Religious festival to be held in Marlow park

7:00am Friday 9th May 2008

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WORSHIPPERS in Marlow are preparing for a weekend of celebrations in Higginson Park.

Six different Christian churches have come together to get ready for Hope 08, a festival to be held on May 18.

There will be a barbecue, live music acts, a bungee run, a football cage and a display at the skate park.

Organiser Mike Wilkinson from Marlow Christian Fellowship said it was a chance for all the different Christian denominations in Marlow to form closer relations: "There are major things that unite us and the sad thing is that sometimes the focus has been on the things that divide us.

"I'm hoping that there will be 500 people just from the churches along with all the people who are drawn to the park because it's a nice day to enjoy themselves."

The group has bought a second-hand bus for the event, and are currently doing it up to make a mobile venue and entertainment centre.

The Hope Bus will be painted bright purple, with "Hope" written in large letters across the side. The group plans to install plasma screen televisions inside, as well as games consoles, a coffee bar and seating.

When it is ready the bus will tour Marlow and the surrounding area to act as a venue for after school activities and other events.

So far more than 650 hours of volunteer work and £8,000 have gone into building the bus, and it is hoped it will be finished in time for the festival.

Other attractions on the day will include an open air service at 11.30 am, and a "Prayer Maze". This is a large maze which will be set up in Higginson Park.

Worshippers will be able to wander through the corridors of the maze, offering up prayers at several stations dotted around inside.

The churches taking part are All Saints Church, Saint Peter's Roman Catholic Church, Marlow Methodist Church, the United Reformed Church, the River Church and Marlow Christian Fellowship.