A flower festival to celebrate Songs The Guides Sing will be staged in Hanson House, Linby, at the beginning of September.

Hanson House, which is a pack holiday and training centre run by Girlguiding Nottinghamshire, will be decked both inside and out with over 30 floral arrangements created by local Guides, Brownies and Rainbows as well as Guide Leaders and members of the Trefoil Guild.

All the displays will illustrate songs guaranteed to strike a chord with anyone connected with Girlguiding – from folk songs like ‘Kookaburra Sits In The Old Gum Tree’ and ‘Land of the Silver Birch’ to familiar tunes which the girls have made their own, like ‘Campfire’s Burning’ and ‘Ging Gong Gooli’.

Songs The Guides Sing will be open 10am-6pm from Friday, 1st September to Sunday, 3rd September. Entry is £2.50 – children are free – and refreshments will be available.

The festival is the inspiration of Eileen Harvey, a long-standing member and supporter of Girlguiding Nottinghamshire and a good friend of former County Commissioner Dulcie Hanson, in whose name the funds were raised to open the house in 1975.

“I have a real soft spot in my heart for Hanson House and am looking forward to welcoming plenty of Girlguiding members as well as the public there during the course of the festival,” says Eileen. “Each floral arrangement will be accompanied by the relevant lyrics, and I’m hoping – or rather expecting – to hear lots of our visitors bursting into spontaneous song!”

Parking is available off nearby Quarry Lane, and offers of help with stewarding or the refreshments would be welcome. For more details contact Eileen Harvey on 01773 717067 or e-mail [email protected]