THOUSANDS of people savoured a taste of the countryside at the weekend’s 69th annual Bury and District Agricultural Society Show.

But organisers have since issued an urgent call for more volunteers if the town’s longest-established yearly event is to continue.

The event’s enduring popularity was again evident when around 5,000 visitors flocked to Burrs Country Park on Sunday. Although numbers were slightly down on last year, organisers were nevertheless delighted at the overall success of the event.

The weather was good on they day although organisers had been caught up in the torrential rain on Friday as they prepared the ground in readiness for the show.

Secretary Miss Becky Kershaw said: “We had our best ever number of entries for our light horses and we also had classes in Shire horses, heavy horses, a full cattle section and donkeys. Our arts and crafts classes proved more successful this year and for the first time we’ve launched a few egg classes.”

Other attractions at the show, sponsored by Autosave Recycled Auto Parts, included a display of vintage vehicles and military vehicles, a sheepdog display and dog show. There were numerous trade stands on the site which also generated interest.

Looking to the future, the secretary disclosed that the society was trying to recruit more volunteers ahead of next year’s show.

Miss Kershaw stressed: “We want the show to carry on and we don’t want to lose it. Next year will be our 70th annual event and we hope to have new displays. That’s why we need more volunteers to help us.