Hollywood stars marched through the streets in a colourful parade celebrating the world of film.

Crowds clapped and cheered on the cavalcade as the sun came out to shine for Rottingdean's village fair.

Charlie Chaplin, Judy Garland, Robin Hood and his Maid Marion were among the characters in the procession which kicked off Saturday's festival.

The event was given a touch of glamour when screen goddess Elizabeth Taylor sent a good luck message to the organisers last month.

Dame Elizabeth starred in the film National Velvet, penned by Rottingdean author Enid Bagnold, when she was just 12.

She visited Rottingdean in preparation for her role, based on the author's 13-year-old daughter Laurian, and remained good friends with Ms Bagnold.

She said: "I am proud of my connection with this enchanted corner of the world.

"It's wonderful to know National Velvet will be represented on one of the floats in the cavalcade through the village to the green. I send my warmest thanks for Enid Bagnold's wonderful tale and my very best wishes for a most successful village fair."

Organiser Marjorie Hampton said: "It was really very good of her to write and send a photograph which we put on the podium with other film memorabilia."

The fair was opened by Brighton actress Julie Graham who arrived with her husband and daughter Edie May.

Mrs Hampton said: "Julie Graham was a little late so the drama club came out and entertained everyone. Then the Morris dancers came on so we had an impromptu concert.

"It all went very well and the weather was lovely. Julie was a great success and came with her little girl and husband so there was a real family atmosphere."

Derek Granger, producer of Brideshead Revisited, handed out trophies and garden vouchers to the winners of Rottingdean In Bloom.

In past years the fair has made up to £6,000 from stalls, donations and programme sales. The takings from this year's event are still being counted.

The 4,000 programmes sold out with the takings going to this year's three charities - the Martlets hospice, Roger's Wildlife Rescue Service and The Society of St Vincent De Paul which runs a soup kitchen and a furniture scheme.

Mrs Hampton said: "The money is still being counted so we don't know if we are up or down on other years. The people from the charities all had stalls which I think encouraged people to give because they could see what the charities actually do."

Organisations from the village including Scout groups, the riding club, the horticultural society, the floral arts club, the Women's Institute, the camera club, the church and the Lions, sold cakes, jams and bric-a-brac to raise money.

Yoshiko Makiura, 42, who studied at a Brighton language school 22 years ago returns to the fair from Osaka in Japan every year to sell oriental gifts and food.

She said: "I have been coming back for seven years with my children and students from Japan."

Petticoat Lane, a stall selling second hand clothes, was also a great success, said Mrs Hampton.

She was impressed by people's efforts to get into the theme and said: "The ladies from the Windmill WI came dressed as the Ascot scene from My Fair Lady. They all looked gorgeous with their hats and lovely dresses and Rottingdean Drama Club, dressed as the St Trinian's pupils, were great.

"The riding club put in a wonderful effort to recreate National Velvet but their horse was a little bit scared so they could not join the cavalcade. It was such a shame after all their hard work. Terry Bourne, the announcer, had researched the different organisations taking part and said a little bit about each of them as they marched past. The fair officially finished at 4pm but everyone wished it could have gone on for longer."