Tarring flower festival and market

Members of the public will be given the chance to share in the creativity at the Tarring in Bloom Flower Festival from Friday to Sunday, 10am to 4.30pm.

Celebrating the theme Life of Tarring in Bloom, the flower festival has been put together by the church’s excellent team of flower ladies.

Joyce Matthews and Peggy Chandler lead the enthusiastic team, who get busy every Friday morning creating displays for the church. Joyce is trained as a florist and the team includes some very experienced flower arrangers.

Brenda McCurdie, one of the readers, said: “St Andrew’s West Tarring is a beautiful old church, built in the 13th and 15th centuries and set in a large churchyard. Enormous yew trees line the path from the lychgate.

“The Victorians added two very large stained glass windows and also covered the walls with mosaics – unusual in a parish church. All 12 apostles look down from the walls.”

Father Mark Lyon is keen to make the church an integral part of the community and hopes to develop a programme of concerts, events and services which people of the whole, very large parish can enjoy.

The annual Tarring Market will be held on Saturday, 10am to 2.30pm at the Old Palace, in Glebe Road, Tarring. There will be music from Worthing Silver Band, stalls, children’s activities, refreshments and a grand draw, raising money for the church and other charities.

The popular market is held annually under a royal charter, which was granted around 600 years ago.

Brenda added: “The Old Palace is a large flint building that was once a home of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Recent roof problems have necessitated extensive repairs, which have been completed just in time for the market.

“St Andrew’s is a busy church with a large congregation, always delighted to welcome visitors. Through the summer it is open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons from 2.30pm to 4.00pm.”