THE British Red Cross boosted its funds at the weekend by staging a country fair in the grounds of Whitworth Hall Country Park, Spennymoor.

It was an end-of-season event for the charity's long-running open gardens programme, with visitors invited to pick fruit in the Victorian walled garden and enjoy entertainment from local street performers. There was also an appearance by Red Marauder, the County Durham-trained winner of last year's Grand National.