IN celebration of the Queen’s 90th birthday, members of Holsworthy Hamlets Flower Club and friends seized the opportunity to choose a royal theme for their Flower Festival in Bodmin St Methodist Church, writes Christine Williams.

Under the title ‘Happy and Glorious’ 28 magnificent floral arrangements were arrayed around the chapel, portraying the events of her life, both public and personal, her dedication to duty and her support for certain charities.

Visitors entering the porch were immediately confronted by ‘The Queen’, a striking arrangement of red carnations, white roses and blue delphiniums set against a red, white and blue flag with a blue hat to one side in the style favoured by Her Majesty.

To the right was an arrangement of strelitzia, bright red anthuriums, and celosia representing the Commonwealth.

Inside the chapel, starting on the left and in clockwise order, the arrangements followed the events of the Queen’s life from being a girl guide, the wartime, through her meeting with Prince Philip at Dartmouth, the Royal wedding and christenings, to her state visits and jubilees and to her acting role with James Bond in the London Olympics.

Royal residences such as Holyrood were featured, complete with tartan cloths and a suit of armour, as well as the fire at Windsor Castle with red hot pokers shooting up from red anthuriums.

The National Anthem was represented in front of the organ by a row of white roses with blue delphiniums above and stocks beneath.

The festival was a feast not only for the eyes, but for all the senses with the gentle fragrance of the flowers, the organ music played by Martyn Squire and the cream teas in the Blue Room.

The floral arrangements were sponsored by many people in memory of loved ones and there was an opportunity to place a flower in the Memory Garden and write an entry in a Memory Book.