Flower festivals are labour-intensive.
Tour parties included a slot for worship in the Lady Chapel. Flower festivals can take up to five years to plan, or they can be a nine-week wonder. Those churches that can manage late August and the Bank Holiday reap the benefit. St Michael's, Taddington, in Derby diocese, was full last weekend for a short Saturday-afternoon service of thanksgiving for the work of creation, which was the festival's theme. For country churches, the flower festival can be a cornerstone of fund-raising.