Ely Cathedral celebrates water at its harvest festival

Canon James Reveley said a harvest loaf was made "specially" for Ely Cathedral

A cathedral in an area of serious water stress has been celebrating water at its harvest festival this weekend.

The festival at Cambridgeshire's Ely Cathedral has featured flower displays titled "Water of Life" and collected donations for food banks.

Flower arranger Judy Wynn said its title came from fear the city would be "starved of water" in the summer.

The festival is about "helping those in need and being generous about what we've got", said Canon James Reveley.

Judy Wynn has been flower arranging since 1974, and worked with Mary Foister for this year's exhibition

The East of England is the driest region in the UK, and Cambridgeshire has been identified as an area of serious water stress, according to Anglian Water.

Ms Wynn, who has been flower arranging at the cathedral for 15 years, said this year's exhibition, "Water of Life", was chosen in conjunction with the farmers.

"We were thinking the summer was going to be really hot, and we'd be starved of water, and for the farmers, the water is life for them for the crops," said Ms Wynn.

Food donations have been collected to give to foodbanks

Canon Reveley said what the farmers do is "crucial to the economy of this place and to their livelihoods".

"We're very much an agricultural area and it's nice when we can celebrate that as part of a wider community, and be aware of the hard work that the farmers do," he said.

"Part of our harvest is acknowledging that and being thankful to them."

Ely Cathedral's celebration of water at its harvest festival started on Friday, with a church service and harvest soup closing it today.