YEOFORD Fun Day lived up to its name with fun, games and stalls plus plenty to eat - and none of the forecast rain showers.

The event began back in 1984 after a group of people had got together to raise funds to renovate the village church so that it could open again.

Holy Trinity Church, almost opposite the village school, was built in 1891, but by 1984 had suffered a loss of attendance for many years.

Saddened by its deterioration, a group got together to work to get it open again. So much was their success that three years later it was thriving.

A few years later pupils of the village school designed a stained glass window for the church.

The first Fun Day was held at the Mare and Foal, organising meetings often being held there, with that first event raising several hundred pounds with the huge involvement of landlord Fred Saunders who died recently.

The Fun Day has been held every year since, apart from one break of a few years. It is now organised by a sub committee of the Community Hall Committee headed by Penny Prismall, who is secretary of the Hall Committee, to raise funds towards the upkeep of the Hall.

One of the events through the afternoon was Walk The Plank, a Memorial for Fred, to raise funds for Devon Air Ambulance Trust and Devon Freewheelers, a free out-of-hours courier service to the NHS in and around Devon, a free service provided by volunteers.

Walk The Plank is where teams of three have one foot on each long plank, and attempt to walk a 10-metre course. Winners in an amazing time of 18.59 secs were Carl Wholey, Jonathan Rogers and Ian Prismall.

There was welly wanging, an egg throwing contest with teams of two to see who was able to catch a not hard-boiled egg over the longest distance, plus other activities on the Recreation Field with more going on in the Hall.

Music was provided by The Morales, Bad Seeds, Mother’s Ruin and, playing their very last gig, The Toaks who got together 12 years ago and are disbanding because one member is moving away and other changes.

Sue Read