AMBLESIDE'S Summer Flower, Produce and Craft Show once again produced an impressive crop of local skills and talents.

Despite changeable summer weather in which hot sun alternated with battering rain and blustery winds, exhibitors brought the rich colours and ripeness of a Lakeland summer to the Kelsick Centre at the weekend.

The coveted Blue Ribbon Best Horticultural Exhibit in Show award was deservedly won by first-time entrant, Ed Hindson, of Burton-in-Holme, with his beautiful display of three perfect Cactus Dahlia, ‘Bargaly Blush’ .

Equally impressive to vegetable growers were Tony Lonton’s merited first and second prize entries in several classes including his outstanding winning top tray selection of eight vegetables, as well as a first for his dramatic Spike Gladioli.

Quite a number of competitors tried their hand very successfully at a wide range of different classes, including Jo Jackson, Alan Mitchinson, Margaret Milburn and Jenny Harrop. Twelve-year-old Alex Jackson also beat older, more experienced gardeners, to a number of first prizes, having inherited his gardening skills from granddad Bill and his dad, Paul Jackson, both winners of many a first prize at Ambleside.

The wet summer proved a gift to rain-loving hydrangeas and multi-coloured foliage plants, but no village show would be complete without cookery classes, with entries rivalling any episode of “Bake Off”.

Children’s classes were dominated by the Chen family and by five-year-old twins Oliver and Ted Iveson and their six-year-old brother Thomas, who all displayed plenty of ingenuity in craft entries, including modelling, construction and art.

Adult handicraft exhibits also displayed skilled dedication, from life-like cold porcelain flower creations to carved sticks, knitting and needlework items, photographs and model-making including David Carpenter’s eye-catching vintage fire engine.

One of the show’s most spectacular first prize-winning entries was Judy Fry’s floral art interpretation of George Formby’s classic,“Leaning On A Lamp-Post” which featured in the musical “Me and my Gal.” It featured an ivy-clad miniature lamp-post intricately studded with red, white and pink blooms.

Visitors from as far away as South Africa, Canada, America and France were among many attending the show.

“Ambleside’s horticultural and craft relies on the community to contribute entries,” said society stalwart Leslie Johnson. “It’s also all about encouraging parents to get their children to enter too. Those who are presented with awards don’t ‘win’ prizes – they earn them!”