Water fell from the sky and water erupted out of the ground yesterday while at the same time the Show gardens had trouble getting more than a trickle with which to fill their pool.

In the morning the heavens opened and reduced pathways to mud; lorryloads of bark were laid to soak it up. On Saturday night a hosepipe was left on in the marquee, creating a soggy corner of mud, then late last night workmen knocking in a post breached a water pipe in the marquee creating more mires. Plumbers were swiftly on scene to sort out the problem.

All the while, water did little more than drip out of hosepipes, delaying the completion of water features all over the show.