RIVAL gardeners and the best of friends, Chris Hewlett and Bob Brown, are the proud owners of giant prize-winning celery.

The Broughton neighbours returned from the North of England Horticultural Show with a first prize for Chris and a second prize for Bob. "What we have both achieved in a national show is absolutely magical," said Chris.

The two attribute their success to a long-standing interest in gardening and the 15-year-old manure they grow the vegetables with. Although vegetable growing is a hobby for Chris and Bob, they take it very seriously - timing everything precisely the night before a show.