Preparations are now well under way for this year’s Weston Flower Show, which will return in August bigger than ever before – and include a new photographic class sponsored by the Mercury.

The event will be held on August 13, and include a host of classes including flowers and pot plants, vegetables, floral art, homecraft, photography, handicraft and children’s entries.

Following the ‘outstanding success’ of the event’s return to the town centre in 2015, the 72nd annual event will again be staged in Weston-super-Mare Town Square.

Weston Horticultural Society – supported by BID, Weston In Bloom and Weston Town Council, plus the town’s allotment club – has doubled the prize money on offer and added 10 new classes.

Organiser Cynthia Filer said: “It is a great achievement for the society that after many years the show has returned to the town centre; this has always been our ambition and through the sponsorship of the BID and the town council this has now been achieved.

“I am overjoyed with the recent success and hope it can continue for years to come.”

This year, a new photographic class has been introduced, which will be judged jointly by the society’s Carol Wilson, and Mercury photographer Mark Atherton.

The theme for the prize competition is ‘having fun in Weston’, which gives keen photographers a broad remit to be creative and showcase the town at its best.

Shortlisted photographs will be published in the Mercury and displayed at the show. To enter, email your pictures to newsdesk@westonmercury.co.uk by July 31 and title the email ‘Having fun in Weston’.