A SAVOY cabbage saved the day during the Battle of Evesham.

Not the actual battle, but in the best dressed window competition held recently as part of the 750th anniversary celebrations of the set-to in 1265. About 20 businesses from across the town centre took part, but it was entries from Bridge Street that scooped all three prizes.

The winner, Evesham Greengrocer and Countryside Foods, used produce and pots to create a suit of armour and a cabbage for a head. Elaine Reason collected the winner’s trophy on behalf of shop owner Rob Bavers and explained: "Mary Bavers created our knight in galvanised armour. She tried using a melon for his head, but the warm weather didn’t work well for him, so she changed it to a more robust savoy cabbage, which stood the test of time in the hot conditions behind the glass. The Festival was terrific. We were able to watch the procession as it went down Bridge Street and our stall on the Crown Meadow boosted business for us over the weekend.” Mr Bavers opened his shop about three years ago and it is now the only green grocer trading in the centre of Evesham.

The runners-up prize went to Mr Chill’s Sweet Emporium, which introduced a bit of animation to its life size display. Owner Alex Lindley said: "We’ve been here for about five years and we continue to source, wherever possible, sweets from family run firms. My wife Lisa is the artist on the team and it’s thanks to her that we’ve won this prize."

The highly commended award was given to Specsavers, which took the Festival very seriously and included its own chocolate lucky dip, which raised funds for the Bell Tower Appeal and awarded prizes for anyone wearing period costumes on the day. Carrie-Anne Gisbourne, creator of the window display, said: "Everyone on the team contributed ideas and we made joint decisions on what the display was going to look like. The sheep wearing spectacles were a big hit, especially with children who might not like the idea of wearing glasses for the first time, but soon realised that they can still look cool with our styles.”

Judi Brazkiewicz, Worcestershire chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses which sponsored the competition, said: "We were delighted to have been able to support Evesham’s retailers. It’s a great little town and has something to offer everyone. It was incredibly difficult to judge the windows, there was very little to choose between the top half dozen. I congratulate everyone who took valuable time out of their working week to make the competition the success it was.”