BREAM Gardening Show attracted a bumper crop of entries despite a "dreadful" summer for growers.

The show, now in its 156th year was held at Bream Sports Club on Saturday (August 21) after the 2020 event was forced online by Covid.

Show president Diana Standing said she was delighted by the response of entrants and visitors.

She said: "The entries have been amazing - we’re so full we are bursting at the seams.

"It’s wonderful - we are so well supported by the local community.

"It’s really encouraging, we didn’t know whether to go or not but we thought we’d give it a go

"It’s a smaller scale with just two smaller tents instead of the one big one.

"We’d didn’t know if we would fill it but it’s better than our expectations and we want to thank the local community because if people didn’t put things in there wouldn’t be anything to come and look at."

The number of classes was reduced because of not using the large marquee and committee members and volunteer helpers - including new faces -also had to devise a one-way system for visitors around the exhibition tents.

"To go back to live was a very different thing, there was a lot of work.

"We had to work out a one-way system and having two separate tents rather than one big one. It was quite complicated."

A new team of helpers have come in and if we don’t have that the society won’t continue.

Mrs Standing put the success of the show - which has only been cancelled once in its history - down to "Forest cussedness".

Grower John Mayo of Hewelsfield said he was surprised to win the Royal Horticultural Society’s Banksian Medal for winning the most prize money after what he described as a "dreadful" summer.

He said: "I didn’t think I’d get anything this year. I’m a sweet pea grower but mine are all over and gone.

"I’ve had runner beans not do well and everyone can grow runner beans.

"I been growing cucumbers for years but the first lot failed.

"It’s not just me, other people have had them fail so its second plantings.

"It was just too cold."

Teresa Barnett’s needle felt unicorn won the prize for the best exhibit in the show.

She said: "I was totally shocked - I couldn’t get the smile off my face."

As well as flowers, vegetables and crafts there were also community and trade stands including the Forest of Dean Beekeepers’ Association and the Dean Heritage Centre.