VILLAGERS turned out in force when they braved the weather to take part in the annual Bawming of the Thorn festival.

Youngsters from Appleton Thorn Primary School danced around the thorn tree on Arley Road after a number of groups took part in a procession around the village.

Appleton Thorn is the only village in England where the Bawming of the Thorn ceremony takes place on the third Saturday of June.

The thorn tree, which stands beside the church, is believed to be an offshoot of the Glastonbury thorn.

Legend says Adam de Dutton, a knight of the Crusades and a landowner in the area, brought it to Appleton.

This year, residents were invited to get even more involved by decorating the front of their houses as a part of the celebration.

Committee members Nora Carlin and Craig Burgess, who is the head teacher at Appleton Thorn Primary School, picked the winners on Thursday while travelling round on a tandem bike in fancy dress.

There were ten entries including Appleton Thorn Primary, St Cross Church, The Thorn Inn pub and a number of residents.

Mr Burgess said: "Nora and I got a lot of strange looks, smiles and a few laughs as we cycled around the village.

"A number of the children came out to see their head teacher cycling around the village all dressed up and wearing a bow tie.

"We are hoping everyone will be expecting us next year and that the idea really takes off and we get a lot more entries in the village."