A STUNNING display of blooms will fill Tavistock?s St Eustachius Church next week, when the biggest-ever flower festival is held in the ancient town centre building.

Organiser Janette Rawlings said 29 arrangements will deck the entire church in a riot of colour, all to the theme of ?Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries?.

Mrs Rawlings said: ?It?s taken nearly a year to organise, I started working on it last October, to get it into people?s diaries ? it does take an awful lot of time.

?It?s a really big festival this time, the biggest it?s ever been ? it should look beautiful.?

Mrs Rawlings said each display depicts a popular proverb ? many of them appropriate to the individuals or organisations which are creating them. For example, Acorns Florist?s arrangement represents ?Mighty oaks from little acorns grow?, and ?An apple a day keeps the doctor away? is being created by Anne Blithe at Abbey Surgery.

?I?ve also tried to put them in appropriate places in the church, like ?Practise what your Preach? is at the pulpit,? said Mrs Rawlings.

She said a ?complete mixture? of people have submitted flower arrangements for the festival, from Tavistock Lions Club and the Embroiderers? Guild, to the church youth club and Tavistock Hospital.

Schools, clubs and some individuals have created miniature gardens under the title ?Small is beautiful? which surround the altar rail and the main entrance will be dedicated to St Eustachius, the patron saint of the church.

In addition to the colourful displays, there will be plenty of other attractions to enjoy during the festival, which runs between Thursday September 18 and Sunday September 21.

Ploughman?s lunches and cream teas will be available in the parish centre, where there will also be a wide range of crafts on sale.

An organ recital takes place in the church at 1pm on Friday September 19, while the Stannary Brass Band will be performing in the vicarage garden at 2pm on Saturday September 20.

Tavistock Church Choir will give a concert in the church at 7.30pm the same day, accompanied by Dr Sean Sweeney on the organ and featuring soloist Anna Reynolds. The conductor will be Pearce Richards. Tickets for the concert cost £3.

And on Sunday, there will be a festival evensong at 6pm in the church.

All profits from the festival will go towards the running of the church.