STEWARD Bill Harrington has brought a riot of colour to his once drab club.

His hobby has delighted both members and people walking past Belmont Club and Institute in Carrville, Durham - earning many admiring glances as well as praise.

Mr Harrington, steward there for two years, has put up about 60 hanging baskets and transformed the former weed-filled land in front of the building.

"I grow things from seed and bring them on. It is a demanding job that I do, and to give me relief from that I grow flowers,'' he said.

"I enjoy doing it and it is something nice for the people who live in the area. It brightens up the place.''

Tending to his plants can take a couple of hours a day but Mr Harrington does not mind because he enjoys it so much - as do the people who have praised the colourful display.

"I'm astonished at the number of people who have taken pictures of it. It's lovely and really makes it worthwhile.

"I have not only brightened the place up but turned the club round from a deficit to a profit - so you can say everything in the garden is rosy," he said.