This weekend it was Shepton's first Snowdrop Festival, which has been organised by the local Horticultural Society. It is in honour of James Allen (1830 - 1906), who lived in the town and was the first person to breed snowdrops from wild varieties. Above, is the window at the One Craft Gallery, that I and a fellow maker, put together for the event. Members of our co-operative had contributed by producing artworks, and wares inspired by snowdrops. We were given a special award by the organisers for our efforts!
All the images above and below, were taken last Friday at Shepton Market, when the festival started. The town was awash with snowdrop images - from stencilled pavements to colourful planters. There were also the plants for sale - I never knew there were so many varieties! Each had its own name and special features.
A large empty shop space had been taken over as Snowdrop HQ. Here there were refreshments, artwork, cakes, cards, related stalls, and the results of a photographic and poetry writing competition. Over the weekend there were other events, including a parade to Jams Allen's grave to plant some snowdrops, and a ramble in a local wood. It was great to see so many people gathering in the town on Friday. I hope the whole weekend was a success as the Shepton Mallet Snowdrop Festival is planned to be an annual event...
