Arts Festival gets underway

THE BROADWAY Arts Festival got off to a great start at the weekend when the sun came out to see Sir Roy Strong open proceedings.

Sir Roy gave a fascinating talk about his own Laskett Gardens to a packed Lifford Hall on Saturday (June 9 before a children’s parade saw a couple of hundred schoolchildren march down the street, wearing hats adorned with handmade paper flowers, reflecting the festival’s garden theme.

Hundreds of people turned out to see the festival's showpiece exhibition at Haynes Fine Art - Country Gardens: John Singer Sargent RA, Alfred Parsons RA and their contemporaries - acclaimed by Sir Roy as a most marvellous idea, depicting beautifully the romantic idyll of rural England.

The exhibition features over 20 oils and watercolours by renowned 19th-century artist and garden designer Alfred Parsons RA, who is this year’s featured artist, together with important works by John Singer Sargent, Lawrence Alma Tadema, John Constable, Lucien Pissaro and many others.

The exhibition remains open till the end of the festival on Sunday (June 17) and entry costs £5 (£4 for concessions).

Other exhibitions also set to run until the end of the festival include the Art Competition exhibition at Little Buckland Gallery, the Young Artists’ Exhibition and an historic photographic exhibition at the Lifford Hall, the Flower Festival in St Michael and All Angels Church and an Exhibition of Botanical Art at Broadway Modern.

Tonight (Friday) there is a special appearance by Vince Freeman from BBC's The Voice at 8pm at the Marquee on the Green (tickets are £7 on the door) and Private Lives by Noel Coward, plus the Cotswold Big Band, tomorrow (Saturday) at 7:30pm (tickets – including dinner – cost £50 and are limited, so please check with the box office for availability).

The full programme of events can be found at www.broadwayartsfestival.com.

Buy photos» The brief appearance of the sun brought some smiles.

Buy photos» The children's parade provided a sea of colour.

Buy photos» Simon Williamson, Broadway Arts Festival chairman, Sir Roy Strong and Michael Sanford, Broadway Arts Festival president, open proceedings outside the Lifford Hall.

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