SHE used to be part of a famous double act called Two Fat Ladies.

Clarissa Dickson-Wright and her equally plump partner, Jennifer Paterson, travelled the length and breadth of Britain in a motorcycle and sidecar.

They delighted TV audiences by dropping in at various venues to prepare meals for the locals.

The cookery show, which won legions of fans in America and Australia as well as the UK, came to a premature end in 1999 after Jennifer died of cancer.

Now Clarissa is best known as the author of a highly successful series of cookery books and a fierce critic of the ban on hunting.

She spoke on both subjects with equal passion during a visit to the New Forest and Hampshire County Show on Wednesday.

Clarrisa was wearing a T-shirt bearing the slogan Liberty and Livelihood the motto of the pro-hunt Countryside Alliance and clutched a poster that said: "Damn the Ban".

"This is my first trip to the show," she said.

"It's one of those things I have always meant to visit but I live in Scotland and it was rather far to come.

"This year I decided to travel down to support the National Coursing Club, which has a stand at the event.

"The show has a really nice feel. There's a huge cross-section of people, holidaymakers as well as locals, which makes it rather special.

"I love the pole-climbing contest and the young men with their axes all very over-exciting!"

Scores of craftsmen exhibiting at the three-day show include Richard Cranham, of Eling, who has been making walking sticks for 26 years.

Talented Romsey artist John Surplice is exhibiting a sculpture that took him 500 hours to complete.

The New Forest Verderers are using the show to urge drivers to slow down and cut the number of animal accidents in the area.

Last year the Forest saw a total of 155 accidents, including 20 hit-and-run incidents.

Yesterday the New Forest National Park Authority presented five Land Rovers to the Agisters, who are responsible for the welfare of all the ponies and cattle that roam the Forest.

Head Agister Jonathan Gerrelli said: "The Land Rovers will help us immensely, especially when we're attending to injured animals.

"Up until now we have provided our own vehicles, which has been a heavy financial burden."