IT WAS all the fun of the fair as a countryside college opened its doors for a family fun day.

Hundreds of families poured into the grounds of Kingston Maurward College near Dorchester for the annual open day and country fair yesterday.

As well as giving people an insight into the type of courses that the college runs, there were plenty of opportunities to have fun and be entertained.

Families could get up close with all sorts of animals and there were plenty of rural activity demonstrations to watch including sheep-shearing and hurdle making.

Fun-filled attractions included kayaking, a climbing wall, football demonstrations, tractor rides, heavy horses, forgework, tree climbing, country crafts, a dog show sponsored by Scats, water zorbing and a funfair.

The highlight for many was an appearance by TV’s celebrity Wolf Man Shaun Ellis who was due to make an appearance with his animals. The animal researcher, renowned for his canine psychology skills, used his pack of wolves to show visitors the balance between domestic and the wild side of dogs.

Events were held throughout the day in the animal park, the 750-acre grounds and 18th century manor house.

Displays included gun dogs, lurchers and reptiles, there was a chance for dog owners to see if their pet had the ‘XX Factor’ and there was a parade of dogs in need of new homes from Margaret Green rescue centre.

There was also live music throughout the day from Thomas Hardye School bands and other artists including Steve Wilson, Kipper, and Jack and Benny.

A spokesman for Kingston Maurward said: “The day offered the perfect opportunity to find out more about the wide range of courses offered, from outdoor adventure and animal conservation to business and IT.

“Visitors could talk to tutors during interactive activities, while children collected the set of six free fun Kingston Maurward College badges as they visited each academy.”