IN PICTURES: Margaret Mason celebrates new venture with charity event for Brian House Children's Hospice

Flower queen Margaret Mason has seen floral art blossom in her 63 years in the business.

So the 81-year-old decided to illustrate just how much things have changed in floristry since the fifties when she hosted a charity event at her new premises to raise money for a children’s hospice.

Margaret, who has been a fixture in her shop in Friargate, Preston since 1961, has now opened the Flower Barn in Hillock Lane, Warton.

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To celebrate the new venture she invited an audience from both the Preston and Fylde areas to enjoy a fashion show with a difference.

Models for the event included the reigning Miss Preston (Niamh Taylor), Miss Lancashire (Elle Finch) and Miss Cumbria (Hannah Bradley).

“It was an amazing evening,” said Margaret. “I couldn’t have been happier with how things went.

“We raised more than £3,000 for Brian House children’s hospice in Blackpool, which is a really worthwhile cause. We also raised money for Leukaemia Care.

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The whole evening went down really well. We put on a parade of floral styles dating back to 1961, the year I first opened my own shop in Preston.

“We wanted to show how the flower industry has changed over the years and the models - Andrea, Julie, Jessica, Olivia, Hannah, Diane, Jess and Shauna and our perfect flower girl six-year-old Mia - were all absolutely wonderful.”

The finale was a wedding display with a bride, her father and entourage, processing to music from the recent Royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

“The evening was a great success,” added Margaret. “Everyone was very generous, including the family and friends of the late Raman Bhai Patel who gave a most welcome donation.”

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