THE weather might have been far from summery, but even heavy rain did nothing to dampen the spirits of weekenders determined to enjoy themselves.

Record numbers of people turned out to enjoy children's games, stalls, raffles and tombolas at the third annual Bishopthorpe Village Gala on Saturday - despite afternoon downpours.

Held in the grounds of Bishopthorpe Palace, the event was expected to raise more than £1,000 for village organisations.

Gordon Watkins, who organised the day along with Lisa Thornton and Shirley Burgen, said: "It was a tremendous day. All the village turned out, and when the weather got bad people still flocked there."

In York, nearly 300 residents and tourists had a look round the gilded splendour of the Mansion House in St Helen's Square on Saturday.

The Lord Mayor of York, Coun Janet Greenwood, was on hand to show visitors round the Mansion House's ceremonial rooms - the first of several such open days during her year in office.

Elsewhere in the city, there was a splash of colour in York in the shape of a yellow school bus in Parliament Street - on tour from American book publisher DK.

Parents and children were invited to hop on board the interactive vehicle, which featured three 'learning zones' for children where they discovered dinosaurs and Egyptian mummies.

Also providing a colourful sight was glamorous MS York winner Georgia Horsley, who enjoyed her first major photo shoot yesterday.

Harrogate designers Woody Whittick and Serena Moxon designed the dress, tiara and earrings for Georgia's big day, with a spectacular car provided by York's Mercedes dealership.

Early in September, Georgia will compete against 35 other English beauties to be named Miss England. If victorious, she will go on represent her country in Miss World.

Meanwhile, Roman Festival stalwarts Keith Mulhearn and Nick Eggleton dressed in full Roman armour to promote next weekend's event across the country.

The pair were part of a group that have been sponsored by GNER to visit key cities on its rail route, such as Leeds, Newcastle, Doncaster and Peterborough, handing out leaflets about the festival to encourage people to come along.

Nick said: "It's been fantastic. The reaction from the public has been amazing. The festival is much bigger than last year, and it will be a lot better."

At Kelfield, near Selby, locals got a good soaking in a medieval ducking stool - a star attraction at the annual village feast held on Saturday.

A children's fancy dress parade kicked off the event, which also included a rugby challenge, wheelbarrow rides, donkey rides, face painting, a surfing machine and a coconut shy.

Updated: 11:18 Monday, August 01, 2005