With a surname like Rush, retired farmer Raymond believes he was destined to excel in the fine art of making corn dollies.

And now, after dedicating 50 years to creating the decorative straw figures and symbols, there is no doubt he is top of the crop when it comes to the craft.

Corn dollies have been made for thousands of years since it was believed the ‘spirit of the corn’ could be kept alive by keeping the last sheaf from a crop and making a shape or doll to keep over the winter to be ploughed back into the next crop.

Raymond, 86, has made the symbols since he was 25 when he saw his first corn dolly and was impressed by the intricate nature of the creations.

He makes hundreds each year to add to a collection of more than 1,000 which go on display each harvest at All Saints Church Siddington near his home, where he takes services.

The items - made with Maris Widgeon straw from Lichfield - create a stunning display enjoyed by autumn visitors to the church.

He spends 60 hours putting them up and takes down for storage in ‘mouse-proof’ boxes in his workshop at home at Golden Cross Farm on Pexhill Road, where he sells corn dollies too.

Raymond, married to Hazel, was presented with a framed photo from taken when he appeared in the Express by Rev Canon Paul Moulton, a former vicar of All Saints, after the Harvest evensong service at the church to mark the 50th anniversary.

He said: “The dollies were made because it was thought there must be a spirit to teach the grain how to grow. It takes a lot of patience but I have been given a talent and want to share that with others. When people come into the church they say ‘wow’ at the display.”

The great-granddad of two, who used to run a milking farm, has always had a love for the countryside and its traditions and gives talks on corn dolly making and other customs.

He wrote 150 articles for the Town and Country Post in Cheshire from 1983 to 2003 and these are being collated into a series of books named Countrywise - the latest of which is being published this week.

Raymond said: “My name is Rush so corn dolly making must have been passed down in my genes.

“I will make corn dollies for as long as I can.”

The display will be in the church until Remembrance weekend.