Giant onions and medieval knights at Middleton Hall’s Village Show

The day was packed with activities and entertainment including a range of performances, live music, a marquee full of stalls, cream teas, a barbecue, ice creams and a family zone with bouncy castle and games.

Birds of prey specialists, Durham-based Gosling Raptors, talked about their fleet of owls which visitors could hold and be photographed with.

Middleton Hall's pop-up afternoon tea shop in the village’s Pavilion (Image: Stuart Boulton) Hurworth Concert Band entertained an enthusiastic audience with its performance of music ranging from Lady Gaga and Cold Play to more traditional crowd-pleasing tunes.

Show visitors were able to experience a medieval battle camp and chat to characters from Hartlepool-based 13th Century medieval reenactment group Vanguard, who were also pitted against each other in a series of battles and combat taking up the arms and armour of 13th century England.

The Dave's Soap Kitchen stall in the marquee (Image: Stuart Boulton)Displays of arts and crafts, floral arrangements, home-grown and home-made produce were on show in the marquee for visitors to admire along with stalls from independent traders. Sellers ranged from home-made jewellery, soaps, fragrance, glassware, chutneys and preserves alongside children’s books and clothing.

Visitors admired the arts and crafts on show (Image: Stuart Boulton) Charities benefitted from the day with stalls from The Guide Dogs for the Blind and Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice with Middleton Hall Retirement Village’s tombola featuring prize donations from the employee owned village’s teams of co-owners, residents, families and stallholders also raising funds for the Middlesbrough-based charity.

Visitors could book a reiki massage session on the day from Sedgefield-based Calming Soul, and adults as well as children enjoyed the bouncy castle and penalty shootout attractions in the family zone.

A visitor enjoys a reiki massage session from Andrew of Sedgefield-based Calming Soul (Image: Stuart Boulton) Food choices on offer included a barbecue, cream teas, a pop-up shop in the village’s Pavilion and an ice-cream cart from Darlington business Good Day Sundae.

Middleton Hall Retirement Village Hospitality Manager, Clare Robson, said: "The sun shone down on our Village Show. It was a wonderful day for our residents and visitors, and it was lovely to welcome the local community too. A big thank you and well done to all our co-owner colleagues and residents who showcased their talents in the arts, craft and produce classes.

“We’re already planning next year’s show and hope to announce a date soon."

To find out about Middleton Hall Retirement Village’s independent retirement properties, supported apartments and range of luxury residential care services, call the village’s friendly team on 01325 332207 or email info@mhrv.co.uk

Middleton Hall Retirement Village, Middleton St. George, Darlington, County Durham, DL2 1HA www.mhrv.co.uk