A HORTICULTURAL show which has been held on the third Saturday of August for the past 132 years is back this weekend.

Rusland Valley Horticultural Show will take place on Saturday in Whitestock Meadow.

Marquees will be filled with exhibits from the worlds of horticulture, home produce, handicraft, photography and film.

The sports field will be busy with fell races, track races and tug-of-war. Children can get stuck in on the day with gardening, fancy dress and pet competitions.

Anthony Meanwell, organiser said: "I always feel marvellous about these things. All the marquees are up already and we have a good number of entries."

There will be a catering and beer tent on offer at the show.

Admission is £5 and children under 16 can get in for £1. The show will open at 11.30am, but the events don't start until 12.30pm.

Mr Meanwell said: "This year will be better than last year - well it can't get any worse than last year. It is always a really good day."

Rusland Show began when a group of six farmers and gardeners came up with the idea of holding a small flower show and plant sale.

The event, held in the Old School at Rusland, was an immediate success and soon attracted the whole community by introducing children's competitions and races. As the show grew it moved sites - first to a field near Rusland Vicarage and then to its present site in Whitestock Meadow.

The original tent committee bought some small tents with their own money and sub-let them to the society until it could afford to buy-out the tent committee.

The tents were much smaller then, as the shift was made from small to large tents, gaps would appear and so the gardener from Rusland Hall would bring large displays of flowers and plants to create a more abundant atmosphere.

These days the marquees are filled.