A FUNNY year for gardening could not stop a village show from going from strength to strength.

Months of growing and making came to fruition on Saturday with the annual Norley Village Garden Show, held at the Tigers Head pub.

Villagers and visitors packed into the show to see the displays of fruit, veg, flowers, crafts and baking and to enjoy the stalls and ever-popular dog show.

John Lewis, show chairman, said: "It was a brilliant day again - there were so many people there it was frightening.

"Gardening is a funny thing, you get a good year then you get a bad year, and we were a little bit down on entries but the quality was excellent, it really was.

"It just goes from strength to strength."

As well as different varieties of fruit, vegetables and flowers the show had categories for cookery, hobbies and handicrafts and junior sections for children, including a section called 'I've made it so I'll show it'.

"That's the thing about the show," John said.

"We do it very professionally, the award cards are nicely printed and the tables laid out nicely but it really brings the village together.

"Everyone does take it seriously but in a nice way."

This is the case with the fun dog show.

John said: "The dog show is popular.

"It's treated like Crufts – you see people in the back of their cars with their dogs, combing them."

Each year a number of cups are awarded for overall bests and these all have new owners after Saturday's event.

John said: "Every cup this year was won by a different person to last year, which is amazing.

"It shows that people are trying a little bit harder."

He also praised volunteers who helped clear the site at the end of the show.

"We're so lucky with all the helpers in the village – by 7pm on Saturday everything was cleared," he said.