BY NUALA MCALOON

It will be an afternoon of green fingers and family fun as Belleek Pottery holds a special 150th Anniversary event next Wednesday, 29th August.

The Pottery will welcome a range of celebrity guests as it officially opens its new, 'Rose Isle Garden'. The BBC's Greenmount Garden and Gardeners' Corner presenter, John Cushnie will open the new attraction and BBC Radio Ulster's Hugo Duncan will also roll up for an afternoon of friendly chat and good music. There will also be balloon modelling, food stalls and face-painting for children.

John Cushnie was looking forward to his Belleek visit:

"There is no doubt that everyone is interested in old-style gardening, and the Belleek Rose Isle Garden will certainly be a hit with gardeners and a place for families. Gardening is fun and should be seen to be enjoyable rather than hard work. The results are enormously satisfying and well worth the effort."

The Belleek Rose Isle Garden has been planted with the flowers and plants traditionally used on pieces of Belleek china such as Roses, Carnations, Lily Dog, Daisy and Camellia.

Speaking on the significance of the new Garden, Fergus Cleary, Belleek's Head of Design explained:

"More than a century before the Pottery's establishment in 1857, Sir John Caldwell of Castlecaldwell built Rose Isle house on the island for his mother, the Dowager Lady Caldwell. Contemporary writers remark on the house's beautiful gardens, with views of the river and Belleek waterfall.

"Although over the years', he went on, " the house and its grounds fell into a state of disrepair, there are corners of the Pottery grounds where clusters of non-native flowers still grow which could possibly be survivors of the old gardens of Rose Isle House.

"To mark the 150th Anniversary and to commemorate the many people who gave their skills to establish Belleek as one of Ireland's foremost brands, it was decided to plant a new "Rose Isle" Garden that could be enjoyed by employees and visitors alike for generations to come", he explained.

The family entertainment will begin at 1.00pm and everyone is welcome.

For further information contact the Belleek Visitor Centre on 028 6865 8501.