More than 100 bottles of wine were drunk and enough food to comfortably feed hundreds of people was eaten at a unique open day.

Antiques dealers Les Watts and Maureen Hughes flung open the doors of Lemon Tree Antiques at the former primary school in Blackford to greet more than 400 people on Sunday.

Visitors from as far afield as Australia, Ireland, Cornwall, Gloucester, Wiltshire and more locally got to see the school restored to its former glory and were greeted by a 12ft long mahogany dining table from Kinnerton Lodge in Cheshire.

Wells MP David Heathcoat-Amory cut the opening ribbon and spent two hours chatting with antiques dealers, council members, business owners, residents and neighbours.

The open day was held to make it known that the antiques business had changed direction and shifted its emphasis from traders to the public.

Les and Maureen hope that the showroom is the finest in the South West and some of the highlights it contains is a room of pine furniture containing a 10ft wide dresser with arch dog kennel, an oak room with four period oak dressers, rarely held by other dealers due to their expense, and a blue marlin made from steel by local sculptor Nick Rasmussen.

Les said: "We easily had 400 people in here. My daughter catered for 300 and she always heaps enough on your plate to feed you three times. Only a little food was left.

"David Heathcoat-Amory spoke about using the building for a very useful purpose and he was pleased to see a new business opening in such a dire economic situation. He really portrayed himself in a wonderful light. He meant every word he was saying.

"We are truly exhausted but completely thrilled by the whole experience. My neighbour's field had, at any one time, 100 cars in it."