WEED AND WILD FLOWER FESTIVAL

July 4th & 5th 2009

Every other year, we celebrate the glorious countryside that surrounds us and its Creation. It was a great weekend and once again the festival was well-supported, with some 4,000 visitors.

There can be no doubt it was challenging but very enjoyable! 

The theme of this year's event was adventure, and the route through the church was designed to reflect many of the wonders that we experience in our natural world.

For no particular reason other than nostalgia, we loosely based the style on the 1930’s.  This was a time when life was not so dominated by modern-day pressures and there was, perhaps, more time to think, to stand and to stare. Perhaps if some of the true values in life - those that Jesus taught us - had been followed, then some of ther political and economic mess of the last year or two may not have happened.

The journey through the church passed a bank of wild flowers and went on through woodland; behind the waterfall and in the chancel, a most amazing mix of a country picnic and a mist-filled sanctuary.

We wanted to create a dream-like quality - the type of dream that one has after a good lunch in the country.  In the words of our brochure, “you drift off and start to dream.  You are filled with happiness.  Awakening, your spirits are lifted even more – but you can’t quite work out why. Your journey continues. Your life continues. You are content”.

In the evening, a quite outstanding display of fire dancing fire juggling, along with a charcoal burn with all the revelry that goes with it.

This has never been a commercial event; instead, the various stalls and displays are designed to educate and promote true crafts, based on wholesome country living.

Several people have contributed collections of excellent photos of the event. Because space on the website is limited, we have compiled some selections of the best pictures. By clicking on any image, a higher resolution image can be displayed. Enjoy!

The first group is a selection of beautiful pictures taken by Quinn Murray, who has kindly given permission to display them here on our site. To see his full collection, visit www.quinography.com/Quinography/Welcome.html

This second group was chosen and captioned by Nick Symes. Thanks to Bob Evans, Nick Skinner, Barry Pickthall, Acora Link and Quin Murray for their superb pictures. Clicking on each picture will bring up a higher resolution image which can be downloaded or printed. The church tranformed from this ... ..... to this ..... ..... via this ..... ..... and this .....!! Church door ringed with wild flowers in abundance (detail) Just inside the church, a classic overgrown end of garden scene that is enough to make you give up! The countryside beckons and your journey begins. Looking up the church aisle, now mostly taken up with a waterfall, stream and banks of wildflowers. There are pews under all this!       Peering out from the overgrowth in the wood – just off the north aisle. Out of the woodland and walking behind the waterfall with light from the west window glinting on the water. A picnic in the chancel. The dream-like quality of the chancel with mist passing through the church. The use of special effect lighting and mist machines created a  heavenly atmosphere above the altar. The vestry became a habitat for bats during the weekend courtesy of the Sussex Bat Group with live bats and a visitor or two. Outside the churchyard was filled to overflowing with plants, displays, stalls and lots of happy people. Entertainment by the Sussex Folk Orchestra throughout the weekend added a lovely touch of pure Englishness. Scrumptious, mouthwatering cream teas. Or roasted lamb from the Sussex Downs above the village. The Weed Festival is not a “commercial” event and the various exhibitors are ... ... highly talented artists and craftsmen working throughout the weekend, spinning, carving, knapping, bodging, painting, weaving -  and talking. Art plays an important part in the festival with an art exhibition marquee and here one of the art master classes in the churchyard. The village plant stall with some really healthy geraniums. With Fishbourne Roman Palace and Bignor Roman Villa in the vicinity, you never know who will drop in! throughout the churchyard and along the road outside, verse and prose were on display. Poetry reading in the tea garden on Sunday afternoon.  What better way to slowly pass the time, especially with a Sussex cream tea on your lap. The best way to buy  poetry - from a travelling poet. Inspiration to paint at the top of Bignor Hill. Throughout the weekend, guided walks passed some of the beautiful country around Bignor.  Here a still lake surrounded by woodland ..... ..... and the beauty of nature .....