Graeme Mac
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

His name might not be regularly sung by Ipswich supporters, but Town midfielder Jonathan Douglas says he is very happy at the club and has no reason to leave.

The 33-year-old says he has felt at home at Ipswich ever since joining the club a little over a year ago, and says captain Luke Chambers (pictured) has played a big part in that.   

Image source, Reuters

"He's the main man here that gels the team together," Douglas told BBC Suffolk. "I have a lot of respect for him and the way he goes about his business."

A pendant which has been declared as treasure provides another piece to an "amazing jigsaw" of Norfolk's Anglo-Saxon past, experts say.

You may remember a little while ago we brought you an appeal from the organisers, external of a "re-creation" of Constable's Hay Wain painting. They were looking for a dog to star in the painting.

Well they've told us today that they've chosen Ellie, who's owned by Hannah and Richard Miller, who say she's good with horses and the command "stay" - which has got to be a good thing.

Image source, Hannah Miller

They've also cast two horses from N&J Heavy Horses, external in Beccles:

Image source, N&J Heavy Horses

Graeme Mac
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy is set to add a couple of new additions to his squad in the coming week, with striker Leon Best among them.

Image source, Getty Images

The former Newcastle United player is currently on trial at Portman Road, and scored for the under-23s earlier this week.

"David McGoldrick is out until at least November, and we could be without Daryl Murphy for two or three international breaks," McCarthy said.

"With that in mind, bringing in an extra bit of firepower and a player who offers something different won't do us any harm."

Graeme Mac
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Former Coventry and Newcastle striker Leon Best could be the next new face at Ipswich Town, after impressing during a trial at Portman Road.

Image source, PA

The 29-year-old has been without a club since leaving Rotherham United in the summer, and has been training with the Blues over the past few days.

"He played in the under-23s' game and scored a really good goal," said Town boss Mick McCarthy. "I've been pleased with him.

"He's trained with us today and will do again tomorrow and there's a potential deal on the cards. He brings something different."

The developer which has been granted planning permission for the former Blundeston Prison site says it's looking forward to starting the first phase as soon as it can.

Image source, Badger Building

Badger Building, external, which bought the site in January 2016 for £3m, says all existing buildings, except the former officers' mess, will be cleared away.

The mess building will be converted into new premises for Blundeston pre-school group.

Managing director Stephen George said: "We are pleased that we have been granted planning consent on this infamous site. It has involved a lot of hard work by all parties to achieve this in a short time."

A Norwich commuter has told of his "nightmare" five-hour journey from London, after serious delays on the day train operator Abellio Greater Anglia signed a new nine-year franchise deal for the region.

Image source, Anthony Fan

Anthony Fan, who works in the City of London, said he had to catch a woman who fainted while they were both forced to stand due to a lack of seats during the disrupted journey on the hottest day of the year.

"It was a nightmare - the worst journey I've had in nearly four years as a commuter," he said.  

Delays started soon after he caught the 19:00 service from London's Liverpool Street, before problems with the train's brakes near Stratford. Passengers were told to get off at Shenfield (pictured below), then after a 25-minute wait boarded a train which terminated at Ipswich.

After another 30-minute delay, passengers finally got on a train to Norwich but speed restrictions were in place due to scheduled line maintenance.

Image source, Twitter/Gary Avis

Season ticket holder Mr Fan, who had caught the 06:24 train to London in the morning, said the train finally arrived back in Norwich at about 23:45.

"It was a shambles as no-one seemed to know what train we had to board at Shenfield," he said.

"We were then told the train would take us back to Norwich, but it didn't - it terminated at Ipswich - and then we had to get on a slow-moving train to Norwich after a half-hour wait on the Ipswich platform."

Abellio Greater Anglia has been contacted for comment.

Outline approval has been given to plans to demolish the former Blundeston Prison and redevelop the site with 130 homes, retail and business units, and a care home.

Waveney councillors last night gave full approval for the first phase, which includes two shop units, three office buildings, and 14 starter homes.  

Image source, Badger Building

Philippa Taylor
BBC Local Live

I caught sight of a similar cloud formation when I was driving in this morning, but there was nowhere for me to stop and capture it, so grateful thanks to Weather Watcher Jackalina for this photo taken in Wyverstone:

Thanks, too, to Weather Watcher TrickiePete for this lightning shot from last night's storm:

Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Ipswich Witches, external have confirmed that tonight's meeting at Redcar Bears, external has been cancelled.

Cutters have been hard at work clearing a stretch of the River Waveney of its rushes, using traditional methods.

William Gittus, the managing director of Jockey Club Estates, says the £10m hill gallop at Newmarket will be money well spent, and refuted claims uphill training was a "fad".

"If you go into the Jockey Club rooms, external and look at a painting by [John] Wootton, there's a little chap sitting in a pill box on Warren Hill, external," he said.

"That chap is Charles II, so they've been training uphill successfully for 400 years, and if that's a fad, it's a fad I would like to start."

The managing director of Jockey Club Estates, which is planning to build a man-made hill gallop in Newmarket, has been explaining why it's important for horses to be exercised on an incline.

William Gittus said: "Like any athlete you'll get yourself fitter and improve your performance by improving your muscles and your cardiovascular capabilities.

"Normally if you're doing that on the flat you can only do that by going faster and as you increase your speed, you increase your risk of injury whether you're a horse or a human.

"By going uphill, you can increase the work you're putting into your body, both in terms of your muscles and your heart and lungs, not going as fast, and therefore getting fitter but not getting injured."

There are hopes that a new £10m hill gallop at Newmarket, on the racecourse side of the town, could encourage more trainers to set up yards there.

The only natural hill gallop is at Warren Hill, on the Bury side of town, meaning that trainers not based there have to walk their horses through Newmarket to make use of the incline. This can take around 90 minutes.

William Gittus, managing director of Jockey Club Estates, says the facility would hopefully not only satisfy the trainers that are already on the racecourse side, but also encourage new ones to the town.

"On Bury side you've got all of the yards full - on racecourse side there is both capacity within the yards and the capacity to build new yards," he said.

"Bury side there's really not much land to build another box let alone another yard."

Plans for a multi-million pound man-made gallop have been announced by Jockey Club Estates, external in Newmarket.

Managing director William Gittus says the idea of having a hill gallop on the racecourse side of the town has been about for a long while.

He said: "We've always shied away from it and it was really trips to Japan and South Africa that gave us the courage of our convictions to get on and design something that would work and give us the hill that we want that could be located on the racecourse side of the training grounds."

Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Despite scoring Ipswich Town's, external equaliser against Norwich, external on Sunday, Jonas Knudsen says he'll never take his place in the side for granted.

Image source, Getty Images

The 23-year-old has been impressed by teenage left-back Myles Kenlock, who played the final two games of last season when Knudsen was missing.

""He did well when I had a little injury," said Knudsen. "It's good to have a supplement to each position so I can be pushed every day.

"Myles has done well which means I have to do the best I can, in every game, so I can show the manager I deserve this position."

Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Ipswich Town's, external East Anglian derby hero Jonas Knudsen believes he's now a better player than when he arrived at Portman Road just over a year ago.

Image source, Getty Images

In that time, the 23-year-old Dane has become the Blues' first choice left-back and will make his 49th appearance for the club against Preston, external on Saturday.

"I know the league now, much better than when I came over," said Knudsen. "I had to learn the style of football and I think I have done that and I think I have improved."

Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

"A win tonight and our season rolls on, a loss and we're in big trouble."

That's how Ipswich Witches, external team manager Ritchie Hawkins sees his side's meeting at Redcar Bears, external.

Image source, Stephen Waller

"On paper we've got a lot stronger team and obviously at our place we beat them very comfortably and it's a place we normally go well at," said Hawkins. 

"We've also shown that we can be inconsistent and not perform when needed so we need to make sure complete commitment is there."

Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Ipswich Witches, external director Chris Louis believes his side has to take maximum points from tonight's trip to Redcar Bears, external if they're to keep their Premier League play-off hopes alive.

Image source, Stephen Waller

With just three meetings of the regular season to go, the Suffolk side are a point outside the top six.

"We know realistically we've got to get four points," Louis told the club website. "It's a track we've got a good record at although Redcar have, in the last few months, picked up their home form.

"I think we've got a team more than capable of grabbing all the points from it and they know they have to."