GARDENER Frank Walton was smiling in the rain after picking up four first prizes and two seconds for his sweet peas at the Gateshead Summer Flower Show at the weekend.
He attributed much of his success to his wife Lyn's hairdryer, which he used to dry most of the 100 or so blooms he entered in the Rosecarp section of the Tyneside show.
Mr Walton, who gardens on the banks of the River Wear at Westgate, in Weardale, has battled against the harsh, wet weather in the North Pennines for years to achieve success at flower shows throughout the country.
"I am very pleased with the number of firsts I've managed at Gateshead this year, considering the terrible weather we've had in the last few days," he said. "It can be particularly wet here in the dale and I've had to get the hairdryer out to prepare most of my entries."
Mr Walton is praying for sunshine for the next show - the Weardale Agricultural Society's 136th show, at St John's Chapel, on August 27.
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