THE new secretary of Okehampton Show, who takes over from Liz Slee in the New Year, is 53-year-old Gilly Oliver, of Thorndon Cross.

Mrs Oliver has plenty of administration experience, having run her own financial services business for the past 16 years.

Although she has no farming connections, she is an animal lover with two horses, four cats and a dog and has previously taken part in agricultural shows in Surrey where she lived before moving to Devon five years ago.

A regular Okehampton showgoer, Mrs Oliver said she was looking forward to the work and meeting lots of new people.

'Being quite a newcomer to the area, I thought the job would enable me to meet a lot more people than I currently meet,' she said. '

I am interested in getting more involved in the community and this seems a good way to do it.'

In the few years she has been attending the show, the new secretary said it had grown enormously, although it still retained its traditional feel.

'It is a tremendous show and after the disappointment of this year everybody is keeping their fingers crossed that it can go ahead as normal next year — because it is later in the season I think there is a good chance.'

Mrs Oliver officially starts her new post in January and is being helped along by Liz Slee, who was show secretary for five years.

'Liz has very kindly given me a monthly list of things to do and she has offered to help me through the first year so I should be in safe hands,' she said.