A Christmas craft and gourmet food show was described as ‘brilliant’ – despite horrific wind and rain.

The two-day event has been organised at Kingston Maurward by a local mother for the past 25 years.

More recently, her daughter got involved to introduce gourmet food.

Mum Lindsey Howell, 62, and daughter Louisa Franzen, 30, helped to raise nearly £400 for the Grace Secondary School charity from the event, although bad weather meant the turnout wasn’t as good as expected.

Lindsey and Louisa said the 25th anniversary fair was still ‘brilliant’ despite the wind and rain on Saturday which meant the food show hosting local produce could not take place.

On Sunday, however, the food show went ahead with cookery demonstrations and local produce from 26 different stalls.

There were also 40 craft exhibitors and a Christmas grotto where children took part in art and craft activities.

Louisa said: “It was disappointing about the weather on Saturday but we still managed to raise money for the Grace Secondary School, and Sunday was a real success.

“The atmosphere was great on both days and that was largely because we had such a beautiful venue.

Poundbury Garden Centre donated Christmas decorations to us for the weekend, Halos and Heroes supplied us with the elf costumes for the helpers to wear and we had Santa in the grotto, so everything looked very festive.

“It was quite a sentimental day for my mum because she has been working hard on this for so many years and was nice to finally meet this milestone. She is just incredible to do this while also working full time.”

The fair was in aid of the Grace Secondary School for the second time. Claire and Richard Budd, from Dorchester, are leading the appeal to raise money for a school in Sudan.