Despite Covid-19, Malvern well-dressers rose to the challenge of dispelling the lock-down gloom. Teams dressed 46 wells, to this year’s theme of ‘Planets & Stars’.

Gosh, what a magnificent display of dressings it is. As usual, the standard is considered the best ever.

All Gold Rosette dressings have that “Wow” or “Ahh” factor that really does cheer one up. So much work goes into making fun, charming and inventive dressings, and so the large numbers of appreciative visitors who flocked to see them is a just reward.

LED displays have been a novelty for this year. Dingle Spring has a night-time starry backdrop, whilst at Tyrol House Fountain and St Ann’s Well we had our first son-et-lumières. At Tyrol, the feature is small and dainty, but you can press to hear Holst’s Planets Suite.

Chairman Dr John Harcup said: “Considering all the problems for this year, the standard of the well-dressings has been amazing, and the interpretation of the theme ‘Planets and Stars’ was revelatory. It has been a difficult verging on impossible decision to award the Chairman’s Cup, but I have given it to Phil Ironside for his amazingly successful portrayal of the theme – the feature is active day and night. Phil has been a stalwart enabler of well-dressing for most this century. Three other dressings – Hayslad, Malvhina and Willow Spring – are of the same calibre, so I have added to their Gold Award the accolade “Highly Commended by the Chairman”. I’d like to thank all the well-dressers for their inspirational and outstanding efforts.”

Come Sunday that’s it for this year, but it’s given so much joy and delight that the organisers are sure it will continue next year as vigorously as ever.

By well-dressing organiser Rick Banbury

The photographs were all taken by Jan Sedlacek and you can all his photos from the event here.