Community spirit was the order of the day when Bodham residents pulled out all the stops to make the village's fifth annual Big Weekend a giant success.

'We almost had too many people turn out to help set up and the same number offered to help clear up afterwards,' said event chairman Peter Bedell.'

The fun kicked off on Saturday with a lads versus dads football tournament, followed by a quiz and a horticultural show in the village hall, which attracted more than two hundred entries.

Best in show went to Winston Smith for his dahlias, with local youngster Paige Godfrey picking up both the Bodham

youth cup for vegetable monster and the Helen Bruford cup for most points in children's classes.

Attractions at the main event on Sunday included a tractor pulling contest, a barbecue, stalls and games, a Punch and Judy show, a bouncy castle, a giant inflatable slide and music from Trix n Stix drumming troupe.

Visitors also had a chance to meet a group of alpacas owned by John and Sheila Curl of Briston, try their hand at potting tennis balls using a mini digger brought along by Alan Prince of Prince Plant or try their luck on a human fruit machine made by retired engineer Alan Bolton and manned by Pauline Harmer, Harry Bruford and Maureen Brice.

The fun carried on into the evening with Rock Bodham, a live music event organised by Red Hart pub landlord Kevin Dando, Bodham parish councillor Callum Ringer and Starlings of Holt assistant manager Ben Carpenter.

Mr Bedell hoped takings, which will go to local good causes, would top last year's total of more than �3,000.

'The best thing that could have happened was that the weather changed, the crowds turned up and everyone had a

brilliant time,' he said.

Horticultural show organiser Harry Bruford added that although entries had been down this year, takings had been up on last year's total of �400.

'We also made �274 from the quiz, so we are really pleased,' he said.