A FLOWER festival will be held at St Michael's Church, Heighington, to mark the completion of the village bells restoration project.

The festival, entitled Ringing in the Buds of May, has a gala preview evening on Thursday, April 28, at 7.30pm.

Northern Echo columnists Mike Amos and Sharon Griffiths will launch the event.

The exhibition opens on Friday, April 29, and runs each day from 10am to 8pm. It ends on Monday, May 2, at 5pm. Admission is £1 at the door.

A service of thanksgiving and re-dedication of the bells will be on Sunday, May 1, at 5pm.

The church was awarded £11,100 from The Heritage Lottery Fund to restore and re-hang the bells. They are among only a handful of medieval bells still used in the English tradition of change ringing. The church is home to six bells, three of which were cast in 1425 by a founder from York.

Gala evening tickets cost £10, including wine, and are available from Anne Dobson (01388) 772360, Libby Smyth (01325) 312123 or the vicarage on (01325) 312134.