A whacky garden full of Yorkshire pudding plants has been grown to help promote a surreal race which takes place each year in Ryedale.

Simon Thackray, of the Shed, at Brawby, put the strange-looking garden together to promote his annual Yorkshire pudding race.

The race which usually takes place in a pond, involving people paddling around in giant Yorkshire puddings, has been cancelled because of the foot and mouth crisis. Instead Mr Thackray is holding a smaller, similar event in his back garden.

"We are going to have remote controlled miniature puddings racing around in a bathtub," he said.

"I though growing some Yorkshire puddings was a surreal and fitting way of promoting the event."

The races will form the centrepiece of a weekend of entertainment at the Shed from June 8 to 10.

Updated: 10:36 Thursday, May 31, 2001