EVESHAM was alive with colourful food and dress at the weekend as the towns food festival and morris dancing festival took place.

The annual Morris Dancing Festival saw dozens of troops and hundreds of Morris men and women showing off their dancing skills in and around the town.

Based in Crown Meadow, Evesham but taking in various locations in the Vale of Evesham including Broadway, The Fleece at Bretforton and Twyford Country Park, morris dancers of all ages and from as far afield as Kent, North Yorkshire and Suffolk enjoyed a weekend of this essentially English tradition.

Nigel Smith, landlord of The Fleece Inn at Bretforton is the chair of the organising committee and said: "This is the seventh year of this event and it’s going from strength to strength, with ever more morris dancers attending each year. It brings a splash of colour and tradition to Evesham and the Vale, as well as showcasing to people from all over the UK just how beautiful our part of Worcestershire is."

The annual Vale First Food Festival which is run by Transition Evesham Vale was also a huge hit as more stalls than ever set up for the Sunday.

Lisa Whelan, of JellyPickleJam, organised the event. She said: "It was fabulous, brilliant. We had different craft traders with a range of handmade gifts and goods on offer.

"We also had a lovely collection of fresh fruit, veg, preserves, meat, a pig roast, and a amazing amount of local food.

"The weather really helped us, although not so much the Morris Dancers, dancing in the heat. The kids also really enjoyed the climbing wall and all the activities on for them."