Express & Star

Thousands of blooms turn village yellow for daffodil festival

A village was a sea of yellow as hundreds of visitors flocked to its daffodil festival.

Published
Colin Darling won the photography contest for this picture of a harp

More than 600 people turned out for the Daffodil Days festival at St Peter’s Church in Kinver, near Stourbridge, with thousands of daffodils inside and out.

In addition to 1,500 bulbs planted 30 years ago, the community planted 1,400 last year, and village florist Winnie & Olive donated another thousand to display inside the church. The 1st Kinver Guides, Brownies and Rainbows also planted and showed their displays.

Shops throughout the village also took park in the festival on March 18-19, responding to a challenge to create bright window displays of daffodils.

Pianists Michael Jones and Ayaki Davies and harpist Helen Barley provided music, while the Kinver bellringers and Fox's Morris Dancers from Cookley also entertained the crowds.

David Marsh's picture of Tilly the dog won the pets category

A photographic competition attracted almost 300 entries, with the overall prize going to Colin Darling for his photograph of a carbon fibre harp by the door of the church tower, with commendations for Annette Lawrence's photo of daffodils on the pulpit steps, Clive Griffin’s row of pots at the altar rail, Glenys Cutler's daffodil cross and Ruth Reynolds' images of daffodils outside the church tower.

Steve Sant took the prize for the black-and-white category, for an atmospheric shot of the flowers outside the church.

Stripe a Pose won the prize for best window display

David Marsh won the category for pet photographs, with his picture of dog Tilly, while the Stripe a Pose dress agency won the competition for best-decorated shop front.