THE sun shone from start to finish and the crowds came out as a result at Dockenfield Day, the very traditional village fete without any nod to commercialisation.

The fete was opened by residents Mark and Sally Vardy, who have lived in the village for more than 50 years.

There were record takings on the plant and book stalls and needless to say the bar with real ale and Pimms was extremely busy, as was the barbecue.

The magic show was a joy for the children as were the children’s games, which included tug of war, a coconut shy, bash the rat and races.

Visitors also tried their hand at jousting, while others enjoyed the dog show, pig racing and the large display of stalls which were on offer.

“The day was brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Some of the prices of the stalls haven’t changed since the first fete 36 years ago at 10p a go,” said Michael Foster, editor of the Dockenfield Newsletter.

“It’s a tiny fete, we call it a ‘pint sized fete with a big, big heart’, but despite (or probably because of) this people stay for as long as two hours just to enjoy the atmosphere of a good old-fashioned day out in a pretty rural setting.

“And as a surprise to everyone except the organisers a real live fire engine turned up for everyone to inspect.

“The theme was ‘safari’ giving wonderful opportunities for children and adults alike to dress up as animals and Dr Livingston impersonators.”