MORE than 230 people partied the night away on Friday evening at the Town Reeve's Ball.The event was lavishly accommodated in a huge marquee erected at the Castle Meadow, in front of the castle, and included a champagne reception, three-course meal and entertainment including an international cabaret, as well as dancing.

MORE than 230 people partied the night away on Friday evening at the Town Reeve's Ball.

The event was lavishly accommodated in a huge marquee erected at the Castle Meadow, in front of the castle, and included a champagne reception, three-course meal and entertainment including an international cabaret, as well as dancing.

And later town reeve John Groom was able to announce that the event had raised more than �5,000, �500 of which will go to the East Anglian Air Ambulance and �1,500 to All Hallows Hospital, Ditchingham.

Mr Groom was delighted with how the event went.

He said: “We needed something to give the town a boost and it certainly did that,” he said. “We sold out of everything and I have never seen a dance floor fill so quickly. People are saying it was the event of the year.”

The evening included an auction, in which an original painting by Royal Academy artist Margaret Thomas, of Ellingham Mill, raised �800 and a flight in a Tiger Moth, donated by Paul Auckland, raised �500, while the raffle raised �1,000.

The London based Tenors Incognito provided a novel cabaret, dialect comedian Peter Holloway also entertained, and dancing was to the Jon Buck Band.

Civic guests attending included the mayor and mayoress of Bury St Edmunds, the mayor of Bungay, the deputy mayor of Beccles and the vice-chairman of Halesworth Town Council.

Mr Groom said he was particularly grateful for the support of Anglia Marquees, Margaret Thomas and Paul Auckland, as well as those donating raffle prizes, including Mike Daniels, Bahn Thai, Spice of India, the Castle Inn, Hillside Garage and Imperial Wines.

The ball was held as part of the Bungay Festival.