Hundreds of revellers soaked up the sun and the atmosphere at a popular festival which returned to a local village pub at the weekend.
The second FleurFest, hosted by The Fleur de Lys in Lowsonford, on Saturday, also raised funds for Warwick children’s charity Molly Ollys.
The event brought a host of entertainment and activities throughout the day, from live musicians to performers – including stilt walkers and bubbleology. There were also family activities and workshops, from face painting and hair braiding, plus the chance to enjoy pony rides with Pampered Ponies as well as paint your own pottery in a craft tent run by Crazy Kiln.
Visitors were also invited to bring their proud pooches to compete in a dog show, sponsored and judged by Andy O’Brien at K9 Club – with Prettiest Girl, Most Handsome Boy, Wisest Elder (8+yrs old) and Cutest Puppy (under 2yrs) all being crowned!
Live music acts included Jam House regular Carl Sinclair; new Shropshire-based band Soul Perfection; three-piece acoustic covers band The Laundry Room and Lapworth musician Dan Robinson.
The Fleur De Lys, which was last year named Coventry & Warwickshire Foodie Awards Pub of the Year, is nestled 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.
Emma Woodhouse, who runs the pub with her husband Nick, said: “What an absolute privilege to see so many people in our garden for FleurFest this year. This event really was a love letter to our community, celebrating all the things our pub stands for – family and friends, core memories, gorgeous dogs, good times and great company.
“We’re thrilled that so many people turned up to enjoy all the live music and activities throughout the day, seeing every smiling face on a pony ride or chasing StiltMan around making it worth every minute of the planning process. It was also an honour to partner with Molly Ollys again and help raise funds to support their vital work.
“We loved giving the stage to local musicians and upcoming artists who knocked it out the park at one of their first ever gigs – remember you saw them here first! Most of all, we’re really grateful to all the fans of the Fleur who turned up to support us; the shocking statistic that pubs are closing at a rate of two per day this year has proved that their support is more important than ever and we appreciate each and every person who visits us.”
Molly Ollys is a south Warwickshire-based charity which supports children with life-threatening illnesses and their families to help with their emotional wellbeing. They provide gifts and wishes to individuals and donate therapeutic toys and books to both children directly and to hospitals throughout the UK.
The charity also works alongside the NHS to support projects within the hospitals and the community, including funding consultants in paediatric palliative medicine and the creation of Magnolia House at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, a safe and non-clinical space where medical teams and families can have important discussions.
Throughout the 15 years Molly Ollys has been running, it has raised more than £5 million; has provided more than 5,500 wishes; supported more than 21,500 children and distributed more than 23,000 Olly The Brave books to more than 70 hospitals – making those darkest of days brighter for so many families.
Rachel Ollerenshaw said: “We had a fantastic day at FleurFest and were so grateful to their team for inviting us along to raise awareness of Molly Ollys. The weather stayed fine and we met lots of people on our stall as we held a number of games for families. In all, we raised £310, so would like to say a massive thank you to those people who make donations on the day.”
For more information about Molly Ollys or to donate visit HERE.
