IT could have been a washout, but organisers of Kirkleatham Rally say this year's event was a success despite a soggy start.

The rally, held in the grounds of Kirkleatham Hall Museum, in Redcar, on Saturday and Sunday, played host to classic cars, gigantic tractors, steam traction engines and even a parliament of owls.

But on Saturday morning, heavy rain looked likely to put paid to the whole show.

Organiser Phil Philo said last night: "Saturday morning was atrocious. The weather was awful and we had major problems with water-logging, not just with the site, but with the car parking field.

"But we managed to get everything sorted and today we have been very busy.

"We must have gone over the 1,000 mark and we couldn't ask for a better audience," he said.

As well as viewing the vehicles on show, visitors could enjoy heavy horse rides, a trip in a double-decker bus used in the Heartbeat television series and a browse around 28 different crafts stalls.