COLOURFUL entries and record-breaking parsnips were the order of the day for one Ryedale village show.

Visitors to Rillington and District Annual Show were wowed with the sight of four-foot long parsnips, along with more than 500 entries in a whole host of categories.

Competitors had been invited to send everything from pumpkins to decorated pebbles to the village's 79th show, with the vegetables section very well represented, said show organisers.

Brian Bramley, vice-chairman of Rillington show, said: "We have got some parsnips this year which are at least 4ft long. I would say they are probably the longest, although there are still two or three lots which are around 3ft 6in. I think they must have been grown in barrels with special soil, because otherwise you would never get them out of the ground."

Entries were up on last year, said Mr Bramley, with cakes, handicrafts, fruit and flowers all making for a good show.

And for people looking to take a bit of Rillington home with them, an auction at the end of the night saw all the remaining produce sold off.

Proceeds were due to be ploughed back into the show society, although Mr Bramley said he was not sure exactly how much had been made.

Updated: 10:21 Wednesday, September 25, 2002