A SUN-DRENCHED weekend meant bumper crowds at a whole host of family events across York and North Yorkshire.

People flocked to the Yorkshire Airshow at Elvington in their droves.

The aerobatics of the Red Arrows graced the skies on both Saturday and Sunday.

However, the Red Arrows' display was disrupted yesterday for the second time in three years by aircraft flying into their air space.

The crack RAF team gave a reduced show after the air space had been cleared.

The Arrows had to take emergency action in 2003 to avoid a tragedy when a microlight aircraft strayed into the area.

Des Reed, from Malton, who witnessed yesterday's display, today criticised fliers for ignoring flying restrictions.

"It's a serious matter," he said.

"They could cause hundreds of deaths.

"They should have their licences revoked."

Motorists suffered lengthy delays in leaving the show, with some taking three hours to get away.

Airshow organisers said there had been record crowds in fine weather, and delays of this kind were not uncommon for such events.

This year's show was themed around a range of modern military hardware on display and entitled Military Might - the headline item being the RAF's new Eurofighter Typhoon, appearing at one of its first airfield displays outside an RAF station.

The second item of military hardware new to the show was the mighty Boeing Chinook twin rotor helicopter.

Two other aircraft that had not displayed at the show before were the Royal Navy Historic flight's recently restored Sea Fury - one of the fastest piston engine aircraft ever built, and the Sea Hawk jet attack aircraft.

Meanwhile, The Lord Mayor of York, Coun Janet Greenwood, joined the crowds out and about in the sunshine at Dunnington Show on Saturday and visitors to the Pickering Showground were treated to an array of monster trucks.

Elsewhere in North Yorkshire, there were record crowds at the Rosedale Show.

Held at Rosedale Abbey on Saturday, the show has been going since 1871 and organisers estimated a turnout of well over 5,000.

Chairman Janet Dring said: "It was a lovely day.

"We were very lucky with the weather this year and the setting is perfect.

"We'd like to thank everybody who helped set up the showground and worked to hard to make the event a huge success and, of course, the exhibitors without whom the show wouldn't be possible."

The show boasted the usual array of agricultural and horticultural exhibits with a host of vintage tractors as well as craft stalls.

The judges thought the standard of entries in all categories was very high this year.

Updated: 10:56 Monday, August 22, 2005