A FLOWER festival will mark the 90th anniversary of a Lostock church next month.

The Church of St Thomas and St John was formed in 1914 when two mission churches - St Thomas, Lostock, and St John, Chew Moor - came together to form one.

Today the wooden church, which was originally planned to be a temporary building, flourwhole community.

A three-day flower festival will take place in the Tempest Road church from Friday, October 8, until Sunday, October 10.

The last festival in 1997 raised £8,000 for Breast Cancer Research and organisers hope this year's event will exceed that, with proceeds being split between church funds and Urban Outreach Bolton.

The festival will be open between 10am and 6.30pm on Friday and Saturday, and between noon and 5pm on Sunday. The church choir and the children's choir from Lostock Primary School will perform on the Friday at 7.30pm. For tickets, contact Stewart Forrest-Redfern on 01204 652977.

There will also be a barn dance on Saturday in the parish centre at 8pm. For tickets, call Tracy Cropper on 01204 64509.

The highlight will be the parish communion on Sunday morning when Canon Robin Gamble, from Manchester Cathedral, will be the guest preacher. The festival will close with a Songs of Praise at 6.30pm on Sunday.

The Rev Philip Brew said: "We have been celebrating the anniversary with small events all year and everyone is looking forward to the flower festival."