A fireworks spectacle and spooky surprises were central to a Day of The Dead-themed fun Halloween event at The Fleur de Lys in Lowsonford.
Some 600 people soaked up the seasonal fun at the pub’s Halloween & Fireworks Party on Friday, enjoying a host of live family entertainment, from fire shows to music and food.
It marks the eleventh successful Bonfire Night event organised at The Fleur by owners Emma and Nick Woodhouse.
Attractions this year included performances from Storm In A Teacup circus group, including a spectacular fire show, stilt walker and hula hoopers as well as Vala Stiorra, the tarot reader. Plus, for the kids, there was the chance to get involved in face painting, craft tables and a fancy dress competition. There was also live music sets from local five-piece covers band Real Human Beings.
And it was eyes to the skies for a sensational fireworks display later on in the evening.
Emma said: “People don’t necessarily expect much from a little country pub when it comes to fireworks, but we’ve always been a bit extra. If we’ve learnt anything over the past decade of setting fire to things in our garden, it’s that more is always more. So when we decided to combine our annual fireworks night party with Halloween we knew we wanted to make it a night to remember for everyone. We drafted in circus performers, tarot readers and face painters to make sure there was fun for all the family and had Real Human Beings band on hand to get the party going.
“We’re incredibly lucky to have such a brilliant community here at the Fleur De Lys who love to spend an evening cooing over fireworks and dancing in the dark with us. Over the years we’ve tried to make this event as family-friendly as possible, including craft tables and cookie decorating stations as well this year, to keep little ones engaged even if they’re not that interested in the big show.
She added: “The Fleur De Lys was crowned as the Best Pub of the Year at Coventry and Warwickshire’s Foodie Awards this year, so it felt more fitting than ever to throw everything we’ve got at creating an unforgettable evening to thank all of our customers for their long and loyal support. Hopefully we did them proud!”
The Fleur De Lys is nestled in the picturesque village of Lowsonford on the banks of the Stratford Canal between winding roads which used to be part of The Forest of Arden. The garden boasts an acre of land and is also popular as a stop-off for canal users.
The Day of The Dead theme, for Halloween, could also be seen as a nod to one of the building’s former guises as a mortuary, from where the bodies were taken to Rowington Church in the absence of a village church. It wasn’t until the early 20th century when it first opened as a tavern, later going on to introduce the ‘pioneering’ idea of serving food and giving rise to the now famous Fleur De Lys pies.
The originator of the Gunpowder Plot, Robert Catesby, lived a stone’s throw away from The Fleur de Lys, in Bushwood Hall on Bushwood Lane. We always talk about Guy Fawkes, but it was actually Catesby’s plan to replace Protestant James I with a Catholic monarch.
