Comedian Roy Hudd took a journey through village history when the Staverton Millennium Tapestry went on show in a national exhibition.

The tapestry joined 20 others from around the country judged to be the best in a nationwide search by Yours magazine.

The 10ft by four foot community project took pride of place at the Bournemouth International Centre, the chosen venue for Yours Live Exhibition.

Roy Hudd opened the two-day show which was packed with entertainment, fashion shows, demonstrations and homestyle stands.

The comedian took time out from his busy schedule to view the tapestry exhibition, studying the colourful Staverton entry and matching the panels with the detailed explanations in the booklet.

The star of The News Huddlines radio show said: "It's great; I can't even see the joins!"

On a serious note, he praised the work that had gone into the exhibit.

"The storyboard layout reflected village life, with each square having historical significance and the booklet explained it all," he added.

Made up of 36 foot squares with a two-foot centrepiece, the Staverton Tapestry was produced to celebrate the millennium.

It not only depicts the village as it was at the start of the 21st century, but relates the past history of a small community with roots going back more than 1,000 years.

It was created by volunteer villagers, each person doing a square some with personal significance.

Village parish council vice-chairman, Lesley Warne, said: "Since its completion the tapestry has hung in the village school. This was a superb opportunity for it to get to a wider audience where visitors could appreciate the work that went into it."

Among the people admiring the tapestry was former Wiltshire Times editor Christine Moss.

She stopped in amazement when she recognised the village near Trowbridge, which she had driven through on many occasions.

Miss Moss, who is now editor of Yours magazine said: "The first thing I noticed was the town's most colourful character, town crier Trevor Heeks, a resident of Staverton who features in the tapestry."

A special award was presented with a certificate recognising the work that went into the tapestry.