AN elderly Ambleside resident attended the town’s annual Rushbearing ceremony for the 93rd time at the weekend.

Jessie Wilson, 99, has attended the event every year since she was six. But the 2010 event saw a rare change to proceedings - the ceremony ended outside the Parish Centre because of renovation work at St Mary’s Parish Church.

“We’ve never had it like this before,” said Mrs Wilson. “There wouldn’t be room for all these people in the church this year.

“It’s a lovely ceremony and everybody always enjoys it, but I’ve decided I’m not doing the fell race this year!”

Mrs Wilson added that when she was a child the procession was longer, but it was scaled back because the previous distance was too far for children.

The walk began outside St Mary’s Church, before hundreds of marchers threaded their way through the town as traffic came to a standstill.

The Ambleside Rushbearer’s Hymn was read out in the Market Square, before the rushes were raised. The ceremony then worked its way to the Parish Hall, where Canon Robert Coke invited people to sing “All Things Bright and Beautiful” and the Rushbearer’s Hymn again. After prayers were read out, pieces of gingerbread were given to the 116 children who turned up. The day ended with youngsters competing in sports events such as the egg-and-spoon race, sack races and a fell race.

The tradition of rushbearing dates back at least 500 years, when communities celebrated the annual gathering of rushes each summer to provide a new covering for church floors. Despite stone replacing rushes many years ago, Ambleside has kept up the ceremony.

This year’s main bearings included the Harp of David, which was carried by Leigh Dugdale, the World, by Gerry Menaud, the Crown, by Christine Wright and the churchwarden’s staves by George Walker and Hugh Wright.Rushbearing Sports were organised and supported by members of Ambleside Fire Service.

This years winners of the Clive Braithwaite Memorial Trophy for the Loughrigg Fell Race were: Boys; 1 Ben Dixon, Girls; 1 Alice Boston. (Clive Braithwaite won the race four times in the 1970’s and his record of 10 mins and 32 seconds remains).

Runners up: Boys: 2. Andrew Brotherton; 3 Luke Bowen: Girls: 2 Olivia Roscoe; 3 Shannon Lafferty.

Flat Race: Pre-school girls: 1 Jessica Crowe; 2 Gracie Boyle. Pre-school boys: 1 Samuel Bowe; 2 Evan Dugdale. Nursery girls: 1 Sarah E. Smith; 2 Nicole Coe. Nursery boys: 1 George Evans; 2 Daniel Lafferty; 3 Jack Scott. Reception girls: 1 Mia Roscoe; 2 Amelie Tyson; 3 Molly Savage. Reception boys: 1 James Bowen; 3 Edward Lilley. Year 1 girls: 1 Olivia Thompson; 2 Alexia Mackay; 3 Libby Scaife. Year 1 boys: 1 Alex Jackson; 2 Dylan Kempster; 3 Gordon Blackburn. Year 2 girls: 1 Mae Cross; 2 Emily Scott; 3 Lisa Morton. Year 2 boys: 1 Rio Clark; 2 Jacob Smith; 3 Tom Burke.

Egg and Spoon Race, Pre-school girls: 1 Jessica Crowe; 2 Nicola Coe; 3 Ava Powley. Pre-school boys: 1 Samuel Bowe; 2 Joseph Britt; 3 Josh Strand. Nursery Girls: 1 Sarah E. Smith. Nursery Boys: 1 Jack Scott; 2 Sonny Marsh; 3 George Evans. Reception girls: 1 Mia Roscoe; 2 Molly Savage; 3 Amelie Tyson. Reception boys: 1 William Durkin; 2 James Bowen. Year 1 girls: 1 Olivia Thomson; 2 Libby Scaife; 3 Josie Brown. Year 1 boys: 1 Gordon Blackburn; 2 Alexia Blackburn; 3 Ben Smith. Year 2 girls: 1 Lisa Morton; 2 Emily Scott; 3 Mae Cross. Year 2 boys: 1 Alex Thompson; 2 Alfie Savage; 3 Jacob Smith and Rio Clarke.

Flat Race 70 metres: Year 3 girls: 1 Lucy Beetham; 2 Laura Balding; 3 Ellen Dixon. Year 3 boys: 1 Barney Brending; 2 Joseph Black; 3 Nathan Tyson. Year 4 girls: 1 Sophie Dean; 2 Alice Boston; 3 Jennifer Ramsey. Year 4 boys: 1 Andrew Brotherton; 2 Alexander Knowles. Year 5 girls: 1 Keeley Snowden; 2 Chelsea Lloyd Hartley; 3 Ellie Harrison. Year 5 boys: 1 Luke Bowen; 2 Iuwan Murphy; 3 Ronnie Kidd. Year 6 girls:1 Evie Hill; 2 Kirsten Ramsey; 2 Laura Dixon. Year 6 boys: 1 Ben Dixon; 2 Kurt Larson; 3 Leo Atkinson. Flat Race 100 metres: Secondary girls: 1 Ellie Beetham; 2 Abigail Firth. Secondary boys: 1 Joshua Arkinson; 2 Jonathan Brown.

Three Legged Race 50 metres: Year 3 girls: 1 Lucy Beetham/Laura Balding; 2 Jessica Britt/Kirsten Larson; 3 Willie Crook/Ellen Dixon. Year 3 boys: 1 Mark Houghton/Ben Faulkner; 2 Barney Brending/Nathan Tyson. Year 4 girls: 1 Sophie Dean/Josie Hill; 2 Shannon Lafferty/Gabby Powley; Alice Boston/Olivia Roscoe. Year 4 boys: 1 Andrew Alexander.

Year 5 girls 1 Ellie Harrison/Eleanor Firth; 2 Hannah Durkin/Olivia Roscoe; 3 Chloe Proctor/Keeley Snowden. Year 5 boys: 1 Iuwan Murphy/Ronnie Kidd; Year 6 girls: 1 Evie Hill/Laura Dixon; 2 Kirsten Ramsey/Charlotte Brown. Year 6 boys: 1 Jack Tyson/Leo Atkinson; 2 James Balding/Ben Dixon; 3 Matthew Lemm/Kurt Larsen. Secondary boys: 1 Jonathan Brown/Joshua Atkinson.

Obstacle Race: Year 3 girls: 1 Lucy Beetham; 2 Laura Balding; 3 Kirsten Larson; Year 3 boys: 1 Joseph Black; 2 Mark Houghton; 3 Nathan Tyson. Year 4 girls: 1 Jennifer Ramsey; 2 Rebecca Maloney; 3 Olivia Roscoe. Year 4 boys: 1 Andrew Brotherton; 2 Alexander Knowles. Year 5 girls: 1 Saffy Beaver-Kieft; 2 Chloe Procter; 3 Chelsea Lloyd-Hartley. Year 5 boys: 1 Luke Bowen; 2 Iuwan Murphy; 3 Ronnie Kidd. Year 6 girls: 1 Charlotte Brown; 2 Kirsten Ramsey; 3 Evie Hill. Year 6 boys: 1 Ben Dixon; 2 James Balding; 3 Leo Atkinson. Secondary girls: 1 Ellie Beetham; 2 Abigail Firth; Secondary boys: 1 Jonathan Brown; 2 Joshua Atkinson.

Consolation Race, open to all who have not won a prize in any other event: girls 1 Nina Brending; 2 Lucy Davies; Jemma Blackwell; boys 1 Josh Dixon; 2 Oliver Smith; 3 Charlie Blackburn.