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Our party animals!

Pat Hills
13/12/2006

IT WAS a day when the guests literally came flocking to the party!

They also arrived in their droves, in their herds and even in their swarms.

And the revellers - each immaculately turned out in a sleek fur coat or a nice feather frock - let it all hang out.

For they were true party animals - hoofed, webbed and winged creatures great and small. And the man who made the horseplay all possible, millionaire Selwyn Demmy, told each one of them: "Go on, make a beast of yourself!"

So each dressed like a dog's dinner they made pigs of themselves and partied until they... er, dropped.

It was also a bit of a turn-up for the cook book - where, for a pleasant change, they did all the eating!

The Christmas bash was to celebrate yet another eventful year at the sanctuary horse-racing tycoon Selwyn runs at his sprawling home in Mottram St Andrew.

And it was an occasion for Lucky, a celebrity donkey, who hit the headlines some time ago after successfully twice battling against cancer, to meet his equally famous counterpart, Rocket, at the sanctuary, the Humane Education Society, at Newgate in Wilmslow.

It was an occasion where beasts came first and humans came second.

And for animal-loving actress Samia Ghadia (married name Smith), who plays Maria in the soap favourite Coronation Street, she didn't mind NOT being top dog for once.

She went along to help and assisted other two-legged volunteers in dishing out the fodder to the guests who included donkeys, ponies, dogs, cats, geese, goats, lambs, rabbits and chickens and anyone else who cared to fly by.

There was even a Santa "Claws" and a team of "furries" to share out gifts of carrots, horsenuts and corn.

"It all went brilliantly," said Selwyn after he cleaned up after the mess.

"It was a case where the guests were seen but definitely not herded!"

• IF you want to help the Humane Education Society (charity number 207513) contact them on Newgate Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5LN.