HUNDREDS of people made the most of another scorchingly hot day to enjoy Lees cum Cross Roads Village Gala.

They crowded into the Lees Primary School Field on Saturday afternoon (July 14) to enjoy a range of attractions, entertainments and competitions.

This year’s event was kicked off by a colourful procession to the field, which started from the Latter Day Saints Church, in Halifax Road.

Among the parade’s participants were youngsters from Lees Primary School, Cross Roads Rainbows, and a selection of vehicles including a VW Camper Van, a vintage tractor, a Jeep and a horse and cart owned by CL Herd Butchers.

The procession was led by performers from Revolution – Queensbury Scout Band.

At the field, people were treated to a fancy dress contest, more performances by the band, a puppet show by Cross Roads Scouts, a fitness and exercise demonstration, a raffle, tombola and a tug of war competition.

There was also a barbecue, a bouncy castle, ice cream, a beer tent and a variety of stalls provided by local organisations and charities.

This year’s gala king and queen were Alfie Russell and Alice Vidic. They were accompanied by attendants Arthur White, Arthur Jeffrey, Coby Ellis, Jacob Pritchard, Anais Corcoran, Reyhana Khan, Molly White and Eliza Harvey.

The main sponsor was G Moore and Co Ltd, and the gala was also backed by Haworth, Cross Roads and Stanbury Parish Council.

The event was staged by Lees cum Cross Roads Village Association, with the group’s chairman Peter Clarke acting as compere.

Association secretary Bev Underwood said: “We want to thank all the volunteers, sponsors, donors and people who attended. The day went extremely well, and we had 440 adults there plus children.

“We’ve had plenty of feedback from people who said they thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

“The band and the puppet show were particularly popular and one of the volunteers in the beer tent brewed his own Cross Roads Gala Beer especially for the occasion.

“Bocking Working Men's Club B team and Bocking Womens A team won the tug of war. 

“We’ve managed to cover all our costs from the day. It took 10 months to organise, but it was definitely worth the effort and it was so nice to bring the community together.”