Living in Suffolk Coastal - Issue 32 by Living in ...

LIVING IN ISSUE SUMMER 2016 ISSUE ONE… 32 ... MAY/JUNE 2022

SUFFOLK Suffolk songbirds losing their voice? Local home owners…... throw open their doors Wolsey’s woodwork ...the “incouple our home!” Child free zones?… meet with the Parent Pod! Art andjust nature the healing path Brown on colours Is grey so last...year?… Jojo Humes

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ON OUR COVER …

LIVING IN ISSUE SUMMER 2016 ISSUE ONE… 32 ... MAY/JUNE 2022

We love this simple yet powerful image of a song thrush, taken by Chris Gomersall (rspb-images.com). Sightings of this once-popular bird are down by 81% compared to those recorded in 1979 in the first Big Garden Birdwatch. Read all about it on page five.

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LIVING IN ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

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If you’ve got a heartwarming or topical story to tell, an inspiring home or business to show off, or an event you’re planning, we’d love to hear from you! The copy deadline for our next edition, covering July and August, is mid-June and it will be available to read online and in hard copy from early July. For advertising information, or if you’d like to submit any collaboration ideas and stories, email info@livinginsuffolk.com

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Editor: Angela Hagan 07930 184773, info@livinginsuffolk.com Designers: Craig Drever and Lewis Webb Writer: Charity Crewe charity@livinginsuffolk.com www.livinginsuffolk.com Due East Media Ltd: Soane House, 4 Soane Street, Ipswich IP4 2BG. Registered in England number 10242873 Disclaimer: Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the data in this publication is accurate, neither the publisher nor the editor, nor its editorial contributors can accept, and hereby disclaim, any liability to any party for omissions resulting from negligence, accident or any other cause. All artwork is accepted on the strict condition that permission has been given for use in this publication. Living In … Suffolk Coastal does not officially endorse any advertising material included within this publication. All rights reserved. No parts of this publication may be reproduced, without prior permission of Due East Media Ltd.

Local home owners… throw open their doors Child free zones?… meet the couple with the Parent Pod! Is grey just so last year?… Jojo Humes Brown on colours

Picture by Matt Eachus

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COASTAL

NEWS RSPB Nature Reserve in Westleton

Good and bad news revealed in the results of the 2022 Big Garden Birdwatch … While Suffolk has seen a welcome rise in the number of blue tits spotted, closely followed by the house sparrow and wood pigeon, the number of song thrushes (such as the beautiful one gracing our front cover) is under real threat. Over its four decades, the Big Garden Birdwatch has highlighted the winners and losers in our gardens’ bird world. This crucial survey, the biggest of its kind in the world, was first to alert the RSPB to the sad decline in song thrush numbers, which are now down a worrying 81% compared to when the first Big Garden Birdwatch was carried out in 1979. Once a familiar and popular garden songbird, their numbers have declined on farmland

SIZEWELL C: CRUNCH TIME Sizewell B

as well as in towns and cities. Around 13,000 Suffolk residents took part in this latest survey, which also revealed that sightings of the jay have risen by a spectacular 73% compared to last year’s numbers. The RSPB’s chief executive, Beccy Speight, says: “It’s been brilliant to see so many people taking part again this year, taking time out to watch and reconnect with birds and then generously submit their sightings to help RSPB scientists gain some insights into how our garden birds are faring.” Big Garden Birdwatch results also found a small increase in greenfinches compared to 2021, offering a glimmer of hope that this might be the early signs of a population recovery, but only time will tell. In recent years, the greenfinch has suffered a population crash (62% since 1993) caused by a severe outbreak of the disease trichomonosis (spread through contaminated food and drinking water). As a consequence, the species was added to the UK Red List last year.

The Secretary of State will decide whether to grant planning consent for the controversial Sizewell C on 25th May. If approved, the project will add two more nuclear reactors next door to RPSB Minsmere. Ahead of this, on Sunday, 15th May, two pressure groups, Stop Sizewell C and Together Against Sizewell C, have announced a two-mile march from Leiston to a rally at Sizewell beach. Gathering at 9.30am at Victory Road Recreation Ground, the march will move off at 10am. The rally will take place between about 11.15am and 12 noon. Alison Downes of Stop Sizewell C says: “We plan to make a coach available to bring people back to Leiston afterwards. All welcome.” Alison and members of Stop Sizewell C have long campaigned against the building of the proposed reactors by EDF Energy. “Why, with money in short supply and

RSPB Minsmere, based in Westleton, Saxmundham, this year celebrates its 75th anniversary. Opened in 1947, more than 6,000 different species of wildlife have since been identified there. To coincide with the start of the breeding season and peak of spring migration, you can join a guided walk to celebrate on Monday, 23rd May. The guides will show you avocets, gulls, terns, warblers, insects and much more, as well as telling you about important moments in Minsmere’s history. This walk, which will include visiting birdwatching hides, is organised as part of the Suffolk Walking Festival. Tickets to the event, which starts at 10am and finishes at 12.30pm, cost £12 each. To book yours, go to www.ticketsource.co.uk

the need for solutions urgent, has the government placed large-scale nuclear front and centre of its Energy Strategy?” she says. “Ministers are locking the country into the most risky, slow and expensive energy infrastructure, forcing consumers to pay for it twice – a nuclear tax for construction and higher priced electricity.” But managing director of Sizewell C, Humphrey Cadoux-Hudson, claims the build will bring with it multiple benefits. “At a time when energy security and decarbonisation are top of mind, the government’s prioritisation of nuclear as a bridge between both is to be welcomed. Sizewell C is ready to help meet this ambition,” he says. For further details on the march and rally, go to www.stopsizewellc.org/march. For more details on the proposals, go to www.edfenergy.com ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

Picture of RSPB Minsmere by Louise Chapman. Picture of blue tit by Ray Kennedy (rspb-images.com). Picture of Sizewell B: © EDF Energy

THE SONGBIRD IS SINGING (LIKE IT KNOWS THE SCORE)

ON THE

MARKET Your latest local property news from around the region …

GARDENS OF DELIGHT …. Once in a while, a beautiful property comes to market that really gets our pulses racing. Melton Hall, based near Woodbridge, is one such home, thanks to its magical gardens and grounds. The highlights of which include a paved rose garden, two walled gardens featuring historic crinkle crankle brickwork, an extensive kitchen garden, a tranquil Japanese water garden and a 3.5 acre wildflower meadow and woodland copse with natural ponds. Bursting with more than 100 species of wild flowers and a wealth of insect and birdlife, the meadow and woodland are managed as a private reserve in cooperation with the Suffolk Wildlife Trust, which owns the adjacent Hutchison’s Meadow nature reserve and provides hay cutting and sheep grazing. And this is before we have even started on the accommodation! Just four families have lived in this beautiful Grade II listed home since 1936. Melton Hall was built in 1807 when George III was on the throne and simply oozes local historic interest. It’s no surprise this elegant Regency villa has featured in national homes

and interiors magazines. Offering some 7,7767ft of accommodation alongside 7.5 acres of gardens and woodland grounds, it’s based just a five-minute walk from the River Deben. The nine-bed property further offers a coach house with garaging and a workshop with an independent flexible-use twobedroom flat above. The property also features a hard tennis court and swimming pool. To find out more or to view this gem, call the team at JacksonStops on 01473 218218 or go to www. jackson-stops.co.uk

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CROSS COUNTY … Ever fancied moving to the other side of Suffolk? Little Waldingfield is a sought-after residential village located approximately halfway between the thriving market towns of Sudbury and Lavenham. Not to be confused with Waldringfield (near Woodbridge), this village offers an attractive collection of period houses, some dating back to medieval times. The Grade II listed Enniskillen Lodge offers five bedrooms and approaching 3 acres of stunning grounds which include a pond and summerhouse. The property, which also boasts a lovely study and library, has been sensitively renovated and extended over the years, with signs of its original period origins to the front section of the property and a more modern feel to the ground and first floor additions (created when the original barn was linked and converted to residential accommodation). With exposed timbering and feature fireplaces, Eniskillen House is well worth a viewing. Offers in the region of £985,000. Go to www.fennwright.co.uk or phone 01787 327000.

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THE HOUSE OF LIFE … Billy Dawson has been through so much for someone so young, but now she’s empowering others to find health and joy …

n the tranquil village of Pettistree, just a five-minute drive from Wickham Market, is a little slice of heaven known as Vida Haus. You may have driven past it and wondered what it offers, or you might be one of the many who have already discovered this fabulous centre devoted to people’s wellbeing. Formerly The Three Tuns inn, it is now a wonderful architect-designed yoga and dance studio offering many varying movement classes and events as well as holistic therapies, plastic-free shopping, a private dining space, a refill shop and an amazing plant-based cafe. Run by Bulgarian-born yoga teacher Bilyana Dawson (fondly known to all as Billy), Vida Haus is a peaceful escape from the stresses and strains of everyday life. “My Sanskrit name,” Billy tells us, as she shows us around the beautifully renovated and cavernous building, “is Prema, which means ‘divine love’.”

Main picture: The Vida Haus studio, run by Billy Dawson, boasts a bustling plantbased cafe Top: Qualified yoga teacher Billy Above: The impressive facilities at Vida Haus Opposite: Bulgarian Billy spent much of her childhood in the Balkan mountains ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

And it is love that has been blown into every corner of this inspirational place, growing it from a seedling of an idea in Billy’s head to this bustling reality, offering wellness and nourishment to everyone who drops by. A committed vegan and passionate about food sustenance, Billy grew up enjoying a somewhat divided existence. Living between her parents flat in Sofia in a grey concrete block half the time, then enjoying holidays in the breathtaking Balkan mountains with her grandparents, she says hers was a happy childhood. Bulgaria, which occupies the eastern portion of the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe, was founded in the 7th century and is now one of the oldest states on the European continent. It is intersected by historically strategic routes, known as the New Silk Road, from northern and eastern Europe to the Mediterranean basin, and from western and central Europe to the Middle East. Bulgaria’s iron-fisted communist rule dissolved in 1990 and, growing up, Billy, who was born in the 1980s, recalls the ensuing economic volatility which led to food shortages. “At six, I remember my parents losing their jobs; they both worked as engineers,” she says. “So they had to find other ways of sustaining the family. My dad started an import/export business with neighbouring countries including Russia and Ukraine. We got to know many lovely people from there and it’s horrifying and shocking what is now going on in this war,” she says quietly. Her holidays spent with her mother’s parents, in the heart of the Balkan mountains near Karlovo, offered a break from the dullness of flat life with its “concrete playgrounds and a concrete

school which looked like a prison!” In the fresh mountain air, she recalls gloriously liberating moments feeding the goats and eating organic veg fresh grown at her grandparents’ cottage garden. “Everybody worked hard back then, there was hyperinflation – they weren’t easy times,” she says. On her father’s side, her grandmother had contacts in TV, which led to Billy experiencing a moment of fame working as a child actor in kids’ TV programmes. “I loved it. I remember once having ‘an accident’ in a rabbit suit on set, which was interesting,” she laughs. At home, Billy and her older brother were encouraged to succeed in education so they could hopefully study abroad, and it’s no surprise this bright young woman ended up with an offer from an Ivy League university. Unable to afford the exorbitant fees, she opted to go instead to the acclaimed McGill University in Montreal, Canada where she read marketing. “As well as my degree, I got a minor in sustainable development of businesses. It was mind-blowing, but I wasn’t interested in pursuing a job at L’Oreal or a big bank – it just wasn’t really me.” It was an inspirational business ethics teacher who first suggested the single most ethical decision Billy could make, was to become vegan. “That was around 16 years ago, and I started researching it. Now, I understand what he meant.” It was while she was on a snowboarding holiday in Western Canada that she met her husband-to-be, Suffolk-born Ben Dawson, who hails from Pettistree. After a friendship, romance developed between the pair, but it was when Billy

went home to Bulgaria to renew her visa, that disaster struck. During a routine gynaecological checkup, doctors discovered she was suffering from a stage three cervical cancer. She was just 23 at the time. “I had surgery in which they removed it and luckily I didn’t need chemotherapy,” she says. “But I knew something needed to change in my lifestyle.” “It was a shock, although when I looked back I’d always had menstrual problems even since childhood. And running up to it, I had started losing weight and was feeling tired all the time. It was a hard realisation.” She says that up until then, she’d been eating “rubbish processed food and leading a life of non-consciousness – my body just said: ‘No.’“ It was then that Billy commited to a vegan lifestyle. Straight away, she couldn’t believe how much more energy she had. “All my menstruation problems went, my circulation improved and – knock on wood – the cancer hasn’t come back to me,” she says. To Billy, veganism isn’t just a simple eating preference, it is a credo of spiritually-steeped guiding principles which permeates all she does.

Fast-forward to her moving to Suffolk with Ben, who owns the successful and stylish ‘office village’ known as Brightwell Barns, and the couple, who have two cherished children, couldn’t be happier and she is a picture of radiance. Billy, who trained in yoga, has thrown herself into the setting up of her dream project, Vida Haus (literally translated, it means ‘the house of life’.) It boasts a 70 sq metre studio with a yoga wall, a huge mirrored wall, as well as a 6-metre barre for ballet. They offer a wide range of classes for children as well as grown-ups, anything from men’s Pilates, and sound bath classes to contemporary adult dance and Shantiseva, Vinyasa and Ashtanga yoga, to name but a few. A great range of specialist teachers including Billy herself, make this place very special. She’s rightly proud of all that she and her loyal team have built at Vida Haus and it really is worth a visit to see what they have on offer, not least to experience the mouthwatering plant-based food and coffees. “The holistic approach has shifted a lot in my own health,” adds Billy, “while yoga presents me with tools to navigate the

difficulties that life may present. “Now, I find joy in serving others on their own journey by sharing and teaching these ancient practices.”

Call into Vida Haus at The Three Tuns, Pettistree IP13 0HW. To book a class, go to www.bookwhen.com/vidahaus and to shop, go to www.vidahaus.shop. Or call 07718 192888.

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I lost 7st in 11 months! Adam Dixon on how a binge eating disorder nearly cost the 22-yearold his life ...

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or as long as I can remember, I was always overweight and struggling with food. I never knew when to stop eating. My parents would say I’m an all-or-nothing type of person and it went like that with food. I’d either be on a diet and eating nothing, or eating non-stop. I have a binge eating disorder; it’s not unusual for men (or women) to have this, it’s just rarely talked about. As a kid, I remember getting on the school bus and pretending I’d forgotten my fare so I could instead buy three or four packets of sweets to eat throughout the day. I thought that was normal. I had a couple of mates who would eat a lot of junk food too – we’d all eat together, it was a habit we’d got into. At my worst, I’d be eating two McDonald’s a day, then sweets, chocolates, a family-sized pack of biscuits (which I could eat in one sitting) and a tub of ice cream – as well as the meals my mum made for me. It was a phenomenal amount of food. And then the next day, I’d have all the regret about what I’d eaten. It was a dark place to be. My parents always encouraged us to eat healthily and I knew they were worried about me. My older brother could eat what he wanted and it wouldn’t affect his weight. I look back at photos of when we were younger and I was so chubby and he was slim. I guess I was always comparing myself to him. I wouldn’t say I was bullied at school

Top: From 20st to fighting fit – boxing sessions helped Adam Dixon to completely transform his life Above: Family, like cousin Lewis, provided him with essential support Right: His late grandad, pictured with Adam’s late grandma

“I was using food as my last comfort” but there were always a lot of ‘fat’ jokes and remarks which were pretty horrible. I was self-conscious if I had to take my top off in the changing rooms. I’d wear baggy clothes. I always felt uncomfortable and, a lot of the time, alone. At 16, I got diagnosed with depression and anxiety and my weight had shot up to 16st. I tried antidepressants for about a year, but they didn’t work for me. By the time I was 18, I’d hit the 20st mark. I was no longer working and was very depressed. I felt suicidal and was using food as my last comfort. I did go to therapy, however, and talking about things definitely helped me. In 2018, my grandad, Norman, got really ill. One of the things he said to me before he passed away was: “Follow your dreams.” Around this time, one of my mates had started boxing at Grange Fitness in Martlesham and invited me to try it. During the session, I felt really unfit and

struggled to keep up but I couldn’t stop smiling. I really enjoyed it and I knew – finally – I’d found something that would change my life. My parents paid for my membership of Grange Fitness and I went there every day, sometimes twice a day, and the weight started to fall off. Boxing made it easier for me to ditch all the sugar and junk food, as I so wanted to get better at it. Eleven months later, I fought in my first boxing charity match. My boxing weight was 13st – I’d lost more than 7st in that time. My parents and family were in the crowd that day and cheering like mad, especially when I won; it was such an amazing feeling. Boxing saved my life. Through it, I’ve learnt to control my food rather than it control me. Now I work as a personal trainer, having studied for it last year. Some days I can’t believe how it’s all turned out. I am so proud of all I’ve achieved. I have clients of all ages, and love nothing more than helping them on their journey to fitness. Having struggled with my own weight and mental health issues, I feel I have a deeper understanding of how hard things can get. I was always so introverted growing up, I would never have believed I’d end up working so closely with people like this. It’s a real privilege. I owe a lot to my parents and family for supporting me and I like to think my grandad would be proud that I took his advice and really went for it!” Adam offers PT sessions to clients at Grange Fitness in Martlesham and PureGym in Ipswich. He also offers home sessions. Call or text 077716 479959. ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

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think all independent womenswear retailers will agree, the anticipation and then the excitement of the boxes of new season stock arriving is something truly special. I really love it! I have to order approximately six months or so ahead, and for the better clothing brands this is quite normal – orders have to be collated from around the world before the garments are

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then manufactured. When everything finally arrives and you start to recall why you chose that colour and style and what you intended to merchandise it with – well, that’s pure heaven to me! This season I have introduced two new collections to my offering – Mat de Misaine from France and Stella Tures from Italy. Mat de Misaine had previously been stocked by Alison at Woodbridge’s Blue Bay for many successful years and, upon her retirement, she kindly passed on the contact details. The brand was established in France more than 40 years ago and it carefully navigates a path between timeless classics and current trends, creating collections inspired by their environment with elegance and authenticity. There is a determination to avoid all artifice, focusing only on the essentials – beautiful, natural and comfortable fabrics, good fit and a high quality finish. Stella Tures I discovered by a lucky accident – by following an interesting shop in Italy on Instagram! I was very much struck by the simplicity of the designs and the lovely fabrics. I made contact, applied for fabric swatches and drawings and then placed my order! Stella Tures uses ‘sensory’ fabrics, with the intention of evoking feelings of the past and of nature. For the summer, this includes fine linens, cottons and viscose fabrics with a peachskin finish, incorporating simple and geometric patterns. Full of nostalgic beauty, these are the ingredients of Stella Tures’ slow fashion made in Italy. A perfect combination of tailoring and linear design and once again, simple and essential. I discovered the other day that Caroline Gladwell Womenswear is the only Stella Tures stockist in the UK! My interest continues to be presenting artistic, good quality and timeless clothing that can be adapted for pretty much any ‘wearing’ occasion. I positively encourage everyone to buy clothes they really love, and that make them feel exceptional every day. I would always recommend buying a lovely garment that can be retained and enjoyed for many years and then perhaps reinvigorated with a new accompaniment every now and then.” Caroline Gladwell Womenswear is at 3 Elmhurst Walk, Woodbridge IP12 1DB. Open Monday – Saturday, 10am – 4pm. Call 01394 383030.

Caroline Gladwell, the owner of Caroline Gladwell Womenwear

MOVERS & SHAKERS Scion of the Aspall vinegar and cider family, Henry Chevallier Guild, tells us about his new venture, Nonsuch Shrubs, a range of nonalcoholic, syrup aperitifs What inspired you to launch Nonsuch? My wife, Lizzie, encouraged me to take a break from alcohol about 15 years ago, and I was shocked to find nothing very interesting to drink. The idea of creating an exciting non-alcoholic alternative was sparked then, but Nonsuch Shrubs wasn’t born until later. Tells us about shrubs. Shrubs are vinegar-based drinks. The word ‘shrub’ in this context has nothing to do with woody plants, it’s derived from the Arabic word ‘sharab’, which means ‘drink’. Shrubs, or drinking syrups, have been Lower in alcohol but equally uplifting: a rose martini with the vermouth subsituted by Nonsuch’s wild hedgerow and rose shrub

around for millennia, and were widely drunk until 100 or so years ago, when fizzy pop came along. Shrubs saw a resurgence in America around 2014, when there was a world shortage of limes. It was rumoured the wholesale price of limes in New York was higher than cocaine! Manhattan bartenders looked for alternatives to lime to use in their Margaritas – and shrubs were resurrected. When did you first come across shrubs? When I was in a bar in Williamsburg, New York a few years ago, I saw a sign saying: ‘Try our house shrubs.’ I did, and realised this was the non-alcoholic drink I was looking for. Back home, I started experimenting and came up with all manner of possibilities. Parsnip and cracked black pepper was one of the more unusual ones, but it was delicious. As a boy, did you enjoy making concoctions? I used to build Airfix models, so I enjoyed making things from component parts. I’ve always been curious about how things work. I think that is why I am fascinated by the chemistry of a shrub, and what makes it drink like an alcoholic drink. Alcohol is a success as a drink because of the ethanol, which gives it body and mouthfeel and is brilliant at carrying flavour. It’s hard to recreate these things without ethanol. The natural fruit sugars, vinegar and botanicals in shrubs combine to make them behave like an alcoholic drink. I love it when you give people a shrub and they ask if it’s alcoholic. You launched Nonsuch just before the pandemic. Was that tricky? We were lucky, actually, as we had low overheads at that point. We hadn’t paid listings fees – the fees drinks’ companies pay to list their drinks on a menu – to the bars that had agreed to stock us. If

the pandemic had hit a few months later, it would have been far more painful. Instead, we concentrated on selling directly to consumers via our website. How’s it going now? Well, after lockdown, we then had a terrible supply chain issue. We didn’t have any bottles or raw materials, so our big launch was delayed until this summer, when Nonsuch will be available in the Suffolk Food Hall and Snape Maltings and other outlets. Have you got any other projects on the go? I’ve recently resurrected a beer called Suffolk Blonde. It was the first dry-hopped lager ever sold in the UK, and it’s had an absence from the market for about ten years.

“I love it when you give people a shrub and they ask if it’s alcoholic” Do you miss being at the helm at Aspall? Yes, I do, particularly the people. That said, I am employed in an ambassadorial role and sit on the weekly taste panel, so I am still close to the business. It had become a very large company, and there were elements that I wasn’t particularly fond of engaging with. It was the right time to sell, and Molson Coors has been true to its word, investing in the Debenham site and making sure the liquid we produce remains at the heart of everything the business stands for. Where do you like to drink in Suffolk? The Station in Framlingham, The Victoria in Earl Soham and The Butt & Oyster in Pin Mill. Go to www.nonsuchshrubs.com Interview by Charity Crewe ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

Picture of The Red House by Philip Vile. Both pictures: © Britten Pears Arts

BRITTEN AND WOMEN

f you do one thing this summer, make sure you try to grab a visit to Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears’ well-known home in Aldeburgh. Nestled in a beautiful 5-acre garden, The Red House is now home to their collections and archive, alongside a gallery space, museum shop and outdoor cafe. The Red House offers a unique and charming snapshot into the extraordinary life and times of one of Britain’s greatest composers and his partner and singer. The couple, whose lives were entwined both domestically and professionally, were together from 1939 until Britten’s death in 1976. Much is recorded about this high profile couple’s relationship, which was considered illegal until the Sexual Offences Act 1967 partially decriminalised homosexuality. But the latest exhibition at the house, Britten and Women, celebrates the powerful role of women in Britten’s life – and how they navigated their careers in a man’s world. Exhibition curator, Dr Lucy Walker, says it focuses on the “relatively unexplored subject: Britten’s close, lifelong relationships with women, and the fascinating female characters in his dramatic works.” She explains: “The composer is generally known for his collaboration with, and stories about, men – particularly, of course, his partner Peter Pears, and his many operas focusing on male protagonists.” Lucy says it was not at all difficult to source a long list of incredible women Britten knew and worked with. “The women in this exhibition had careers, vocations, and a tremendous sense of purpose,” she adds. Lovingly preserved, the farmhouse and gardens are usually open for all to explore, Thursdays to Sundays until the end of October. However, during the Aldeburgh Festival (3rd – 26th June around the coastal region), The Red House will open seven days a week. For more details on exhibitions, Aldeburgh Festival 2022, or to book a tour of The Red House, go to www.brittenpearsarts.org

Snape Maltings, Suffolk IP17 1SP snapemaltings.co.uk

hIStORIc SUFFOLK ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

Local home owners… throw open their doors Child free zones?… meet the couple with the Parent Pod! Is grey just so last year?… Jojo Humes Brown on colours

YOUR BRAND NEW FREE HOMES & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

Medieval makeover! Living In … writer Charity Crewe meets the new owners of Otley Hall to hear exciting plans are underway to restore it to its past splendour …

tley Hall is not only a gem of a Tudor house, it boasts an extraordinary history. It was the family seat of Bartholomew Gosnold, a wildly adventurous lawyer and explorer and the prime mover in the founding of Jamestown in 1607, the first permanent English settlement in America. Gosnold named both Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard, the latter after his daughter, who died as a baby. The 16th century, Grade I-listed hall, a few miles from Woodbridge, is surrounded by acres of enchanting gardens, home to two wonderfully squawky peacocks – one, a rare pure white called Percy. The exterior of the hall boasts stunning herringbone

Top: Many rooms at the 16th-century Otley Hall have remained unchanged for 500 years Top right: The remarkable panelling in the Linenfold Parlour is thought to have been brought to Otely by Cardinal Wolsey, and features pens, paintbrushes, flutes, and legal scrolls in its design Above: Steve and Louisa Flavell moved into the hall in April 2020 with their young family, and are committed to restoring its former glory Picture of family by Liz Wood Photography

brickwork and is dotted with a profusion of Tudor chimneys. The interior, remarkably intact after 500 years, is awe-inspiring, with its magnificent panelled halls and carved, beamed ceilings.

“Moving during lockdown was the most chaotic thing I’ve ever done” Otley Hall owner, Louisa Flavell

The new owners of Otley Hall, Louisa and Steve Flavell, are intent on restoring the house to its former glory. “It has such a huge history and yet nobody really knows we are here,” says Louisa. She wants the hall to be like “an intimate National Trust property” and has made great strides in this direction. They run one house tour a month, led by passionate and knowledgeable guides. They can also arrange tours by appointment. The revamped Martha’s Barn Cafe is run by Sophie, who is a fabulous chef. The cafe is well worth the trip alone. The hall is in safe hands. Louisa admits to a passion for Tudor houses. Following an antiques and auctioneering degree, she worked in the furniture department at Christie’s, and has restored several old houses. Otley Hall, though, is her lifelong project. Louisa plans to do a “medieval modern fix on everything – to rip up the carpets to reveal the beautiful floorboards; to decorate with authentic paints.” Work is already finished on the Great Hall, where it is believed Bartholomew Gosnold planned and recruited men for his 1606/7 expedition to America, his second and final trip there. He died in Jamestown of a fever, months after his arrival. Next to the Great Hall is the Linenfold

Parlour, named after the exquisite panelling that replicates folded linen, and is said to have been stored at Otley Hall by Cardinal Wolsey. It is thought he brought it from Hampton Court and planned to put it up at the school he opened in Ipswich in 1528. When Wolsey fell from favour with Henry VIII, the school was shut down and the panelling stayed at Otley Hall. Louisa and Steve, who bought Otley in 2020, knew the renovation wasn’t going to be easy, but didn’t realise it would be quite such a challenge. The first hurdle was moving during the second week of lockdown, when they couldn’t find a removal firm for love nor money. They ended up doing the move from Sudbury themselves. “It was the most chaotic thing I’ve ever done,” remembers Louisa. “We did it in a tiny van, and it took us 60 trips!” Since then they have been dealing with burst pipes and “resolving the botched jobs done to the house in the early 20th century, when the owners were rather free with the cement.” In the future, Louisa wants to host everything from ballet to yoga at the hall, but at present they are “shoring up what we have got” and concentrating on the cafe and weddings. It really is worth booking a tour and hearing about the wonderfully varied inhabitants, including the not so savoury sounding Dorothy Sherston, a Nazi sympathiser, who was interned during WWII. Oswald Mosley visited her at the hall more than 50 times, and it is rumoured Hess and Goring called in too To visit, go to Otley Hall, Hall Lane, Otley. Book at www.otleyhall.co.uk. For Martha’s Barn Cafe, call 01473 553585. For events, call 01473 928790. ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

I Soul Mining Corinne Peacock’s unique art is helping her overcome the deep wounds of childhood trauma …

t was the best-selling author and Trappist monk Thomas Merton who once observed: “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” And for Corinne Peacock, never a truer word has been spoken. While many were struggling with the drama of the first lockdown back in March 2020, the Grundisburgh resident was, at first, feeling relatively untouched by it all. “I kept thinking that it wasn’t really impacting as much on me as it was for other people I know,” recalls the mum-oftwo. “I do admin work from home and my partner carried on working as he’s classified as a key worker. So not a lot had changed for us.” But watching the non-stop barrage of depressing news, Corinne started to feel a familiar gnawing anxiety. “Then one day, I was on my normal walk around the village when I had to stop several times because I felt like my legs were going to give way,” she recalls. “I work for my sister, so I messaged her saying I wasn’t feeling right. I thought perhaps I had the virus … but it wasn’t that.” Back at home, things worsened for Corinne. “I didn’t know what was going on but by the end of the week I’d deteriorated. I felt paralysed. This was at a time when you couldn’t get to see any doctors, only

talk to them on the phone, and they couldn’t really help me. Then I started having night terrors.” After many debilitating months, it emerged that Corinne’s problems were psychological. “I’d suffered childhood trauma,” she says, “and I’d had 30 years of talking therapy for it, but if I’m honest, I’d never really allowed myself to delve too deeply. “So I started talking to this trauma specialist on Zoom, who explained the communal trauma of the pandemic had tapped into some sort of primal fear within me and it was like the floodgates had opened. It had triggered PTSD and I’d spiralled into a dark place emotionally and mentally. The tears and sobbing that would burst out of me were just awful. “My partner was very supportive but it was hard for him to see me in such emotional pain and I didn’t know how to get rid of it.” Around this time, Corinne’s sister, Donna, bought her a tabletop easel and some paints and paper. “I hadn’t painted since I was 16 and at school, and I’m nearly 57!” she smiles. “My sister thought it might help take my mind off things. So I started doodling, trying to paint trees and flowers. For inspiration, I connected with nature and the sea in beautiful Suffolk.” Straight away, Corinne noticed painting gave her some respite from dark thoughts. “But I didn’t really know what I was doing, so my sister suggested I try an art workshop. I wasn’t feeling confident, so I tried a one-to-one art session and that opened things up even more for me.” In fact, Corinne felt empowered, as her teacher encouraged her to draw from her heart. “She said: ‘Stop trying, and just paint!’ Once I let go of expectations about painting and just engaged in the process, the healing began.” Eventually Corinne found her style, her true artistic voice, and with that, a path back to herself. “Painting helped me escape the mental torture,” she says. “On bad days, I’d get the paint out and give myself a break …” Two years on, her body of work is unique and powerful. She says it comes straight from the soul and, while painting, she’s not aware of what she’s producing until it’s finished. Just like her surname suggests, these stunning huge acrylic pieces are flamboyant and colourful. It’s no surprise that in some cultures the peacock is symbolic of regrowth, rejuvenation and integrity. “My family would say I have come a long way,” she smiles. “Without a doubt my artwork is my salvation. Now it’s all I want to do, all of the time!” Let’s hope this is the start of a long and successful career for this talented artist. For more details on Corinne’s amazing work, or news of forthcoming exhibitions, go to www.corinnepeacockart.com. Her Insta handle is @corinnepeackockart

“It helped me escape the mental torture. On bad days, I’d get the paint out and give myself a break …”

Opposite page: Lockdown triggered PTSD for Corinne Peacock, who says her newfound love of painting – like her work, Changes – has been her salvation This page, clockwise from top left: The Vision, Corinne in Felixstowe; varnishing in the garden, Tree, In Bloom ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

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What’s new in your lively local arts scene? Living In … has the latest ... BLOOM & BRUNCH! Artist Samantha Barnes is holding a one-day pop-up exhibition called Bloom & Brunch on Friday, 20th May in central Woodbridge to launch her blossoming new collection of large floral paintings. She tells us: “I’ve always loved flowers, but never really knew where to begin painting them. I’m glad I waited until I was ready to give them the full attention they deserve, and the space too, as these are big works!” All are welcome to the event, which is Sam’s first solo show for four years, and includes paintings such as Bloom in Purple, pictured above. Visitors will also have the opportunity to enjoy homemade foods from the talented Lisa Sare of Modern Larder and purchase gorgeous handtied posies by @thealilyloves. The exhibition will be staged in the beautiful garden and cabin of 44 Chapel St. Parking is tight, so Sam suggests you may be best leaving the car at home, or parking in the nearby Theatre St Car Park and taking the five-minute amble down Angel Lane.

LABOUR OF LOVE … Exciting times ahead for Suffolk illustrator and mural painter extraordinaire, Joel Millerchip. Residents and visitors to Felixstowe might already have seen his magnificent murals in Hamilton Road to promote the new @Inc. co-working spaces on behalf of business networking and training organisation, MENTA. And soon Joel will be exhibiting in the town with a unique show, Slick Fun Album 1955. It features selected drawings and “vandalised comic” books and will be held in the town’s gallery, 142 Hamilton Road. Joel, a university lecturer who has also undertaken big commercial commissions as a working artist, tells us: “There will be 100 original illustrations based on a project called Slick Fun Album 1955, where I vandalised negative pages of a 1950s comic with characters, tattooinspired illustrations and bad typography. This idea quickly escalated to becoming an obsessive drawing project where I used the composition of a comic to create a collection of work to exhibit in Suffolk.” Joel calls himself an ADHD-pro positive and says drawing has always helped him to “think and get things out. “It’s been a labour of love for many years and I have been one of those lucky few who have been able to make a living out of it.”

Bloom & Brunch will be held on Friday, 20th May between 10am and 3pm. See more of Sam’s work on Insta @samanthabarnespaints or by going to www.samanthabarnes.com

His exhibition kicks off with a private viewing on Thursday, May 19th and runs until Thursday, May 26. On Insta, go to @joel_millerchip and @142art gallery

EXHIBITION: CONTEMPORARY LANDING + In 2019, the Maltings Gallery at Snape showcased the inaugural Contemporary Landing exhibition. After a two-year hiatus, it returns as the Contemporary Landing + exhibition, and this time it’s bigger with the promise of even more emerging, vibrant and exciting talent on display from East Anglian creatives such as Frankie Ceramics, Justine Lois Thorpe, Boo Compton, sculpturer Nessie Stonebridge and many more. It runs from Friday, 3rd June to Sunday, 3rd July, Thursday to Monday, at the Maltings Gallery, Snape Maltings. There’s a private viewing on Saturday, 4th June, 4–6pm. You can find out more at www.brittenpearsarts.org ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

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SNAPS … Talented Suffolk photographer Paul Anderson will be exhibiting his work next month (June), taken from his incredible round-the-world collection. He may have been to far-flung places (as seen in this atmospheric photo taken in India) but he says his favourite Suffolk haunt is The Ramsholt Arms! So where next on his travels? “I hope to go to Morocco once this Covid drama is over,” he tells us. Check out his amazing exhibition called Snaps, from Friday, 3rd to Monday, 6th June at the Unitarian Meeting House, 15 Bridge Street, Framlingham or find him online at sites.google. com/site/paulthesnapper

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Graham Crowley: Workplaces & Wildspaces

IN OUR OWN BACKYARD! Anyone who’s met the founder of the EA Festival will understand how this extraordinary cultural event has sprung into existence in a once-sleepy part of the world. Speakers at this year’s festival, which will be held at Hedingham Castle on the Workplaces: May 27th to June 12th Private Suffolk/Essex border, include: artistView MaggiFriday 27th May 5 - 8 pm Hambling; McKenna; theFriday director17th June 5 - 8 pm Wildspaces: June 17th tohypnotist July 3rdPaul Private View of Tate Modern, Frances Morris; and best-selling author Justine Picardie. And there will also be Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays: 11amElly to Suh, 5pmRoyal and Opera other days by appointment performances from violinist regular and mezzo-soprano Clare Presland, and singer-songwriter Bessie Turner, to name but a few. DIFFERENT STROKES … Festival founder, Joanne Ooi (pictured above), Woodbridge-based artist Nick Nicholson (pictured who moved to Suffolk from Hong Kong, is such a right) says the pandemic has brought about a dramatic Ask Graham Crowley whether he prefers painting motorcycles andin he will tell youover thatthe painting his life and motorbikes force, she has dynamically breathed new lifeor and change his style of work last twoisyears. energy into East Anglia’s cultural scene with this His colourful and unique water-based paintings are a passion. The former Professor of Painting at the Royal College of Art has always been a maverick, wearing his fabulous event, now in its second year. Besides have, he says, “moved towards more conceptual and being so stimulating, the festival sets out, in her metaphysical realms,” such as the one seen in his own words “to plug the gap between London and painting above, Man Rediscovers His Place In Nature. Aldeburgh, enrich the cultural scene, and support “I think the experience of the last two years has led to an increased and grow the regional ecosystem by showcasing need for people to transcend and reconnect with a deeper reality and artists and creatives in our own backyard.” community,” says Nick. “I strive for this through spending time in nature, Joanne, a passionate environmentalist who has meditation, art and music.” a background in art dealing and marketing, tells us: “I wanted to do something to create more Nick will be exhibiting his work at the Aldeburgh Gallery from Friday, commemorative motorcycle stamps. connective tissue in the art and culture scene but 27th May to Wednesday, 1st June. Pop in to see him there at 143 High whenever I broached the subject, I was met with Street, Aldeburgh or find him on Insta @nicknicholsonart. His website either bemusement or blank uninterest. is www.nicknicholsonart.com “Then, last year, a first-time encounter with one all that of AndyofTiernan’s the world-famous Classic Motorbike dealer in Framlingham, Suffolk. Crowley is a spectacularly my advisors, [music publisher] Andrew Sunnucks, eloquent painter, whose capacity to observe hisTOUR subject matter from the unlikely changed my thoughtful life. Once I laid out my vision for the and draw INK ON INKon on history transforms festival he was all hands on deck and one thing led Following on from the amazing INK Festival, the Tour’s to another – fast! He opened his Rolodex full of very best short plays from it will tour 12 venues short plays bold-face names and, suddenly, the festival began across East Anglia from Saturday, 14th to Saturday, include taking on a momentum of its own, largely because 28th May, everywhere from Sheringham to Michellebut as you move direction of light. Close up of the paint that seems to dissolve away the detail comes into startling of the cascade goodwill resulted from hison the canvas Woodbridge. and first phone calls –and to Evelyn Glennie A handful of eight theatrical focus. Rarely were spanners socket sets, and tapsJohn andLloyd.” dies so imaginatively transformed into powerful works ofgems art. prove As that Little the most exciting new plays can be unexpectedly Fish EA Festival runs over the weekend of 11th and short and entertaining. Playwrights include TV’s 12thpaint. June at Miranda Hart. properties of the ” Hedingham Castle on the border of Suffolk and Essex. To buy tickets and for further information, go to www.eafestival.com For more information, go to www.inkfestival.org WORKPLACES & WILDSPACES A former professor of painting with the Royal College of Art will be exhibiting near Saxmundham later this month (May). A prolific artist and motorbike enthusiast, Graham Crowley has, since the first lockdown, created over 150 new paintings, as well as finding time to create a custom machine. This motorbike (modelled by Graham, left), and another, will feature alongside his work in this first exhibition at the Printroom Studio. Workplaces, starting at the end of this month (May), features fascinating paintings of engineering workshops including Crowley’s own in Wickham Market, his son’s in Hastings, and that of Andy Tiernan, the well-known classic motorbike dealer in Framlingham. In Wildspaces, which starts next month (June), his atmospheric pieces range from the bleak sites of Orford Ness and Shingle Street to the comfort of Willy Lott’s Cottage and his own cottage garden – populated by his wife and fellow artist, Sally, and their ever-present dogs After a demanding career of teaching and exhibiting, in 2010 Graham and Sally relocated, first to West Cork and then eight years ago they came to Suffolk. The Printroom Studio is at Yew Tree Farm, Sweffling, Saxmundham. Workplaces runs from 27th May to 12th June, with a private viewing on Friday, 27th May. Wildspaces runs from 17th June to 3rd July 3rd, with a private viewing on Friday, 17th June, 5–8 pm. Go to www.printroom.studio ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

Pictures of Great Barn Farm by permission

Local home owners… throw open their doors Child free zones?… meet the couple with the Parent Pod! Is grey just so last year?… Jojo Humes Brown on colours

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BR EATH E EASY …

MAYU Retreats offers sanctuary to those looking to recharge their batteries …

lways feeling exhausted? Wishing you could take time out to kick-start a healthier lifestyle? Then look no further than MAYU Retreats. Operating from the peace and tranquillity of the North Norfolk countryside (see the box below for our review), these retreats put nutrition and great food at their heart and deliver a life-affirming shot of relaxation, exercise, expert advice and pampering. They’re run by dynamic duo Kieron Abbott and Pamela Taylor – the latter of whom we spoke to …

Tell us more. “Kieron and I met in London 20 years ago. We come from different professional backgrounds – Kieron was in logistics in TV and I was in hospitality and events – but we began working in private service together while living abroad in New Zealand and the South of France. We then worked for ultra-high-networth (UHNW) individuals in the UK for 17 years managing large properties, private catering, events and hospitality. I did my first diploma and degree in nutrition 13 years ago and am now studying for a research masters exploring the relationship between our gut microbiome and inflammation. We started MAYU Retreats in 2021, offering luxuriously relaxed wellness retreat experiences, with nutrition and gut health being the main focus, but with lots of little luxuries too. I’m also a registered nutrition consultant and Kieron offers private catering. Left: Pamela Taylor runs MAYU Retreats in North Norfolk with Kieron Abbott, promising nutrition expertise and hospitality excellence Above: Upcoming retreats will take place at the luxurious Great Barn Farm ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

What should one expect from a residential retreat? Three days of tranquillity – relaxed luxury, where your health is the entire focus. Concentrating on nutrition, with each meal carefully created to nourish but also beautifully presented, interesting and achievable. We also incorporate supplements and functional foods. And there’s yoga, Pilates, sound bath therapy and cold water exposure, and time to enjoy the pool as well as the vast grounds. Our autumn retreats this year are being hosted at the spectacular Great Barn Farm in Gayton Thorpe, Norfolk, a sustainable working farm offering luxury accommodation complete with indoor swimming pool, steam room and jacuzzi. What are the problems you come across most regularly? Stress is a big one! Plus diabetes and metabolic issues, menopause, weight gain, disordered eating patterns, thyroid issues, skin complaints, allergies, a host of digestive issues, IBS, low mood and sleep problems. And low energy is another major one.

How can you help? My area of nutrition concentrates on the microbiome and how this affects health. However, I see clients with many health issues. Recently I helped a few clients reduce their diabetes type 2 risk through low carb diets, intermittent fasting and working on their microbiome, with some improving so much they are no longer on medication. Other people wish to lose weight, address an unhealthy eating pattern or transition through the menopause with fewer symptoms. We discuss these issues and how our food and lifestyle choices may contribute, then focus on what changes can be made. For those staying with us, eating nutritionally balanced meals and understanding the connection between diet and health gives them inspiration to make a change, widen their diet and continue on a new path towards better health.” The next MAYU Retreats run from 3rd – 6th September, 15th – 18th October and 19th – 22nd November. For more details, go to www.mayuretreats.co.uk

MAYU RETREAT: OUR BITE-SIZED REVIEW! “Having arrived in a dishevelled state, straight off a busy work deadline and with the anxiety-inducing stop-start of lockdowns in our wake, this couldn’t have come at a better time! We tuned in and simply turned off … Our hosts, Pamela and Kieron, have many years of experience in high-end hospitality and their attention to detail was second to none. We ate exquisite food, thanks to Kieron’s largely plant-based dishes, defined by the seasons and using local organic ingredients. Influenced by Pamela’s nutritional expertise, these unforgettable meals were tailor-made to nourish and promote optimal gut health. It comes as no surprise that Kieron cooked for ultra-high-net-worth individuals (billionaires, to you and I!) As an experienced nutritional therapist, Pamela was a pillar of support with private consultations in which she quickly got to the nub of any health issues with bespoke plans, taking into account our health journey, goals and dietary preferences. Alongside this, we could enjoy yoga, swimming, simply curl up and read a book in one of the peaceful flower-strewn rooms, or take a stroll in the stunning grounds or further afield along the nearby windswept beach. We practically floated home, a few pounds lighter, on a cloud of wellbeing and peace.”

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HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY, JAKERY BAKERY!

Pop into 38 High Street, Southwold. Search for ‘Jakery Bakery’ on Facebook or find them on Insta: @jakerybakery4

outhwold’s unique gluten-free bakery, just one of a handful in the entire country, this month celebrates its first anniversary. Jakery Bakery opened last May to much acclaim and has proved a real hit. Owner Charlotte O’Bryen says they have customers travelling from far and wide to try the mouthwatering pastries, savouries and cakes on offer at the High Street shop. “Some customers have driven for twoand-a-half hours to get here and they are so excited to find us, saying they wished they had a bakery like this in their own hometown,” she smiles. You’re in for a real treat if you haven’t yet tried Jakery Bakery’s custard tarts, raspberry Bakewells, brownies, savoury tarts, millionaire shortbreads and weekend cinnamon buns (pictured). And it now offers vegan or vegetarian wraps, toasties, pies and frittatas. Its bespoke cake-making service is doing very well, with customers (who need to give a week’s notice) requesting anything from raspberry and vanilla tiered cakes to peanut butter and ginger vegan creations. “To be honest, we can make whatever

our customer wants,” says Charlotte. It’s hard to believe that everything produced at Jakery Bakery is not only gluten-free but it can also cater for those on dairy-free, wheat-free and vegan diets. Everything tastes so light and oven-fresh, it’s nothing like the slightly denser, drier free-from ranges you find in supermarkets. “And it’s all baked fresh every day,” she smiles. It’s no wonder Jakery Bakery has enjoyed a successful first year, despite all the setbacks from the pandemic. “It’s been a real baptism of fire,” says the mum-of-four, who named the bakery after her son and part-time helper, Jake. “My good friend, Rebecca, has joined the team, which also includes Andrea and Sally. We all have a lovely old time and I’m lucky as they’ve very supportive.” She says her biggest achievement is battling on through the uncertainty of the pandemic. “It hasn’t been easy at times, but we try really hard. One day I would love to expand but that is a long way in the future.” We wish everyone at Jakery Bakery a very happy first birthday!

L Y VDIiN n o i t c a r st ckley By Carl Sti

s I write, Ukraine has replaced Covid as top news story. Grim. Which is why the advent of summer (with an extra bank holiday) is probably needed more than ever. Latitude Festival is the big summer knees-up in Suffolk, and I can’t wait. The headliners at Henham Park this year, from Thursday, 21st to Sunday, 24th July, include Lewis Capaldi, Snow Patrol and Foals. For this Mojo old dad, perennials Groove Armada and Afghan Whigs are more than serviceable. T’Whigs are Seattle contemporaries of Nirvana and bathing in their guitar onslaught should reaffirm faith in rock ‘n’ roll and community. Mercy!

the longevity of the band, with 14 albums, umpteen singles, and appearances at all the big festivals over the years, from Reading to Glasto. The debut album came out in 1992 so hopefully they’ll raid the vaults and dust off some deep cuts for Latitude. They are ordinary, everyday Rock Legends, but legends nonetheless and worth a gander. It’s not The Clash but it’s from the same place … Buy advance tickets online at www.latitudefestival.com

Rapper Little Simz plays Latitude Festival on 23rd July

CONCERTS IN THE COUNTY Latitude isn’t the only place offering top choons. Rag‘n’Bone Man plays Thetford Forest in June as do those nutty boys Madness. Also in June, Diversity, Paloma Faith and Elvis Costello are coming to the Regent Theatre in Ipswich. See Charity Crewe’s Out & About column (on page 30) for word on the glittering First Light Festival in Lowestoft. Suffolk rocks …

ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

Main picture by Sam Neill

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE … Latitude 2022 caters for all tastes with its mix of art, comedy, film, literature and, of course, music. And if you’re one of the millions currently addicted to the latest series of TV hit, Top Boy, you may already know that hugely talented actress Simbi Ajikawo, who plays hairdresser Shelley, is better known to her followers as Little Simz, the Brit Award winning, Mercury-nominated experimental rapper. She will be bringing down the house at Latitude as part of an eclectic line-up that also includes Britpoppers Shed Seven, Madchester noise from A Certain Ratio, nu-folking Beth Orton, big Indy Maximo Park, shouty punk Fontaines D.C., and even Take That heartthrob Mark Owen. And not forgetting Manic Street Preachers. Once they were just a new band, raised on The Clash, with a punky statement-ofintent 45, ‘You Love Us’. From Wales, their lives were saved by rock ‘n’ roll (and a bit of Karl Marx). I’ve seen the Manics at various festivals over the years, more by accident than design. The first was in 1993 with Richey Edwards, the guitarist who went missing 25 years ago and has never been found. Most bands would have split but they ploughed on as a trio. Hits eventually came. Watching the Ukraine benefit concert on TV earlier this year, I saw the Manics perform their number one single, ‘If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next’. A powerful performance. The title is from a Spanish Civil War anti-fascist poster slogan. The band have always meant it, maaan. Indeed, Richey famously used a razorblade to carve the words ‘4 Real’ into his arm when a music journalist doubted the group’s sincerity. You’d be surprised how many Manics tunes you know, such is

ALEXIS KORNER’S BLUES INCORPORATED, R&B FROM THE MARQUEE, 1962 Who they? Well … this is reckoned to be the first UK rock album. Alexis set up the Ealing Blues Club where nippers like Mick ‘n’ Keef learned their craft. He had a revolving-door policy, the music more important than a ‘career’ and making it. Thus, in its time, Blues Incorporated had as members Charlie Watts, Graham Bond, Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce, Long John Baldry (who gave Elton John his first break) and a host of others who created the 1960s rock scene. The band had a regular residency at the Marquee Club, influencing and entertaining hundreds of kids with the exciting ‘new’ sound of black American R&B. This LP is a swinging, tight collection, even if it lacks the vocal bite of the originals, such as Muddy Waters’ ‘I Wanna Put a Tiger in Your Tank’. Musically, it’s on the money though. Pianos pound, drums shuffle and rimshot, bass walks nimbly, harp wails, guitar breaks sting and ripple. It sounds authentic. The Butterfly Effect. Without Korner playing for the love of the music then The Word might not have spread, guitars would have lain untouched, Freddie and the Dreamers would be the Sound of the 60s (not the Rolling Stones et al.), and Latitude Festival wouldn’t be happening. Amen.

INTERIOR

LIVES Homely inspiration from around the coastal region …

BUNTING AT BARRETTS! We are bonkers about bunting. The word alone evokes memories of cakefuelled celebrations, from birthdays to weddings. But nothing beats a bit of royal bunting, and we are sure Her Majesty would approve too. Barretts’ Right Royal Spectacle Bunting by Talking Tables costs just £9 and will jazz up any table for the forthcoming platinum jubilee, which marks the Queen as the first British monarch to spend 70 years in service. Celebrations across the land take place from Thursday, 2nd to Sunday, 5th June. Drop into Barretts on the Thoroughfare in Woodbridge or go to www.barretts.co.uk

ARTS & CRAFT … We love a local success story. And Heather Carroll is just that! The talented Rendlesham resident attended a lampshade-making course with the fabulous Fiona’s Fabrics in Woodbridge back in 2017 – bought as a present for her by her sister-in-law – and has never looked back. Hundreds of lampshades later, she says she’s really perfected her technique. Her lovely shades, memo boards, lavender bags, hand-printed tea towels, cards, gift tags, memo pegs and seasonal decorations can be found on her Insta or Facebook pages and her work is also stocked at the Suffolk Sense shop in Wickham Market. “I have always enjoyed art and making things, even winning a black and white telly for a collage when I was 14!” smiles Heather, whose mum also taught her to knit (Heather makes lovely wrist warmers with decorative buttons too). We wish her all the best! Check her out: @creativeheathersuffolk

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ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

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DOG ABOUT TOWN Local home owners… throw open their doors Child free zones?… meet the couple with the Parent Pod! Is grey just so last year?… Jojo Humes Brown on colours

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Labrador Gunner

“

y name is Gunner and I’m an eight-year-old Lab who shares a home with Rez, a three-yearold Hungarian Vizsla. I’m a therapy dog, which means I visit the ICU at West Suffolk Hospital once a month. I’ve heard them tell people I’m an incredibly gentle soul and my humans often tell me they’re very lucky to have me in their lives. I’ve always been happy to play second

fiddle to Rez, who is the polar opposite of me! He loves to run for miles and miles and suffers terribly with jealousy of everyone else. He steals all my toys and always demands attention. On the other paw, he is always up for fun and we both love running on the beach at Thorpeness. We particularly love cuddling up in front of the fire together at home. Life is pretty good.”

Hungarian Vizsla Rez

Have you got a dog and would like to give him or her their 15 minutes of fame? Email info@livinginsuffolk.com including your best photos.

INSpIRING LIVES ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

“I’m a mental health first aider”

Local home owners… throw open their doors Child free zones?… meet the couple with the Parent Pod! Is grey just so last year?… Jojo Humes Brown on colours

YOUR BRAND NEW FREE HOMES & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

Woodbridge’s Clair Orton on how her new role has brought huge rewards both personally and professionally …

“

eople’s mental health has been off the scale since the pandemic. It’s been so tough on everyone across the board and, sadly, I fear things might only get worse. The health service can’t cope with those who need urgent help and the waiting lists are very long. It’s driven people to private counselling or therapy which can be expensive – not everyone can afford £80 or £90 an hour. I already know a bit about mental health issues myself as, sadly, I lost my own brother to suicide some years ago. Looking back now, it is, perhaps, no surprise that by the age of 50, as a busy working mum-of-three, my drinking had spiralled. Now, I’m not trying to be one of those people who preach about the perils of alcohol … I’ve always thought if you can enjoy a drink and it’s not causing any problems in your personal life or within your relationships, then that’s great. But for me, it was causing problems all round. I’d get home from work and rather than thinking: I want a drink, it was more like: I need a drink. That’s a big difference. So, five years ago, I decided to give up alcohol for my own mental wellbeing.

“People were becoming desperate for help” I didn’t trumpet it from the treetops, announcing on social media in that very American, ‘Hey it’s my sober-versary’ way! In fact, I rather quietly got on with things. Coincidentally, my mum did the same 30 years ago, at a time when it wasn’t quite so fashionable to quit booze. But alcohol wasn’t good for her either and she has never touched a drop since. I soon discovered there are actually some very nice alcoholfree wines and gins on the market and I could still have fun with family and friends when I was sober. Their drinking didn’t bother me and still doesn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I wish I could have enjoyed a drink with

my daughter when she turned 18, but I couldn’t. Alcohol is not my friend and does me no favours. Leaving a party when people are starting to get obliterated does have its advantages though – for a start, I can drive myself home when I’ve had enough! This lifestyle change coincided with a change in my career too. I’d been doing the PR and marketing for the Good Salon Guide, which gives salons ratings, keeps standards up and offers all sorts of support. We’d started to notice more hairdressers were calling us to say they were experiencing real problems with staff taking lots of time off work due to mental health issues such as self-harming, anxiety and depression. People were becoming desperate for help, and the pandemic was making things worse. To cut a long story short, we consulted with Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England, an organisation which empowers people to spot the first signs of mental ill health, and offers support. In 2020, they trained me so that I could train others. It was lifechanging, and really helped me in many ways. We then started rolling it out to hair and beauty salons – with astounding results. People were able to help others so much more effectively. I have since teamed up with a partner and we launched One Mental Health, offering two- and three-day online or face-toface courses to all sorts of businesses, not just the hair industry. Some employers tell us they’d be too nervous to talk about personal stuff with people, but we give them the tools to do just that and once they know, they’re away. I honestly believe this will one day become mandatory across the country, just as it already is to have a physical first-aider in the workplace. It feels so rewarding being able to help others. Very quickly we started getting feedback that employers were able to nip problems in the bud – even reducing the amount of time people were having to take off work. I’m so very proud of all we’ve achieved and feel like I’ve come a long way.” For more on Clair’s work, go to www.onementalhealth.org ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

Providing the best quality flooring to Suffolk

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COMPOSER OF

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With their gorgeous hues and stirring landscapes, Claire Oxley’s exquisite works are perfect for enhancing interior spaces …

rtist Claire Oxley says she draws inspiration from surrounding landscapes with her starting point often the passing seasons and wide, ever-changing moods of her East Anglian home. Following a vibrant tradition of Modernist painters such as Matisse, Van Gogh, Klee, Gilman (a distant relative), Diebenkorn, Nash and Ravilious, it is the shifting hues and mesmerising patterns which lie at the very heart of her work. And soon – over the jubilee week – she will be exhibiting in Aldeburgh’s Courtyard Gallery with her latest show, Between Earth and Ether. Here, Claire, who studied at the Norwich School of Art and the Universities of Lancaster and Oxford, talks about her life and times … Tell us more about your lovely work. I make paintings that chart and describe the seasons, skies, seas, moons, fields, flowers, and foliage of the area: canvases of energy and flux. These works are felt and heard as much as seen, stirring memories and experiences from these vast counties. Unexpected colour combinations stimulate, and bring energy to interior spaces. How did it all start for you? My family has always had a huge appreciation for the arts, and there are works in watercolour and oils by my father and grandfather (especially) in the house,

still. They were both doctors, but there’s this thread of visual creativity running through, too. As a child, I was very comfortable with drawing and painting. I think that I live in the sensual world probably more than most people – I have a condition called synaesthesia where the senses are blended and experienced simultaneously (sounds, for example, bring about the sensation of colours) and didn’t realise until I was at least ten that, apparently, others don’t necessarily associate people they know with certain colours. So, to complete degrees in art and music was very natural. Tell us about your painting process and technique. I photograph landscapes in East Anglia a lot, and these form the basis for my works. Initially, I have an idea for a composition, and start by layering paint, letting it dry between layers, usually keeping the colours very ‘clean’, but at a certain point I pay less attention to the starting point and let the painting tell me what it needs. This is often done without thinking too much about it, but responding to what’s going on. In this way, I don’t feel that I finish paintings as much as resolve – or balance – them.

The pulses? The cycles? Something like that. It’s an agricultural area, and a county that’s very much connected to its physical attributes. And then there’s the sea – something to which I am very drawn. To see Claire’s stunning work, pop into this, her third exhibition at Ballroom Arts’ Courtyard Gallery (152a, The High Street, Aldeburgh, IP155AQ) over jubilee week. It runs from Tuesday, 31st May to Sunday, 5th June, 10am – 5pm, with a private viewing afternoon on Monday, 30th May (apply to claire@claireoxleystudio.com as numbers will be very limited) and evening viewings with drinks on Thursday, 2nd and Friday, 3rd June, 5–7pm. Claire undertakes commissions in a wide variety of sizes. For more details, go to www.claireoxleystudio.com

What draws you to your chosen subject? The landscape in East Anglia has terrific skies, colours, patterns – this is perhaps obvious – but for me in addition it’s the music that I experience with it – and I can’t quite explain that. The rhythms? ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

2022 04 Living in Suffolk 80's Disco.qxp_130mm h x 92mm w 07/04/2022 15:

Disco 8 0’s

Friday

27th May at Ufford Park Woodbridge

7:30pm to midnight

Happy Hour 6:30pm - 7:30pm Scan to purchase a ticket

£6 per person (Over 18’s only)

Due to popular demand, tickets must be purchased in advance Full payment is required at time of booking Limited seating | Fancy dress optional Up-to-date Covid rules will apply

t 01394 383555 ext. 300 w www.uffordpark.co.uk Yarmouth Road, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 1QW

ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

EVENtS

Festival of Suffolk Torch Relay Local home owners… throw open their doors Child free zones?… meet the couple with the Parent Pod! Is grey just so last year?… Jojo Humes Brown on colours

The group behind Suffolk’s torch relay

Starting in Brandon on Friday, 13th May, ending at the Suffolk Show, Trinity Park on Wednesday, 1st June A torch relay covering the whole county will signal the start of the Festival of Suffolk, a medley of events in celebration of the Queen’s platinum jubilee. The torch will begin its extraordinary 588-mile journey in Brandon, and then make its way – on a rickshaw – through 250 Suffolk towns and villages, before reaching the Suffolk Show on 1st June. Local heroes, those who’ve added to their communities, have been nominated by the public to carry the torch through their area. Find out more at www.festivalofsuffolk.org

YOUR BRAND NEW FREE HOMES & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

OUT

Felixstowe Book Festival

Harvest House, Felixstowe, and Two Sisters Arts Centre, Trimley St Mary Saturday, 25th – Sunday, 26th June Book lovers rejoice, the Felixstowe Book Festival is back and fully live for the first time in two years. The impressive line-up includes Stella Rimington, former head of MI5 turned thriller writer; Justin Webb, presenter of Radio 4’s Today programme; and the actor Stephen McGann – Dr Turner in Call the Midwife. Each of them will be in conversation with a talented interviewer. To buy tickets, go to www. felixstowebookfestival.co.uk Stephen McGann

aNd abOUt! Top tips for fun things to do in Suffolk … by Charity Crewe

Comic Tim FitzHigham

Tim FitzHigham and Guests

Southwold Arts Centre, St Edmund’s Hall, Southwold Thursday, 2nd June, 2.30pm and 7.30pm Our spirits could do with a lift right now, and Tim FitzHigham is well qualified for the job. The Perriernominated comedian takes silliness to a new level. His record-breaking achievements include rowing across the Channel in a Victorian bathtub, and Morris dancing from London to Norwich. As part of Jubilee Celebration Week at Southwold Arts Centre, Tim is joined by fellow comedians Thom Tuck and Young Sherlock Holmes star Alan Cox to recreate Shakespeare’s kings and queens. Tickets are £13. Buy online at www.southwoldartscentre.co.uk

Red Rooster

Euston Hall, near Thetford Forest Thursday, 2nd – Saturday, 4th June Red Rooster, the Americana festival, manages to be both rock ‘n’ roll and family friendly. Set in the majestic grounds of Euston Hall, the seat of the Duke of Grafton, it’s a glorious place to spend a weekend. Many of the acts have been sourced in the US by the duke himself, an avid country and blues fan. Headliners this year are Seasick Steve and Nick Waterhouse, and the festival is awash with Grammy nominees, including Cedric Burnside. There’s also river swimming, fancy dress football and lots more. Tickets cost £109.50 for the weekend, which includes three nights of camping. Teens are £50, under 12s are free. Buy at www.redrooster.org.uk

First Light Festival

Blues artist Cedric Burnside is appearing at Red Rooster festival Picture by Abraham Rowe

ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

South Beach, Lowestoft Friday, 17th – Sunday, 19th June The fabulous, and almost entirely free festival returns to the UK’s most easterly spot. Taking place on Lowestoft’s sandy South Beach, it has more than 160 events, including music from drum and bass DJ LTJ Bukem and jazz star Andy Sheppard, talks by Natural History Museum curators and scientists from the University of Essex, film screenings, yoga classes

and comedy from Mark Thomas. Festival co-founder Wayne Hemingway put it well when he said: “As a free festival, within reach of hundreds of thousands of people, it really adds some lightness in these uncertain times.” Although mostly free, there are some ticketed events, including film screenings. Camping and campervan pitches are available, from £40 per night. For details, tickets and camping, visit www.firstlightfestival.com

MELTON HALL A classically elegant Grade II listed Regency villa set in 7½ acres of beautiful formal gardens and woodland grounds. Convenient & accessible village location Accommodation extending to 7,700 sq ft 4 reception rooms Study Kitchen & breakfast room 9 bedrooms 4 bathrooms Service rooms & cellarage Games room & studio Coach house with garaging, workshop & 2-bedroom flat Exquisite formal gardens Woodland & meadow Hard tennis court Swimming pool Walking distance of River Deben & Woodbridge

THE NATIONAL AGENTS LOCALS RECOMMEND

01473 218 218 ipswich@jackson-stops.co.uk Tim Dansie

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Woodbridge town centre

Guide Price £750,000

Charsfield

Guide Price £750,000

Woodbridge

Guide Price £325,000

Hacheston

Guide Price £325,000

An immaculate four-bedroom Georgian townhouse that has been tastefully modernised and extended, and offers spacious family accommodation over three floors. The property retains some original features such as sash windows and feature fireplaces. There is a south-facing rear garden, an original brick outbuilding, and gated off-road parking for two cars. EPC: D

A superb opportunity to acquire this spacious first floor apartment situated within the stylish and modern Malt Yard complex. Entrance hall, sitting/dining room, kitchen, utility, master bedroom with en-suite bathroom, further bedroom and a shower room. Communal facilities include spacious lounge, gymnasium, cinema, and beautifully landscaped gardens. EPC: B

A traditional Suffolk cottage which has recently undergone major renovation. Offers spacious family accommodation and comprises: six bedrooms including master suite with en-suite; large kitchen/dining room; utility; cloakroom; study; day family room and ground floor bedroom. The property sits in the centre of a large plot and has a double cart lodge with studio. EPC: D

An attractive red-brick period cottage between Woodbridge and Framlingham. The property benefits from double glazing and oil-fired central heating. Accommodation comprises: entrance hall, sitting room, kitchen, dining room, bathroom and three bedrooms. There is a garage, off-road parking and a large rear garden abutting neighbouring fields. EPC: E

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LAND WANTED TOP PRICES PAID

Wickham Market Guide Price £375,000

Ipswich Guide Price £250,000

A spacious three-bedroom semidetached house which has been modernised and features an open-plan sitting room, and dining area with patio doors. Benefits from double glazing, gas central heating, outbuildings and off-road parking. EPC: C

With or without planning permission in Woodbridge and villages up to a 20- mile radius. For a free and confidential valuation of your land, please contact Linda Mortimer MNAEA on 01394 386688.

A three-bedroom detached bungalow with garage and gardens in a popular village with a wide range of facilities. Situated on an elevated plot and featuring a large dual aspect sitting room. Buyer will benefit from there being no onward chain. EPC: C

FREE VALUATIONS! CALL: 01394 386688 EMAIL: INFO@MORTIMERSESTATEAGENTS.CO.UK

Linda Mortimer MNAEA

Dale Mortimer MNAEA, DipDEA

Thomas Mortimer

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OUR FEE IS 1% inc VAT. NO TIE IN PERIOD IN OUR CONTRACT

Abi Coomber