A Winchester church recently allowed people to plant bulbs in the churchyard to remember loved ones or past church events.

Between 40 and 50 people of all ages turned out on a sunny afternoon to plant daffodil bulbs in the churchyard of St John the Baptist, St John’s Street, to remember someone or to revisit the place where they had come to be christened, married or had once sung in the choir.

The event was inspired by a girl called Evelyn often walked past the church with her parents, asked what all the stones in the churchyard were.

As gently as they could, they explained they were gravestones and Evelyn, wanting to spread some comfort and joy, asked if she could put a flower on every grave.

Evelyn’s father, Grant Mintram, posted the story on the local Facebook group, Winchester Pics, and the response was overwhelming.

Revd Christine Smith, Associate Priest of St John’s, said: “As well as being incredibly moved by Evelyn’s thoughtfulness, people shared all kinds of memories of St John’s, so we decided to invite everyone to come and mark their association by planting a bulb.”

The church’s old registers were put out so people could look up key moments in their family lives, over tea and cake provided by members of the congregation.

The next event at St John’s in association with Winchester Pics, which has nearly 16,000 members, will be a St Valentine themed photographic exhibition, ‘Love Where You Live’ over the weekend of February 12-13. By that time, all the bulbs should be getting ready to flower.