaunted! Work continued to day on the Sexton's cottage (AKA St Mary's Lodge) and I noted that the grass in front of the cottage had grown overnight! The marquee's are up and decorated with bunting all handmade by parishioners recycling left over material.
Work on the floral displays was continuing and I have to say they are amazing. Heather let me take a few pics to give you a taste of what is to come  when you make your visit!

Work goes on between the showers!

Today I find a church full of flowers sitting in buckets of water etc awaiting their final destination. Bunting is being sewn as I write this post and  work on the lodge continues.   Windows have been painted ,walls are being pointed etc. Meanwhile in kitchens around the parish favourite recipes for scones are being selected ready for the big baking session later this week! We could be in the 1950's if it wasn't for the mobile phones!

 Find us with Sat Nav BT23 6SA, Kilmood Church Road .  For map and directions - Look at Blog archive on right dated Feb 29th

The brochure has arrived!

The Flower Festival brochure is an important feature since it gives information about what's happening over the three days and also provides an opportunity for  local businesses to advertise. Our brochure is now back from the printers and all agree that Emma Majury has done a brilliant job in putting together all the necessary information in a booklet that combines creative design and clarity. Today I managed to snap a photo of Emma checking out the brochure with her trusty computer in the background. Do hope you will enjoy your copy of the brochure when you come on your visit! Check out Emma's own website for examples of her art work on www.emmamajury.co.uk

 Find us with Sat Nav BT23 6SA, Kilmood Church Road .  For map and directions - Look at Blog archive on right dated Feb 29th

Hot off the press!

Just a note to let you know there will be a little shop in aid of church funds where  you can see soda bread being made . Maybe you will want to take some home for that low calorie breakfast with bacon and eggs! Or try some of our  jam with it , do let us know how you like your soda bread!

Have just finished some cards for the shop so thought I'd take a photo of some of them  just to let you see them before you come and visit us. Hope you like them. The one with the window is a photo of our lovely Margery Glendinning Memorial window. We are proud of our stained glass windows  and enjoy them especially when the sun shines through them on a Sunday morning!

 Find us with Sat Nav BT23 6SA, Kilmood Church Road .  For map and directions - Look at Blog archive on right dated Feb 29th

Marigolds that won't be in the displays!

There are lots of other jobs to be done and marigolds are essential! Today Alison and Dorothy rose to the challenge to spruce up the church gates prior to the wedding that was taking place at 1 o'clock! Alison gave me one of the brochures designed and printed for our visitors and sponsors. It looks fantastic so I'll post it tomorrow oops! I 've just seen the clock and see it is already today! Will post later today zzzzzzzz.

Do check it out!Find us with Sat Nav BT23 6SA, Kilmood Church Road .  For map and directions - Look at Blog archive on right and Feb 29th

Restoration Man here in Kilmood!

On Friday met with Fergus Rooney Stone Mason  and his the team who are working on the Sexton's Cottage by day and today met with the dedicated volunteers who rise to the challenge in the evenings and on their days off! All are passionate about the restoration of this time capsule and hope you will enjoy seeing it for yourself. Above are volunteers Robin, Don and Mervynas seen today!

If you want to find out more about the stone mason see Fergus Rooney's website http://www.artofstoneireland.co.uk/


Do check it out!Find us with Sat Nav BT23 6SA, Kilmood Church Road For map and directions - Look at Blog archive on right and Feb 29th

Now back to the Sexton's Cottage

If you drive by the Sexton's cottage you will see that someone has taken the door! It's Ok it's gone for restoration and that will include a coat or two of paint. Gerry tells me her mother painted it bright yellow when her family used it at weekend cottage many years ago. Not sure what colour it will be when it is put back in place.Do check it out!

Find us with Sat Nav BT23 6SA, Kilmood Church Road
For map and directions - Look at Blog archive on right and Feb 29th 

Checking out the scones!

These lovely scones were just out of the oven when the photo was taken ! Mmmm. There's nothing like freshly baked scones straight from the oven. Joan tells me these are for the Senior Citizens to enjoy at their Coffee Morning .Don't worry more will be baked for our visitors to enjoy!

Find us with Sat Nav BT23 6SA, Kilmood Church Road
For map and directions - Look at Blog archive on right and Feb 29th 

A little something to take home!

Here in Kilmood we've been thinking about our visitors and want them to take home a little reminder of their visit to our Flower Festival. Mervyn like many of our gardeners has been busy tending his trays of plants through late frosts, slug attacks and  now  soaring  temperatures  to ensure they can be on sale at the Sexton's cottage to raise funds for our parish. So I've managed to get a sneak preview of the healthy looking plants as they prepare for our visitors! Aren't they just gorgeous?

Find us with Sat Nav BT23 6SA, Kilmood Church Road
For map and directions - Look at Blog archive on right and Feb 29th 

Sexton's Cottage tells tails of King's dogs

Have you ever heard tell of Sandringham Scion, Sandringham Scurry or Sandringham Sparkle? We’ve just found them in the Sexton's Cottage. Well .. while getting the cottage ready for Kilmood Flower Festival we came across a Belfast Telegraph from 1937 which tells the 'tails' of the King's dogs. They were the late King George V's dogs and in Nov 1937 they arrived on the Heysham Ferry in Belfast the stars of the RUAS dog show at the King's Hall. Hope you like the pic of the three celebrity pooches! 

Find us with Sat Nav BT23 6SA, Kilmood Church Road
Look at Blog archive on right and Feb 29th for Google Map

How many scones makes a flower festival??

Food glorious food ... on our catering list .... 68 dozen tray bakes, 42 dozen scones, 620 baby tomatoes, 10 boxes strawberries, ... and there's more. The catering committee finalised their requirements last night and its all systems go! And Kimmie (the lab) says gimmie gimmie..sorry darling not good for your figure. 


Find us with Sat Nav BT23 6SA
Look at Blog archive on right and Feb 29th for Google Map

Blooming lovely at Kilmood

Blooming Lovely !! - Getting ready for Kilmood Flower Festival are Alison Nelson (left) Festival organiser and Heather White (right)   Floral Co-ordinator and Artistic Designer... oh and not forgetting our lovely church St Mary's Kilmood (centre).

Thanks to Bob Torrens, Newtownards Chronicle for this photo.

Find us with Sat Nav BT23 6SA
Look at Blog archive on right and Feb 29th for Google Map

Share our press information

Look out for our press information in local papers

Thanks to  Newtownards Chronicle for last week’s coverage!

Getting Ready for a Blooming Good Time at Kilmood Flower Festival

St Mary’s Church of Ireland at Kilmood, between Ballygowan and Killinchy, is hosting its first ever flower festival from Friday June 8 to Sunday June 10. The church will be open from 10am to 9pm Friday and Saturday, and from 11am until 8pm on Sunday. Visitors can enjoy a host of flower arrangements, music, crafts on sale, soda bread demonstrations and a coffee shop for light refreshments.

The Festival was the idea of their late rector Rev Allen Delamere who passed away at Christmas as Festival organiser Alison Nelson explained:

‘Allen had a great community spirit and encouraged everyone to work together. He was the inspiration behind the festival and now we are running it in his memory. So we’re looking forward to giving a very warm welcome to anyone interested in visiting us over the weekend.

‘There will be gorgeous flowers arranged by Heather White and music provided  by our organists, singers and folk musicians. We’re delighted to have Lady Christine Eames opening the Flower Festival at a service on Friday June 8 at 10am when Ballykeigle Primary School will be leading the singing.

‘We’re blessed with a  pretty country church which has some interesting stories to tell about its founders and its features including a magnificent brass chandelier discovered under a thick layer of black paint and soot! There will be plenty of guides on hand to tell some of these tales.

‘Our Festival closes on Sunday June 10 with a service at 7pm featuring Killinchy Silver Band.’

Having walked around the church visitors can pop in to the sexton’s cottage where they can try soda bread fresh off the griddle and gifts including cards, craft items and plants.  There will also be a coffee shop with tea, coffee, scones and tray-bakes. There is no entrance charge, donations are welcome and all proceeds go to the Parish of Killinchy Union. For details about the festival and directions check www.kilmoodflowerfestival.blogspot.com or contact Alison Nelson 07875444846


Find us with Sat Nav BT23 6SA
Look at Blog archive on right and Feb 29th for Google Map

So looking forward to meeting our visitors ! So thought I'd show you our Church Hall it is built in the same style as the cottage I showed you yesterday,. the Gothic style windows are always commented upon as they are not typical of the other windows around the area.We do hope you'll like the surrounding buildings around the church and will bring your cameras to record your visit to the Flower Festival!

Was round at the church this morning hoping to take some photos before the rain arrived! I wanted to have a look at the Sextant's cottage to see how the 'band of brothers 'were getting on with their work! I was delighted to see the progress they had made given the weather recently. Someone must be bribing them with tea and scones for their tea breaks!! Thank you boys the visitors will not recognise the cottage when you have finished. Further posts will reveal the reason for doing it up for the visitors coming to  the Flower Festival. The church was looking really well today so I've included a picture of it too