A NEW president has been appointed to the Yorkshire Drystone Walling Guild.

Bill Cowling, who is also preparing to take over as Director of the Great Yorkshire Show after this year's event, is hoping to encourage more people, particularly women into making walls.

One of his first tasks as president was to host a practical course at his farm, near Harrogate, this weekend.

Mr Cowling said drystone walls are an important part of Yorkshire's heritage and also contain stock and mark boundaries. Without the guild's work, many of them would fall into disrepair.

He added: "The guild is keen to broaden the appeal of walling to encourage more women to take it up.

"Our aim is to have a team of women who will do walling demonstrations at agricultural shows this summer, including the Great Yorkshire, to highlight the fact that it can be done by all."

The guild has 60 members and 12 of them are women.

Anna Bryer, a horticulture lecturer, became interested in walling a few months ago and got together a group of her colleagues, students and friends to take part in the course.