Terrific response from visitors to postponed Dersingham Open Gardens weekend

Organisers of the annual Dersingham Open Gardens event were really pleased with the support for this year's postponed event.

There had been some concern over whether people would turn out in large numbers in light of Covid-19.

However, there were around 450 visitors across last weekend, which was about 100 down on the norm, but more than justified the decision to hold the event usually staged at the end of May.

Alongside the 11 gardens on display were around 60 yard sales, with financial contributions boosting the takings.

The £3,500 total will be split between St Nicholas Church and Dersingham Village Centre.

One of the event organisers, Judy Collingham, said she was "utterly delighted" at the response after the preparations which had been made, including gaining approval from Visit England.

"It fully vindicated our decision to hold the event. Everyone seemed glad to be out and going to an event after such a long time without being able to," she said.

"The gardeners had been very clever and used late summer and autumn plants such as dahlias and Japanese anemone to create quite a lot of colour.

"And with the yard sales, people were coming with their arms full.

"There was a real buzz and sense of fun."

She added: "It was very much a joint effort by everybody to give our visitors the best experience we could."

Linda Parker, who helped with the selling of tickets, was so busy that she had been unable to have a look at the gardens until Sunday.

"They were magnificent, particularly given that it was September," she said.