Decorating The Gates Of Southwell

With Southwell’s most eagerly anticipated event only weeks away and preparations in full swing, organisers of the Gate to Southwell Festival have announced a new initiative to make sure everyone knows.

Local residents and businesses are invited to decorate their gates or gateways in the most colourful and imaginative way they can think of.

Leading the way is a proposal to decorate the Minster’s West Gate, Southwell’s most prominent gate and enduring symbol of the festival. This will be undertaken by Flower Pod – part of the local charity Reach Learning Disability – in an exciting collaboration with the festival. Flower Pod’s involvement in the event is being generously sponsored by Gusto Homes, developers of Becher’s Court on Southwell Burgage.

“This is a great opportunity for collaboration between the Festival, Flower Pod, Reach and the local community,” says Mike Fryer, Commercial Manager of Flower Pod. “Hopefully the residents will use our locally grown flowers . It’s a marvellous way to raise money for Reach and it could be the start of an annual May Bank Holiday Southwell tradition!”

Festival Director Mike Kirrage was enthusiastic about linking with Flower Pod hoping the collaboration could be taken further in the future. “It’s great when two community enterprises come together to mutual benefit, especially when it’s in such a fun way involving local residents.” Southwellians are encouraged to get their creative juices flowing and start decoration from mid-May onwards. All entries will receive a prize with the “best-dressed” gates in town winning free tickets to the Gate To Southwell Festival (June 8 to 11).

It’s hoped the initiative will generate extra publicity for the festival and Flower Pod. “This year’s theme is the fiftieth anniversary of the Summer of Love, said Mike. “We’ll have lots of great artists performing songs from the period and we’re encouraging all festival goers to embrace the ‘Flower Power’ era so it would be wonderful to have Flower Pod involved too.”

Flower Pod would welcome further sponsorship to help provide flowers and decorations for the Summer Of Love festival event. For more information please contact flowerpod@reachuk.org or visit www.flowerpod.org For more Festival information visit www.gtsf.uk