Bower festival returns to streets

Lichfield is gearing up for some Bank Holiday fun when it stages the annual Greenhill Bower Festival on Monday.

The Bower street procession will start at 11.45am from Cherry Orchard.

It will move on to the Guildhall for the crowning of this year's Bower Queen, 17-year-old Kate Chaplin, by the Mayor of Lichfield, Councillor Terence Thomas. The traditional Court of Arraye will also be held at the Guildhall at 10.30am. The procession will continue to Greenhill on a route taking in Wade Street, Frog Lane, Queen Street, Walsall Road, Cathedral Close, Dam Street and Tamworth Street.

A model of Samuel Johnson's Birthplace will feature on the Bower Queen's float. It was designed and made by Robert Mullarkey.

The procession will be led by the Green Man Morris and Sword Club and the lead band will be the Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas.

Organisers are hoping to match or beat last year's record attendance of around 30,000. The Greenhill Bower is an ancient tradition in Lichfield dating back to the 12th century.

As well as the decorated floats in the carnival procession there will be fairground rides and music in Beacon Park and a street market in Market Street.

A flypast by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's Second World War Dakota is due to take place over Beacon Park at 4.14pm.

Bower committee chairman Michael Mullarkey said: "We are hoping for good weather on Monday. The last three years have suffered a bit on the day so we are due a change."

Admission to Beacon park will be £2 on foot and free for under-fives. Car parking will be £6 including admission for all occupants.

* A Sunday bus service will be running on the Arriva Midlands 825 route between Stafford and Lichfield on Bank Holiday Monday. The service calls at Milford, Little Haywood, Colwich, Springfield Estate, Rugeley, Brereton, Armitage and Handsacre.

Buses will depart from Chell Road in Stafford on the hour from 9.05am to 5.05pm and there will also be buses leaving at 7.05pm and 9.05pm.