THOUSANDS of families descended on a Hampshire village this weekend to revel in the rural life.

The Curdridge Show attracted crowds from across the county on Saturday despite competition from dozens of other summer events.

Attractions included a vintage car parade, falconry, cookery demonstrations and a horticultural show said to attract plant-lovers from as far as London.

New this year was a 'zorbing' ring for children to collide in inflatable balls. Meanwhile, local ladies Anne West and Ann Picton Jones ran the tea tent for the 30th year in a row.

Hampshire Chronicle:

The show concluded with an evening barn dance.

Now in its 59th year, the event's expansion has forced organisers to seek professional help in organising the stalls.

Committee chairman Elaine Fowler expected around 7,000 to attend, hoping Saturday's good weather would see an improvement on last year's count of 5,000.

"We were here scorching last year, and the BBC were going with stories about thunderstorms," she said. "I think that's probably why it was a bit down last year.

"It's really good fun," she added. "We try to keep it quite traditional, we try to keep the food quality. We buy produce from the local, Owtons, so we get the local butcher to do the hog roast. We have around 250 volunteers every year."

The event raised money to help replace Curdridge's crumbling village hall. The Victorian Reading Rooms, said to have launched to keep locals out of the pub, could be rebuilt on a neighbouring field and redeveloped for housing to raise funds.

The show has raised £100,000 towards repairs over the last five years, Ms Fowler said, but parish chiefs have been forced to look at other options after they were overlooked for government and lottery grants.

For more pictures from the Curdridge Show pick up this week's Hampshire Chronicle, out on Thursday, July 23