Another bumper crowd has Suffolk Show organisers beaming

There had been threats of heavy rain and even thunderstorms on Thursday - and there had been fears these could put off many visitors.

In the event these did not materialise - and show bosses have become increasingly hopeful that the final numbers would pass the 90,000 mark over the two days.

There were a couple of showers during the afternoon - but they had more of a nuisance value rather than spoiling anyone's day out. 

Show Director John Taylor was again very happy - especially after the weather forecasts turned out to be so wrong.

"Today's numbers were slightly down on Wednesday - but the car parks were still 90% full and I'm very happy.

"We had the 50 Suffolk Punches in the Grand Ring - what a sight! We had 182 heavy horse entries altogether, 106 horses. What a show!"

The Duke of Gloucester had enjoyed his visit: "As he left he turned to me and said 'How fabulous to go to a proper agricultural show,' that meant the world to me," said Mr Taylor.

He's not sure the number of visitors will be quite as high as last year - but the organisers will be checking all those over the next week as they start to think about the 2025 event.

Bishop and Show President Rt Rev Martin Seeley. (Image: Charlotte Bond)

Speaking after his first day as President of the show, the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich Rt Rev Martin Seeley said this year had enjoyed the role hugely.

His first Suffolk Show was a few weeks after he moved to the county in 2015 - and the range of people he met confirmed to him its importance to life in the area.

He said: "Being President has meant that I've had the opportunity to see far more, admittedly at a whistle-stop pace, than I see when I come here as a regular member.

"I have been so fascinated by the array of activities and occupations and enterprises that make up our rural life, and our whole life in Suffolk."

He said all parts of life were reflected - from farming to the emergency services, to the service life and local businesses.

"You see how they all interact. Every one of them is part of the life that makes up our county."

One of the most popular stands at the show, unsurprisingly, was the Ipswich Town site which is much larger than it has been in recent years!

There were long queues at the Ipswich Town stand. (Image: Paul Geater)

Huge queues built up as some of the team's promotion-winning stars were signing autographs.

And the Planet Blue store was doing a roaring trade.

The show did end under grey skies which prevented the Thursday display by the Red Devils parachute team - but it did finish appropriately with a parade marking the 80th anniversary of the D-day landings.

The Normandy 80 parade closed the Suffolk Show. (Image: Paul Geater)

The Normandy 80 display had been one of the highlights of the show for many visitors as the were able to see vehicles that had been used and a Spitfire like that which supported the troops on the beaches.

Next week there will be a number of special events for the anniversary - look out for a special supplement we are publishing on the anniversary itself, June 6.