Outside it may have been a windy and miserable British summer, but inside 2012's Royal Norfolk Show Ball guests were transported to a magical woodland forest this evening.

With a theme inspired by William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream play, the ball saw almost 800 guests flock to the Norfolk Showground.

The prestigious event is a highlight of Norfolk's social calendar each year in the run-up to the county's two-day agricultural show, which takes place on Wednesday and Thursday next week.

This year the ball was in aid of the Friends of the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, a group which funds equipment and projects to improve the lives of patients and their families.

The charity has recently paid for an ultrasound machine in the hospital's acute medical unit, light boxes to improve the environment for patients in radiology and a high dependency incubator cot in the neonatal intensive care unit.

David Prior, chairman of the Friends of the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, told guests it was an honour for the charity to be chosen to benefit from the event.

Beth Coley, the hospital's fundraising manager, said: 'It's been a real team effort and so many people from different parts of the hospital have come together for the night. We'd like to thank everyone who has supported us in making the event a success.'