Flower arrangers
We are the flower team:
Sue Jordan,Sally Haigh, Christine Bradshaw, Sheleen Smith Petersen Church, Carol Douglas, Lesley Ebbetts-Wilson, Elaine Broke, Sue Hunt, Cathie James, Deborah James, Janie Pickard, Sue Johnson, Rosalind Leney, Miriam Morris, Alice Poole, Jane Thomson, Katy Timmons, Joanna Wolton.
(The picture, right, is of the team who arranged the flowers at Easter - the highlight of the year - see below).
What we do
Arranging church flowers is both satisfying and relaxing. The flower arrangers, via a rota system, ensure that there are flowers at every Service, except during the penitential seasons of Lent and Advent when the Church is bare of decoration. Easter is a particularly wonderful celebration when we can indulge in an explosion of spring flowers, and colours, but there are other occasions when we pull out all the stops – including the Festival Mass, Confirmation, Harvest Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
Despite there being quite a large number of us, it is surprising how quickly our week on duty comes round again. We generally work in pairs, although when there is a special Service or function, the cry goes out for all hands on deck. We do have a flower budget from church funds and so individual flower arrangers are not required to take on any financial outlay. Michelle and her team at Wheeler's who supply us with our flowers, are hugely supportive and encourage us with helpful suggestions on colour combinations or style.
Each week the team is responsible for three or four arrangements - a large pedestal, smaller pedestals at the statues of Our Lady (see right) and St Michael and usually also in the All Souls Chapel.In addition, on weeks when there is a baptism, a small arrangement is placed at the font. There is a certain amount of flexibility as to when the flowers are arranged, as most people have to slot it in with their other commitments, childcare, family or work, but in general they are done either on Fridays or Saturday mornings. In our attempts to conserve costs and air miles, regular watering and spraying during the week allows some flowers to survive and be used for a consecutive week. It is all part of St Michael's eco friendly policy, along with extensive use of greenery from local gardens and hedgerows.
Commemorative arrangements
We are very pleased to create an arrangement in memory of a loved one or to celebrate an anniversary or other important event. These arrangements, with a small commemorative plaque, are generally placed in the All Souls Chapel, accessible for private prayer and used for all the weekday masses (see right). We actively encourage such donations (usually in the region of £20
- £30) so if you would like to mark a special occasion in this way please contact the Parish Office.
Weddings and funerals
We are not professionals but we are happy to be consulted by brides planning their weddings at St Michael's and to discuss ways in which we can assist in co-ordinating their floral decorations with the regular church flowers. We are very willing to share our considerable experience, gained by trial and error, of 'what colours and styles work best where'. Similarly we are always willing to discuss funeral flower arrangements.
Please direct your enquiries to the Parish Office .
Why not come and join us?
We would love to welcome anyone (and we are not sexist!) who feels that they would like join the flower arranging team and take their turn on the rota. You do not have to be an expert – just keen to learn and to share in this very rewarding ministry.If you are interested please contact the Parish Office