A town centre's food and drink festival that normally attracts 35,000 people over two days has been cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Our Bury St Edmunds, external Food & Drink Festival was due to take place over the August bank holiday weekend.

Image source, Our Bury St Edmunds

The Business Improvement District (BID) organisation said it felt social distancing "would not be possible" at the free-admission event.

It said it hoped for a "bigger and better" edition next year.

William Bryant, chairman of the Bury BID, said: "We’ve taken this decision reluctantly after watching and waiting over the past three months in the hope it could have happened in a safe way.

"However I very much hope that next year we’ll see the festival return and Bury St Edmunds will continue to be regarded as Suffolk’s foodie town."

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A pub which was in the Guinness Book of Records for being the UK's smallest says it is too tiny to reopen.

The letter was posted in London in 1966 but has only just arrived at its destination in Ipswich.

The amount of revenue lost by the tourism sector in Norfolk and Suffolk during lockdown has been put at £1.9bn.

MHS Larking Gowen's Covid-19 impact report, external found businesses had experienced the equivalent of "three winters" through the loss of revenue at Easter, and two Bank Holidays.

Chris Scargill, a partner in the company, said: "Businesses that we surveyed anticipated on average it would take them nearly three and a half years to get them back into a position as to where they were pre-Covid.

"And that's of course if they survive through to next April when we start to see the normal season starting to ramp up."

Image source, Michael C/Geograph

A dancer praises an online festival that helps young artists get noticed in difficult times.

Two arrests have been made after a woman cyclist in her 40s was left in a critical condition after an accident involving a van.

Image source, John Myers/Geograph

Suffolk Police, external said the incident happened at about 13:10 on Monday, on the B1077, a mile south of Helmingham near Ipswich.

She was taken by helicopter to Addenbrooke's Hospital with a head injury.

The incident involved a white Ford Transit van with a distinctive orange light on the roof which was travelling south towards Ashbocking.

Police arrested a man and a woman in the van on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and officers are appealing for witnesses or dashcam footage.

Isobel Sheppard had her right leg amputated during lockdown and was not able to see her family.

Patrick Byrne
BBC News

Eight old bells are being temporarily removed from a Suffolk church and a new set of three cast in The Netherlands will join them to create a ring of 10.

Work has already started on the bells to be rehung in the tower of the church of St Peter and St Mary, external in Stowmarket this week.

Bellhangers are overseeing the removal of the old eight and the first of the new bells were due to be taken down to the aisle today.

Image source, Stowmarket Bells Project

"It will take two or three days before all eight are down and then they will be taken by lorry to Bridport, Dorset where work will begin to refurbish and establish a new ring of 10," Lynda Rochester of the Stowmarket Bells Project Team, said.

"One of the old bells (the treble) is in poor condition and will not be kept. We anticipate the new ring of 10 bells to be brought to Stowmarket from Bridport in the summer and look forward to welcoming visitors as soon as safety regulations allow.”

The new treble is in memory of the much loved doctor Peter Franks and his wife Sheila.

The £179,000 project has been funded by grants and donations, including a £95,100 Heritage Lottery Fund, external windfall.

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Pop star Ed Sheeran has helped kick-start a new appeal to help communities in his home county recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Suffolk Community Foundation (SCF) wants to raise £2m as part of its Rebuilding Local Lives, external initiative.

The BBC Radio Suffolk-backed campaign will get vital funds to community groups and charities helping those in need during the Covid-19 crisis and as the nation emerges from it.

Image source, PA Media

SCF did not disclose the amount donated by the Framlingham singer.

Tim Holder, SCF's head of public affairs, said they were "excited and grateful" to receive the support from the 29-year-old.

He said: "Ed’s visibility as a supporter will really boost to our ability to raise awareness of the fund and this new appeal, and now we can inspire even more people to support Suffolk charities and community groups to get Suffolk lives back on track as we come out of lockdown."