A grand display of Christmas fowl at the Diss Christmas Poultry Show and Sale featured hundreds of quality rough-plucked birds.For the judge, Robin Pooley, who lives at Strumpshaw, and is a former Master of the Worshipful Company of Butchers, it was a much harder task because of the exceptional quality of the birds.

A grand display of Christmas fowl at the Diss Christmas Poultry Show and Sale featured hundreds of quality rough-plucked birds.

For the judge, Robin Pooley, who lives at Strumpshaw, and is a former Master of the Worshipful Company of Butchers, it was a much harder task because of the exceptional quality of the birds.

His supreme show champion was shown by a third generation poultry producer, Ian Colchester, of Pond Farm, Thrandeston, near Diss, who rears about 800 turkeys for the Christmas trade. His wife, Jane was presented with the rosettes and prize cards by Mr Pooley and show organiser, Rachael Hipperson, of TW Gaze.

"We rear the turkeys from day old and feed them by hand, so they get plenty of tender, loving care," said Mrs Colchester, who said that her husband had won at previous shows but never the supreme overall title. They reared Norfolk Black, Bronze and Attleborough whites, she said.

It was also a very good show for a supporter of the traditional show and sale, Mick Wharton, aged 72, of Blo Norton, who took the supreme championship and reserve with his home-reared ducks. For half a century, he farmed at Winfarthing and even milked 17 cows by hand until he gave up.

Now, he rears poultry to keep himself busy and really enjoys the opportunity to produce birds for the traditional Christmas show and sale at Diss.