AN estimated 5,500 buyers and sellers attended Wilton Rotary’s 30th annual Mammoth Car Boot Sale on August bank holiday Monday in the grounds of Wilton House, home of the club’s honorary member, the Earl of Pembroke.

Organisation of the event was led for the last time by president elect Chris Lush who was earlier this year awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship (a Rotary mark of distinction) for his contribution to the success of the event for many years.

Despite a slight fall in the attendance figures, which was attributed to ultimately over-pessimistic weather forecasts, the club’s Charity Trust Fund again benefitted from a net inflow of more than £10,000.

Handing over the reins of next year’s event to new member Nigel Thorne (already the club’s fundraising chairman), Chris paid tribute to the 45 Rotarians, Inner Wheel members and Friends of Rotary who had helped to make the event a successful fundraiser once again.

Providing musical entertainment at the event for the first time was the Wilton & District Youth Band, pictured above, who had recently received a donation of £1,000 towards the cost of instruments from the Wilton Club.