LEGIONS of people gathered for the annual Seale and Sands Summer Show which this year had a ‘Meet The Romans’ theme.

Villagers and families from the surrounding areas turned out in their hundreds to join in the festivities and enjoy the summer sunshine.

The marquee was a display of colours and scents – flowers, vegetables and fruits sat alongside the offerings of artwork and crafts.

The children showed how talented they were with painted jam jars and vegetable stamp paintings, and what a hard job it must have been for the official judges to taste the cakes, jams and home-brews.

The side stalls were busy, people laden with their goods and produce from the local suppliers, and charity stalls playing the traditional village fair games such as hoop-la, tombola, lucky dip and trying for a coconut at the shy.

Wang-A-Wellie was very competitive, the locals limbering up to see who would be triumphant in chucking the wellie the furthest.

The WI was kept busy all afternoon serving welcome cups of tea and slices of homemade cakes, and Hamptons Estates fuelled everyone with their gourmet burgers and sausages.

Crowds gathered to watch the arena events which began with Dog Disorder – Seale vs Sands with lots of bemused dogs dragging their owners over the obstacle course.

James the Magician kept children spellbound with his antics and tricks, and there was dancing from Showshack and the Pilgrim Morris Men.

The sheep racing was next up, the triumphant sheep in the first race was Ram-Bo, owner Alex Warr and the race sponsored by Pepper Harrow Horseboxes.

Taking first in the second race was Donald, owned by Mat Keane - the race sponsored by The Barley Mow at The Sands.

A very welcome cool down came from ‘Battling Boadicea’. The Boadicea’s entered the arena in their classic chariots, climbed the tower and fought the Romans with great gusto, and flour bombs.

The next battle was the village tug of war, the folk of The Seale and The Sands trying to out muscle each other. The events came to a close with the classic car parade.

After being fed an evening feast from The Little Barn Cafe at Elstead, the music began and the dance floor was packed all night by The High and Mighty.

Committee member Peter Lawrence said: “What a truly wonderful afternoon, it really could not have gone better, an enormous success.

“The weather was perfect and there was so much going on with brilliant displays and stalls – joy and laughter everywhere.

“We have such enthusiasm for the summer show, it is so inclusive and brings together the villagers and those from further afield, such a lovely get-together, meeting old friends and making new ones.

“We attracted over 650 visitors this year. The committee would like to thank the all those who came along, to the show sponsors for their tremendous support and to all the helpers who make the day possible. Bring on 2018.”