AN annual celebration of St George’s Day brought joy to many in the heart of Ulverston.

Organised by Ralph Spours, the St George’s Day Pageant served up its usual humour entertaining shoppers, children and people passing by as they enjoyed Saturday’s sunshine.

To kick things off the Blast Furness band played lively music in the town’s Market Place.

Characters for the main performance then circulated around the town creating a real sense of integrated theatre.

The witches, played by Sara Charlesworth and Rachel Weaver, spread evil and malevolence picking off shoppers as they went.

The Mad Monk, played by Bob Needham, was also at Market Cross keeping the crowd going in-between songs.

The Dragon, played by Carl Scrogham, was also spotted at various locations with its keeper Rory Walton.

For the main performance the witches then made a dramatic entrance into the Market Place casting a curse upon the town, which could only be lifted by a sacrifice.

The local Baron Hardup, played by Ralph Spours, and his two henchman, Peter Owen and Derek Henderson, then cast out the witches before starting their hunt for an appropriate sacrifice.

The Baron’s men then seized the Damsel, played by Louise Walton, as the sacrifice and after numerous attempts to tie her up they ended up tying themselves up.

The Dragon then appeared to claim his victims until St George charged in rescuing the Damsel and tackling both the Dragon and the henchmen.

Mr Spours said: “We do it every year.

"It’s pretty straight forward really - it’s just about having fun.

“Kids love it, parents love it and it’s the sort of thing that happens here in Ulverston.

“It doesn’t matter so much about what happens in the story it’s about engaging with the crowd so that everyone enjoys themselves.”

Mad Monk Bob Needham, who is from Dalton, said: “There’s quite a lot of improvisation involved in the performance, but everyone always enjoys it and so do we.”