FIFTY years of The League of Friends of Wellington Hospital was celebrated in a sun-drenched fete in the grounds of Wellesley Park Primary School.

The milestone was celebrated during the event from 2pm until 6pm on Saturday, June 23.

League member, Diane Grabham, said: “We were extremely pleased with how it went. It was good to see so many people of all ages enjoying themselves.

" Lots of people said how much they enjoyed it and that there was a lovely community feel to the afternoon. This is just what we set out to achieve so we are really pleased how everything went.

" It will take a little while to work out how much we raised but it’s likely to be higher than in previous years. We will publish the amount as soon as it is known.

“Special thanks to Wellington Inner Wheel and West Buckland WI, who as always run stalls for us, and Wellesley Park School for being so accommodating.

“We were bowled over by the generosity of local businesses and individuals who donated vouchers and gifts for the grand draw which meant we had more than 40 prize packages. The plant stall also benefited from donations of plants from local nurseries.

“Thank you to 6th formers from Wellington School who helped set up and clear away and to all the friends and family who helped in so many ways. We couldn’t have done this without your help.”

The Fete was opened by The Mayor of Wellington Cllr Gary James, accompanied by his wife Bee, who praised the work of The League.

The entertainment began with a display by Wellington Majorettes followed by the uplifting music and dance of Avtar Bollywood and Bhangra Dancers.

John Walker continued the party atmosphere by singing some pop classics. Next up was Wellesley Park School Choir and finally Wellington Operatic Society gave a lovely rendition of songs from the shows.

Other attractions included bouncy castle, alpacas, face and nail painting, glitter tattoos, bowling, football, tombola, crafting and a variety of other stalls.

St John Ambulance and Wellington Fire Brigade were also present.

Catering was provided by Coates Butchers, Braziers, The Vintage Inn and Somerset Ices.

“What was most impressive was how many people wanted to be involved in the event,," Ms Grabham added.

"It was a real demonstration of how much the town values its community hospital. This was Wellington at its best.”