A FARMER who has played a key part organising the Westmorland County Show over the past two decades has been honoured for his hard work.

Stephen Proctor, the annual event's honorary showfield director, has won the prize for Most Valuable Volunteer at this year's Cumbria Tourism Awards.

Each year, Mr Proctor, 46, helps transform the fields around Lane Farm, Crooklands, into a venue suitable for the annual event, which attracts 25,000 visitors.

In the run up to the show, Mr Proctor manages a vast team of paid staff and volunteers and is totally responsible for the grand parade of livestock, the focal point of the event.

He said that the award, which was presented at a star-studded ceremony at the Castle Green Hotel in Kendal, was not only a tribute to his own hard work but that of the team behind him.

For full story see the May 11 issue of The Westmorland Gazette.