MALVERN people unleashed their creativity once again for the annual well-dressing festival.

Forty-six water features around Malvern and the hills, ranging from natural springs to drinking troughs to elaborate fountains, were decorated by enthusiasts of all ages.

The theme this year was Friendship/l'Amite, inspired by the weekend's signing of the twinning agreement between Malvern and Bagnères-de Bigorre.

The visitors from the spa town in the Pyrenees played their part in the well-dressing by presenting a new prize, the Prix de l’Eau, which was won by Evendine Spring, dressed by Aquartet.

And the visiting party were also given a guided tour of the sites by Carly Tinkler, president of the Malvern Spa Association and a fluent French speaker.

John Harcup of Malvern Spa Association said: "This year's total of 46 entries is a record, and the standard of dressing was extremely high, to the extent that deciding the winners was very difficult. As always, we must thank everyone for their efforts.

"The minibus tours over the weekend were also very successful, being sold out on two days, and on the other day, there were just two days unsold."

Winners: children Gold: Tyrol House Fountain, Josie and Holly Jarvis; Temperance Drinking Fountain, Madresfield School; Jubilee Fountain, Malvern Wells School; Lord Sandys Spout, St Matthias Primary School; St James's Churchyard Spout, Willows Childrens’ Nursery; Lower Wyche Spout, Wyche CE Primary School.

Silver: Clock Tower, Go With the Flow Home Educators; North Malvern Tap, 1st Malvern Link Brownies and Rainbows; Court Road Spout, Elin, Chloe, Alice and Sebastian; Coach House Theatre Pump, Girlguiding Malvern; Perrins Wellhead, St Joseph’s Primary School.

Bronze: Westminster Bank Spring, Malvern St James School; West Malvern Tap, St James' Primary School.

Winners: adults Gold: Evendine Spring, Aquartet; Malvhina, Dan and Karen Smith; Holy Well, Delightful Devas; Rose Gully, Holly Mount Church; Hayslad, Malvern InterFaith; Happy Valley Donkey Spout, Silver Tree Studio; Weaver’s Trough, Susie and Ian Woodcock.

Silver: Earl Beauchamp’s Spout, Barbara Meddows; Lower Wyche Trough , Caroline, Jean, Amanda, James and Alex; Stocks Drinking Fountain, Catherine Holmes; Cowleigh Lodge Well; Cowleigh Lodge: St Ann’s Well, Emma Green; Rosebank Garden Well, Julia and Friends; Priory Park Spring, Malvern Bagnères Twinning Association; Enigma Fountain, Malvern School of Art; Wyche Spring, Sheila Maund; Barnard’s Green Trough, Team Trough; Malvern Hospital Fountain, The Wool Shack.

Bronze: Willow Spring, Helen Reeves; Lodge Fountain, James Stonework; Jacob’s Fountain, Malvern Theatres; Dingle Spring, Phil Ironside; Wynds Point, Robin and Neal; Railway Station Trough, Shrinking Violet Bespoke Floristry; Lyttelton Well, The Lyttelton Well.