ORGANISERS of a cathedral festival are calling on crafters to get knitting, crocheting, painting or modelling white Yorkshire roses.

Ripon Cathedral Revealed is a festival of flowers, music, spirituality, food and drink – and will feature installations of the handmade roses tumbling down the front of the building and surrounding it, just the ceramic poppies at the Tower of London.

The Reverend Canon Elizabeth Sewell, canon educator at the cathedral, is keen that as many people as possible create Yorkshire roses.

She said: “We already have around 50 roses with many more promised. Schools are getting involved as well as clubs, groups and individuals.

“We have even have one school making metal and ceramic roses.

“To encourage mass participation, we have crochet, sewing and knitting patterns available free from the cathedral shop or from our website. Alternatively, people can create their own patterns using whatever materials they wish and there are ideas available via internet search engines.”

Inside roses should be no more than six inches in diameter, ideally with a safety pin attached to the back. Outside roses should be at least six inches in diameter and as large as you like and should be attached to a garden cane.

Once you have made your rose you can take it to the Cathedral Shop or post it to the Cathedral Office before the event or simply bring it along during the festival and put it in place yourself.

Tickets for the festival are now on sale on line at www.riponcathedral.info/revealed/ which also gives details of the many events that are happening. They cost £15 for the Jazz Preview Evening that launches the Festival and £8 for each day of the festival. Entry for children is free.