THEY might have been poles apart in years, but a 91-year-old and a two-year-old had one thing in common at Dalston Show - a love of tractors.

Joe Dixon, from Armathwaite, loves showing off his beloved vintage tractors and little Joey Scott has a collection of toy ones at his home at Aglionby, near Carlisle.

So when Joey, his brother, one-year-old Rory, and parents, Martin and Suzanne, stopped in front of Joe's two Massey Ferguson 135s, the retired farmer asked if the youngster wanted to clamber aboard.

Joey didn't need to be asked twice and, struggling out of his buggy, mum, Suzanne, then lifted the youngster into the driving seat.

"He's a natural," said Joe, who has shown vintage tractors at shows for the past 18 years.

"Look, he's loving it," said dad, Martin, as Joey, wearing a pair of shades to keep out the sun's glare, proceeded to turn the steering wheel and turn on the lights.

"I'd better get him down before he discovers how to turn on the engine," laughed Martin.

Meanwhile, Joe proudly declared he had landed a fourth place in one of the vintage machine classes with his Massey Ferguson 135 1966 model.

"I restored both of these myself. Well son, Ian, did the spraying. I used to drive one of them to shows, but I'm not allowed on the road with them now. I just love the craic," he said.

Everywhere you looked on Saturday there was a sea of happy, smiling faces.

Dalston's village showfield was bursting at the seams.

"The show has always been a favourite with visitors and competitors alike," said show secretary, Nick Utting.

"It has been non-stop since late morning."

Despite a damp forecast, the show kept up its fine day record, and some late afternoon sunshine had visitors migrating to the banks of the showfield to catch some rays.

"We're not far off from last year's figure of 7,000 visitors. The weather has helped just like last year. In the modern era this is a record for a show of this size," said Mr Utting.

Still on the vintage theme, Keith and Cath Bell were showing their restored Kawasaki GPZ 400R.

"It was just a bag of bits, when we got it," said Keith. "It was first built in 1985."

"It's Cath's bike really," he added, as Cath sat astride the gleaming two-wheeled machine.

She was clutching the couple's wriggling German Shepherd pup, Jasper, who was 13 weeks old.

Their other German Shepherd, Duke, two-and-a-half, was trying to ignore the youngster's playful antics.

"The bike was in a sorry state when we got it in 2014. We totally stripped it down and rebuilt it," added Keith.

Just then a piano-playing nun shot by blessing everyone in sight, while snatches of 'Hallelujah" floated from the black and white keys.

It was just one of the many wacky forms of entertainment the show is famous for.

"We have a pair of lads in blue, somewhere on the field.

"I just hope they don't make too many arrests," joked Mr Utting.

And as if to prove his point, screams of laughter echoed from other parts of the showfield, where youngsters were seen spinning plates on straws, while others sat cross-legged and watched wide-eyed as the "crazy" fire engine performed, and Gary James pulled a rabbit out of the hat in his magic show.

If you failed to pick up a programme, numerous loudspeakers dotted about the showfield proclaimed the day's activities in loud, ringing tones.

"It's my job to put them up and make sure they work," said Alan Tubman, from Whitehaven.

The 72-year-old has been putting up loudspeakers since he was 12-years-old with dad, Glenn.

Despite being diagnosed with prostate cancer just before last Christmas, Alan declared he had installed 20 just that day.

"I tend to do most of the shows. I put them up and bury the cables," said Alan, who operates under the name of Glenn Tubman, Public Address Systems, Whitehaven.

Standing beside him was daughter, Janice Johnston.

"I've been helping him since I was in nappies," laughed the 36-year-old.

"It was a case of when you can walk, you can carry some of the equipment."

In the late afternoon families were still arriving. Dalston had no intention of packing up yet.