PICNICS and partying, glo sticks and pink flashing headbands, rock, pop, soul and folk.

Abbeyfest had it all over three nights of great entertainment in the Abbey Gardens, in Bury St Edmunds.

The music festival attracted thousands of people, young and old, who were fed a feast of bands to suit all tastes and styles.

Last night 10cc topped the bill supported by T-Rextasy, Only One Direction and Ipswich-based Funky Voices, and the gardens were bouncing to the diverse sounds.

Graham Gouldman, Paul Burgess, Rick Fenn, Mike Stevens and Mick Wilson, the current members of the 10cc, were the undoubted stars of the weekend and rolled out a string of their hits and showed their classy musicianship.

Wall Street Shuffle, Things We Do For love, I’m Mandy Fly Me, Life Is A Minestrone, Art for Art’s Sake (Money For God’s Sake), Donna, I’m Not In Love and Dreadlock Holiday were all there and last night’s crowd loved it.

Promoter Jonh Hessenthaler said he was “thrilled and delighted” with the festival and the mix of bands and acts he was able to attract.

“We were lucky with the weather during the festival and the important run up time to it. I’m really pleased with the attendance and the amount of money we have been able to bring into the local economy.

“I would like to develop Abbeyfest and raise it to a even higher level.”

On Saturday is was very much party time as hundreds grooved and swayed to the sounds of a host of well know names and tribute acts.

The Team, aka The Edwin Starr Band, featuring Edwin’s brother Angelo, were the star turn, belting out a string of hits from the former soul singer including War, Happy Radio, (Eye to Eye) Contact and H.A.P.P.Y.

Crowd-pleasing tribute band Chic C’est Le Freak, whose repetoire included an array of Nile Rodgers hits, described their audience and “so lively” as they dealt out an array of well-known songs including Freak Out, Dance Dance Dance, I’m Comin’ Out, Upside Down, The Greatest Dancer, We Are Family, Lost In Music and I Want Your Love.

Also on the bill was George McCrae, former Rose Royce singer Gwen Dickey, Phil Fearon, Nat Augustin’s George Benson Show and Graham Vegas.

Friday, billed as the Rockney Road of Folk featured headline acts Chas and Dave and The Dubliners.

But there was also superb support from the Kate Rusby Band, Nik Lowe and Rhys Butterworth-Bowman on a balmy night in the gardens.

The Cockney duo were in superb form as they rattled through their well-known singalong hits including Margate, Gertcha, Rabbit, Snooker Loopy, Ain’t No Pleasing You and The Sideboard Song, to name but a few.

It was a weekend of music to remember in a perfect setting.