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Laurie Wedge was the Green Man on stilts who graced Pilton Green Man Festival for 15 years until his death in February 2016, age only 63. Many thousands of people saw and enjoyed Laurie's deep commitment to the Festival. No-one could miss his giraffe-like walk through the crowd, ten-feet tall dressed in a spectacular plant and flower costume, sprinkling everyone he could with rose petals and offering them a green blessing.

"Pilton Festival, and the Green Man persona, was the highlight of his year," said his partner, Teresa Price. "It represented what he believed in. He'd spend a lot of time preparing for it, arranging his costume and collecting the rose petals. He really loved what he did on the day. It was about fertility and abundance."

Laurie came from London where he learned stiltwalking and other circus skills alongside Abi Falkner of South Molton, with whom he had two children, Robin and Elsa. Abi said: "He really was a very authentic and appropriate choice for the Green Man, as he loved nature, gardening and growing things. His long terraced house garden in Larkhall Lane (London) was absolutely bursting with plants, everything from a huge wild cherry tree to small bonsai trees in pots. Every window sill was chockablock with plants he had grown from seeds, lemon plants, passion flowers, pine cuttings and all sorts. "The Green Man was the first costume he put together."

Laurie had been ill for a while but even when he was less able to go out and perform he had insisted on appearing at the Pilton Festival because of the friends he made and his kinship with the spirit of the occasion.