Chelsea Flower Show: Blakesley sculptor marks a decade of exhibiting

Nicolas Moreton said he has experienced "surreal" moments with royalty at the event

A sculptor from Northamptonshire is preparing to celebrate a decade of exhibiting at the Chelsea Flower Show.

Nicolas Moreton from Blakesley, near Towcester, has been carving stone for more than 35 years.

He said Chelsea was a "surreal event", and recalled an occasion where he had to place "a great big plant" in front of a sculpture of a naked man before the late Duke of Edinburgh saw it.

This year's Chelsea Flower Show will be held from 21 to 25 May.

Mr Moreton said his latest piece, which will be displayed at next week's event, was inspired by a winter trip to Cornwall.

He said: "We visited Fistral beach in Newquay during stormy weather at the end of last year. We saw the sea and the swash... the way the water moved forwards and back.

"The spirals [on the sculpture] are a representation of the effect of the water swirling in a rock pool area.

"There are textural markings left by the chisel mark, which is supposed to be like the white water you get on the crashing of the waves."

One of the pieces Mr Moreton will be showing at this year's event was inspired by a stormy visit to a beach in Cornwall

He said the piece weighed "about two thirds of a tonne" (about 660kg) without its base. "You won't slide it into your car!" he said.

Mr Moreton says he gets a "perverse joy" out of attending the show and said he "couldn't do it without the help of a few close friends".

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