More than 250 villagers and residents gathered at St Margaret’s Church in Shottisham on Saturday, to raise money for the church’s Tower Repair Fund.

The varied event included an exhibition of photographs of the village, a display of past news stories, including many from the East Anglian Daily Times, and a collection of finds from the village.

Also on hand was Oscar-winning filmmaker Mat Kirkby, who lives in the village, and had brought along his gong for Best Live Action Short Film from the 2015 awards to display.

Children from Sandlings Primary School had baked cakes which were sold at the event in a maths exercise to show how businesses turned a profit, with traditional puzzles and games activities also laid on for the village youngsters.

The event also featured a display of wedding dresses as well as tours and talks of the church’s history throughout the day, alongside traditional raffle and sale events.

Emma Thomas, who helped to publicise the event, said: “It looks as though it was very well received. Lots of people said ‘again please’, and we were really pleased with the number of people coming through.

“We must really say a big thank you to Pat Bendon who organised the event – she was the one who helped everyone contribute all the material.”

The church has applied for grants to help fund the £140,000 cost of repairing the church tower, with news expected soon on whether a £90,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant has been awarded.

The next fundraiser event is set to take place in July at the village’s summer fete.