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Roses bloomed in spite of the weather

More than 300 people remained undaunted by the inclement weather to enjoy the Latrobe Roseworld Celebration of Roses at the Morwell Centenary Rose Garden on Saturday.

By Latrobe Shire Council - 20th April 2004 - Back to News

The festival started on a sound note when more than a hundred residents and visitors attended St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church to hear a recital on the historic Speechley and Ingram organ. The recital was performed by one of Melbourne’s finest organists, Lindsay Hutchinson, and was supported by a number of choral items.

Manager Events Latrobe, Janiene Ayre, said that while Saturday’s strong winds, rain and low temperatures deterred many would-be rose enthusiasts, it did not dampen the spirits of Dorothy the Dinosaur, who performed in true Wiggles style.

"Nor did it discourage the dedicated Dorothy fans, who wiggled, danced and sang, together with many of their parents, nearby stall holders and dedicated gardening enthusiasts," Ms Ayre said.

"Many of those who did brave the elements for a short time found great bargains amongst the nurseries and stalls.

"The variety of food and beverages catered for everyone’s taste from the Club Astoria’s fantastic German cuisine through to great coffee’s supplied by Piglets of Neerim South.

"The new format on the day with a program of activities including lifestyle displays and DIY demonstrations added a new buzz to this event, and catered for those who could only pop in for a few hours and also encouraged others to stay longer," Ms Ayre said.

The Latrobe Regional Gallery was overwhelmed with new visitors on Saturday and Sunday for the activities in the Gallery.

Gallery Director, Louise Tegart, said the Celebration of Roses had been a great success for Latrobe Regional Gallery.

"The exhibition A.M.E Bale - Flower Painter of Distinction, and the Floral Art Display featuring local florists and artists attracted over 190 people on Saturday and over 160 on Sunday," Ms Tegart said.

"The Gallery also ran two workshops for children over the weekend, Painted terracotta pots and Paper Marbling both of which were well attended and enjoyed immensely by all participants," Ms Tegart added.

Ms Ayre said a Celebrations of Roses Morwell CBD window competition was held in the lead up to the weekend. "The winner was the ANZ Bank in Commercial Road Morwell," Ms Ayre announced.

"Congratulations to all who entered the window competition. The overall effort put into decorating, and the quality of the displays were of a very high standard, and the winner was difficult choice," Ms Ayre said.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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