The 2016 bikers’ season roared into life yesterday with the first major event on the calendar in Kesgrave.

The annual St George’s Day Bike Meet at The Bell Inn in Kesgrave has become a fixture on the calendar, and attracted more than 400 budding bikers and locals.

While dark clouds threatened to pour a damper on the day, the weather held out for everyone to enjoy a display of vintage and modern motorbikes, as well as food, stalls and live music from String 38 and Martha’s Wood.

The event was once again organised by the Friends United Motorcycle Club (FUMCC), which has established the event into a regular draw over the last nine years – attracting bikers from afar afield as London for the occasion.

“It’s been fantastic, and despite the threat of horrible weather we have been blessed again,” said Sam Jackson from the FUMC.

“A lot of bikers treat it as a shakedown ride because it’s the start of the season so it’s got an amazing community spirit.”

As usual, the event featured a raffle and prizegiving across a host of categories, with funds going to the FUMCC’s two chosen charities – the East Anglian Air Ambulance and the National Association for Bikers with a Disability.

For the first time, riders from the Ipswich Witches were on hand to sign autographs and chat to fans, as part of a soon-to-be-launched partnership project between the team and Kesgrave to get youngsters involved.

Debbie McCallum, landlady of The Bell said: “I would like to thank the Ipswich Witches for coming down and signing the autographs, and for me to see so many in the Kesgrave community joining as well is brilliant.”