THE first flower festival of the year has been a huge success, attracting almost 1,000 visitors in a weekend.

The Stapleford Tawney Flower Festival at St Mary's Church attracted hundreds of visitors over the weekend.

The poetry-themed festival saw music performances and limerick readings alongside arrangments based on famous poems.

Young Matthew Schrivener won the under 12's limerick competition with his offering.

"There was a young man from China, who wasn't a very good climber."

"He slipped on a stone, broke a bone, Now he's in a hospital all alone."

Music was provided on saturday by the High Country Stompers and on sunday by the Fairkytes Accordion Band Organiser Phillipa Giles said: "The flower festival was fantastic, the sushine brought everyone out and we think we had just short of 1,000 visitors."