A village flower show and fete that’s been going for more than 150 years is to break with tradition this year by crowning a king alongside its time-honoured flower queen.
School friends Neo Jeffries and Skye Greenway will be joined by several young attendants at the event in Bisley on Saturday August 28.
Traditionally the crowning of the flower queen has marked the opening of the flower show, held in a large marquee on a field off Cheltenham Road in Bisley since 1853, with generations of girls from Bisley Blue Coat Primary School performing the royal role.
This year, however, the organisers felt the time had come to widen the special honour so that boys could fully take part too.
“Our fete starts at 1pm and it’s the tradition that the doors of the flower show marquee open just after 2pm, once the flower queen has arrived and been crowned,” explained Sue Bradley.
“This year we’re looking forward to welcoming both a queen and a king and we’ll sure Skye and Neo and their attendants will be wonderful in their royal roles.
“We’re also delighted to be able to welcome Tommie and Lucie Ryan-Gericks as our guests of honour. Tommie and Lucie ran our post office and George Stores for several years until their recent retirement and were integral to the life of the village.”
The organisers of Bisley Flower Show and Fete have been working hard to make sure the event is as safe as possible for everybody attending.
Organisers of the flower show are looking forward to having a marquee bursting with fruit, vegetables, home cooking and handicrafts. A full schedule of classes is available at: https://www.bisleyflowershow.co.uk/.
The fete, a major annual fundraiser for All Saints’ Church in Bisley, will feature a variety of stalls, including bric-a-brac, plants, cakes, toys, books and a grand raffle, and teas from the famous ‘Team Trinder’, along with the musical talents of Avening Silver Band. It’s hoped that past and present country dancers from Bisley Bluecoat School will be able to put on a display, something that will be especially poignant for villagers after the death of well-known caller Peter Hendy earlier this year.
There will be a dog show, which starts at 2.15pm, with several ‘fun’ classes.
“Bisley Flower Show and Fete was not held in 2020 and was very much missed by people in the village and further afield,” said Sue. “For many it’s an opportunity for old friends to meet up and new friends to be made.
“We’re really looking forward to its return on Saturday August 28.”
