A Suffolk village played host to the first ever reunion of living descendants of a resident born there in 1789.

Nearly 60 people headed to Kirton, travelling from as far as Scotland to celebrate the life of Samuel Knights, and re-establish old family ties, as well as creating new ones.

John Knights, who was present at the gathering, said: “We were treated to an illustrated talk by Kirton historian Len Lanigan, and a range of table top and wall mounted displays, the focal point of which was an 8 metre long family tree pinned up along one whole wall.

“The tree reflected a wealth of facts, photographs and dates, painstakingly amassed over many years by several amateur genealogists within the family, initially working independently but more recently pooling resources.

“To conclude the meeting, a very special cake featuring decorations reflecting family memorabilia, topped by the Kirton signpost, made of chocolate, had been created by a member of the family, and this was ceremonially cut and shared out, accompanied by glasses of champagne.”

At the meeting there was also a collection for the benefit of the PhotoDynamic Therapy charity, raising £250.