IT was a case of fun in the sun this weekend as thousands of people from across the region got out and about to enjoy the warm weather.

Visitors flocked to the Mid Suffolk Showground at Stonham Barns, near Stowmarket, yesterday for this year’s Mid Suffolk Show.

It marked a return to basics for the popular event – with the emphasis much more on traditional animal attractions. The Suffolk Horse Society was on hand to show off their collection of Suffolk Punches while there were also sheep and llamas.

Meanwhile, young riders of The Mid Suffolk Pony Club staged their own games on horseback and there were Rainbow Donkey Rides.

For dog enthusiasts the main attraction was the Lowestoft Dog Agility Display Team and displays from the charity Greyhound Walks.

John Philpott, show director and general manager of Stonham Barns, said: “Its gone wonderfully. The weather has been kind to us and the crowds have all had a fantastic time.

“It’s difficult to say how many people have visited but I would think it’s certainly as good as last year when we had 10,000 over two days.

“It’s just a one day show this year because we didn’t want to risk the weather. We’ve had a bit of a return to basics, the emphasis is much more on the animals than flashy displays, and it seems to have gone down very well.

“It’s nice to ring the changes and see a return to tradition - everyone I’ve seen has had a smile on their face.”

According to experts the fine weather looks set to continue. John Law, from regional forecasters Weatherquest, said: “I think we will still see some fairly settled weather over the next couple of days. It may be a little bit more cloudy but there will still be bright spells and sunshine.”

He said the settled weather was down to an area of high pressure just to the north.

“That will stay with us for the rest of the week,” he continued. “At the moment we have an easterly wind so temperatures tend to be a touch cooler, but we have still seen highs of around 12C (54F).

“It will be cooler on the coast than inland but as the winds shift around you will start to find pretty reasonable temperatures towards the middle of the week, around 14C (57F).”