SCORES of families turned out to enjoy the sunshine at the 111th Osmotherley Show on Saturday.

The event has become renowned for its challenging fell race, which takes runners up the punishing incline of ‘Black Hambleton’, and the number of entries exceeded 80 this year, another record on top of last year’s 70 entries.

The launch of a biographical novel about actress Valerie Barwick was a popular of this year’s show, with author Victoria Barwick spending the day to sign copies and greet old friends.

She said: “I come to the show every year because we grew up here. Three generations of my family owned Thimbleby Hall, which hosts the show, so it was the perfect place to launch the book.

“Valerie Barwick: Hard Bargains’ is a fascinating story about her life, and we have had lots of interest from people who remember her, and it has been wonderful to see people I haven’t seen in years.”

Victoria Barwick also brought her late Mother's 1947 Silver Wraith Rolls Royce to the show.

She said: “This beautiful vintage car is still in the ownership of the Barwick family and has been for over 60 years. It was a wedding present to my mother from Sir Richard Barwick in 1948, and was a star in her own right, when she was shipped to New York to feature in the 1981 film 'Arthur' starring Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli.”

Show presidents Michelle and Tim Wood said the show had been a huge success.

Mrs Wood said: “We have been lucky to have fantastic weather and it has really brought everyone out. There are lots of children here which is lovely to see, and we have had lots of entries of quality livestock, with judges coming from all over the country. The trade stands have been fantastic, with lots of small local businesses.”

Fell race organiser Mike Read added: “The fell race has been very popular and we have improved on last year’s record entry figures.”

The Northern Echo would like to clarify that in a previous article about the launch of the book about Valerie Barwick, it was said as a child she wandered into the Kenyan bush and lived with a pride of lions for two years. It was in fact two days.