It is being billed as the world’s biggest military re-enactment show - and it certainly seemed that way to the crowds flocking to the Kent Showground at Detling this weekend.

An estimated 5,000 attended yesterday and a similar number today.

More than 4,000 re-enactors are said to be taking part over the three-day event; playing out scenes from every period of history from the Vikings, through the English Civil War to the Wild West and the two World Wars and even Vietnam.

Richard Aslett, who co-directs the show with his son James, said: “So far everything is going very smoothly. We’ve had a couple of vehicles break down, but that is to be expected."

“The display by REME had to be cancelled for operational reasons, but the Crusaders stepped nicely into the breach to give us an attack on a wagon instead - which went down very well.”

The afternoon was topped off with a fly-past by a Spitfire.

The show continues tomorrow, Bank Holiday Monday, with gates opening at 9.30am. Entry is £17.