Tonight I experienced what is described as the annual town celebration that is The Winter Droving and a magical celebration of rural life, food, fun, masquerade, and fire in Penrith.

It was back for its 12th year and, despite working in Penrith for around four of those years, I have never actually experienced the event before.

And it was good to catch up with a few folk I knew back in the day and there was a very good turn out by members of the public.

It was very much along the same lines as the lantern procession in Ulverston, that I covered back in my days on the North West Evening Mail, as it involved a procession with large illuminated paper sculptures but there were also torch bearers and enthusiastic drummers.