ELLINGHAM Show organisers are hoping for a repeat of last year's record-breaking crowd when 19,000 paying guests streamed past the turnstiles for a day of traditional country fun.

Since then Ellingham and Ringwood Agricultural Society has given £14,000 to local charities.

Recently, show president the Earl of Normanton presented £2,000 to two charities he has personally selected.

Four members of Play (Parents Listening to Alderholt Youth) - chairman Trina Smith, secretary Sally Stockley, Karen Henderson and Jan Wigfield - visited his Somerley House home to receive their cheque along with New Forest Sailability chairman Eric Blyth and treasurer Tom Glasson.

The Play donation is the final amount needed to pay for £85,000 worth of top-quality playground kit in the village recreation ground.

Mrs Wigfield said: "This play area is the best thing to have happened to Alderholt in years."

Play members are now considering fundraising for a skatepark.

The Sailability cash will help pay for another boat for disabled sailors to use at the Spinnaker Sailing Club's Blashford Lake, Ringwood.

This year's 57th show will take place in the grounds of Somerley House - described by the show's public relations officer, Michael Lingam-Willgoss, as "the finest setting for this type of event in the South of England, if not the whole of England"- on Saturday, August 13.

To avoid traffic jams on the A338 Ringwood to Fordingbridge road, all vehicles will have to approach the showground from the Bakers Hanging to Alderholt road.

A top attraction will be a team of Iberian horses which will take part in equestrian competitions and in the main show ring.

There will also be gundog and llama displays, Shetland ponies, music, showjumping, falconry and foxhounds.

The grand parade is due to take place at about 4.30pm after the Earl of Normanton has crowned Ringwood's 2005 carnival queen, 16-year-old Charlie Andrews.

Another 15 charities have benefited from last year's event and a Fordingbridge student has received a bursary to help pay for his studies at Sparsholt Agricultural College.

First published: August 9, 2005