NOSTALGIA filled west Suffolk this weekend as hundreds of visitors enjoyed the sights, sounds and smells of the 1940s.Sponsored by the EADT, the Ploughs to Propellers 1940s weekend at Rougham Airfield boasted a feast of displays and activities for both young and old - and a few visitors dressed up in 1940s clothing.

NOSTALGIA filled west Suffolk this weekend as hundreds of visitors enjoyed the sights, sounds and smells of the 1940s.

Sponsored by the EADT, the Ploughs to Propellers 1940s weekend at Rougham Airfield boasted a feast of displays and activities for both young and old - and a few visitors dressed up in 1940s clothing.

The event took place on the airfield near Bury St Edmunds from where B17 bombers and the pilots of the 94th Bomber Group once flew.

Highlights of the event included a vast array of traction engines and classic tractors and the heavy horses in the Rougham Ploughing Match.

Ploughs to Propellers also saw the Suffolk West Federation of Women's Institutes and the Suffolk Horticultural and Producers Association lay on their first Autumn Show of Flowers, Produce, Arts and Crafts.

Items on show included traditionally made bread and cakes made with little more than a couple of eggs.

A spokeswoman for the Suffolk West Federation of Women's Institutes said the event was the culmination of close work between the association and the Rougham Estate.

She added: “The heroic jam making and preserving efforts of the Women's Institute in war time are a source of pride for WI members, even today.”

There were fashion stalls dedicated to the wartime era and military vehicles, such as Willys jeeps, armoured cars and a tank to match.

Rides available included a carriage trips in a Landau and plane and glider forays.

To round off the events 1940s feel, organisers laid on a range of music from the period including Glenn Miller and Jack Payne, all spun on 78s by the Silver Bird DJ and his team of formation dancers.

laurence.cawley@eadt.co.uk