AROUND 9,000 people came to Leyton Marsh at the weekend when it hosted the two day Countryside Live festival, organisers say.

The annual event is designed to bring a taste of rural life to east London, and included a variety of shows and activities including willow weaving, butter making, apple pressing, horse grooming and the chance to get up close to some cuddly farmyard animals.

Shaun Dawson, chief executive of Lee Valley Regional Park Authority which helped organised the event, said: “Countryside Live is a truly unique event which brings the countryside to school children and families who live their everyday lives in an urban setting.

"It’s an incredible opportunity for them to do things they normally wouldn’t, understand how life in the countryside really works and simply to get close enough to touch animals such as sheep and goats.”

The Countryside Foundation for Education also helped with the organisation.

Click here to follow the Waltham Forest Guardian on Twitter