VILLAGERS planted the seeds for a riot of colour in Norley by supporting a poetry recital and concert.

More than 60 people attended the fundraiser at Norley Village Hall, which raised well over £500 for the village’s wildflower memorial walk.

Numerous wartime poems were read at the event, It's A Long Way To Tipperary, which also featured a performance by Kingsley Players based on the 1969 film musical Oh! What A lovely War.

“The whole event was wonderful, although a bit of an emotional rollercoaster,” said organiser Phil Gifford, chairman of Norley Wildlife Group.

“Most, if not all of us, had tears in our eyes from crying and laughing so much.

“Fortunately our constitutions had been fortified by liberal quantities of tea and delicious scones and a huge variety of marvellous cakes provided by Norley WI, and was especially deserved by the dozen who had completed the walk earlier that afternoon.

“The performance by the Kingsley Players was absolutely stunning. Lynn Pegler had produced a shortened version, which was amazingly fresh and vibrant, alternately funny and tragic, and ran through the unfolding carnage of The First World War.

“The ensuing applause and cheers were long and hard, and had there been a curtain it would have been raised and lowered until the stagehands were exhausted.”

In his introduction to the poetry recital Mr Gifford quoted In Memoriam and later read At Break of day in the Trenches.

Chris Proudfoot read Adelstrop and MCMIV, and Weaver Vale MP Graham Evans read In Flanders Fields.

Other poems were equally poignant, such as The Dead, read by Rob Appleton in memory of his great uncle Arthur Palfreyman, or Ian Stockton’s reading of High Flight.

Toby Bowcock of 1st Norley Scouts read To Germany, and George Crawford read The Owl.

“Perhaps the most powerful poems was Lynn Pegler’s own poem, Voices of the Norley Fallen, written especially for the day, which evoked the 12 names of the Norley men who died in the war,” said Mr Gifford.

“Ticket sales and a raffle collected well over £500, enough to pay for the seeds for an even better show for next year’s wildflowers.”

Mr Gifford thanked JNCOT for allowing free use of the village hall, to the WI, which provided the tea, scones and cakes, Kingsley Players, those who donated raffle prizes and volunteers from the wildlife group.

He presented a bouquet to Lynn Pegler and box of chocolates for the players.