PREPARATIONS are under way for a fortnight of celebrations marking the 350th anniversary of Upton Baptist Church.

The fun begins with the return of the church flower festival on the weekend of June 27 to 30. Organisers have high hopes for the event, which returns after a gap of a year.

Marking the transition from the past to the future, the church's new hall will be christened with a Youth Celebration event on July 4, from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. The official opening and dedication of the hall takes place the following day and many church dignitaries are expected to attend. A large number of balloons are due to be released to mark the event.

On the evening of July 5, a concert by the Cambrensis Choir begin at 7.30pm. Tickets are £5, available from Sunday (June 1) at PS Presents, The Studio Severnside and the church itself during the flower festival.

On July 6, there will be thanksgiving services in the morning and evening and on July 13 a Songs of Praise service featuring hymns spanning the past 350 years.

Rounding off the celebrations on July 20, will be David Kerrigan, who will give a talk on an area in northern India which has just celebrated 100 years of Christianity.

The first recorded minister in Upton was Richard Harrison in 1653, making Upton one of the oldest Baptist fellowships in the UK.