No celebration is complete without flowers.
And this week a village church will mark its landmark 175th anniversary with a stunning flower festival.
St Peter's Church in Belmont was consecrated on April 1,1850 and the festival, depicting biblical stories in beautiful arrangements, is part of a series of celebrations taking place this year.
An anniversary service took place on April 1, and the following the Sunday, which was led by the Bishop of Bolton, The Rt. Revd Dr Matthew Porter and was attended by clergy past and present, representatives of local organisations and parishioners past and present.
The flower festival has been put together by St Peter's Church's flower arrangers, in association with Harwood and District Flower Club and Friends.
READ MORE: Belmont village, a quintessential British community which won me over
Lottie's of Belmont is the perfect place to brunch
Member of the church, Tom Carr said: " The last flower festival to be held at St Peter's, Belmont was 25 years ago in the year 2000 for our 150th Anniversary.
"We wanted to replicate this for this year's special anniversary.
"On Thursday 12th June, from 7-9pm, there will be a preview evening where tickets are £15. This includes Prosecco and nibbles.
"From Friday 13th June- Sunday 15th June the church will be open from 10.30am-6.00pm. Tickets are £5 and children under 11 can enter for free.
"There will be refreshments available throughout the weekend. On the Sunday evening, there will be a Service of Thanksgiving and Praise at 6:30pm.
"We have more events planned for the rest of the year including a History Weekend, Concert and Victorian Christmas."
The church is on the site of an ancient farm. The land and the funds to finance the church were provided by the Wright family who were local squires.
John Hick, a local industrialist and later MP for Bolton, was very involved with the church in its early days and was responsible for the installation of several stained glass windows, the church bells and a turret clock – all of which survive to the present day.
The church is built in neo-gothic style, popular in Victorian England, with a strong vertical emphasis in the internal design with sharply pointed arches.
Today, St Peter’s is one of 13 Churches in the Bolton Deanery of Walmsley and one of six churches in the Turton Moorland Ministry.
