A Burnham-On-Sea florist says she was “shocked and honoured” to get a surprise call at the weekend asking if she could supply flowers for music legend Diana Ross at the Glastonbury Festival.
The music star wowed the crowds with a performance during Glastonbury’s legend slot on Sunday. She was thanked by organisers with a very special bouquet supplied by Julia’s Flowers, a small florist in Burnham’s College Street.
Julia Newman, who has been making flower arrangements for 38 years, told Burnham-On-Sea.com how it unfolded: “You never expect to get a phone call like this at twenty past eight on a Sunday morning!”
“A lady, called Alex, phoned me out of the blue and explained that she was the assistant to Diana Ross.”
“I’d diverted the call from the shop to my mobile and thought it was a joke at first. She asked if I could supply a special bouquet of 30 white roses and 30 freesias with other flowers at short notice – she added that it had to be flamboyant!”
“Initially, I was unsure and told her that actually I don’t open on Sundays and suggested she might want to try elsewhere, still thinking it was a joke!”
“But she repeated again that the flowers would be for Diana Ross at Glastonbury Festival later in the day. She said to call her back if I could help, adding she was expecting to hear back from me shortly!”
“I called my husband to talk it through, explaining that I’d just had the weirdest of conversations, and then decided to call her back and say yes we would do it.”
“Alex said they’d have a driver with me to collect the flowers within the hour – so I headed straight into the shop and fortunately had enough fresh flowers following a delivery and was able to put together a wonderful ‘flamboyant’ bouquet!”
Julia says she used 30 white avalanche roses, 30 white freesias, 30 white lisianthus, gypsophilia with tree fern and ruscus.
Julia adds: “Bang on time, a gentlemen pulled up in a huge car to collect the flowers and paid for them straight away, making it very worthwhile. He took several photos of the bouquet and sent them over to Alex for checking – and she replied that they were amazing!”
“The driver then headed off with them to Glastonbury in time for Diana Ross to perform later on Sunday.”
“It was a very special morning – I couldn’t quite believe it honestly! Being asked to supply flowers to such a huge legend like Diana Ross from a small florist shop in Burnham is just incredible!”
“Alex explained that she’d looked online for a florist in the area and that the reviews for Julia’s Flowers were so positive that she picked us.”
“It’s wonderful, amazing recognition for us in Burnham!”
Diana Ross claimed her place in the festival’s VIP hall of fame alongside previous ‘legend stage’ performers Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Barry Gibb and Kylie Minogue.
