16415/2HUNDREDS of people flocked to the picturesque village of Corton on Sunday for its third annual celebration of ploughing.

But the weekend's high winds had left the event hanging in the balance just 24 hours beforehand.

The Plough Sunday Celebration, which was organised by the Warminster and Wylye Valley Society for Local Study, saw 350 people descend on Sundial Farm.

Society chairman Danny Howell said: "The event very nearly never happened this year. We had two marquees put up on the Friday, but that night we had the winds and when I went down there on Saturday morning they had disappeared.

"They must have been blown across country. We had a 20 minute period when we had to decided whether to continue, but we managed to get another company to help us out."

Sunday's event pulled in ploughing fans from as far afield as Cornwall, Devon and Hampshire and saw the biggest turnout in its three-year history.

Attractions included ploughing match photography, film shows, vintage tractors and a blessing of the plough ceremony led by Revs John Hoskins and Anne Bennett-Shaw of the Upper Wylye Valley Team.

Mr Howell said: "It all started when I started going to ploughing matches and taking photos of the activities. So many of the ploughmen said when can we see the photos that I put on the event.

"I decided Plough Sunday, which is always the second Sunday of the year, would be the best time to do it and it just grew from there.

"On Sunday we had over 5,000 photos on display which were all taken last year. I think I took about 30,000 in total so it was just a small fraction."

Among the exhibitors were model steam engine fanatic Gordon Woodham from Warminster, walking stick maker George Russell from Sutton Veny, and The Wylye Valley Tree Group. Agricultural music was provided by the New Forest Plonkers.

Mr Howell said: "Their music fitted in really well with the theme of the day. We were really pleased with them."