A Bolton woman who visited Spain to see her brother has won a Spanish sunflower competition.

Gaynor Casey, from Westhoughton, was visiting her brother Gordon at his villa in the Spanish village of Pinar de Campoverde when she heard about the local Church’s annual Sunflower Competition.

This event has been held for several years by the Church of Campoverde to raise funds for its annual children’s summer club.

And whilst away on holiday, Gaynor, a keen gardener, decided she wanted to enter to try and win the honour for her local area.

Gaynor who triumphed on the measuring day in late August with a flower of 227cm, was thrilled to find out that she had been declared the winner.

When asked about the secret of her success, Gaynor said: “Good compost, lots of water and I talk to my plants every day; I even considered playing patriotic music to encourage them.”

The competition organiser James McAllister from Campoverde Church said: “Because of her local connections with Campoverde we decided that Gaynor could enter, never for one second thinking she would win.

“We are very pleased for Gaynor, it looked like the terrible wet British summer paid off for Gaynor, whilst we in Spain have suffered because of one of the hottest summers on record.

“But the real winners are the children of the village, as over 70 young people attended the Church Summer Club.”

James also explained that the competition is very strict, each contestant is given two Sunflower seeds with instructions when to plant them, how to nurture them and a date when the Sunflowers will be measured.

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