Theirs was one of the plays performed in the 60th annual Skegness Playgoers Play Festival, last week.

Shell Seekers, directed by Gloria Poole and reprised after its airing last autumn, was runner up for the best play award, the Grace Green Cup, and share with Boston Playgoers the William Butlin Cup as the adjudicators special award for backstage.

The play was also awarded, jointly with Sharnbrook Mill Theatre, the Nottingham Co-op Society Trophy for best setting, the Claude Sharman Memorial Plate for best lighting and effects and three of the cast also scooped awards the adjudicators special award for acting - the Eileen Pett Memorial Trophy went to Beverley Anthony for her role of Penelope; Jodie Smart received the Betty Lowndes Cup as Best Supporting Actress for her role as the young Penelope and Antonia; and Tim Bradford received the Cyril Shepherd Memorial Trophy for Best Supporting Actor for his role of Roy Brookner.

In her final summing up, adjudicator Sally Noble said she had been impressed by the atmosphere and high standard of all the plays.

Certificates were presented to all the participating teams by the Mayor Coun Neil Pimperton and the trophies were presented by Tony Broscomb, secretary of the National Drama Festivals Association.

l Here is Eileen Chantry’s review of the play: The Shell Seekers by Rosamund Pilcher and adapted by Terence Brady and Charlotte Bingham was brilliantly brought to life by Lindsey Rural Players

This family saga directed with great insight by Gloria Poole centred around the Keeling family of mother Penelope, (Beverley Anthony) her neurotic daughter Nancy (Rosie Beale), selfish and stylish daughter Olivia (Catherine Hughes) and scheming son Noel (Martin Noble) who is trying to find his mothers famous paintings to sell them for his own gain.

The most famous painting is the Shell Seekers painted many years ago by her artist father and which takes pride of place in her lounge and which she vows never to part with.

The play opens in the present but flash backs take us back to the war years, where Penelope is a young girl. This was an outstanding performance by Jodie Smart who also plays the role of the modern day Antonia. who becomes a companion to Penelope. The cast also comprised Dave Lintin as Penelope's father Lawrence, Peter Langdon as her first love Richard and her gardener Danus, Charlotte Broughton as Penelope's housekeeper, John Anthony as Nancy's husband George and Tim Bradford as Roy Brookner the executor.

An excellent set depicting five different locations and effective sound plus a very accomplished cast and much attention to detail made for a very absorbing play which in the adjudicator Sally Noble said was beautifully directed.

There was also praise for the technicians and for the cast for making the characters real people.