SHOPS in Dartmouth were praised for getting into the regatta spirit by the Best Dressed Window judges who had a hard job choosing the worthy winners.

First place was awarded to the Dartmouth Air Ambulance Trust charity shop in Smith Street whose use of red, white and blue themed nautical memorabilia caught the judges eyes.

Browser’s hundreds of dangling origami boats earned the Foss Street book shop second prize, with a pair of Dartmouth Regatta mugs proudly accepted by window creator and store manager Emily Farrell.

Junk and Disorderly in Mayor’s Avenue displayed a plethora of Queen Elizabeth II related memorabilia to scoop third prize in the hotly contested competition, which drew record entries this year.

The shops were judged on use of their stock, regatta spirit, a nod to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and artistic flair, and were judged by last year’s winner Lucy Watkins of Dartmouth Wine Company, Dartmouth Mayor Cllr David Wells, Bert and Buoy and the regatta’s youngest committee member, 11-year-old Ben.