THE family of the late Anne Woods are planning a T-shirt tribute to the much-loved champion gurner.

Anne, who died in March aged 67, beat off competition from all over the world to be crowned the Women’s Gurning Champion 28 times at Egremont's popular event. She was runner-up on the eight other occasions she competed, and took her place in the book of Guinness World Records in 2011.

To celebrate Anne's life at this year's Crab Fair (September 18 and 19), her family and friends will wear memorial T-shirts in her favourite colour of yellow. They feature two contrasting photos of Anne; one of her famous gurning pose, and the other when she underwent a makeover for a newspaper feature. It is completed with slogan 'You're Gorgeous' - the title of Anne's signature song.

Anne appeared at the fair for the first time in 1977 and, finally, in 2014. She missed out only once when she was pregnant. She was husband to Alec, and was a mother of four, grandmother of six and great-grandmother of two.

Daughter Brenda Hoey said: "She absolutely loved the Crab Fair and she'd want to be remembered in this way.

"She won the gurning competition 28 years, including last year's, which means she died as a champion."

Son Brian, who initially entered Anne in the contest in 1977 as a prank, added: "She was an amazing mam and was loved by so many people."

The T-shirt was printed by John Maxwell, who accepted a donation in lieu of payment to Danica' Dream Fund, set up in memory of his daughter.

The gurning competitions take place in the Market Hall on September 19 from 5.30pm. 

The Crab Fair will also include sports, stalls and entertainment, and will be launched by a free live music event, Dancing in the Street, on Main Street, from 5pm on September 18. 

It features Katrina Leskanich, of Katrina and the Waves fame, who is joined on the bill by Nathan Moore, the lead singer from eighties band Brother Beyond, Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalists Emma Jones, from Wigton, and Eva Inglesias, nineties dance tribute Ultra 90s, local solo artist Sam Davidson, and Carlisle-based girl band Seduction.

Meanwhile, a new psychological thriller is partly set at Egremont Crab Fair.

A chapter of Mark Stillman's Stalker, Bunny, Saucepan - entitled The Lake District Turns Ugly - tells how the World Gurning Championships help to break down the barriers of a relationship’s first awkward steps - through the power of laughter.

It happens after the heroine persuades the hero on impulse to take her on a 570-mile round trip to the fair - all in the name of new love!

The author says he plans to attend the Crab Fair for the first time this year. The book is available at www.keephumanbooks.co.uk.