In Touch News with Woodbridge_August 2018

In Touch

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with Melton, Rendlesham & Woodbridge Volume 8 • Issue No. 4 • AUGUST 2018

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A WORD FROM THE EDITOR The game has just ended! I’m utterly devastated but have spent the last hour trying (unconvincingly) to persuade my eight-year-old son it’s not the end of the world. It’s all falling on deaf ears just now, but hopefully not for long. We will pick ourselves up and we will come back, and next time we will have experience on our side.

Well done boys. Football might not be coming home today, but you will be given a heroes’ welcome when you do.

As a Galway girl I have experienced a similar degree of disappointment more times than I wish to acknowledge. So much of the summer (every summer) in Ireland revolves around GAA fixtures and it’s impossible not to get caught up in the excitement. We grow up playing hurling and camogie and the rivalry is intense, especially at club level. Every game is analysed and every move dissected ad infinitum until the next game. Then it starts all over again.

Sport can be cruel, but when it’s joyful, there really is nothing quite like it. When you support a team, you become a member of an extensive community. Even though I’m 500 miles from home I feel proud when I fly the Galway flag. That sense of heritage, that wonderful belonging, will stay with me forever. I shall forever be a Galway girl.

Of course I’m now also a Suffolk girl and I’ve been as caught up in the excitement of the World Cup as everyone else. Even if you’re not a footy fan, I hope you have engaged with the World Cup in some small way and that the feel-good factor stays with you for a long time. I also hope it inspires you to appreciate the value of shared experience and to seek out opportunities to spend time with others without the expense of a longhaul flight.

Whether you choose a sporting activity (either as participant or spectator), a coffee morning, a walk or a talk, there are opportunities aplenty in your local community and I hope In Touch motivates you reach out and grab the ball with both hands.

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with Melton & Woodbridge

Mansion House Publishing (UK) Ltd, 20 Wharfedale Road, Ipswich IP1 4JP Editor: Sharon Jenkins Email: sharon@intouchnews.co.uk

01473 400380 Send editorial copy to: woodbridge@intouchnews.co.uk Readers are invited to submit articles, illustrations and photographs for publication. The publishers reserve the right to amend such submissions and cannot accept responsibility for any loss.

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01473 400379 Disclaimer: The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher. Every effort is taken to ensure that the contents of this magazine are accurate but the publisher cannot assume any responsibility for errors or omissions. While reasonable care is taken when accepting advertisements or editorial, the publisher/editor will not accept responsibility for any unsatisfactory transactions and also reserves the right to refuse to include advertising or editorial.They will, however immediately investigate any written complaints. © Mansion House Publishing (UK) Ltd. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, either wholly or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher. © In Touch with Melton & Woodbridge is published by Mansion House Publishing (UK) Ltd as part of the “In Touch with . . . ” series of magazines.

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NEWS SAHARA TREK CHALLENGE FOR RP FIGHTING BLINDNESS Michelle Gerrie lives in Woodbridge and has three wonderful children and is a very proud nanny to four super grandchildren. Over 24 years ago Michelle was diagnosed with RP and now only has central vision. Over six years ago she discovered she had cancer in the neck and subsequently underwent surgery and four weeks of radiotherapy.

Michelle says: “I thank the Lord I am still here today and now I want to do what I can for a well-deserved charity close to my heart. I did a skydive back in 2015 for them and now I want know to face another fear while I still have some sight.”

The Sahara Trek is from 3-8 February 2019. Michelle intends to trek through the vast and barren landscape and conquer some of the biggest dunes in the Moroccan Sahara, a distance in excess of 70km. “I have done two collections in Woodbridge to date and the response and support has truly touched me.

The money raised will go towards RP Fighting Blindness research to help patients and families dealing with sight loss.”

If you would like to support Michelle’s extraordinary fundraising efforts you can do so at her JustGiving page: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/michelle-gerrie

WOODBRIDGE GOES REFILL! Refill is a national, practical tap water campaign that aims to make refilling your bottle as easy, convenient and cheap as possible by introducing refill points on every street. You can now refill your reusable bottle at: The Tea Hut, the fire station, Christine’s, Cooks Shed, Mrs Pipers, Costa, Honey & Harvey and Suffolk Coastal District Council head office in Melton. With more exciting venues to follow!

Participating café’s, bars, restaurant, banks, galleries and other businesses simply put a sticker in their window alerting passers-by to the fact they’re welcome to come on in and fill up their bottle for free! Download the free Refill rewards app to see where you can Refill on the go, or add new places yourself!

While plastic has its place, single-use water bottles represent a waste of natural resources, time and effort to make and transport. Although they can and should be taken home to put in the recycling bin when we have finished with them, it is clear from litter-pick and beach-clear survey results and the contents of rubbish bins in organisations and on the streets that not everyone is doing this. To avoid wasted resources and the risk of them entering our waterways and making their way into the sea, let’s all make the switch to reusable today.

If you run a business in Woodbridge or Melton and would like to join Refill, please do get in touch with us: ttwoodbridge@gmail.com Transition Woodbridge is a community-led group that aims to strengthen the local economy, reduce the cost of living and prepare for a future with less oil and a changing climate. www.transitionwoodbridge.onesuffolk.net

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NEWS HOMELESSNESS IN WOODBRIDGE With the recent extreme hot weather it is difficult to remember the very harsh winter and the plight of individuals sleeping rough in our town. At the time many of us were concerned and wanted to help, but were unsure of what to do about it and who to contact for help and advice.

With this in mind a meeting will be held on the issue of homelessness and how we in Woodbridge might get involved. This will be held at the Salvation Army Hall in Woodbridge on Wednesday, September 5 at 7.30pm.

Julia Hancock, manager of the Selig Trust, will be speaking and giving us information on what support is in place for anyone in our locality who finds they are homeless and may resort to sleeping rough. Julia is very involved with the Ipswich Night Shelter which each winter helps to provide hot food and shelter for many people. The big issue, however, is the long term need for these individuals and she will bring her experience of what local people can do to help and who we can contact for more support.

This meeting is being organised by Churches Together in Woodbridge and Melton and is open to anyone who shares our concern and would like to get involved.

SUTTON HOO 5K FUNDRAISING RUN: BOOKINGS OPEN The National Trust’s Sutton Hoo will be hosting its first ever 5K fun run this autumn;, with all proceeds going towards the transformation of the site.

Runners will be able to enjoy views of the Anglo-Saxon Royal Burial Ground and sweeping sights of the River Deben as they put their jogging skills to the test. Running through woodland and down the Sutton Hoo valleys will make for a unique experience, although places are limited.

The course will be suitable for both children and adults, who will be able to take it at their own pace. There are even opportunities for four legged friends to join in on short leads.

The King’s River café will be open for spectators offering light refreshments and hot drinks.

There are only a limited amount of spaces so the public are urged to sign up early for what is expected to be a sell-out event. Places are £7.50 per runner online or £10 on the day.

For more information contact Lyn Spall: 07748 211037 / lynspall@googlemail.com

The money raised from the event will go towards a major project that will see a huge transformation at Sutton Hoo, helping visitors to explore and discover more about the story of a place that changed what we knew about history and has intrigued people around the world for decades.

WOODBRIDGE ENJOYS FLORAL DISPLAYS

Last year, the National Trust was able to announce it had won support for the work with a £1.8million National Lottery grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). In total, £4million will be invested at Sutton Hoo thanks to the generosity and support of National Trust members and visitors.

Not everyone realises that Woodbridge in Bloom is a small organisation comprising a volunteer committee and a modest number of planting helpers. We aim to make Woodbridge look even more attractive, with hanging baskets, planters and spring bulbs.

We hope you enjoy our efforts.

Sadly there are some people who don’t realise how much time and effort goes into these displays.

We have noticed over the last few years that a number of yoghurt-pot sized blocks of resin full of small metallic particles have been pushed into the compost in the planters. This disturbs the plant roots, and has caused a number of plants to die. This seems to be especially prevalent in the Turban Centre and outside the library.

Particularly upsetting is damage to the library pots, as they were planted out by the Rainbows (junior Brownies) who had grown the plants from seed. They are very interested in their plants welfare.

Can anyone help us to stop this damage taking place? It seems hard to imagine why it is happening or what use these resin blocks serve.

As ever, anyone who would like to become involved in what we do, is asked to please contact Barbara Dann (01394 382459) or Judith Wright (01394 384848).

ROCKIN’ FUNDRAISER FOR HOLLESLEY VILLAGE HALL On Saturday, August 4, Hollesley Village Hall is raising money in aid of the new heating system.

We’re turning up the heat and we’re going to rock the night away with the fabulous, well-known local band Lightbody, a versatile band playing a vibrant funky mix of covers and original songs.

There is a bar for refreshments and the Wandering Grill will be preparing freshly cooked food to order.

The evening of family entertainment will start at 7pm; tickets are £5 (children under 16 are free) and are available from Hollesley Post Office or: 01394 410477

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The project, called Releasing the Sutton Hoo Story, will enable the National Trust to create an experience that helps visitors discover more about this internationally significant site and how its stories have captured the imaginations of people the world over.

Part of the plans include building a viewing tower to enable visitors to look out over the Royal Burial Ground and beyond to the River Deben, where the ship carrying the Anglo-Saxon King Rædwald is believed to have arrived before being hauled to its final resting place.

In addition to the tower, the project will see Tranmer House, the former home of Edith Pretty who instigated the 1939 dig, transformed with a new exhibition exploring a timeline of multiple discoveries and the ongoing research at this and other archaeological sites.

Enhanced guided tours, thought-provoking activities and installations, innovative interpretation and creative programming will all sit alongside a schools education programme. Partnership working with archaeological bodies, the British Museum and the local community will all help to bring both the landscape and exhibition hall to life.

The fun run will be held on Sunday, September 23. Registration on the day will open at 8am. Book your place online here: https://tinyurl.com/ycddwcmb

THORPENESS GOLF DAY RAISES £15,000 FOR EACH Thank you for supporting Stanley’s Charity Golf Day at Thorpeness for EACH and for your incredible generosity on the night and throughout the day. This is the sixth year we have held a golf day for Stanley and I am always amazed by the support and kindness of everyone who plays and hopefully you all enjoyed yourselves.

This year we raised the most ever, with a grand total of £15,079 raised for EACH! Thank you once again and I hope you are able to join us for the seventh edition next year on June 14.

Brad Mclean

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NEWS RARE NEOLITHIC TRACKWAY UNCOVERED BY OFFSHORE WINDFARM WORK A rare Neolithic wooden trackway, dating from 2,300BC has been uncovered at the end of one of Europe’s largest archaeological digs in recent years, forming the centrepiece of a prehistoric monument in Suffolk.

The work was commissioned by ScottishPower Renewables as part of a project to install underground cables to connect the company’s East Anglia ONE offshore windfarm to the national grid. Over the last 18 months more than 50 sites along the 37km route have been subject to archaeological exploration, but the final site has proven to hold the most significant discovery.

Around 70 archaeologists have been working near Woodbridge since February, carefully unearthing the 30 metre long wooden trackway and platform, along with numerous other features. Natural water springs, which are still evident in the area, have created conditions that led to the excellent preservation of organic materials like bone and wood. Initial theories suggest that the springs could also have been the reason that the area was chosen as a special place over 4,000 years ago.

Beside the platform, the skull of an Auroch was also discovered, an extinct species of large wild cattle which has been carbon dated to circa 4,300BC. The skull has been cut in a way that suggests it had potentially been used as a totem, either fixed to a pole or used as some form of headdress.

At the time the trackway was built, the skull was already 2,000 years old, suggesting it was a significant item. Substantial numbers of white pebbles not common in the area were also found beside the track. The positions in which these items were found suggests that they were deliberately deposited in a way that had significance to the people at the time.

Wardell Armstrong was commissioned to oversee the entire archaeological work programme, working closely with Suffolk County Council. Up to 400

archaeologists have been involved over the last two years, with a peak on-site workforce of around 250 people at any given time. At the Neolithic site near Woodbridge, Wardell Armstrong is supervising teams from Archaeological Solutions (Bury St Edmunds), Archaeology Wales and Cotswold Archaeology.

Kate Batt at Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service said: “Because organic finds of this age are so rare and vulnerable when exposed, they needed to be kept wet during excavation. The features containing the organic material have been flooded every night and the archaeologists continually sprayed the wood to keep the trackway preserved as they worked.

“The wood and other artefacts have been sent for further analysis, and some of the leading experts on the Neolithic period have already visited to help us build the full picture of activities on the site. Together with some of the other finds over the least two years, we hope that important artefacts can be displayed by local museums following completion of the analysis. The entire archaeological archive will be deposited with Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service, to ensure that the material remains available for future study.”

The 102 turbine East Anglia ONE project is the most cost effective offshore windfarm to go into construction in the UK. Once fully operational, East Anglia ONE will provide enough clean energy to power the equivalent of almost 600,000 homes, which is the majority of households in Suffolk and Norfolk.

The onshore cable route runs between the landfall site in Bawdsey to a newly constructed substation near Bramford. Offshore construction started earlier this year, with turbine foundations currently being installed. Towers and blades will be installed in 2019, before the project is fully operational during 2020.

NEW DEDICATED CLINICS ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE EARWAX REMOVAL Woodbridge, and Wickham Market Medical Centre in Wickham Market, will be offering both ear syringing and micro-suction techniques from mid-July. The private ear care clinics will be held on alternate Monday mornings between 9am and 1pm.

Given the company’s highly regarded reputation in the area, both surgeries invited audiologist Karen Finch and her team at The Hearing Care Centre to launch the new service and help offer its patients an alternative to having to wait long periods for an appointment.

FREE OPEN DAYS

Every year in the UK, approximately 2.3m people experience problems with earwax and need to have it removed. With more and more GP surgeries reducing their wax removal services with long delays to get an appointment, one local hearing care company has joined forces with two local surgeries to try and help.

The Hearing Care Centre, based locally at Framfield Medical Centre in

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The company, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, also runs hearing clinics from both locations that help those in need with hearing difficulties and will be holding two free open days at Framfield House Surgery between 9am and 5pm on Wednesday, August 15 and Thursday 16. During the event they will be providing complimentary hearing assessments (usually £20), along with the very best professional advice about your hearing test results and discussions about possible solutions that could help improve your hearing. All services are available by appointment only.

To book an appointment or for more information call 01473 230330 or visit: www.hearingcarecentre.co.uk

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NEWS ENCOURAGING LIVING WELL WITH DEMENTIA In an ageing society, we know that the issues and challenges that older people face on a daily basis are changing. As the local charity, supporting and offering vital services for older people, Age UK Suffolk is well aware of the need for great support for both the older person and their families.

The charity has just started hosting a Forget-me-Not club in Woodbridge once a month, aimed at older people with memory problems and their carers.

It’s a great opportunity to sit down and have a cup of tea, chat with other people in a similar situation, enjoy some music, quizzes, themed film clips and photos to encourage relaxing and reminiscing.

The club meets on the second Wednesday of each month at Deben View (The Avenue, Woodbridge IP12 4BQ), with the next clubs taking place on August 8 and September 12 from 2-4pm.

Age UK Suffolk would welcome another volunteer to join the team and help to serve drinks, chat and make people feel welcome. If you have a couple of hours to spare each month and would like to come along and lend a hand, Vicky Hutchinson, Age UK Suffolk’s Dementia Community Development Officer would love to see you!

If you know of someone who may benefit from attending the group, new members are always welcome. It’s just £2.50 to attend. For further information call Vicky: 07841 460379

LOCAL ARTIST WINS ROYAL ACADEMY AWARD Woodbridge artist Mark Beesley has won the prestigious Hugh Casson Drawing Prize at this year’s Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, for his drawing ‘Mock Tudor’. The Summer Exhibition, now in its 250th year, is open to professional and amateur artists who, if successful, get to see their work hung alongside that of Royal Academicians like David Hockney, Peter Blake and Tracy Emin. This year around 20,000 works were submitted, of which less than 1,000 were hung; they were selected by a jury of RA members under the overall direction of Grayson Perry. There are 10 prizes awarded for works in different categories; the Hugh Casson prize is for £5,000. Sir Hugh Casson was an eminent architect who co-ordinated the Festival of Britain in 1951 and was also a well-known illustrator and President of the Royal Academy.

Mark’s work can be seen locally in the 2 Rivers Medical Centre in Woodbridge Road, Ipswich, where a painting was specially commissioned, and in St Mary’s Church Shop on Market Hill where a new limited edition print of Woodbridge is available. Mark also has works in the Annual Open Exhibition of the Ipswich Art Society, of which he is a long-standing member. This is also a show selected by a jury to which anyone can submit. It can be seen at the Ipswich Art Gallery in High Street, next to the museum, and runs until September 23.

The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition is at Burlington House, Piccadilly and runs until August 19.

LOVE YOUR LOCAL MARKET Please don’t forget about the Woodbridge Thursday Market – Love your local market!

We have all your favourites including fresh fruit and veg, cut flowers, plants and bulbs, artisan breads and cakes, cheeses and pies and handmade toys and cards. New for this summer, we also have the Silver Rocket Café serving gluten free, vegan and veggie food and treats!

Please come and see us on the Market Square outside of the Shire Hall every Thursday from 8am-4pm.

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COUNCILLOR CAROLINE’S COLUMN Now that the sun has come out so have the seasonal cyclists and the annual car v cycle debate starts again.

I must lay my cards on the table here – I love cycling. I’ve cycled since I was a teenager, at all times of year and in all weathers. I have cycled the length of Britain, through Europe, across the crowded streets of many a Chinese city.

I don’t cycle for sport – or even for fitness. I’m what could be described as a ‘wheeled pedestrian’. And I thoroughly enjoy being one. If you cycle along country lanes you are part of the natural world around you. You note the changing seasons, the arrival and departure of passerine birds. You get to recognise the looping flight of green woodpeckers, the strange eerie cries of birds of prey wheeling overhead. Sometimes a deer runs in front of you, or a stoat slides across your path. Once I saw a fox strolling along the side fence of a chicken farm with such an air of “I’m not here, honest!” that I was practically convinced I hadn’t seen him myself.

Safe? Ninety per cent of the time there is no conflict with other road users.

Mostly people are respectful of others – and well-intentioned. Indeed once, when I hit the kerb and ended up blood-boltered on the London Road, I was surrounded by concerned drivers all prepared to testify I’d been knocked down. I had to protest that the incident was due solely to my own stupidity!

But sadly some drivers behave aggressively, or drive dangerously and without care. There is nothing more frightening than seeing a 4x4 swerving along the middle of a high-hedged country lane towards you with its driver clearly texting. I always wonder what message it was that nearly caused my death.

“C U later”? “(((hugs))), hun”? Even “LOL”?

On the flip side, there are aggressive cyclists who feel that nobody and nothing has a right to stop their passage: not red lights, not pavements, not laws, not pedestrians, not lack of lights.

Both groups give their blameless peers a bad name. Each should recognise that our highways were built and are maintained for everyone. The road tax that some contend is not paid by cyclists? It’s not paid by anyone! Road tax was abolished in the 30s – before the oldest living drivers were on the road.

Vehicle excise duty is based on pollution – so neither cyclists nor electric cars pay it. For the rest, all of us pay for the roads out of our taxes, and nobody should consider they have a superior claim, even if some vehicles cause more damage to road surfaces than others. Might isn’t right.

This summer I heard a horrifying statistic: One in four Suffolk adults manage less than 30 minutes of moderate exercise a week. The health effects are catastrophic. So anyone thinking cycling is unsafe – it’s much less unsafe than sitting in a car and never getting out.

Fancy giving it a go?

Caroline Page

GRANTS TO LOCAL ORGANISATIONS Woodbridge Town Council is very pleased to announce that they have allocated nearly £12,000 in grant funding to local organisations.

Applications received were greater this year than ever before. The total figure requested was almost double that available to be given.

The council in particular wanted to support the endeavours of young people and this has been reflected in awards given. Also well represented were organisations that would benefit the people of Woodbridge.

Beneficiaries of the scheme are: 1st Woodbridge Scout Group, 432 (Woodbridge) Squadron Air Training Corps, Deben (Woodbridge) Swimming Club, Disability Advice Service, East Suffolk Association for the Blind, Girl Guides Seckford District, Jetty Lane Community Interest Group, Just42, Maritime Woodbridge, Rotary Club of Woodbridge, Suffolk Festival of Performing Arts, Woodbridge Creative Arts, Woodbridge Cricket Club, Woodbridge Horticultural Society, Woodbridge In Bloom and Woodbridge Riverside Trust.

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NEWS / OUT & ABOUT

WOODBRIDGE RIVERSIDE TRUST Recently Anglo-Saxon re-enactors Andreas Kutchner, James Parrish and his son Brandon began a journey heading towards the History Live event at Stonham Barns from The Longshed on the Woodbridge waterfront. As regular attenders at such events they have become aware of the way that most re-enactors usually arrive by car. Real Anglo-Saxons would probably have travelled as close as they could to their destination by boat and then they would have walked, carrying their own equipment. Most Anglo-Saxon settlements were within half a kilometre of rivers to enable the transporting of heavy goods by water, but personal transport for ordinary people was by foot.

What would it feel like? To practically test the way that Anglo-Saxons lived their lives Andreas and James, together with other members of their Ormsgard group have spun wool to weave cloth, built ovens to bake bread, worked metal at their forge and fabricated the majority of the equipment that they had to carry themselves.

Andreas had made shaped bent-wood rucksack frames to support their equipment. In his search for authenticity he could find little confirmation of the probable design, but then discovered that Ötzi the 5,000 year old mummified ‘iceman’ found on the Austrian – Italian border in 1991 had a shaped wooden frame that some have interpreted as a backpack frame and the design still remains in use in aluminium-framed rucksacks even today. Andreas and James had endeavoured to keep the weight of clothes, cooking pots, drinking horns, water, bowls, blankets and weapons to a minimum, but even so Andreas had a backpack in the region of 40lbs and James’ was even heavier. Following their enquiries, they were appreciative of the Suffolk Constabulary’s accommodating attitude for advising them of the type of weapons that they could legitimately carry.

Having admired the Woodbridge Riverside Trust’s 45ft Anglo-Saxon longboat Sae Wylfing, they took their leave in glorious sunshine from the water’s edge to follow the River Deben’s upper reaches for their two-day journey via Ufford and Wickham Market. They intended to use only footpaths and walk on grass verges rather than paved surfaces. This kind of experimental archaeology or ‘interesting history’ is open to all. The main qualifications are an enquiring mind and a willingness to get involved. When they arrived at the Stonham event they had already encountered many interesting and interested people, they slept under the stars and had a deeper appreciation of the hardiness and strength of our forebears that gave their name to this area, the early East Anglians.

We can add a footnote that the intrepid adventurers made it to the event and in so doing came to appreciate more about the Anglo-Saxon clothes they wore. Andrea said: “We learned an awful lot about clothing and some of its potential purpose. There’s more to the loop in the belt than we anticipated. One of the most important items of clothing seemed to be the legwraps. I can tell you that they are most vital to keep seeds (especially grass seeds) out of your shoes.” He is now assembling a short film of their experiment and another march is being planned.

The Woodbridge Riverside Trust has a re-enactment group based at the Longshed. To learn more visit: Ormsgard.org / WoodbridgeRiversideTrust.org Woodbridge Waterfront.co.uk

NEW ARGENTINE TANGO OPPORTUNITIES Tango Innominado, a local ensemble which meets to learn and perform tango music, is looking for instrumentalists and vocal soloists to join them. Their leader, David Faulkner invites any interested musicians to make contact (01473 625482), and in particular he would like to hear from accordion or bandoneon players who would like to learn more about Argentine tango music. The group perform at social dances for tango dancers in Suffolk.

In addition, David says that there is also the chance for anyone to start learning to dance Argentine Tango with Suffolk Tango, a not-for-profit group run by volunteers. Starting on Monday, September 17, Richard and Mandy from Suffolk Tango are offering a new course to learn the elegant, evocative social dance of Argentine Tango on Mondays.

The 10-week course (in two five-week blocks) aims to provide a solid foundation in the key elements of Argentine Tango in an enjoyable sociable environment. It concentrates on how to lead and follow the fundamental steps of Tango. The dance is improvised to the music so there are no long sequences to learn.

Richard says that our current dancers are of all ages, some coming with a background of ballroom, salsa or modern jive, but many have never attended dance classes before. Once you try Argentine Tango you will soon get hooked and an exciting range of dancing opportunities near and far opens up. After this course you will be able to progress into our structured courses for improvers and intermediates.

Prior booking is essential, but there is no need to book with a partner as we aim to match follower and leader numbers. However, it is better to come together with a partner if you can. What is more, we always rotate partners during the class to speed the learning process and to make the evening more fun.

The course is held at the Richards Room at Martlesham Community Centre (behind Tescos) from 7.30-10pm on Mondays from September 17. You can apply via the online form at www.suffolktango.org.uk, or contact: Mandy@suffolktango.org.uk / 07766 694618

LIONS’ CLUB OF WOODBRIDGE & DISTRICT Woodbridge and District Lions Club have continued their busy schedule of fundraising events.

Woodbridge Regatta is our main summer fundraiser and we are pleased to report that a total of just over £1,100 was made at this year’s event which will be used for the benefit of local charities and good causes. We would like to thank all the members of the public who supported us by sponsoring ducks for our Duck Dive event, both from our sales in the Woodbridge Thoroughfare over the preceding two weeks and on the day. The lucky Duck Dive winning numbers were: first 909, second 363, third 952. All prizes have been claimed and special thanks to the winners of the second prize who kindly decided to donate their winnings to charities.

We have a new club president, Roy Benton, who succeeds John Wood at the end of his successful two year term of office.

The new president will be looking to recruit new members to the club to ensure it can continue into the future to support local causes in the way that it has since it was founded in 1982. Please take a few minutes to visit our website to find out about what we do and how we have fun while doing it.

Contact us if you would like to find out more about being a Lion. You can always be sure of a warm friendly welcome. www.woodbridgelions.org.uk

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In Touch online:

www.keepingintouchwith.com/woodbridge

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ENTRIES INVITED FOR OUR SEPTEMBER EAST ANGLIAN PICTURE SALE

Arthur John Trevor Briscoe (1872 –1943). Oil on canvas The Cutty Sark under full sail, 1929, signed, in gilt frame, 66.5cm x 102cm

Estimate £4,000 - £6,000

Please contact Jonathan Benson or Daniel Wright on 01206 754754 to discuss consignment 8 Wyncolls Road, Severalls Business Park, Colchester, Essex CO4 9HU Tel : 01206 754754 Fax : 01206 754750 Email : auction@reemandansie.com Web : www.reemandansie

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OUT & ABOUT WOODBRIDGE LIBRARY The library will be closed on Bank Holiday Monday, August 27.

Summer Reading Challenge The theme for this year’s Summer Reading Challenge is Mischief Makers to tie in with Beano’s 80th anniversary year. The Summer Reading Challenge takes place every year during the summer holidays. You can sign up at your local library, then read at least six library books of your choice to collect special stickers and other incentives along the way – all for free. There’s a website to add to the fun too! You can explore a map of Beanotown to find the mysterious buried treasure and become ultimate mischief makers! Dennis, Gnasher and friends will help you solve clues and collect stickers, having lots of fun and adventures along the way!

Tuesday, August 7, 1pm: Browsers Bookshop presents a visit by author Peter Robinson who will talk about the 25th novel in his best-selling DCI Banks series.

Tickets are £20 each and include a copy of Careless Love (RRP £20). To book your ticket call Browsers: 01394 388890

Meeting room and display boards available for hire • Community, charity, private groups: £10 per hour (minimum two hours) • Commercial, statutory groups: £15 per hour (minimum two hours) • Display boards: £10 per week • Staffed table display in the main library: £10 per half day Free computer help and advice: Contact the library to book a session or to find out more.

SNAP (Support & Advice Project): A SNAP support worker will be available every second and fourth Tuesday of the month from 10am-noon for advice on all housing related issues, rent payments, arrears, budgeting and benefit changes.

Writers’ Workshop: Meets once a month on Tuesdays at 5.30pm. Interested?

Please email jeannie@butterwicks.com to open doors to creative writing.

August 1-31: ArtLib Exhibition by Waldringfield Art Group, a well-established group of 20 artists who paint in various mediums.

Creative Writing for All: Meets on the second Tuesday of the month from 2-4pm. For more details contact: jeannie@butterwicks.com

Book Group: meets the first Thursday of the month at 2pm. On August 2 we will be discussing The Gustav Sonata by Rose Tremain.

Knitting Club: Every Friday at 2pm. For all types of knitters, expert to beginner, come and share your knowledge or pick up some tips.

Thursday, August 2, 3-5pm: Do you need help with computers? As part of his Duke of Edinburgh volunteering section, student Will D’Arcy will be available to help with computer and tablet skills. There is no charge for this assistance and it’s available on a drop-in basis.

Drawing Group: Meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 10am. Each month this group explores a different aspect of drawing. No experience necessary but numbers are limited and this group is currently full. A voluntary contribution of £2 goes towards the Friends of Woodbridge Library.

Fridays, August 3, 17 & 31, 10.30am-12.30pm: Active Lives Singing Group.

Come along and enjoy singing with others in this choir for older people.

Arts and Crafts Group: Meets on the second Wednesday of the month at 10am. Enables older people and their carers to take part in activities such as collage, card making, printing and modelling.

From Saturday, August 4: Sale of withdrawn children’s books, both fiction and non-fiction. All proceeds go to Woodbridge Library.

Fridays, August 3, 17 and 31, 10.30am-12.30pm: Active Lives Singing Group.

Feel your spirits lift and find a new confidence in singing! Learn some new songs, learn harmonies to songs you know, improve your breathing, your circulation and have some fun! The cost per session is £3.50. For more information call Julie Stokes on 01473 345350 or visit: www.activlives.org.uk Tuesday, August 14, 4-5pm: Woodbridge Young Adult Book Club. A reading group for the young people of Woodbridge who love young adult or teen books. Run by young people for young people. Talk about the hottest new releases. Refreshments will be provided. This month we are reading We Were Liars by E Lockhart.

Play Reading: Meets on the third Thursday of the month at 2pm. Come to listen or join in for an afternoon of light-hearted drama, comedy or mystery.

All welcome.

Games Club: Meets on the fourth Thursday of the month at 2pm. Now includes dominoes. Improve your vocabulary and exercise your mind muscles with Scrabble or practise strategy or balance with dominoes.

Woodbridge Area Gamers: Meets on the second Saturday of each month from 1-5pm in the library meeting room. For more information contact nigel@foden.me.uk / 07740 173091 or visit: www.boardgamegeek.com/guild/1150

Woodbridge Novelists: Meets fortnightly on Wednesday mornings. This is a reciprocal critiquing group for novel-writers who are working towards publication. For more details and contact information please visit: https://sites.google.com/site/woodbridgenovelists/home

ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN

Costa Coffee Book Sale: Costa Coffee on The Thoroughfare now have a book shelf selling donated fiction. All titles are 50p and 100% of the money raised goes to support Woodbridge Library. Drink coffee while supporting your local library.

11.15-11.45am: Bookstart Tot Rock Rhyme and Rhythm – music, songs and action rhymes for toddlers with their parents and carers.

Friends of Woodbridge Library Goodies: Show your support for your local library by carrying a cotton shopping bag bearing the Friends logo. It’s only £3. There is also a bookmark for £1.

Citizens Advice Bureau: Someone from the CAB is available for help and advice every Tuesday, 10am-noon.

Every Wednesday 10.30-10.50am: Bookstart Baby Bounce – soothing songs and gentle nursery rhymes for babies and their grown-ups.

Every Friday 10.30-11am: Bookstart Story and Rhyme Time Stories and more for young children accompanied by an adult.

Every Sunday 10.30am-noon: Kid’s Club Craft Activities

WOODBRIDGE MUSEUM AFTERNOON TALKS In news of the new Woodbridge Museum, the decorating is coming on apace with the ground floor almost complete and the first floor decorating well underway. At present volunteers are hard at work painting the staircase. This week will see the organising of the floor covering and by August we should be able to start moving in some of the equipment. If all goes well, the building will be partially opened in September.

In October the popular monthly Friday afternoon talks will start, the first date being October 19.

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The next day school, The Workshop of the World! Britain 1830 – 1880 with Andrew Lacey, will be held on Saturday, October 20. This is a period when several local firms such as Garrett’s at Leiston and Ransome’s in Ipswich came into prominence.

A special event is a fundraising evening entitled A Taste of the Tudors featuring a demonstration of Elizabethan dance and a chance to sample a Tudor supper.

For further information on any of the above please contact: 01394 385572

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OUT & ABOUT ART MEETS PHOTOGRAPHY ON WOODBRIDGE RIVERSIDE On the weekend of August 11-12, Woodbridge Camera Club (WCC) is holding its annual exhibition (10am-4.30pm each day) in the newly completed Longshed on Tide Mill Way (part of the Woodbridge Riverside Regeneration Project) and Woodbridge Art Club is holding its annual exhibition outside, recreating their first exhibition from 50 years ago by displaying their work on fencing panels to emulate hanging pictures on the station railings at their first exhibition.

commemorate the club’s very first exhibition which took place in August 1968 and was hung on the station railings at the Town Quay. Alas those wooden railings are long gone, replaced by a brick wall, but thanks to the Environment Agency they have obtained some metal railings which will be erected in the riverside square outside the Longshed and it will be hung with members’ paintings. The art club’s regular exhibition will be taking place as usual in the club’s gallery, a stone’s throw away in Tide Mill Way.

WCC is proud to be the first organisation to use the Riverside Trust’s mezzanine display area to exhibit its member’s work. Overlooking the construction area of the Longshed, used for skiff-building projects alongside the Anglo-Saxon ship reconstruction, some 70 of our members’ photographs will be displayed and a slideshow of projected images may be viewed. The Mayor of Woodbridge, Councillor David Mortimer will be selecting his top four prints at the club member’s private viewing.

There will also be pottery and lace, which is a bit of a deviation because the club only catered for painters in 1968 but now has thriving potters and lace makers groups.

Woodbridge Art Club’s open air exhibition (10am-5pm each day) will

Perhaps you remember the art club’s first open air exhibitions? If so do come and see us and tell us of your recollections.

We look forward to seeing you there; it’s going to be an interesting weekend of art and photography on the Riverside.

2nd Silhouetle at Sunrise Sue Garrod

Janice Murray

FIFTY YEARS OF WOODBRIDGE ART CLUB Woodbridge Art Club was born in March 1968 and held its first exhibition in August that year. Having no suitable premises in which to hold an exhibition they hung their paintings on the railway station railings at the Town Quay. It proved so popular with the public that they continued to hang exhibitions there for several years. The weather didn't always co-operate and on those occasions all the paintings had to be rushed up Quay Street to the Assembly Rooms of the Crown Hotel where the club held their weekly meetings. No easy task as there were usually more than a hundred paintings of different shapes and sizes.

Various others exhibitions were held in the early years. One on the railings of the Crown Inn in Snape and in the Midland Bank in the Thoroughfare in Woodbridge as well as at a variety of village fetes. These exhibitions and a variety of other fund raising efforts were aimed at getting together enough money to pay for club accommodation when suitable premises could be found.

In 1973 the club's fortunes turned. Mrs Jean Gardner, who'd bought the Tide Mill and the surrounding buildings, offered the lower granary to the club on a peppercorn rent for 28 years. It was somewhat dilapidated, to put it kindly, but nothing daunted members set to renovate it. Using the funds they'd raised to buy materials they did all the building work themselves, with the help of family and friends. They were really fortunate in having two members with building expertise, Alf Leech and Jack Lloyd. Two years later the club held a gala opening with Mrs Gardner, as guest of honour, cutting the ribbon.

The programme of talks, demonstrations and workshops continued with more space to spread out. A group for potters which had started acquired a kiln and somewhere to put it. Over the years the annual August exhibitions had expanded to run the whole summer from the Easter weekend till the end of September.

The club grew and thrived so much over the next decade or so that there wasn't enough room for all the activities and no new members could be

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accommodated. A waiting list was growing. Something had to be done. They decided to build an extension on the back garden and as it happened, a new member Don Tucker was a retired architect and he was happy to draw up plans and get the necessary building permissions. A new light and airy studio was opened in 1998, largely funded by members fundraising efforts.

All continued well till December 2013 when the storm surge inundated a large area of the riverside and water rose up the walls inside the club to a depth of 18 inches. Of course it took several months to dry out before repairs could be started and so the summer exhibition didn't open till August 2014.

However, every cloud has its silver lining and the refurbishment enabled several alterations to make more room in the gallery and adaptations that gave the potters more room for their activities.

To celebrate its 50th anniversary the club has arranged a number of activities.

Firstly a competition was held for paintings to be included in a calendar for 2019, now on sale. An anniversary dinner was held in the club in March and greatly enjoyed by all including 3 or 4 of the original members who were still around in Woodbridge.

On the weekend of August 11 and 12 we are holding an outdoor exhibition to celebrate that first one in 1968. Alas the station railings are no more but we have acquired railings of a different sort, thanks to the Environment Agency, and we will be mounting our exhibition on them in Whisstocks square, outside the Long Shed. It will include pottery and lace as well as paintings.

A book is being produced chronicling the club's history, complete with many interesting photos. Hopefully this will be ready in time for the exhibition but if not it will be available in the art club soon after.

The exhibition will be open from10am-5pm both days and we look forward to welcoming lots of visitors and should anyone remember the club's early exhibitions do please come and tell us of your recollections.

Shiona Hardie

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OUT & ABOUT WOODBRIDGE PROBUS We enjoyed a perfect day for our ladies lunch in July. Our thanks to Seckford Golf Club for a lovely meal. Our photo shows us gathering with a glass of Prosecco before lunch and thanks to our ladies for a really enjoyable occasion.

The speaker at our August meeting will be John MacNamara from EDF who will be talking about the progress of Sizewell C Power Station, a subject which will generate plenty of questions.

You’ll find lots of photographs and information about what Probus is and what we do on our website. Why not join us for lunch at 12.15pm in the Terrace Restaurant at Seckford Golf Club. You don’t have to join Probus. You’ll be most welcome. www.woodbridgeprobus.org.uk

ORWELL DECORATIVE AND FINE ARTS SOCIETY We are now taking our usual summer break, but why not join us when our new season starts on Wednesday, September 5, when Rosalind Whyte will be giving a talk entitled 250 Years of the Royal Academy.

In 2018, The Royal Academy of Arts celebrates its 250th anniversary. We will look at the position of artists in London before and after the formation of the academy in 1768 and some of the characters involved, including the first president, Sir Joshua Reynolds. Like any important institution, the academy has been embroiled in intrigue and controversy over the course if its history and no scandal or outrage will remain unexposed!

We shall be holding our second informal study day at Rushmere Village Hall on Friday, September 7, when the subject will be Feisty Ladies – Women Travellers from Victorian Britain. Roger Mitchell, the speaker who made last year’s study day so memorable, will once again be entertaining us with a fascinating look at those intrepid women from days gone by.

We meet at Tower Hall, Broadlands Way, Rushmere St Andrew on the first Wednesday of most months. Talks last about an hour, commencing at 2.15pm, with tea and coffee served from 1.30-2pm. Guests and non-members are welcome provided we have enough space. Exceptionally popular lectures will have a visitor limit of 20 spaces. Please contact Wendy Robbins in advance on 01394 823807 to check if there is available space.

For the latest events and news please visit: www.orwelldfas.org.uk

NEW PRESIDENT AT DEBEN ROTARY

MARTLESHAM HISTORY SOCIETY Monday, August 13: The Baron, the Policeman and the Mayor – An Ipswich Riot 1863 by Linda Sexton.

Did you know there was a riot in Ipswich? Come along and find out more.

All meetings are held in Martlesham Heath Pavilion and start at 7.30pm Admission is £2.50 and meetings are open to all.

CRAFTERS UNLIMITED A craft club for people who like to try different crafts in a light hearted atmosphere with refreshments, we meet on the fourth Thursday of each month in Rushmere Village Hall from 7.30-10pm.

Thursday, August 23: Pom-Pom Pens with Emma There are always other projects available with assistance from the committee and other club members.

New members are always welcome. For details contact Emma: 01787 373850

IPSWICH & DISTRICT SOROPTIMIST CLUB What’s the connection between the World Cup and orphaned children in Zimbabwe? When we booked our stall at Sproughton Village Fete to raise money for the Palandaba Orphans’ Project we hadn’t foreseen the huge national significance of June 24. It was a lovely afternoon, the people who did come were interested in hearing about the inspiring project, but we had hoped to raise the school fees for at least one more child. The best laid plans of mice and women!

Our June club meeting went well. Our speaker gave us a fascinating insight into the Ipswich scene at night and the huge variety of people that the Town Pastors support, listen to, help out and befriend in their quiet, nonjudgemental way. We were impressed and grateful.

After that we had work to do. We voted on nominations for leadership roles in our federation, including candidates from the other side of the world.

Soroptimism is expanding rapidly in developing countries and powerful women are emerging. We then voted to move to charitable status and had a quick look at draft resolutions for our autumn conference. Some members are really interested in these matters and have taken on some of the leadership roles themselves. Others are not keen to spend too much time on them. Still we are an independently minded lot of women, we would not put up with having decisions made at the top. Running a bottom up system, where the individual member and the local club have a voice, is not easy but we mostly get it right. The whole focus of Soroptimism is on action to improve the lives of women and girls. The ‘business’ is only there to make this possible.

At the first meeting of the Rotary year on July 2, the position of president of Deben Rotary passed from Rotarian David Embery to Rotarian Tom Griffin. David thanked club members for their work during his year and presented Tom with his chairman’s jewel and also a Paul Harris Fellowship in recognition of his work in the cause of Rotary over many years. Our new vice-president is Rotarian Chris Walker, and another club member, Rotarian David Simpson, is the new District Governor of Rotary District 1080.

IPSWICH & DISTRICT SUPPORT GROUP

Once again the club has been involved in the Dictionaries For Life scheme, with dictionaries being presented to pupils at Bawdsey, Melton, Gorseland and Heath Primary Schools.

Our next meeting will take place on Thursday, August 9, at St Augustine’s Church Hall, Bucklesham Road, Ipswich IP3 8TH from 7-9pm. Our guest speaker will be Malcolm Taylor from the charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

The June session of the Memory Cafe, run in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Woodbridge and Woodbridge Inner Wheel, was one of the best to date.

We were pleased to greet some new visitors as well as our regular clientele, and excellent entertainment was provided by The Pearlies of Aldeburgh.

This is a social gathering for people who have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes to have the opportunity to talk to those in a similar situation and receive support. Family and friends are most welcome to join us too. Refreshments will be available free of charge. No admission charge or joining fee.

If you would like more information about the Memory Cafe or the activities of Rotary in general please contact Rotarian Martin Kenyon: 01394 386933

For further information please contact: 07547 513730 (9-5pm, Mon-Fri) / dsgipswichduk@gmail.com

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We are looking forward to August, a fun month with some days out and meals together.

www.ipswich.diabetesukgroup.org

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OUT & ABOUT LEISTON & DISTRICT PHILATELIC SOCIETY

NEW HORIZONS CLUB New Horizons, the club for older people in the Woodbridge area, meets twice weekly on Mondays and Thursdays from 10-2.30pm at St Mary’s Church Hall, 11 Market Hill, Woodbridge IP12 4LP. People over the age of 55 who live in Woodbridge and the surrounding villages are invited to come along and join us. Last year we won the Potter Cup for the group that provides the most benefit for the community.

Come and sample the happy atmosphere we generate in the process of providing companionship and a range of activities. These include art, crafts, entertainment and slide shows. There are also refreshments and a good twocourse home-cooked meal included in the cost of £8 per session.

Felixstowe outing A party of 36 members and volunteers recently enjoyed an outing to The Hut at Felixstowe. It was lovely sunny day and everyone enjoyed a walk along the prom and back through the gardens before their lunch of fish and chips and trifle. Afterwards the energetic choose to take another stroll, while others relaxed in the sunshine. Then there was time for a raffle, which raised £64 for club funds, and a cream tea before our homeward journey.

Many thanks to our wonderful volunteer drivers who made this enjoyable day out possible.

Suffolk Day On June 21 we joined in the Suffolk Day celebrations with a special lunch and a treasure hunt The photograph above shows the manager, Brenda Jackson and members waving their Suffolk Day flags First anniversary of Monday opening This month we commemorate the first anniversary of our Monday Group.

It hardly seems possible that a year has passed since we opened with just 10 members. Now we have 28 who enjoy a sociable and active day out with a delicious home-cooked meal for just £8 per session.

For more information about New Horizons contact Brenda Jackson: 07514 364752 / newhorizons912@gmail.com

The society is now closed for the summer holidays, but the new year will start on Wednesday, September 26. The nnual subscription is £5 (50p for students up to the age of 18) payable in September. Meetings are held in the United Church Hall, High Street, Leiston.

QUAY TIME AT WOODBRIDGE Quay Time is a monthly meeting for people experiencing or at risk of experiencing isolation and loneliness in Woodbridge and its surrounding district.

Quay Time held its monthly meeting as usual on the third Wednesday of the month at Quay Church. Bob Merrett (a local historian and Freeman of Woodbridge) gave a talk on the town’s maritime history. He traced the town’s origins from the 5th/6th century, explaining how its location and environment led to growth in maritime trade and ship building.

The origins of the town’s name were subject to debate, but Bob believed it developed from the old Norse for ‘Wooden Jetty’. Wood and agriculture dominated trade in the early days. Thereafter , ship building supplemented agricultural trade with that of warships, finally stopping in the late 1600s with commercial ship building ceasing circa mid-1800s.Thereafter yacht building became pre-eminent until dying out in the 1990s.

Other events also impacted on the town’s fortunes. The coming of the railway and the repeal of the Corn Laws brought a decline in maritime trade and a drop in the town’s population. The town’s long history includes a role as a garrison town, dating from Napoleonic times with Rock Barracks proudly continuing that tradition.

Bob noted that the first Woodbridge Regatta took place in 1835 and this festival continues until the present day.

Quay Time is a joint Woodbridge & District Lions Club and Quay Church project open to all. Our next meeting is at 2pm on August 15 at Quay Church when we plan to will visit the Tide Mill.

For further information on the project call Keith or Wendy Palmer on 01394 384414, or Stella Benton on 01728 561379. For details of our future programme, call Peter Button on 01394 386023.

WOODBRIDGE FLOWER CLUB Where in the World was the title chosen by Trish Barton, our demonstrator for July. Trish chose this title, as she wished to reflect the fact that flowers come from all over the world, despite most being sold through the Dutch market.

To represent Asia, Trish used a variety of foliage including curly bamboo to which she added Scabiosa, pink roses and anthuriums.

The prolonged hot, dry weather had made it difficult for Trish to get all the flowers and foliage that she required, but she was still able to create some beautiful designs.

To represent Africa, Trish used a coir covered urn. At the base Trish placed conifer, palm and dark vibernam leaves. The flowers were proteas, orange roses and dark red lilies. As a tribute to Wimbledon fortnight, her final design was basically made up of green leaves layered at the base. Purple carnations and roses were added along with one or two tennis balls for the finishing touch.

Our competition was a petite design depicting summertime. We had numerous entries, all were lovely and the winners were Linda Spinks, Louise Fortesque and Brenda Garrett.

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HAVERGATE ADVENTURE A special event - the annual Havergate Adventure, run for the 30th year by the RSPB Woodbridge Local Group, takes place from Saturday 18 to Monday 20 August.

Boats depart hourly from Orford Quay from 9.30am to 1.30pm and include a two-hour guided bird watching walk on Havergate Island. The visit time is two hours and 40 minutes. Homemade refreshments will be available on the island and binoculars will be available on free loan. Tickets cost £15 or £3 for Under-16s.

To book please visit: www.rspb.org.uk/havergateisland Or, for more information call the Havergate Office on 01394 450732 to speak to us or leave a message so that we can get back to you.

RSPB Woodbridge group leader, Paul Hetherington, said: “The island has a unique atmosphere and we are looking forward to welcoming new visitors with their families as well as many regulars. You can see a wide range of birds, get close to the brown hares, enjoy excellent views of spoonbills with their incredible bills and listen to the crunch of shingle beneath your feet and the cacophony of screaming gulls as you stroll around this beautiful island. Our guides will help you discover Havergate’s hidden secrets.”

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OUT & ABOUT SUFFOLK WILDLIFE TRUST, WOODBRIDGE WILDLIFE GROUP An afternoon nature walk along the River Deben from Melton Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s local Woodbridge Wildlife Group invite you to join them for an afternoon nature walk along the banks of the River Deben on Saturday, August 18, starting from the Melton Picnic Site (TM 288503) IP12 2PA at 2pm.

“There is always something to see on this delightful riverside path,” said Phil Smith, Chairman of the SWT local group. “We hope to help our participants identify both wildlife and plants along the way.”

Admission to the walk is free, with donations to Suffolk Wildlife Trust welcomed. Booking is not required and participants should wear sturdy shoes and bring binoculars if possible.

For further information about the walk, please contact: 01473 625630 / swtwoodbridge@outlook.com

EVENTS AT FOXBURROW FARM Thursday, August 2, 10.30am-12.30pm Wild Play and Natural Art for Families Children £4, adults £2 / Book online Friday, August 3, 10am-2pm Flying High, Airborne Animals Swifts, butterflies and pond dipping for dragonflies Children 6-10 years / £7 / Book online Tuesday, August 7, 10.30am-12.30pm Under the Sea for Families Explore our marine wildlife with crafts, trails and games Children £4, adults £2 / Book online Wednesday, August 8, 10.30am-noon Wild Tots for Families: outdoor play, exploration and adventure for under-5s and their carers / Children £4, adults free / Book online Friday, August 10, 10am-2pm The Science of the Natural World Weird and wacky experiments / Children 6-10 years / £7 / Book online

Tuesday, August 14, 10.30am-12.30pm Pond Explorers for Families See what’s lurking in the pond with pond dipping, crafts, trails and games Children £4, adults £2 / Book online Wednesday, August 15, 10am-2pm Barefoot Safari Go on a barefoot walk around the reserve and find out what’s living beneath your feet Children 6-10 years / £7 / Book online Thursday, August 16, 1.30-3.30pm Young Wardens Wildlife Surveying Young people 11-16 years / £5 / Book online Friday, August 17, 7.30-9.30pm Night Walk for Families Go in search of creatures of the night including bat detector walk (weather permitting).

Children £4, adults / £2 / Book online Tuesday, August 21, 10.30am-12.30pm The Lost Words for Families Activities linked to the book The Lost Words Children £4, adults £2 / Book online Wednesday, August 22, 10.30am-noon Wild Tots for Families Outdoor play, exploration and adventure for under-5s and their carers Children £4, adults free / Book online Friday, August 24, 10am-2pm Stone Aged Man; Life as Early Man Hunting cooking and cave painting Children 6-10 years / £7 / Book online Wednesday, August 29, 1.30-3.30pm Minibeast Mayhem for Families Hunt for mini-beasts in the meadows and woods Children £4, adults £2 / Book online

Foxburrow Farm, Suffolk Wildlife Trust, Melton, Woodbridge IP12 1NA / 01473 890089 / www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org

BRIDGE CLASSIC CARS CELEBRATE MOVE TO PETTISTREE To celebrate the opening of our brand new state-of-the-art work-shops in Pettistree, Woodbridge, Bridge Classic Cars are opening our doors and surrounding gardens for a Classic & Sports Car Show on Sunday, August 26 from 10am.

You’ll find us at The Nursery, Main Road, Pettistree, Woodbridge IP13 0HH (part of the Suffolk Plant Centre complex).

Bring along your classic and sports cars and celebrate with us.

Refreshments will be available on the day and it’s free to attend with no need to register. However, if you have five minutes spare log on to www.bridgeclassiccars.co.uk, let us know your intentions on attending so we can let everyone know of the cars they can see on the day.

At Bridge Classic Cars we have a passion for the restoration and maintenance of vintage and classic vehicles. With over 90 years’ experience in owning, restoring, maintaining and competing with classic cars, your prized possession is in safe hands.

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INNER WHEEL CLUB OF WOODBRIDGE At our June meeting, members enjoyed an enlightening talk by Lynda Pendle, a trustee of the charity Project Orang-utan in Borneo.

Orang-utans are an endangered species and at the charity’s sanctuary in Borneo they are cared for by a willing team of volunteers from all over the world. All the animals have been rescued, some from circuses or from the tourist trade, while others are orphans, unable to fend for themselves in the wild.

In July, Deirdre Griffin, our out-going president, was presented with a beautiful fuchsia for her garden to thank her for her year of office. Deirdre then handed over the presidency to Pat Clark for the coming year.

Pictured are Deirdre Griffin and Pat Clark.

We also bid farewell to Lesley Deas who sadly is leaving us, and welcome new member Liz Lord.

We look forward to a new programme of social gatherings, interesting speakers and fundraising events for the various charities supported by the club.

Our next meeting will be on September 6, when we will hear about the work of the Suffolk Accident Rescue Service (SARS).

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ON THE GRAPEVINE ART IN THE ALTAR Art in the Altar is the first series of pop-up exhibitions organised by We Create Projects Ltd which ordinarily works with artists and creative businesses in a mentoring, marketing and consultancy capacity. In line with Iona Hodgson, its founder’s passion for giving artists more exposure and selling opportunities, she is curating these art exhibitions, which she hopes will also encourage visitors to the town. Iona will continue to produce and curate pop-up exhibitions across East Anglia and beyond.

The four shows are titled Flora, Sermo, Costa and Terra, Latin words for Flowers, Words, Coast and Land, and each one will host a small selection of artists working within these four themes, resulting in a fresh and cohesive series of exhibitions.

There will be a range of artwork available, from large original oil paintings to limited edition unframed prints, catering for everyone from those looking for a statement piece for an interior to those looking for a unique gift for a special occasion. Alongside paintings, there will also be ceramics, sculpture and stained glass works on sale.

The four exhibitions will be held in Ipswich Tourist Information Centre on St Stephen’s Lane and will be open to the public from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday. A launch evening will be held each Tuesday from 5.30-7.30pm, giving people a chance to meet the artists and be the first to see the work on display.

The space will be furnished with professional exhibition panels, creating an elegant professional gallery-like space within in the venue with a view to increasing the calibre and the provision of visual arts in the town. Alongside the growing cultural and artistic scene in Suffolk, Art in the Altar hopes to help artists to promote and sell their work as well as enliven the interest and demonstrate a commitment to the arts in the area.

Flora: August 13 - 18 Flora will launch the series with a celebration of summer colour with everyone’s favourite subject, flowers. So far confirmed for this show are painters Angela Horner and Arabella Shand, both producing bold and bright floral paintings, the intricate and characterful images of Bev Howe, the subdude and atmospheric oils of Christopher Good, the tropical floral watercolours of Karen Cooley, the stunning and mysterious floral paintings of Emma Green and the elegant and bright porcelaine pottery by Usch Spettigue.

Sermo: August 20 - 25 Sermo, meaning ‘word’ in Latin, will bring together a cutting-edge selection of artists working with text, words, print and montage. We are thrilled to be including the humourous and iconic work of Alison Stockmarr as well as brand new prints from the Essex based children’s book illustrator Tom Knight, simple and elegant montage work from Steve Joyce, the bright and joyful work of Alex Vick and the abstract and bold work of Valerie Armstrong as well as unique letter and date-stamp art by Daisy Courtold.

Costa: August 27 - September 1 Costa celebrates the beautiful coastal areas in the region, both sea and estuary. This show will include artists such as the painters Rodney Freeman, well known for his beautiful greeting cards sold in the regions Co-op supermarkets, the unique layered mono-prints of Sheena Clover and the colourful landscapes of the regions favourite places by Christopher Humphries as well as celebrated wildlife sculptor Stephen Henderson and the ceramicist who evokes the estuary landscape in her work, AnneMarie Jacobs.

Terra: September 3 - 8 The final show of the series will be themed to celebrate the land and the natural environment and will include landscape artists such as the atmospheric forest paintings of Michaela Latham and Paul Zasadzki, as well as the intricate stained glass art of Naomi Brangwyn.

Up-to-date information about the shows will be published online at: www.wecreateprojects.co.uk/artinthealtar For more information contact Iona Hodgson: hello@wecreateprojects.co.uk / 07719 281078

www.keepingintouchwith.com/woodbridge

The Friends of St Mary’s presents:

Summer Piano and Strings Joseph Brierly piano, ‘cello Harrison Cole piano William Emery viola, violin Dvořák; Piano Trio no. 4 in E minor, op. 90, Dumky Hindemith and Shulman; works for viola and piano Rachmaninoff; works for solo piano

Saturday 18th August, 7:30pm St Mary’s Church, Woodbridge

Tickets £5 on the door, students free Interval refreshments available In aid of The Friends of St Mary’s Church

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ON THE GRAPEVINE / SCHOOLS FARLINGAYE HIGH SCHOOL Bugsy Malone

NEW SCULPTURE TRAIL CELEBRATES THE SEAHORSES OF IPSWICH Ipswich Central, the town’s BID (Business Improvement District), have created a Family Trail for the 2018 summer holidays with the theme of seahorses; inspired by the Ipswich Coat of Arms.

Ten 3ft tall seahorse sculptures have been created and painted by a local sculptor as part of the trail, and have been positioned in locations along the waterfront and across the town centre.

In between the seahorse sculptures, the free trail map points out seahorses that are in the architectural details of the town’s historic buildings such as Old Custom House and the Town Hall.

The trail map also includes the story of the Ipswich Coat of Arms (which features two Neptune’s Seahorses) and raises awareness of the growing issue of plastic pollution in our se as and waterways which is drastically impacting marine wildlife including seahorses.

The ten colourful seahorse sculptures can be found at: • Quay Place • Old Custom House • DanceEast • LoveOne, St Peter’s Street • Ipswich Town Hall • Ipswich Museum • Christchurch Mansion • Ipswich County Library • Ohh Deer, The Walk • Buttermarket Shopping Centre The seahorse sculpture for LoveOne (St Peter’s Street) is being painted by local illustrator Boo Hamilton-Frost, while the seahorse for DanceEast has been painted bright orange to match the dance house’s reception.

The free trail maps are available at the ten sculpture locations as well as in the Tourist Information Centre, the Reg Driver Centre in Christchurch Park and in shops and businesses across the town. Once families have completed the trail, they can visit the Tourist Information Centre to collect an Ipswich Explorer sticker and enter a competition to win four tickets to the New Wolsey’s Cinderella, this year’s rock ‘n’ roll panto.

At the start of July, the Lower School students at Farlingaye High School staged the musical Bugsy Malone.

More than 100 students were involved in the huge production.

With gangsters, molls, splurge guns, vintage car and a fantastic musical score, the production is a ‘(Fat Sam’s) Grand Slam’. The acting and singing was excellent and the choreography and dancing was outstanding.

The music, lights, sound system and back stage duties are all performed by Farlingaye’s own students. It was a fun, raucous spectacular that was a feast for the eyes and ears.

Farlingaye Mini-Fest On a hot and sunny Monday evening at the end of June, Farlingaye High School hosted its second outdoors music event for mental health and well-being.

With sponsorship from Clubeurope, Farmhouse Cooking Ltd, Tesco, East of England Co-op, Stokes Sauces, Biffa, LX Professional and Raging Zoo facepainting, the school was able to construct a big stage complete with profession sound system and provide face painting, a BBQ and a non-alcoholic bar. Local well-being and mental health charities had stalls at the event, and were happy to talk to the attendees about what they do and how they help people. The charities involved were: Papyrus, Healthwatch Suffolk, RSPB, The Charlie Waller Memorial Trust, Woodbridge Complementary Health Centre, Beat Eating Disorders, Suffolk Mind, The Brain Tumour Charity, Suffolk Village Spinners and Weavers and Mia Philips Mental Health Educator.

Farlingaye students manned art therapy and second hand clothes stalls. The audience was treated to a range of music played by staff acts and students and a set by local professional band Caswell. The music had the crowd singing along and up dancing. A fantastic evening was enjoyed by all, while mindful of the issues around our mental health.

AUTUMN DATES AT BRIGHT STARS

Images from All About Ipswich

Fun activity sessions for pre-school aged children with parents, grandparents, friends, family and/or carers on the second and fourth Mondays of each month during term times from 10.30am-noon at St Michael’s Church Centre, Martlesham Heath IP5 3PL.

PARENT & TODDLER GROUP AT WOODBRIDGE METHODIST CHURCH

These mornings are free and usually involve singing, games, making crafts to take home and telling stories from the Bible for the first half hour. We then have refreshments when the adults can chat and the children can play.

For information about the seahorse trail and other family-friendly events and things to do over the holidays visit: www.ipswichfamilytrail.com

Our sessions have now finished for the summer holidays. We will resume again on Friday, September 7, when we will have a free taster session.

Please come along and enjoy a relaxing morning in our spacious octagon hall.

We have an excellent selection of toys for the children to play with while carers have the chance to chat with other adults. It’s an ideal opportunity for children and parents to make new friends.

Refreshments are provided for all. Our sessions are from 9.30-11am each Friday in term time at a cost of £1.50 per family. A warm welcome awaits you!

For more details please contact Deirdre Rothwell: 01394 386381

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You are welcome to come along to any of our mornings; just turn up, no need to let us know in advance. We look forward to seeing you this autumn!

The autumn term dates are September 10 and 24, October 8, November 12 and 26 and December 10.

For further information please contact Sonya and Maureen Burrows: 01473 625196

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SPORT

LOCAL SERVICES

WOODBRIDGE CRUISING CLUB There are many in the club for whom no trip to Holland would be complete without a portion of Kibbeling and chips prepared by one of the ‘frying’ Dutchmen and eaten with a bowl of mayonnaise. And so it was for the group of four boats who set off from Landguard Point in late June bound for Holland via Ramsgate, Dunkergue and Zebrugge, then through the sea lock at Flushing and up the canal to the pretty old town of Middelberg.

The Three Countries Cruise was organised by Steph Heenan, who unfortunately fell and broke her shoulder a week before the off and was unable to take part, but her planning had been good and five days of fine sailing weather just went on and on.

The high temperatures were energy sapping, but the opportunity was taken for sightseeing and exploring and the local weekly market was not to be missed. Eventually it was time to return home. Stops on the way out had been fleeting so two boats decided to take their time, revisiting the ports so briefly transitted on the way out, while the others decided upon a direct ‘hit’ straight across. So the little fleet moved from Middelberg south to Ostend where the siteseers had an extra hour in bed, but the one-hit wonders had to set their alarms for a 6am start.

Conditions were benign despite a cautious forecast and one of the boats was accompanied for over an hour by a dolphin diving in and out of the water alongside. The other could only manage a bumblebee, but that had its own fascination; how did it get out so far into the North Sea and why bother when there’s no pollen anyway?

But these days ‘the only way is Essex’, so David and Janet Sparrow led a popular cruise across the border to Walton Backwaters. Thirteen boats took part including Nancy Blackett, star of Arthur Ransome’s Swallows & Amazons, which is nearing the end of a restoration programme by local enthusiasts.

The weather stayed dry for the cruise but the winds were variable and adjustments to the programme had to be made to enable some of the boats to get back in time for Woodbridge Town Regatta. However, this gave opportunity for forays ashore and the social side remained intact even if some crews had to go by car!

Regatta day was busy for the club, but it was warm and the threat of showers never quite materialised so passers-by were able to enjoy a snack and a drink outside while listening to The Casuals playing a wide repertoire of popular music. The warm weather has also attracted many members to the regular Wednesday night barbecues and what could be better than enjoying freshly barbecued food with a glass of wine, overlooking the river.

Cruises in August will go northward to Lowestoft and south to The Medwa, so lets hope the fine weather continues.

For further information about the club and its activities visit: www.woodbridgecruisingclub.org John Warwick

www.keepingintouchwith.com/woodbridge

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T: 01728 746949

T: 01394 460333