Essential Suffolk January/February 2019

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2019 | PRICELESS

Essential SUFFOLK

SNOWDROPS The first signs of Spring

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Celebrating all that makes our county great

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J A N U A RY / F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 9 | W ELCOME

Lesley Rawlinson DIRECTOR

lesley@achievemoremedia.co.uk T: 01473 809932 M: 07519 477583

Welcome Every year at this time we collectively think about a clean slate, making changes and doing things better. But have you ever thought that maybe instead of embarking on some personal improvement plan that’s destined to fizzle out and be forgotten within three weeks, that you could do something great and constructive that would have far more lasting effects?

Alison Watson ACCOUNT MANAGER

alison@achievemoremedia.co.uk T: 01473 809932 M: 07546 485204

Anne Gould EDITOR

editor@achievemoremedia.co.uk M: 07411 701010

Paul Newman DESIGNER

Well, that’s the option we have looked at this month with our delve into corporate philanthropy. The High Sheriff, George Vestey believes that those of us who are in business should think about ‘redefining capitalism’ for the good of all, through charitable giving.

You can find out more about his views and ways to make this happen on page 26.

Expensive gym memberships aside, January does provide an opportunity to learn something new – and if you are looking to expand your knowledge maybe a visit to Ipswich Institute might be in order. You might not know about this charity – tucked away in historic premises just off Tavern Street with a reading and lending library, cafe and restaurant but it actually currently provides 80 day and evening classes which makes it the biggest leisure learning provider in the area as well.

This month Essential Suffolk has been talking to Walberswick writer and journalist Scarlett Curtis; an inspirational young woman who embraces change as part of her campaigning for a fairer and more equal society. Aside from her column with The Sunday Times, she heads up The Pink Protest which encourages young women and girls to become feminist activists and has been writing her first play, which will be shown at Ink Festival later this spring.

There’s plenty more reading besides as we also have all our regular features too; Homes & Interiors, a new Pub Dog Walk, Gardening and much more.

paul@newman-design.com

From all of us at Essential Suffolk, Happy New Year.

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Contents 10

16

24

26

Scarlett Curtis

What’s On

Mini Previews

Business Philanthropy

Writer, journalist, activist, feminist and playwright

Where to go and what to see in Suffolk during January & February

My Mother Said I Never Should, The Band, Epilogues and The Wisdom Club

Corporate giving to benefit the community

30 Ipswich Institute Charity, library and leisure learning for all

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36

41

Fashion

Weddings

Casual comfort for some New Year rest and relaxation

Discover the trends for 2019

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45 Award Winning Woodbridge How a local high street is making its mark

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60

Pub Dog Walk

Suffolk Staycations

Food & Drink

Homes & Interiors

From The Wilford Bridge at Melton

Holidaying close to home

Recipe from fitness expert Helen Duggan plus a gallery full of ideas for eating out

Create impact with ‘Colour Blocking’

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Gardening

Property

Essential Faces

My Suffolk

The arrival of the snowdrops

A selection of our county’s finest homes for sale

Highlight’s from Suffolk’s social calendar

Education Consultant Gulshan Kayembe

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S C AR LE TT C URT I S

PINK PROTESTER With its endless skies and shifting sands and shingle, the Suffolk coast might seem an unlikely launch pad for a new young feminist movement but to Scarlett Curtis of Feminists Don’t Wear Pink, Walberswick is home, writes Anne Gould

Y

ou might say that with her parents, her connections, her access to networks that most people will never ever reach, that Scarlett Curtis was always going to make her mark on the world. She’s got a column in The Sunday Times called the Gen Z Hit List, she’s written for or been written about in The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, In Style, Elle, Vogue and a host of publications besides. And in April – at the age of 23 - her first ever play is going to be staged at Ink Festival in Halesworth.

But with her shocking pink hair and campaigns about period poverty, feminism and activism and a massive social media following from across the world, Scarlett has created a movement that’s very much on her own terms and reflects the world her generation are living in now.

Getting to this point though has not been easy – like many young adults she’s battled with depression but in speaking out about what has happened to her has allowed others to do the same and helped people to understand the stress of growing up and being young in today’s uncertain world. It’s this and her determination to be open about subjects that have been unspoken and taboo that have already defined her as a thought

leader and influencer of her generation.

Maybe it’s not altogether surprising, considering her mother is the broadcaster and writer, Emma Freud and her father Richard Curtis is the film director and producer of Love Actually and Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Her writing and attitudes, she says, stem from her illness and depression – when she spent a lot of time reading works by feminists like Gloria Steinem, Audrey Lorde and Virginia Woolf and she loved what they were saying.

Unlike them, social media has enabled her to reach, connect and campaign on a wide variety of issues to a vast audience, encouraging ‘activism’ which could be as simple, she says, as recycling. “Thanks to the internet, the meaning of activism truly has changed. We can now mobilise en masse online and have a meaningful impact on the world when we activate ourselves. I believe that we can all be activists and if we just take simple, daily actions, we can all have an impact on the world.”

Scarlett started The Pink Protest in early 2017 after becoming very involved with some grassroots feminist activism in New York

around the time of the 2016 election.

“I came back to the UK and started the Pink Protest which is a community of activists committed to engaging in action and supporting each other. We are the home of the #FreePeriods movement, and exist in various mediums; from regular live events to online video content, to actual real-life protests”.

A year ago the group organised a 2,000 person protest outside Downing Street and three months later the government gave £1.5 Million to address UK period poverty.

So what of the epidemic of mental health and depression among young people? “I think the world has become more stressful and there are so many pressures on young people. Things like how expensive university is, how you have to be a success before a certain age. People are talking about depression more – there are a lot who have suffered for a long time and have never been able to say anything. The fact that we are more open about it now is amazing.”

Personally, she says that she doesn’t think she has fully recovered from depression because she still has bad days. “I do a lot of yoga – that really, really helps me. So does therapy and medication too.” ‰

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S C AR LE TT C URT I S

About one and a half years ago she was approached to write a book about the young feminist movement. “I did not want to write a book myself I am far too young to do that, so Feminists Don’t Wear Pink is a collection of writings from teenage activists to Hollywood activists and the profits go to a charity called Girl Up, offering training to girls across the world.”

Her play at Ink (April 12-14) is something she was asked to do too. “There are five people who have been asked to write five-minute plays and this year the theme is Wellington Boots. I am not allowed to talk about it but it was a really fun and interesting thing to do and I’m really looking forward to seeing it.”

She’s been a regular at the festival over the last few years and is hoping that she may get the opportunity to do a Q&A session or some sort of panel opportunity at the festival to talk further about her ideas. “Hopefully by being involved it will encourage some more young girls to come along to the event.”

Of course, Ink will also give Scarlett another reason to come “home” to Suffolk.

“Walberswick has been the best thing in my life. I love it more than anywhere. If I had to choose between travelling to anywhere in the world and Suffolk I would choose to come home every time.

“What do I love about it? – it’s the people, the sea and being part of a community like that.” She says that as children they spent every holiday in Suffolk and she’s still a regular weekend visitor too. “As a family, we went to New York for four years and it was really hard being away so when we used to come back to visit I’d spend more time in Walberswick than I did in London.”

INFORMATION scarlettcurtis.com www.inkfestival.org

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SUFFOLK in brief Farming charity R.A.B.I. says it sent out more than 650 festive hampers during December to the elderly, sick and disabled people who used to work in the agricultural sector. The total outlay to the charity was in the region of £40-£50k. Most of the hampers were for those in receipt of regular allowances from R.A.B.I, invariably people over the age of 65, on low incomes with limited savings. Trish Pickford, R.A.B.I’s Head of Welfare, said: “It’s a sad irony that a lot of retired farmers and farmworkers, who have spent their whole lives producing food for others, now find it hard to put food on their own tables. We go to great lengths to recognise those we help as people, rather than statistics. That’s why we also send out things like birthday cards and flowers. It’s important to show someone who may feel isolated that you’re thinking of them. Christmas, for a lot of those we help, is the loneliest time of the year.”

Karen Finch, owner of local, family-run business The Hearing Care Centre, was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her work in the audiology profession, at the British Health Trades Association (BHTA) Excellence Awards.

From humble beginnings in 1998, Karen now employs a team of almost 30 employees and provides top level hearing care from a network of 26 centres across Suffolk. Karen was commended by the BHTA for her dedication to the high quality of her team and investment in the people that she works with as well as the work she does in the local community to promote hearing health.

Karen Finch was overcome with emotion when she was presented with the award: “Being recognised by a peer group like the BHTA is incredibly validating for me and our entire team at The Hearing Care Centre. As I think of other Lifetime Achievement recipients who preceded me, and the impact they’ve had in their health organisations and in the wider community, I am very grateful to rank among them. But I do hope they don’t think I have achieved everything I want to achieve – I’m not ready to go home and retire. I’m not done yet!”

The Suffolk based digital voucher provider Pressi has launched Pressi Corporate Choice.

The scheme provides companies with a flexible reward and incentive scheme for employees with minimal administration and no postage, transaction or delivery costs. It’s a flexible reward choice for employees, which they can choose and redeem over a 12 month period. The employees can choose from an extensive range of products from local suppliers including Milsom Hotels & Restaurants, New Wolsey Theatre, Tiptree and The Lighthouse in Aldeburgh to name a few plus there is also a Pressi donation to charity. www.pressi.co.uk

ALIVE in the UNIVERSE is an extraordinary art project organised by Suffolk artists. As part of the Venice Biennale in May it is taking over the Palazzo Pesaro Papafava and in its dramatic canal side location projecting films which express how it feels to be alive in the universe.

Suffolk artists include Sarah Lucas and Julian Simmons, Maggi Hambling and Bill Jackson and they are joined by internationally known artists too.

A fundraising auction is being held at Aldeburgh Beach ArtHouse, Saturday 9th February to raise the final funding.

All details from Caroline Wiseman, The Aldeburgh Beach Lookout caroline@aliveintheuniverse.com

Woodbridge Rugby Club has used its new floodlights for the first time. The new lamps provide excellent forward throw of light with low light pollution ULOR. The lights were financed with the help of generous contributions from Suffolk Coastal District Council Play Space Fund, the Rugby Football Foundation’s Goundmatch Grant and three local SCDC Councillors Community Budgets. Club Chairman Rob Simpson commented “I am constantly and pleasantly surprised by the willingness of local donors to support our efforts to provide rugby to the Woodbridge area. These floodlights will not only extend the time that we can play rugby but also provide much improved facilities for use by our local community.”

More news can always be found at www.essentialsuffolk.com/content

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JA NUARY / FE BRUARY 2 019

What’s On JANUARY 1 – 6

JANUARY 6

JANUARY 9 – 19

Sleeping Beauty Spa Pavilion, Felixstowe

Ceremony Of Carols – A New Year Concert St Michael & All Angels, The Drift, Martlesham Heath IP5 3PL

The Fenland Screamers & Other Boggy Tales Seckford Theatre, Woodbridge

Written and directed by Suzie Lowe, this year’s hotly-anticipated show, perhaps the longest running pantomime by any single theatre company in Britain, will bring the classic fairy-tale to life with what promises to be a magical experience. Complete with a plucky heroine, a villain you’ll love to hiss at and plenty of pantomime carry on.

Tickets: £17.50 / £19.50, child (16 and under) and concession (over 65, wheelchair user and their carer) £11.50 / £13.50, family (2 adults and 2 children): £50 / £58 Box Office: 01394 284962 thelittleboxoffice.com

Gippeswyk Singers New Year Concert with special guests Martlesham Brass. An uplifting evening of music including Benjamin Britten’s ‘Ceremony of Carols’ conducted by Geoff Lavery. Martlesham Brass will be featured and also join the Singers for a popular medley from ‘The Sound of Music’. Supporting local charities. Refreshments available.

Entry: £5 at the door Contact: paulgalley@btinternet.com www.gippeswyksingers.co.uk

By Pat Whymark and Julian Harries

They were invited to see out the Old Year – but would they ever see in the New?!

JANUARY 8 – 18 JANUARY 1 – FEBRUARY 2 Cinderella New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich

Rock’n’roll Pantomime. It’s time to Shake a Tail Feather and head Downtown to Ipswich Town Hall to meet the Mayor, Baron Hardup! It’s not easy being Mayor, with Prince Charming due in town for a Royal visit and a staff of only two – his beautiful, feisty daughter, Cinderella and the loyal and loveable Buttons. But when his lonely hearts ad is answered by the mysterious Rubella De Zees, who brings along her two dangerous daughters Hernia and Verruca, it seems he’s far more than Three Steps to Heaven. Thankfully, there’s a Fairy Godmother to make sure Cinderella is ready to Rock Around The Clock!

Box office: 01473 295900 www.wolseytheatre.co.uk

JANUARY 5 Farmers Markets Beccles Heliport 9am – 1pm Snape Maltings 9.30am – 1pm Wyken Vineyard 9am – 1pm

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The Scarlet Pipistrelle New Wolsey Studio 1793. Paris is gripped by the Jacobins. The Compte de Creme-Brulée is to be guillotined on the morrow. His only hope, a daring swoop by that dashing master of disguise and echo-location, The Scarlet Pipistrelle, who has already undertaken several rescues of aristocrats. Who knows, perhaps this time, he might actually succeed!

Tickets: £14 Box Office: 01473 295900 www.wolseytheatre.co.uk

JANUARY 9 Curator’s Introduction to Women 100 Ipswich Art Gallery, 11am To mark the 100-year anniversary of the Representation of the People Act, which first gave women of property over 30 the right to vote this exhibition features 100 artworks by women from the Ipswich collections.

Tickets: £6.60 Information: 01473 433100

To see more event listings and tell us about your event visit essentialsuffolk.com/ whats-on-in-suffolk

5th December – 5th January SIR JOHN MILLS THEATRE, IPSWICH

9th – 19th January SECKFORD THEATRE, WOODBRIDGE

easternangles.co.uk | Box Office 01473 211498

It is the 30th December, 1930. Young amateur sleuths Sloppy & Sixpence arrive at a remote house in the middle of Clinker Fen, invited by a distant relative to celebrate the New Year. Tempted by the idea of a grand weekend party, they find the place deserted apart from the creepy butler, Tangent. He is expecting them and despite their misgivings, they decide to stay.

Tickets: £10.50 / £21 Box Office: 01394 615042 www.seckfordtheatre.org

JANUARY 11 Los Pacaminos featuring Paul Young The Apex, Bury St Edmunds, 8pm Los Pacaminos play the very best in Tex Mex Border music from The Texas Tornadoes and Ry Cooder to Los Lobos and even Roy Orbsion. The Apex becomes the perfect cantina setting for a Tex Mex party night, with the cactus sharp, tequila filled, stetson wearing magnificent seven – Los Pacaminos!

Tickets: £22 seats / £20 standing Box Office: 01284 758000 www.theapex.co.uk

WH AT’ S ON

JANUARY 12

JANUARY 24

Farmers Markets Halesworth Produce Market, The Old Print Works 9am – 1pm Woodbridge Community Centre 9am – 1pm Wyken Vineyard 9am – 1pm

Simon & Garfunkel Story The Apex, Bury St Edmunds, 7.30pm

Mike Mclean – Return of the Mac Ipswich Regent, 8pm Mike’s delighted to be returning to Ipswich, to perform his new stand-up show. After playing the comedy fool in Snow White during December he hopes you’ll join him back at the Regent for lots more laughs with his new comedy show for grown-ups.

Tickets: £17 Box Office: 01473 433100 Farmers Markets Aldeburgh Church Hall 9am – 12 noon Beccles Heliport 9am – 1pm Long Melford Village Memorial Hall 10am – 1pm Wyken Vineyard 9am – 1pm

JANUARY 26 Farmers Markets Woodbridge Community Centre, 9am – 1pm Wyken Vineyard 9am – 1pm Nish Kumar – It’s In Your Nature To Destroy Yourselves Ipswich Regent, 7.30pm Double Edinburgh Comedy Award Nominee Nish Kumar is taking his brand new show on a national tour of the UK! The title is a quote from Terminator 2. There will be jokes about politics, mankind’s capacity for selfdestruction, and if this will lead to the end

Alden Patterson and Dashwood The Cut, Halesworth Norwich based folk trio Alden Patterson and Dashwood weave rich vocal harmonies, fiddle, dobro and guitar around beautifully written original songs and melodies. Their music takes influence from folk traditions from both sides of the Atlantic with uplifting instrumentals and self-penned songs depicting tales of young travellers, sleepy seas and their affection for home. With special guests Honey and The Bear.

Box Office: 0300 3033 211 Newcut.org

To see more event listings and tell us about your event visit essentialsuffolk.com/ whats-on-in-suffolk

Photo by Chris Nash

JANUARY 19

Using huge projection photos and original film footage, this show features a full live band performing all the hits including Mrs Robinson, Cecilia, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Homeward Bound and many more.

Tickets: £23.50 Box Office: 01284 758000 www.theapex.co.uk

of days. He's the host of the Mash Report, which you might have seen on BBC 2 or on a Facebook video posted by someone you went to school with but haven’t spoken to in a while.

Tickets: £25 Box Office: 01473 433100

Mum by Jelly Green

Women 100

CHILDR EN’S D ANCE C LASSES SPRING TERM TIME: SAT 5 JANUARY - FRI 5 APRIL 2019

8 December 2018 - 5 April 2019 100 ARTWORKS BY WOMEN ARTISTS CELEBRATING VOTES FOR WOMEN 1918-2018

IPSWICH

Children’s classes help develop listening, social and concentration abilities - while learning basic dance techniques and making new friends along the way!

MUSEUMS

Book now online or at Box Office for our Spring Term.

Ipswich Art Gallery, 1 Upper High Street, Ipswich, IP1 3NE www.cimuseums.org.uk | 01473 433551 | Free admission

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JA NUARY / FE BRUARY 2 019

JANUARY 27

JANUARY 28

Farmers Markets Lavenham Village Hall 10am – 1.30pm

Judy Collins The Apex, Bury St Edmunds, 7.30pm

The Mayor’s Charity Burns Supper Council Chamber, Town Hall, Ipswich, 7pm The Mayor of Ipswich is hosting an evening of Burns poetry, Haggis and Bagpipes! Come and join her and help raise funds for her Mayor’s Charity – The Suffolk Law Centre.

Tickets: £40 Box Office: 01473 433100 Jim Davidson – The People Fight Back Ipswich Regent, 7.30pm Are you fed up with this PC world we now find ourselves in? Well, come and see Jim’s brand-new and outrageous show. Enough is enough, It’s time to fight back!

Tickets: £25.50 Box Office: 01473 433100

To see more event listings and tell us about your event visit essentialsuffolk.com/ whats-on-in-suffolk

Esteemed for her imaginative interpretations of traditional and contemporary folk standards and her own poetically poignant original compositions, Judy’s stunning rendition of Joni Mitchell's ‘Both Sides Now’ has been entered into the Grammy Hall of Fame and her dreamy and sweetly intimate version of ‘Send in the Clowns’, won Song of the Year at the 1975 Grammys. More recently her album with writing partner Ari Hest, ‘Silver Skies Blue’, was Grammy nominated for Best Folk Album in 2017.

Tickets: £25 Box Office: 01284 758000 www.theapex.co.uk

creating music that traces the blues from its roots in African and the Arab World and into a modern context. Two-time Grammy award-winning guitarists Michael League, Chris McQueen, and Bob Lanzetti (all from Snarky Puppy), vocalist Malika Tirolien, pedal and lap steel virtuoso Roosevelt Collier and percussionists Jamey Haddad (Paul Simon, Sting), André Ferrari and Keita Ogawa come together to create a diverse ensemble rich in groove, melody, and soul. “Bokanté is nothing short of a world music super group” Pulse magazine.

Tickets: £20 (£5 U25) Box Office: 01284 758000 www.theapex.co.uk

JANUARY 30 – FEBRUARY 9 Annie Mercury Theatre, Colchester

JANUARY 30 Bokanté The Apex, Bury St Edmunds, 7.30pm Snarky Puppy’s Michael League fuses his groove-driven world with musicians from four continents who have played with the likes of Paul Simon and Sting through to Yo Yo Ma

Join Annie, a plucky, charming orphan girl, and her loveable adopted mutt named Sandy, as they take you on a musical adventure in 1930’s New York.

Tickets: £15 / £25.25

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People, places, family stories... you have so many memories to share. You have the photos, letters and other treasures too – but all gathering dust in the attic. Who will remember those people, those places, those times? You want to save the memories for your children and grandchildren.

With Family Stories it’s easy: you tell us your stories and we’ll create your book, professionally written, packed with pictures and expertly bound. Your family will treasure it for ever.

Call Elizabeth Aldridge on 01473 214853 and let us help you tell your story. www.myfamilystories.co.uk

WH AT’ S ON

FEBRUARY 2

The Wisdom Club Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds

the 1930s: the Spanish Civil War, the Hunger Marches and the Battle of Cable Street. With their trademark harmony, honesty and humour the Teesside trio bring together 16 specially-composed songs, spoken word, striking imagery and the real recorded voice of Johnny himself to tell a remarkable human story oozing with modern relevance.

Tickets: £19.50 Box Office: 01284 758000 www.theapex.co.uk

See Mini Preview page 24 Box Office: 01284 769505 theatreroyal.org

Farmers Markets Beccles Heliport 9am – 1pm Snape Maltings 9.30am – 1pm Wyken Vineyard 9am – 1pm

JANUARY 31

Thunder Ipswich Regent, 7pm

European Union Chamber Orchestra The Apex, Bury St Edmunds, 7.30pm With pianist Peter Donohoe. Boccherini – Symphony in D minor ‘The house of the devil’; Mozart – Piano Concerto No.12 in A; Grieg – Two Melodies Op.34; Haydn – Symphony No.59 ‘Fire’ Tickets: £26 / £21 (£5 under 25s) Box Office: 01284 758000 www.theapex.co.uk

Thunder will release their brand new studio album Please Remain Seated on 18 January 2019 through BMG. The album, released as the band enter their third decade, is a collection of radically reworked versions of songs from throughout their extensive catalogue. This album will raise eyebrows, hackles and heartbeats in equal measure.

Tickets: £41.50 Box Office: 01473 433100

FEBRUARY 1

FEBRUARY 4

Lassus Quartet II Jubilee Hall, Snape Maltings, 12pm

The Young’uns The Apex, Bury St Edmunds, 7.30pm

Programme to include Brahms and Kurtág Tickets: £9 Box Office: 01728 687110 www.snapemaltings.co.uk

Three-time BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winners bring The Ballad of Johnny Longstaff – a musical adventure about a working class hero who witnessed some momentous events of

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JA NUARY / FE BRUARY 2 019

FEBRUARY 8 The Lost Words – Spell Songs Snape Maltings Concert Hall, 7.30pm Eight musicians come together to breathe music into the pages of a unique and astonishing book. The Lost Words is the work of acclaimed nature-writer Rob MacFarlane and illustrator Jackie Morris, designed to celebrate the endangered language of the natural world. Taking the book as inspiration, an extraordinary musical collective gathers, including Scottish singersongwriters Julie Fowlis and Karine Polwart, the Senegalese kora player Seckou Keita and composer Kerry Andrew as well as some of the finest instrumentalists and writers on the British folk scene.

Tickets: £25 Box Office: 01728 687110 www.snapemaltings.co.uk

After more than fifty years on the road Fairport Convention’s passion for live performance has never wavered. This concert will showcase the band’s musical sophistication and instrumental virtuosity during a fascinating journey through their inspiring and extensive repertoire. The current Fairport line-up features Simon Nicol on guitar and vocals, Dave Pegg on bass guitar and vocals, Chris Leslie on fiddle, mandolin and vocals, Ric Sanders on violin and Gerry Conway on drums and percussion.

Tickets: £27 Box Office: 01284 758000 www.theapex.co.uk

FEBRUARY 12 – 16 The Band Ipswich Regent, 7.30pm

FEBRUARY 8 AND 9

See Mini Preview page 25 Tickets: £46.50 Box Office: 01473 433100

Epilogues DanceEast, Ipswich, 7.30pm

My Mother said I Never Should New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich

See Mini Preview page 24 Tickets: £12 Box Office: 01473 295230 www.danceeast.co.uk

See Mini Preview page 25 Box office: 01473 295900 www.wolseytheatre.co.uk

and piano. The group is reinterpreting orchestral masterpieces with the fresh spontaneity and intimacy of a chamber group. Inspired by the transcriptions of Mozart, Beethoven and Weber by J. N. Hummel, Pocket Sinfonia has created and commissioned new arrangements of orchestral works by Grieg, Prokofiev, Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky, performed alongside pre-existing transcriptions and traditional chamber works on both modern and period instruments. The group has performed across the UK and Norway including concerts at Universitetets Aulaen, Oslo, Asker kulturhus, Petworth Festival, Sherborne Abbey Festival, The East Devon Festival, and at the Royal Academy of Music’s Piano Festival. Other upcoming performances include Norway’s Mozart Festival performing Mozart’s Bastien and Bastienne as a ‘Pocket Opera’ and at Herne Hill Festival. newcut.org Jimeoin – Result!

The Apex, Bury St Edmunds, 7.30pm

FEBRUARY 15 FEBRUARY 9 Farmers Markets Halesworth Produce Market, The Old Print Works 9am – 1pm Woodbridge Community Centre 9am – 1pm Wyken Vineyard 9am – 1pm

FEBRUARY 12 Fairport Convention The Apex, Bury St Edmunds, 7.30pm

Eusebius Quartet Jubilee Hall, Snape Maltings, 12pm Programme to include Schumann.

Tickets: £9 Box Office: 01728 687110 www.snapemaltings.co.uk

FEBRUARY 16 Farmers Markets Aldeburgh Church Hall 9am – 12 noon Beccles Heliport 9am – 1pm Long Melford Village Memorial Hall 10am – 1pm Wyken Vineyard 9am – 1pm

An evening of world class stand-up, as the Irishman from Australia brings his brilliantly observed, ever-evolving and hilarious comedy.

“Comedy of the highest order… Inspired!”

(Independent).

Tickets: £17.50 Box Office: 01284 758000 www.theapex.co.uk Forever Jackson Grand Hall, Corn Exchange, Ipswich, 7.30pm

FEBRUARY 17 Pocket Sinfonia New Cut, Halesworth Mozart arr. Hummel – Haffner Symphony; Prokofiev arr. Eleanor Corr – Classical Symphony; Grieg arr. Emil Duncumb & Eleanor Corr – Holberg Suite. Pocket Sinfonia is a unique combination of flute, violin, cello

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Thirty years ago Michael Jackson’s famed Bad Tour hit the UK. The concerts grossed £100m, supporting an album featuring five No1 singles. Forever Jackson captures the moment with superb musicianship, stunning video projections, electrifying choreography and jaw-dropping special effects.

Tickets: £26 Box Office: 01473 433100

WH AT’ S ON

FEBRUARY 19

FEBRUARY 22

Jazz Planets The Apex, Bury St Edmunds, 7.30pm

Aldeburgh Young Musicians: Indian Music with Sanju Sahai Britten Studio, Snape Maltings, 4pm Aldeburgh Young Musicians share their exploration of Indian music in this open session.

Tickets: £6 Box Office: 01728 687110 www.snapemaltings.co.uk

FEBRUARY 23

The Echoes of Ellington Jazz Orchestra bring their tribute to Gustav Holst & Duke Ellington. Band leader Pete Long has rescored Holst’s ‘The Planets’ as if Duke Ellington had adapted the piece in his own distinctive way. The concert will take place underneath the beautiful Museum of the Moon art installation, and includes the world premiere of a new piece of music by Pete Long: Luna, The Changer Of Mood.

Tickets: £23 (£5 under 25s) Box Office: 01284 758000 www.theapex.co.uk Brendan Cole – Showman Ipswich Regent, 7.30pm Brush off your tails, Brendan is back! This brand new production for 2019 promises unparalleled entertainment as Brendan Cole leads his stunning cast in a thrilling extravaganza of music and dance.The very first winner of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing is joined by an amazing team of professional dancers, singers and a live band to showcase the superb choreography and dazzling performance that has kept him in the public eye for 15 years.

Tickets: £41.50 Box Office: 01473 433100 Mark Thomas – Check Up New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich Mark Thomas is 54, the NHS is 70, UK national average life expectancy is 84. If Mark makes it to 84 the NHS will be 100, what will they both look like? Based on a series of interviews with leading experts in and on the NHS and residencies in hospitals and surgeries, Thomas working with director Nicolas Kent uses his own demise to explore the state we’re in. What's going right, what’s going wrong and how does it get better?

Box office: 01473 295900 www.wolseytheatre.co.uk

10-year-old, with a plan to win the WestonSuper-Mare Beauty Contest. Trouble is, her mum is busy working several jobs, her brother, a budding photographer, won’t even take her picture and then – The Hustler returns.

Box office: 01473 295900 www.wolseytheatre.co.uk

FEBRUARY 28 McGoldrick, McCusker & Doyle The Apex, Bury St Edmunds, 7.30pm

Farmers Markets Woodbridge Community Centre 9am – 1pm Wyken Vineyard 9am – 1pm

FEBRUARY 24 Farmers Markets Lavenham Village Hall 10am – 1.30pm Prometheus Wind Ensemble Jubilee Hall, Snape Maltings, Snape Maltings, 4pm The Prometheus Wind Ensemble presents the first concert in the new Prometheus Chamber Concert Series. The programme includes the Beethoven and Stravinsky Octets, and the Francaix Concerto for Trombone with soloist Owen Dawson.

Tickets: £15 Box Office: 01728 687110 www.snapemaltings.co.uk

FEBRUARY 26 Host Performance DanceEast, Ipswich, 5.30pm A day of workshops, performances and debates for older dancers, along with artists, practitioners and choreographers working with dancers over 50.

Tickets: £9 Box Office: 01473 295230 www.danceeast.co.uk

FEBRUARY 27 – MARCH 2 Princess & The Hustler New Wolsey, Ipswich An Eclipse Theatre Company, Bristol Old Vic and Hull Truck Theatre co-production. “My name is Phyllis Princess James. I will wear this crown every day. I will never take it off even when I am asleep.” Meet Princess. A cheeky

Three members of the BBC acclaimed Transatlantic Sessions are out on the road with their blend of top class folk songs, tunes and charming bonhomie. Described as the masters of flute, fiddle, song and guitar, Mike McGoldrick, John Doyle and John McCusker bring you a night of beautifully crafted music.

“It takes a lifetime of playing to sound as effortless as these guys” – The Herald.

Tickets: £20 Box Office: 01284 758000 www.theapex.co.uk

To see more event listings and tell us about your event visit essentialsuffolk.com/ whats-on-in-suffolk We cannot guarantee inclusion in print but all suitable listings will be included online.

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JA NUARY / FE BRUARY 2 019

THE WISDOM CLUB Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds January 30 – February 9 It’s a new year and the historic Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds is celebrating its 200th anniversary with a world premiere of a Suffolkbased play – The Wisdom Club – telling a story about getting older.

Written by Suffolk playwright, Danusia Iwaszko and inspired by the theatre’s outreach programme with older people in the community, The Wisdom Club is an honest, contemporary exploration of Britain’s ageing population.

It is being directed by the acclaimed West End Theatre Director Roger Haines (Calendar Girls, The Go-Between) and has a cast that includes Souad Faress (Usher from The Archers). Danusia, Artistic Associate at the Theatre Royal says the play centres around four characters Megan and her 48 year old daughter and Lenny and Rani.

“When Susanna tells her Mother she no longer wants her to look after the children, Megan can’t help but feel out of a job. If she’s not being a mother or a grandmother, then who and what is she? If retired Brewery worker, Lenny knew his retirement was going to be so long he would have started another career. Ex-hospital worker Rani is on a mission; the friends need to protest and step out of the shadows. This is Grey power, not girl power.”

Danusia said she decided to do this work after an older friend talked to her about her experience that once she became about 75 no-one heard her and how differently she was treated. “I was doing outreach work with older people through the theatre and Age UK Suffolk visiting coffee mornings and events and asked people what they were feeling. A lot wanted to reminisce but I wanted to know what they felt now about how they were treated in society.”

As a result, she set up writing groups for older people and in fact, one man ended up winning the East Anglian Playwriting Award as a result of her work. “From all the stories and all the feedback I wrote the play and we took it to London for a reading at RADA so we could test it on an audience and we followed up with a subsequent reading in Derby”.

EPILOGUES DanceEast February 8 and 9 Choreographer James Cousins is increasingly determined to put stories he feels are important centre stage. Cousins’ latest production Epilogues, with its UK premiere at Jerwood Dance House, weaves three duets into one absorbing evening, shifting between the familiar and the dream-like.

Inspired by division and isolation, looking for connection and resolution, each duet tells the story of a relationship – between lovers, between friends, between sisters and family.

Within Her Eyes was first seen at Sadler’s Wells as part of the inaugural New Adventures Choreographer Award Showcase in 2012. Given new meaning as part of Epilogues, it will be performed on this tour by Rhys Dennis and long-time company member Chihiro Kawasaki.

The first of two new works is an intimately formal and delicate piece for two men who together are overcoming pressures from their respective cultures. It takes its inspiration from the moment in Cousins’ life when he realised he could no longer maintain the wall he had built up to hide his sexuality.

They wanted to test, she explained, that while the play is set in Bury St Edmunds the subject matter would work across a wider audience. The reaction was so positive that the play has gone into production with a run of 14 shows. “I am really excited but also honoured that The Wisdom Club has been chosen to launch the theatre’s 2019 anniversary,” she added.

Poet Sabrina Mahfouz, incorporates the dancers’ own stories into her accompanying text. The score is by composer Torben Lars Sylvest.

INFORMATION Box Office: 01284 769505 theatreroyal.org

INFORMATION Box Office: 01473 295230 www.danceeast.co.uk

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The second new work, performed by Jemima Brown and George Frampton, explores the relationship between two women dealing with the impending loss of a parent. Cousins is keen to challenge the stereotype of feuding females perpetuated by the male gaze of the media.

M IN I P R E V IE WS

MY MOTHER SAID I NEVER SHOULD New Wolsey Theatre February 12 – 16

THE BAND Ipswich Regent February 12 – 16 It’s Manchester. It’s 1992 and we meet five 16-year-old girls for who ‘the band’ and fandom is everything. The Band, written by Tim Firth is the fastest selling musical tour of all time and has been playing to acclaim around the country.

Head to the New Wolsey Theatre in February as London Classic Theatre presents the Charlotte Keatley acclaimed play, My Mother Said I Never Should.

Set in Manchester, Oldham and London, My Mother Said I Never Should is a poignant, bittersweet story about love, jealousy and the price of freedom. Written in 1985 and first staged at the Contact Theatre, Manchester, Charlotte Keatley’s award-winning play is the most commonly performed work by a female playwright worldwide.

It follows the lives of four women through the immense social changes of the twentieth century. Using a kaleidoscopic time structure, the story focuses on four generations of one family as they confront the most significant moments of their lives.

In 1940, Doris, a former teacher, encourages her nine-year-old daughter, Margaret, to mind her manners and practice the piano. In 1969, Margaret’s relationship with her own daughter is strained, as art student Jackie experiments with her new found sexual freedom.

When Jackie becomes pregnant at 18 and has baby Rosie, a decision is made that will affect all their lives irrevocably.

INFORMATION Box Office: 01473 295900 wolseytheatre.co.uk

It asks the audience to join the girls on an emotional rollercoaster as this group of friends, who were once inseparable, reunite after 25 years apart and try once more to fulfil their dream of meeting the boyband whose music became the soundtrack to their lives.

The musical stars Rachel Lumberg as Rachel, Alison Fitzjohn as Claire, Emily Joyce as Heather, Jayne McKenna as Zoe plus AJ Bentley, Nick Carsberg, Curtis T Johns, Yazdan Qafouri and Sario Solomon, collectively known as Five To Five, winners of BBC’s Let It Shine.

It also features Faye Christall as Young Rachel, Katy Clayton as Young Heather, Rachelle Diedericks as Debbie, Sarah Kate Howarth as Young Claire, Lauren Jacobs as Young Zoe, Martin Miller as Jeff and Andy Williams as Dave.

The Band tells the story about what it’s like to grow up with a boyband. Set between two arena concerts 25 years apart, it’s the story of five teenage girls, how they grow older, and how pop music defines our lives whether we like it or not.

The Band is produced by David Pugh, Dafydd Rogers, Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Mark Owen, Robbie Williams.

INFORMATION Box office: 01473 433100 Ipswichregent.com www.thebandmusical.com

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JA NUARY / FE BRUARY 2 019

REDEFINING CAPITALISM Being in business is often seen as being solely about making money and the bottom line – but increasingly it’s also about giving back and supporting the local community. Anne Gould looks at Corporate Philanthropy in Suffolk

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C O R P O R AT E GIVING

A

ccording to High Sheriff and Suffolk Businessman George Vestey, the time has come for capitalism to be ‘redefined’. It’s time, he says, for businesses to not only be profitable, provide employment and pay dividends to shareholders but recognise that they should also give back through charitable giving to their local communities too.

“When I took up the role of High Sheriff last April I looked at what I wanted to achieve during my year and having a family run business it seemed like a good opportunity to try and encourage more of my fellow businesses to get involved in corporate giving.”

There are many reasons, he says; it can help the business, it can help empower employees but also it can significantly help the communities where the company is based. Working with the Suffolk Community Foundation George says he discovered, “Only ten per cent of giving comes from the business community in Suffolk and that seems unacceptable. And, at the same time, 78 per cent of all giving in Suffolk goes out of the county never to return again.”

There’s also evidence, he added, that when big businesses give they do so to big charities but George says if you and your employees are part of a local community, surely you should give back to that community too.

He said that this sort of philanthropy was very much tied to modern business philosophy as increasingly employees like to choose to work for organisations that offer something more.

In his own business, Vestey Holdings, this was highlighted when the company held interviews for a new head of HR. “Every applicant asked us what we as a business were doing for charity as it wasn’t apparent from our website.” Although Vestey’s had been giving privately this resulted in a rethink. “We asked employees which charity they would like to support and through a vote chose the top three. So as a business we now give one per cent of profit after tax to these charities and guarantee that in a bad year there’s a set sum that will be given.

“We now offer a number of ways for employees to contribute too through matched funding for fund-raising and offering a ‘Give Back Day’ when they can volunteer their services for charity too.”

In addition, the family shareholders have set up a fund with Suffolk Community Foundation which creates an endowment to help other local charities. What the foundation does, he says, is manage every aspect of your charitable giving so that as a business you don’t have to invest employee time in everything that managing your own charity might involve.

Tim Holder, Head of Public Affairs at Suffolk Community Foundation says, “Over the past 13 years the Foundation has worked in partnership with businesses, individuals, public sector and national trusts and foundations to deliver grants worth over £20million to over 2,000 local charities and community groups in the county.”

But with need across our county still very apparent the foundation is seeking to help more businesses get involved. “Our aim is to inspire businesses to give, but we also want to help them achieve the greatest positive impact possible within the local community where many of their customers and staff live.

Suffolk Community Foundation is a really friendly team and will support and work in partnership with a business to shape their charitable interests and activities,” he says.

Businesses that have worked with Suffolk Community Foundation to set up funds include Birkett’s and Kingsfleet Wealth Ltd. Colin Low, of Kingsfleet Wealth, says that when he started the business eight years ago one of his aims was to contribute to the local community.

“I have always liked the Quaker model which provided water fountains in our towns to provide clean water for people who could not afford it.” He says that although they are a small business, with just eight employees, he created the Kingsfleet Community Fund with the foundation to create an endowment to help educational charities in the county. ‰

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C OR P O R AT E G IV I NG

Suffolk Community Foundation Team

“Although we are not going to be able to solve everything through the ad hoc contributions that we make, that fund will grow and provide a lasting resource for the future.” Already though this fund has been able to help small charities like Ipswich Opportunity Group set up a pre-school for children with special educational needs and play equipment.

which we all work and most of us live but it also allows us to have a connection with that community. On another level, there are all sorts of benefits to us as a business in terms of employee engagement as we try to involve our staff in the giving process.

national business to create a central strategy with relevant themes that can make their national charitable giving reach grassroots organisations all over the UK. Sometimes businesses come to us concerned that they will need considerable internal resources to achieve their ambitions to make a difference.

James Austin, Senior Partner at Birketts says that as a business operating across East Anglia they work with community foundations across the region as part of their commitment to give back. “In Suffolk, we have made a £20,000 annual donation towards our fund for a number of years now.”

“In each of our offices we have a committee of employees who sit on grants panels and decide how the money from our endowment it spent.” Tim Holder added, “For businesses who want to get involved in corporate philanthropy Suffolk Community Foundation’s team has unrivalled depth of experience and local knowledge and is so well placed to help create a charitable strategy for any local business.

“Working in partnership with the Foundation minimises the work involved for company staff, whilst maximising the difference that can be made to changing Suffolk lives.“ He added that Judy Dow, Head of Philanthropy and the team at Suffolk Community Foundation are always available for an initial conversation about what might be possible.

He says, “It’s important on a number of levels to do this and give back to the community in

“Also, through our national network of 46 community foundations, we can support

INFORMATION www.suffolkcf.org.uk

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UNIQUE & INDEPENDENT Ipswich Institute Reading Room and Library

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IP S WIC H I N ST IT UT E

Founded by one of Britain’s most famous philanthropists of the 19th Century, Dr George Birkbeck, Ipswich Institute is a remarkable and unique establishment in the heart of the town. Anne Gould reports

today the only one of these organisations that has continued running.

The Ipswich Institute owns two buildings – The Library and Reading Room in Tavern Street and The Admiral’s House in Tower Street (once the home of Admiral Benjamin Page and visited by the Duke of Wellington) which has a popular restaurant and classrooms. The Tower Street premises, which was also once part of Diocesan House, was purchased in 2000 and helps to provide an income as it is part rented out as offices.

I

pswich is one of those towns that always seems to have the potential to surprise – if you are prepared to look you’ll see something which you really didn’t expect. So it is with Ipswich Institute – with its arched doorway on Tavern Street, nestled almost unseen between High Street shops with their bright lights and bold windows selling their 21st-century wares. Step through the doorway and you step into a place of peace and calm, the everyday bustle fades under a massive vaulted ornate ceiling as you enter the quiet contemplation of a private library.

According to Hugh Pierce, its general manager, this rather grand and beautiful building that for generations has provided a place of quiet and learning in the town centre, was once a chemist shop and was bought, in 1834, for the princely sum of £1,000.

However, the Institute was actually founded ten years earlier as a charitable organisation and was one of the first Mechanics’ Institutes in the UK aimed at providing education to the town’s artisans. It was inspired by George Birkbeck, a Quaker doctor, academic and philanthropist who was a pioneer in adult education and who established the London Mechanics Institute in November 1823 – a concept that was quickly adopted in numerous other cities and towns across the UK and overseas. Hugh says, that apart from Birkbeck University, Ipswich Institute is

“At one time we owned The Rep next door which is now a pub and was previously a theatre and a cinema in the 1920s – but originally it was the Institute's lecture theatre.” This particular classroom might no longer be in use for education but Dr Birkbeck would no doubt have approved of the Institute’s current educational programme.

Hugh says that today with more than 80 courses they are the biggest provider of leisure learning in the area. “We run a range of courses during the day and evenings – offering languages including Spanish, German, Japanese and Latin. There are options to get involved in a wide range of art classes like life drawing, watercolours and landscape painting. You can learn about creative writing, do fitness, yoga, we have music courses – guitar, flute and ukulele.”

charity in the 1980s and currently has 2,300 members from the Ipswich area but as far afield as Leiston, Bury St Edmunds and the Essex border. There are also one or two members who live in London too.

“We have three income streams - annual subscriptions which are £55 a year for an individual, income from renting out premises and the courses.” This means that they are open six days a week and it’s always busy – particularly in the mornings, with people dropping by for coffee and to make use of free internet access.

“Members, who tend to be older or retired, come with a great variety of backgrounds and interests and all find something worth joining for,” says Hugh. “Through a link with the Association of Independent Libraries members are able to visit similar establishments across the United Kingdom.

The Institute also gives financial support to a variety of local educational projects.”

INFORMATION 01473 253992 www.ipswichinstitute.org.uk

There are also evening courses, various workshops, day lectures on local history and day visits to Walsingham Abbey, Rochester Cathedral and Aspley House in London.

Their courses have proved to be incredibly popular – there were more than 800 enrolments for the autumn term.

Members of the Institute get courses at reduced prices but all of the courses are open to all. In addition to the courses, there’s a lending library stocked with more than 9,000 books, audio books and music CDs. “We have a really good stock of local history books and literature but also have 50 newspapers and periodicals for people to read too.”

Although founded on charitable principles he says the Institute formally became a

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JA NUARY / FE BRUARY 2 019

TIME TO TALK ABOUT DEPRESSION

HE A LT H

Dr Natius Oelofsen Consultant Clinical Psychologist

Following the festive season, the New Year can represent a fresh start for many, setting resolutions and making plans for the year ahead. For some people though, the darker days of winter mean an exacerbation of low mood, a sense of isolation, and distress.

This month, we caught up with Dr Natius Oelofsen, Consultant Clinical Psychologist to ask when are post-Christmas or Winter blues more serious?

patients identify where their specific problems lie, and then supports them to address those areas. For instance, a role transition such as retirement can cause low mood: Losing the challenge of a stimulating work role, when combined with difficulties finding new, meaningful activities can impact on selfesteem and reduce motivation, which in turn can ultimately lead to an episode of depression.

“It is well-known that depression can have a seasonal component, which can manifest as worsening of symptoms in winter, sometimes referred to as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). We do not fully understand the reasons why depression may worsen in winter, but some potential causes have been linked to low levels of bright daylight and the impact of shorter days on our circadian rhythms.

How does depression affect the brain?

Neuroscience research has consistently associated two main brain structures with depression. The limbic system of the brain generates emotion, and supports learning, and motivation. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is important for goal-directed behaviour and has connections to the limbic system that regulate its activity level. Brain imaging has shown that the PFCs of people with depression are less effective at inhibiting the parts of the limbic system that generate negative emotions, which in turn, increases stress levels and reduces motivation. The neurotransmitter serotonin plays a key role in these brain circuits, which is why many of the medications for depression target the action of serotonin in the brain.

Depression is ranked as second only to heart disease by the World Health Organisation on their list of the most debilitating causes of medical disability. According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists (www.rcpsych.ac.uk), one in five people will experience depression at some point in their lives. This translates into about a third of GP consultations. Yet, there is also data which indicates that about 50% of the time, the symptoms of depression are not recognised during GP consultations.

What are the signs to look out for?

Depression can manifest in a multitude of ways in different people. Symptoms include persistent changes in usual mood and functioning: low mood; irritability; loss of pleasure or motivation; feeling very tired most of the time and changes in sleep patterns; inability to think or make decisions; excessive feelings of guilt; changes in appetite.

What causes depression?

Research has shown genetic and biological influences may make some individuals more vulnerable to develop depression.

We also know that there are certain social or psychological triggers, for example, personal experiences, life changes, stress, and social isolation.

Gerald Klerman, founder of Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), which is one of the evidence based treatments for depression recognised by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), believes that, psychologically, depression can be triggered by problems in one or more of four problem areas, namely grief or loss, unresolved interpersonal conflicts, role transitions, and deficits in interpersonal skills. IPT helps 32

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Fighting depression: What can you do?

The most helpful thing to fight depression is to acknowledge to yourself that you need help. Don’t delay, talk to your doctor about treatment today. Combining psychological therapy with appropriate medication has been shown in numerous research studies to be effective in treating depression. The right medication can help lift your mood and enable you to engage with therapy. With psychological treatment, you may be able to deal with the issues that may have lead to your depression in the first place, and develop healthier thinking patterns and strategies to cope with future difficulties that may come your way. In addition, here are a few things you can do to boost your ability to overcome low mood: • When you start to feel low and inclined to isolate yourself, stay in bed, or give up your hobbies and activities, try hard to maintain a daily routine, and make sure you speak to your GP early on.

• Eat a healthy diet and get enough exercise.

Some nutritional deficiencies can cause symptoms similar to those of depression, so taking a vitamin supplement may help.

• Talk about your feelings with someone you trust; they may bring a more rounded perspective to the situation which may help you to challenge your own views.

• Set a goal for yourself and start pursuing it. Filling your life with meaningful activity can help by providing rewarding experiences, giving you structure and meaning, and a break from your worries.

Combatting stigma About one in four people experience mental health problems, yet there is still a stigma attached that means most people are reluctant to talk openly about their mental health. Time to Talk Day on Thursday 7th February 2019 aims to address this by encouraging people to have conversations about mental health, break down stereotypes, and improve relationships. Visit www.time-to-change.org.uk for information.

Where to go for help Your GP will be able to discuss treatment options with you, and can also discuss a private referral for talking treatment at Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital. If you feel you would like to urgently talk to someone about depression, you can dial NHS 111 (or 999 for a crisis), or alternatively you can contact the Samaritans on 116112.”

Dr Oelofsen is an experienced consultant clinical psychologist with more than 15 years’ experience of treating mental health conditions in children and adults. His adult independent practice is based at the Nuffield Health Ipswichs Hospital. He offers psychological treatment for common mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and OCD, as well as specialist assessments of neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism. For more information on how book a private consultation with Dr Oelofsen, get it touch on 01473 851960. Alternatively, to find out more about Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital, visit www.nuffieldhealth.com/ ipswichhospital for details of all our consultants and how you can pay for your treatment.

Sources: Baker, C. (2018). Mental health statistics for England: Prevalence services and funding.

Published by House of Commons Library.

Palazidou, E. (2012). The neurobiology of depression. British medical bulletin, 101(1), 127-145.

Papageorgiou, C., & Wells, A. (2004).

Depressive rumination. Chichester: Wiley.

Parrish, E. (2018). Winter blues, spring fever and major depression: Are they the same or different.

Perspectives in psychiatric care, 54(1), 5-5.

Robertson, M., Rushton, P., & Wurm, C. (2008).

Interpersonal psychotherapy: an overview.

Psychotherapy in Australia, Vol. 14(3), 46-54.

FI NA NCE

Faye Howard

HELPING YOU PLAN YOUR INHERITANCE

Tax Director

When looking at IHT planning, it’s often the most simple actions which have the biggest impact, for example making sure that your Wills are written effectively and in such a way that they allow your Estate to benefit from the new Residence Nil Rate Band, ensuring that your investments are structured in a manner which meets your needs during your lifetime, and of course ensuring that your affairs are as tax efficient as they can be both in life and on death.

Inheritance Tax (IHT) is often referred to as a ‘voluntary tax’, but with IHT receipts in the South East now exceeding those for London, which previously topped the table, there is a good case to say that a large number of estates in this region are paying too much tax. According to HMRC, total IHT receipts for the South East for the 2015/16 tax year (the most recently published information available) totalled over £5 billion, whilst the figure for London lagged behind at around £4.75 billion.

IHT has hit the headlines again recently with the publication of a report commissioned by the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, which calls for a rethink of IHT procedures. Whilst this is welcome news to taxpayers and tax professionals alike, any changes are likely to take a considerable amount of time to find their way into the legalisation, and those with exposure to IHT currently are probably unlikely to find their position significantly changed.

There are many perceptions about IHT, but as acknowledged by the Chancellor, it is a very complex subject which is full of traps for the unwary. There are also a number of professionals who give IHT advice, and it can often be difficult to know who to ask and where to start. With this in mind, our tax advisers and independent financial advisers at Scrutton Bland have teamed up with Ashtons Legal to bring you a seminar to help demystify IHT, explain some of the more

common IHT problems and pose a number of solutions to these issues.

Our joined up approach will highlight things that you need to be thinking about, and demonstrate how we, as professionals, can work together to help you navigate the minefield that is IHT, and to preserve as much as possible of your estate for your beneficiaries.

If you would like to book a place on this no cost, no obligation seminar then please see the contact details below: IHT Seminar, Suffolk Food Hall, Wherstead, Ipswich IP9 2AB. Wednesday 27th February 4.30-6.00pm.

To book your place at this free event call 0330 058 6559 or email events@scruttonbland.co.uk

Scrutton Bland Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Regulated reference number 209451.

Communicate with confidence Start 2019 on the road to better hearing with the award winning Hearing Care Centre. Take advantage of a FREE hearing assessment at our Ipswich Hearing Care Week.

Monday 21st - Saturday 26th January 2019

11 Upper Brook Street, Ipswich 9am - 5pm | Appointments are essential | Save £20 Complimentary hearing assessments with ear health checks - save £20!

Expert, professional advice from our award winning audiologists Learn about the latest hearing aid technology and how it can help you

To book please call 01473 230330 Award winning

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A WARM WELCOME AWAITS

It’s exclusive and discreet, it’s steeped in history, it’s got one of the finest kitchens in the county but apparently, there are some people who don’t actually know where the Ipswich & Suffolk Club is

I&SC Directors left to right: Stephen Firmin, Stephen Britt, Trudi Nicholls, Rosemary Holley, George McLellan (Chairman), Bruce Murrill

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ucked unobtrusively between Northgate Street, and Tower Street, in the shadow of St Mary Le Tower Church, the club has provided a haven for its members since the 19th Century and has long been referred to as one of Suffolk’s best-kept secrets.

shrubbery” – are now a carpark, the entrance is protected by a coded lock and women have been welcomed as part of the membership. It is also now open to nonmembers for business meetings, weddings and private events – so maybe it’s time to discover this gem right at the heart of Ipswich.

The Ipswich & Suffolk Club was first established in 1885 as a Gentleman’s Club for professionals – most of whom were connected to the law, accountancy, banking and the medical professions. It became one of the first limited companies in the country and today is administered by a voluntary board of directors, most of whom appear in the above photo taken at the recent Annual Members’ Dinner.

Club Chairman George McLellan explained that as a private members club it offers a varied range of social, sporting and fine dining benefits. There’s a flourishing snooker section, golf tournaments for instance with club events and inter-club competitions with Bury Farmers Club and Colchester Officers’ Club.

Today, of course, the club is somewhat different, the original gardens – “the

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There’s Bridge, Scrabble, Mahjong, a wine committee organising events, speaker’s lunches, theatre trips and a book club. Lady members play an active role in fundraising

for local charities raising over £2,500 for St Elizabeth Hospice in 2018. Plus there are a range of themed evening events like Trafalgar Night, Burns’ Night and the Club’s Annual Dinner.

There are private rooms that can be hired for business from, ‘The Snug’, a small discreet dining room, to the exquisite Adam Room which offers a beautiful space for a boardroom or social function.

Equally, members have a good choice when it comes to eating – there’s a light airy bar space lined with a range of illustrated drawings of notable former club members.

The dining room is calm and wonderfully traditional with starched white tablecloths and gleaming silver cutlery – but for those wanting to drop by for a casual bistro style lunch there’s the ‘Pine Room’.

B US I N ES S PR O FIL E | I PS WI CH & S U F FO L K C L UB

General Manager Robert Coppin explained, “We are very lucky to have a renowned French chef Denis Groualle who, with his team, creates both international and traditional English cuisine of the highest quality.” There’s also a wine list, he added, that can match the high quality you would expect in the very best of restaurants.

Of course, the premises are also very special and are of significant historical interest. The Ipswich & Suffolk club was formerly the residence for the Archdeacon of Suffolk and was built on the site of the original Archdeacon’s Palace. Although the building today is mainly 18th/19th Century it does retain some of the 16th/17th Century structure.

The 15th Century gatehouse fronting Northgate Street was originally commissioned

by William Pykenham in 1471 and is the oldest remaining evidence of the original building. Today, under the stewardship of Robert Coppin and his dedicated eight-strong team, the Archdeacon’s House offers a comfortable and elegant venue for its many social activities and its grounds provide a convenient town-centre parking facility exclusively for its members.

The 650-strong membership also has access to reciprocal private members’ clubs across the country – including the Lansdowne Club in London and overseas too, in Australia, Canada, South Africa, USA and India.

Mr Coppin says that the club premises is also available for hire to both members and non-members as a fine venue for small to medium-sized meetings, conferences, civil weddings, private parties and functions.

“These may take the form of a simple room hire for a business meeting – the Adam Room can accommodate 16 delegates boardroom style or 25 delegates theatre style.

“The Pykenham Room, with LED lighting and whiteboard is much more modern and functional for presentations but can accommodate ten delegates for a boardroom style meeting.” Other areas available for private hire include the main reception areas for an important family event such as a wedding reception or perhaps a formal dinner for up to 100 in the restaurant.

INFORMATION To find out more about membership or private hire visit: www.ipswichandsuffolkclub.co.uk

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Casual Comfort Ease in to the New Year with cosy layers. These top finds are all from local independent retailers, so you can support your high street while indulging in some post-Christmas retail therapy

Brandtex navy top ÂŁ68 Adams Apple

FASH I ON

Intown coat £76 Adams Apple

Thought organic cotton spot skirt £45 Joli

Intown black & white jacket £79 Adams Apple Danefae rain jacket £165 Joli

T M Collection tunic £495, silk trousers £320 Upstairs Downstairs

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Intown scarf £31 Adams Apple

Intown sweater £55 Adams Apple

Alice Collins striped top £59 Adams Apple

Essential SUFFOLK

Alice Collins stripe top £47 Adams Apple

always proud ~ to feature ~

LOCAL RETAILERS Alice Collins check top £67 Adams Apple

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FASH I ON

Intown grey top £34 Adams Apple Brandtex navy top £68 Adams Apple

T M Collections coat £635 Upstairs Downstairs

Alice Collins check Shirt £39 Adams Apple

Black lace top £37 Adams Apple

Intown cream blouse £55 Adams Apple

Light grey knit with V front and back plus lace detail £79.95 Laura Jane Boutique

STOCKISTS Adams Apple 70 Thoroughfare, Woodbridge. T: 01394 384685 Joli 158 High Street, Aldeburgh. T: 07771 623408 www.jolisuffolk.com Laura Jane Boutique 89/91 Thoroughfare, Woodbridge. T: 01394 386686 Upstairs Downstairs 1a Thoroughfare, Woodbridge. T: 01394 386399 www.upstairsdownstairswomenswear.co.uk

Intown denim jegging £56 Adams Apple

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S AV E T H E D A T E

MILSOM WEDDING

SHOW S U N D AY 1 7 t h M A R C H 2 0 1 9 I N T H E H A N G A R AT MILSOMS KESGRAVE HALL

Milsoms Kesgrave Hall, Hall Road, Kesgrave, Ipswich, Suffolk IP5 2PU Tel: 01473 333741 Email: events@kesgravehall.com Visit: www.milsomweddings.com Find us on social media @milsomweddings

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Top trends for 2019 If 2019 is all about being a bride and planning the best day of your life – it’s pretty much guaranteed that your New Year is going to be packed with decisions and choices.

Confused? Suffolk-based wedding planner Senel Besim has come up with her guide to the latest trends

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iving in Suffolk the chances are that you’ll be very aware of just how beautiful our home county is and why it’s a perfect location for a wedding. But did you know that Suffolk is becoming something of a wedding destination or wedding trend in its own right?

Working with brides across the UK and the world it seems that more and more couples are venturing into Suffolk on their quest for a unique wedding venue. The reason they are coming here? Quite simply it is away from better-known wedding locations such as Hampshire or Kent.

In fact, with its tranquil beauty, convenient location and stunning coastline, Suffolk is now one of the most desirable wedding locations in the UK. So apart from the destination what will 2019’s weddings trends be?

Perhaps not surprisingly a lot of brides are being influenced heavily by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s wedding in May last year. They are looking to create an event that is much more elegant, refined, luxurious and these are the key features:

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Individuality Couples are striving to make their weddings unique and reflective of their own style and tastes. They want a wedding that is unique and personal to them. This year will see couples throwing out the rulebook to focus on a wedding that is truly and uniquely them. It will be less about having a wedding theme or style, but more about a vibe or feeling for example, ‘laid back luxury’; effortless, cool, undone.

They will want a unique gathering, that’s personalised and centred around the idea of a celebration of friends and family rather than the traditional wedding notion.

Complexity Weddings are no longer simple affairs that last a day! Weddings now often take place over two to three days with events happening the day before and the day after the wedding, often geared towards a ‘mini break’ concept. Many couples host a welcome event the day prior to their wedding and thank you event the day after. The before and after events are not simple affairs either, so this might include spa retreats, afternoon barbecues with bespoke caterers and a bar set up on the family lawn, or sailing trips. There are often several locations and sometimes intricate logistics involved, with each event almost

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Ethical Weddings Food that is locally and sustainably sourced, foam free florals and there’s a focus on being environmentally conscious.

Food We’re seeing the end of the traditional wedding breakfast in favour of relaxed, luxurious and laidback grazing tables – very ‘Instagrammable’!

becoming bigger than the wedding itself. ‘Weekend weddings’ have increased the demand for wedding planners – many couples are too busy to take on the planning and organisation themselves.

While most couples have the support of family to help with the arrangements, many couples are opting to hire a wedding planner as well. This trend has been growing steadily for the last few years and will continue into 2019.

INFORMATION Senel Besim is a luxury wedding planner and organises weddings in Suffolk and across the world. For more information visit www.brideandbelle.co.uk

Wedding dresses Dresses that are simple, elegant and classic. A tailored modern look as worn by Meghan Markle, with clean lines and no fussy details.

Venues We’re talking unique, cool and modern. As couples strive to create a wedding that reflects their individuality traditional, cookie cutter wedding venues are not what couples are looking for. The desire to customise a wedding venue continues each year. Outdoor ceremonies or ‘bringing the outdoors inside’ with the use of trees and lots of foliage; floral designs are less structured and more whimsical and undone.

Colour Traditional pastel wedding colours are a thing of the past, with bright and bold colours featured more and more. Pantone has just announced its colour of the year as Coral; bright, versatile and fresh so this could well feature in 2019 nuptials.

Social Media There is no denying that Instagram and Pinterest have a HUGE influence on how couples, especially brides, plan their weddings.

This will no doubt continue through the year ahead.

Cakes Bespoke wedding cakes featuring a variety of different textures and flavours with intricate sugar flowers and bespoke handcrafted designs are definitely in vogue.

BESPOKE ARTISAN CHEESE WEDDING CAKES Contact us on 01728 454052 or hello@slatecheese.co.uk

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Happy, Ever Ufford!

Wedding packages from

as little as ÂŁ1950*

CELEBRATING

With spectacular views over 120 acres of historic parkland and a warm, friendly service, we are perfect for intimate or larger weddings.

Located just off the A12 and offering 90 en-suite bedrooms, we are ideal for those family members travelling from afar.

Contact our Wedding Team to find out more information.

*offer is based on 30 adult day guests and 50 adult evening guests

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t. 01394 383555 ext.302 e. weddings@uffordpark.co.uk w. www.uffordpark.co.uk

Wedding Show | Sunday 20th January | 11am until 3pm | FREE entry Yarmouth Road | Melton | Woodbridge | Suffolk | IP12 1QW

G RE AT B RIT IS H H I G H S TR EE T AWAR DS

Woodbridge high street is celebrating after taking second place in the national Great British High Street Awards. Choose Woodbridge chairman James Lightfoot explains why it is, in fact, second to none

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ommunity is the beating heart of The Thoroughfare. Its united body of people breathe life into the town, give it a unified voice, a common purpose and help it preserve its unique qualities. These include a diverse make-up of independent and family-run shops, a host of vivid, vibrant events and residents and business-owners who believe passionately this is a destination to showcase the gems of Suffolk.

This explains why Woodbridge was named the Sunday Times ‘best place to live’ in the East of England, made the top 10 happiest places to live in the UK according to Rightmove and, most recently, was Highly Commended in the Great British High Street Awards – making it the second-best high street in the whole of England.

I was honoured to be invited – along with Choose Woodbridge Director Chris Mapey – to a glittering ceremony in the historic grandeur of London’s Lancaster House to receive the award on behalf of the town.

Our immediate, euphoric reaction might have been considered out of place in that setting but we did not care; we were so pleased and proud of the achievement. ‰

Chairman of Choose Woodbridge James Lightfoot and Director of Choose Woodbridge Chris Mapey celebrate at the Great British High Street awards ceremony

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A team of actors from the Woodbridge Riverside Trust meet the judges beside the Sae Wyfling, a half size working replica of the Sutton Hoo Anglo-Saxon ship

Handcrafted in Suffolk The finest bespoke kitchens designed and built using traditional skills in our Suffolk workshop.

www.valedesigns.co.uk 01728 830581 Visit us at: The Workshop Forge Cottages Thorpe Road Aldringham Suffolk IP16 4QX

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G RE AT B RIT IS H H I G H S TR EE T AWAR DS

Jules Button of Woodbridge Emporium shows off her Woodbridge tea blend at the street party in The Thoroughfare

Of 23 finalists, only three got a special mention in the introductory speeches and we were one. We “know how to throw a good party” was the opinion of the judges and we certainly do. In fact, we pulled out all the stops on judging day with an enormous street party that demonstrated how our community comes together.

Every single shop front on the high street was strung with bunting and balloons.

With no pay and very little encouragement, musicians dotted themselves along the curves of the pedestrianised street, singing, dancing and playing instruments. A class of schoolchildren turned up with a beautiful song they had written about their home town and shops arranged a host of demonstrations, exhibitions and special offers to entice the public.

The Woodbridge Kitchen Company created a full-size replica of a biscuit chandelier from the Great British Bake Off, the Cake Shop Bakery made its award-winning Trencher loaf and Woodbridge Emporium, run by Jules Button – an independent bookshop that also sells specialist teas – created a Woodbridge brew in honour of our shortlisting. We were also treated to a range of exhibitions from community groups.

Chairman of Choose Woodbridge James Lightfoot and former Mayor of Woodbridge Clare Perkins celebrate in the sunshine during judging day

A stall from the local parachute engineer regiment was set up opposite the hairdressers – who were holding a cake sale for Macmillan Cancer Support – and a 45 foot traditionally-built Saxon boat complete with actors in Saxon costume sailed in with representatives from Sutton Hoo. Additionally we were able to demonstrate, through a video installation and projection, the success of various events we have held in the town this year; most notably Beowulf.

This festival dedicated to the poem was put together under the leadership of mayor Clare Perkins as her parting gift from office and explored links between the 7th century manuscript and the town, home to the famous Saxon burial ship found here in 1939. It included entertainment for all ages and a spectacular light show over the Woodbridge Tide Mill.

Judges were also wowed by the customer experience offered by the range of independently-owned shops along the street, many of which have been in the same family for generations. We work extremely hard to combat the march of chain stores that have taken over many British high streets and this is led by these family-run businesses which have a long history to draw on and share knowledge with younger businesses, helping protect the future of the town.

The high street is home to a wide range of shops catering for all ages selling everything from gifts, clothes, shoes and home furnishings to books, art and food. There is a specialist chocolate shop, a delicatessen that will make up your sandwich from fresh ingredients as you watch and a jeweller where you can design and make your own jewellery.

The old-fashioned sweet shop evokes childhood memories for the older generation and delights younger children. And there are several award-winning businesses including the independent travel agent Deben Travel and family-run Cake Shop Bakery. The bakery won Britain’s Best Bakery 2014 and Baker of the Year 2017 and uses traditionally ground flour from the Woodbridge Tide Mill – a collaboration which offers a unique customer experience.

Many coffee shops on The Thoroughfare roast their own coffee and owners of the boutique clothes shops demonstrate entrepreneurial spirit by creating special offers and discounts to help customers match outfits with accessories.

In short Woodbridge is a busy, bustling and beautiful town and while we may not have scooped first prize (this time!) we know that what we have to offer really cannot be found anywhere else.

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SUFFOLK COMMUNITY FOUNDA ATION AT TION PRESENTS PRES

Woofers Winter Walk a Charity Dog Walk in support of

Sunday 3rd March 2019 starts from 10am

HELMINGHAM HALL £5 per person Dogs and Children (under 12) go free Goody bags for every dog!

A wonderful 3 mile loop around the beautiful parkland – home of Suffolk Dog Day In partnership with:

Essential Celebrating all that makes our county great

SUFFOLK

To find out more, go to:

www.suffolkdogday.co.uk

WO O FE RS W IN TE R WA L K

DARCY JOINS THE WOOFERS WINTER WALK If you can’t wait for Suffolk Dog Day, you’re in for an extra treat as Suffolk Community Foundation has a very special event planned for March 2019 and you can meet Essential Suffolk’s Darcy there too uffolk Dog Day has been a highlight of the canine calendar in Suffolk in recent years and so when our friends at Suffolk Community Foundation announced another event, especially for ‘The Woofers’ – their affectionate name for Dog Day supporters – we knew we, and more especially Darcy, would be putting the date straight in the diary.

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“That’s special in itself. I’m sure there will be a few treats along the way to keep us all refreshed and we may well replace our summer top dog ‘Best in Show’ with a ‘Best in Snow’ Prize if last year’s weather is anything to go by, but whatever happens ‘The Woofers’ can expect the really special atmosphere that is always there when we all come together with our four legged friends.”

Pub Walks with Darcy fans will know that she, and her ‘little sister’ Holly, love exploring the Suffolk countryside, preferably when there’s a dog friendly pub to stop at for refreshments. The charity walk around the stunning grounds of Helmingham Hall is on Sunday 3rd March and it’s the perfect time of year for dog walking.

Skinner’s Pet Foods Sales & Marketing Director, William Delamore, said, “After a hot summer leading to Suffolk Dog Day being cancelled, we are thoroughly looking forward to the Woofers Winter Walk and meeting up with many of the Suffolk Dog Day lovers that we missed seeing in Summer. Dog walkers attending will be happy to hear there will still be the opportunity to purchase 2.5kg bags with up to 50% off and a £5 voucher off the next 15kg bag purchased from local stockists”.

“If you’re a dog owner you’re out walking every day regardless” says Essential Suffolk Publisher Lesley Rawlinson, “so a walk with added purpose is always a bonus. I’m a great believer in the old adage that there’s no such thing as the wrong weather, only the wrong clothing so whatever the weather conditions we’ll be there, with Darcy and Holly, ready to enjoy the early spring with other like-minded dog walkers”. Of course you don’t need a dog to take part. All walkers are welcome.

Suffolk Dog Day, and now the Woofers Winter Walk, is a major fundraiser for Suffolk Community Foundation, a grant giving body that supports the work of Suffolk charities and voluntary organisations. In the last financial year, the Foundation made grants to 705 Suffolk charities totalling £2.6million and in the last 13 years, Suffolk Community Foundation has distributed over £20 million to over 2,000 local charities and voluntary groups and it manages endowment funds well in excess of £14 million.

INFORMATION www.suffolkdogday.com #wooferswinterwalk Facebook: search Suffolk Dog Day Instagram: @Suffolk_Dog_Day Twitter: @SuffolkDogDay

The Suffolk Dog Day creative team want to hold back some surprises but Tim Holder, Head of Public Affairs at Suffolk Community Foundation says, “We want to keep this event informal, a chance to just turn up, be together and get out there with our four legged friends and enjoy a three mile walk around the stunning parkland at Helmingham Hall at a completely different time of the year from Dog Day.

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Sponsored by

Pub Walks with Darcy

www.christchurchvets.co.uk

We return to simple pleasures for the New Year and another stunning stretch of the Deben Q: What could be better than a bracing walk starting and finishing at a dog friendly pub?

A: One with a short diversion to another dog friendly pub along the way! Before Christmas the Wilford Bridge, part of the Deben Inns group, was named in the top ten dog friendly pubs in the country in a national competition so we couldn’t resist the opportunity to discover another route for Darcy and Holly to enjoy. With The Coach & Horses, another popular member of the same family, just a short distance away it’s worth planning your excursion to include both stops.

From the very start (once you’ve crossed the road from the pub) this walk takes the wellworn and well signposted path along the Deben. It is part of the Sandlings Trail that runs from Ipswich to Southwold so if you have any doubts along the way just look for the little bird logo on the signposts.

MELTON CP

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The distance you cover is entirely your choice – this is an ‘out and back’ route passing through the boat yard at Melton, winding past interesting houseboats moored along the banks and eventually reaching Woodbridge. We walked as far as Tide Mill Quay and although the final approach to Woodbridge is less attractive as the path passes behind some buildings blocking the river view for a while, it’s well worth it to reach the picturesque quayside.

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On the return leg divert from the path at Melton Boat Yard (point 6 on the map) to visit the Coach & Horses. We advise retracing your steps back to the river path for the last stretch. A final word of advice; if the tide is out keep your dogs close to you – that river mud is tricky to wash off!

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Quay Sutton Hoo Farm River Deben

5 Tide Mill Quay

Sutton Hoo

the walk DISTANCE: Approx 3.5 miles TIME: Approx 1 hour 30 mins depending on your pace TERRAIN: River path STOPS: The Wilford Bridge, The Coach & Horses OS MAP: Explorer 212 START POINT OS REFERENCE: 288 254 As always please keep your dog under close control and follow any advisory signs. For a printable version of this and more than 70 previous walks go to: www.essentialsuffolk.com/dog-walks where you will also find more pictures of each walk route.

The Wilford Bridge is located at the head of the navigation on the river Deben and only a short distance from one of Britain’s most important archaeological sites; Sutton Hoo. Enjoy local history, take a river walk then come make the most of our welcoming inn.

Dog-Friendly Pub Awards Finalists 2018 Wilford Bridge Rd, Melton, IP12 2PA. T: 01394 386141

Always check the map before setting off.

1. From the car park at The Wilford Bridge turn left and follow the pavement a very short distance just to the junction of Brick Kiln Lane.

Cross the main road. You will see a footpath sign just before the bridge crosses the river. Check the map if unsure – we’re heading downriver towards Woodbridge.

2. Once you are on the river path don’t deviate. This first stretch affords stunning views towards Melton Boat yard. Tide Mill Quay is just out of sight around the bend in the river.

3. At the boat yard keep straight ahead. The path is well marked but if in doubt just follow the direction of the river on your left.

4. As you round the corner the path runs closer the railway line. Keep the train tracks on your right as the path heads back down to the left (towards the river) and between the buildings. Again keep ahead following the signs – and notice the clever pebble art in front of the cottages along this stretch.

5. As the path emerges from between the buildings turn left to Tide Mill Quay. We chose this as our turning point. Retrace your steps along the path.

6. When you reach Melton Boat Yard turn left for the additional stop and follow Dock Lane turning left at the top for The Coach & Horses.

7. From The Coach & Horses return via Dock Lane and the river path back to The Wilford Bridge

A fantastic in-town pub with a real country feel, The Coach and Horses in Melton is a lively pub with an atmosphere sure to draw you in; the low ceilings and open fireplace really adding to a sense of history.

Melton, Woodbridge, IP12 1PD. T: 01394 384851

Child friendly, dog friendly, well basically just friendly whoever you are and whatever you need. All our pubs are open for all day dining so we are perfect for breakfast to fuel your day ahead or any point in between until you are ready to wind down at night.

www.debeninns.co.uk

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Want to have a short break and get away from it all?

Say local and enjoy Suffolk at its best

SUFFOLK STAYCATIONS G

oing on holiday? Looking for a relaxing short break that doesn’t involve driving to an airport or being stuck in a traffic jam on the M25? The perfect solution if you live in Suffolk is simply to go and explore another part of our beautiful county. It doesn’t matter how long you have lived here, we are blessed with a county that’s so diverse there’s always somewhere new to discover.

There are so many ways to explore too; you can enjoy any amount of walking, taking in the big skies, open spaces, enjoying river valleys, ancient woods and forest and often, after only a mile or two, you’ll leave the rest of the world behind and have the view to yourself – or so it seems.

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For those who wish to explore on two-wheels Suffolk is perfect as it’s mostly flat – well relatively – and if you want to meander from place to place there are any number of coffee shops and country pubs to seek refreshment.

Don’t forget our waterways – even if you are not a passionate sailor there are any number of ways to enjoy our coastline and famed river estuaries by taking a boat trip from Ipswich, from Southwold, from Snape, from Orford or canoeing through the Broadland National Park that spans our northern border. ‰

S TAY C AT IO NS

Staycation at Sibton White Horse

The Sibton White Horse is in the perfect location: set in a sleepy inland village, but just a short drive for the coast at Southwold and Aldeburgh. A cosy village pub with comfy rooms, numerous awards for its food and a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

The guest rooms are in a converted outbuilding next door to the pub. The five well-appointed rooms are quietly situated with plenty of parking and most have outlooks onto the green.

Four are kings/doubles and one twin – the latter suitable for disabled visitors.

All rooms are decorated and furnished in a contemporary country style and have modern en-suite facilities; all with power showers, some with baths. Beds are comfy with feather down quilts and pillows clad with pristine crisp white cotton.

Fluffy towels, Duck Island toiletries and a generous hospitality tray add further luxury. Rooms have Freeview TVs with DVD, free WiFi and modern efficient heating.

Step into the pub for breakfast and set yourself up for the day.

There’s a fresh cold buffet followed by an extensive cooked menu featuring plenty of local and homemade produce.

Guests can take further advantage of the White Horse’s good food reputation by booking a table for dinner. The White Horse holds 2 AA Rosettes and has been crowned ‘The Good Pub Guide Suffolk Dining Pub of 2019’.

The perfect place to stay

Ufford Park

Ufford Park Woodbridge Hotel, Golf and Spa offers something for all ages. Set in 120 acres of historic parkland and located on the outskirts of Woodbridge, the family-run, dog-friendly hotel boasts 90 spacious bedrooms, many with balconies where you can relax and enjoy beautiful views of the picturesque, 18-hole golf course.

The famous ‘Anglo-Saxon’ burial site at Sutton Hoo, Framlingham and Orford Castle and world-famous Snape Maltings are all just a short drive away, as well as the quaint seaside towns of Southwold and Aldeburgh.

Whether you choose to dine in The Park Restaurant or enjoy a snack in The Park Bar, the hotel offers good, quality food made using locally-sourced ingredients.

For keen golfers, the award-winning 18 hole, par 71 golf course is perfect for all golfing abilities. Ufford Park’s dedicated team of greenkeepers work tirelessly to keep its course playable, no matter what the weather. Ufford Park Golf Course has recently been voted in the Top 100 golf courses in the UK by Today’s Golfer, as well as coming runner-up at the Golf Environmental Awards 2018 for Operation Pollinator.

If golf’s not for you, our Leisure Club has an indoor swimming pool, as well as a recently extended gym. Visit our Thermal Suite Spa where you can relax, revitalise or restore. You can also add beauty treatments to maximise the benefit of your experience; all beauty therapists at Ufford Park are fully-trained so they are able to offer any treatment that suits you.

With everything that is available onsite, as well as offsite, Ufford Park is the perfect place to enjoy a Suffolk staycation.

Halesworth Road, Sibton, Suffolk IP17 2JJ 01728 660337 | info@sibtonwhitehorseinn.co.uk

Yarmouth Road, Melton, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 1QW 01394 383555 | www.uffordpark.co.uk

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A warm welcome at Located in the heart of the peaceful village of Reydon, just a 15 minute stroll from Britain’s most quintessential seaside town of Southwold; The Randolph provides the perfect base for exploring the Suffolk Heritage Coast and offers a relaxed and friendly atmosphere for all the family.

The Randolph dates back to 1899 and comprises of 10 en-suite bedrooms accessible via the main galleried staircase.

Situated over two floors, all the rooms are individual but come complete with digital flat-screen televisions, tea and coffee making facilities, homemade shortbread and complimentary toiletries. Plans are ongoing for continued bedroom refurbishments, with some rooms already completed. Guests can enjoy the beautiful new rooms which, in keeping with a coastal theme, feature handmade head boards from Novoboats on Southwold Harbour, fabrics from Southwold Curtains and unique artwork, which has been lovingly created by Daisy Knights (oldest

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The Randolph

daughter of hoteliers Gareth & Jenny Knights) and children from Reydon Primary School.

The Randolph’s family friendly restaurant was fully refurbished in March 2018 (along with the popular bar area) and serves lunch and dinner daily as well as catering for large parties, including wedding receptions, buffets and celebratory meals. The menu features fresh, locally sourced ingredients, creatively prepared by the kitchen team and offers a delightful dining experience for everyone to enjoy.

The installation of children’s play equipment in the secure and spacious garden area in Spring 2018 has created a unique facility, and The Randolph is now the only restaurant in Southwold that offers a space for children to play; so the whole family (including the dog!) can relax and enjoy a delicious meal. Whether you are looking for a holiday, a special occasion, a venue for business meetings, or simply a pint of the local Adnams ale, the Randolph is ideal.

The popular ‘Wednesday Warmer’ dinner menu offering a main course, dessert and drink priced at £15 is still available each Wednesday until 27th March and the regular quiz night held every first Sunday of the month from 8.30pm is the perfect opportunity for locals and visitors alike to test their general knowledge.

For more details, including current menus and special offers please visit www.therandolph.co.uk

The Randolph Hotel, Wangford Road Reydon, Suffolk, IP18 6PZ 01502 723603 reception@therandolph.co.uk www.therandolph.co.uk

S TAY C AT IO NS

Orford Castle Photograph: Mark Seton

Where to go: The Seaside

Suffolk’s Wool Towns

Most people think of going to the seaside on holiday and Suffolk’s Heritage Coast from Felixstowe to Woodbridge, Snape to Southwold and beyond is rightly famed for its solitude and beauty. Walking along Aldeburgh or Thorpeness beach at sunrise, watching the sun turn the sea various shades of pink, violet and orange is something to behold.

The Wool Towns include five of the most picturesque places in the East of England; Clare, Hadleigh, Lavenham, Long Melford and Sudbury and of course there are any number of beautiful villages round about. These towns are linked by a common heritage united in a history that derives from medieval wool and weaving.

There’s also the wildness of Shingle Street, Orfordness to soak up and enjoy or further north the wildlife around Minsmere and Dunwich.

This trade generated huge wealth that has left a legacy of fine buildings medieval centres, streets lined with timber-framed buildings and elegant churches filled with light. But explore beyond these towns and you’ll discover real gems – like picturesque Kersey where the river runs across the road or Chelsworth, possibly the most perfect picture postcard village in the UK.

You think you know Suffolk’s coast and then you venture off along the Orwell estuary which offers so many gems – like Pin Mill and Levington, and then as you start exploring the Shotley Peninsula there’s even more to see. Holbrook Creek is a highlight and at any time of the year, a stroll around Alton Water gets our vote.

Bury St Edmunds and beyond With its twice weekly street market, medieval grid pattern town centre, Suffolk’s only cathedral and a history that dates back centuries and involves the Magna Carta, Bury St Edmunds has recently been voted the best town to live in, in East Anglia.

Its Abbey was once one of the most important monasteries in Europe and although now in ruins, can be explored in the Abbey Gardens, which are still very much at the heart of the town. Today Bury is also a hub for shoppers with a wide range of independent shops and it also has a great reputation for restaurants and eating out.

Travel further west and you’ll get to Newmarket – which as everyone knows is the home of horse racing and as a result is a must-see stopping off point.

Ipswich Suffolk’s county town is famed for its magnificent Waterfront and of course the Orwell Bridge is a well-known landmark. The town also offers much in the way of culture – Dance East and the New Wolsey Theatre have national reputations.

The parks are also exceptional. Christchurch Park also has its mansion with a fine collection of art that celebrates Constable and Gainsborough the artists who were born in Suffolk and whose works are celebrated around the world.

JA NUARY / FE BRUARY 2 019

GO SLOW FOR THE GLOW With one eye on our waist bands and the other on the bank balance we’ve invited food and fitness expert Helen Duggan to share a low cost, low faff, healthy recipe that will help keep hunger at bay and without forfeiting on flavour

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Helen says she hasn’t been sporty all her life, but has always been a “foodie”.

She’s not had formal training but always enjoyed playing about in the kitchen and trying out new recipes. It wasn’t until she was forced into the surgical menopause several years ago that she decided to combat the symptoms by changing her diet and training; adopting a more Mediterranean type regime and incorporating more Pilates and core strength work.

“These changes benefitted me not only mentally but physically and had a positive impact on my running and general fitness levels. However a serious cycling accident last year resulted in a broken shoulder in four places, surgery and having three months off work! During this time I studied for an Advanced Diploma in Nutrition and Weight Management and launched Core & More”.

Subsequently Helen completed her training to be a Mat Pilates Instructor. She teaches small group Pilates classes in Kesgrave and Martlesham, helping clients improve posture, muscle tone and balance, as well as relieving stress and tension, developing whole-body strength and flexibility. She also offers nutrition advice to those seeking to improve their training programmes or with weight loss.

Slow butternut squash and chorizo soup with yoghurt and seeds I was inspired by my friend Liz Atkins and the Facebook group ‘One Pot Wonders’ when I was recently experimenting with easy recipes that could be prepared before we leave the house in the morning and be almost ready to serve when we get home. I dusted down my slow cooker for four new dishes; Chicken & Squash Curry, Braised Red Cabbage with Apple, Sweet Potato, Coconut and Chilli Soup and this Butternut Squash & Chorizo Soup which is just delicious. And the best part – there’s very little washing up!

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

1 butternut squash (washed with skin on) cubed 1 red onion (chopped) 75g chorizo (chopped) 6 bay leaves Salt and pepper to taste A spoonful of natural yoghurt Seeds Baby spinach leaves to garnish

1. Prepare your butternut squash, onion and chorizo as listed and place them carefully in the slow cooker with the bay leaves and seasoning.

2. Following your manufacturer instructions select the appropriate setting for the length of time you’re going to be out – I choose the ‘low’ setting and it’s on for approximately eight hours.

3. Remove the bay leaves and using a stick blender or potato masher blitz the cooked ingredients and loosen the consistency with a little boiling water from the kettle to achieve the texture you prefer.

4. Serve with a dollop of natural yoghurt to balance the spiciness of the chorizo and a sprinkling of seeds; I chose pumpkin seeds and a few baby spinach leaves to garnish.

NEW BEGINNERS CLASSES Wednesday 9th January Martlesham Primary Academy 7.45pm Pilates can improve posture, muscle tone, balance and joint mobility, as well as relieve stress and tension. It is also an excellent discipline to complement other sports such as running, cycling, rugby etc... helping to develop whole-body strength and flexibility, and can help reduce the risk of injury. And you don't have to be sporty to benefit from it!

For more information search for @HDcoreandmore on Facebook

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Fynn Valley The Venue is open. A brand new home for Fynn Valley overlooking the fairways of the golf course. Of oak and glass construction, The Venue is the perfect destination for the local community to escape the hustle and bustle and enjoy breakfast, brunch, lunch or afternoon tea in stunning surroundings just a 5 minute drive from Ipswich town centre.

A warm welcome awaits everyone… Parties, group bookings and wedding enquiries welcome. Contact us today to book your date or a no-obligation show round.

Seckford Hall 1530 Restaurant

Satisfy your appetite for all things foodie with a visit to 1530 at Seckford Hall. Far from humdrum, the menu is an exciting mix of the finest seasonal flavours. Hearty yet elegant, nibbles can be enjoyed alongside perfectly matched tipples, with views over gorgeous gardens. The seamless fusion of old and new offers the perfect setting for intimate dining with a modern, eclectic twist.

The Randolph Located in the heart of the peaceful village of Reydon, just a 15 minute stroll from Britain’s quintessential seaside town of Southwold; The Randolph provides the perfect base for exploring the heritage coast and offers a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

NEW! Week Day Warmer: Every Monday to Friday Lunch 12 noon – 2pm 2 courses and a drink* – £15 per person 3 courses and a drink* – £17.50 per person (*Soft drink, 125ml house wine or ½ pint draught beer. Menu options change weekly)

Open: daily

Open: Lunch from 12pm – 6pm, Afternoon Tea from 3pm – 5pm, Dinner from 6.30pm – 9.30pm (10pm Friday and Saturday).

Fynn Valley, Witnesham, Ipswich Suffolk, IP6 9JA

Seckford Hall Hotel, Woodbridge Suffolk, IP13 6NU

The Randolph, 41 Wangford Road, Reydon, Southwold, Suffolk, IP18 6PZ

01473 785267 events@fynn-valley.co.uk www.fynn-valley.co.uk

01394 385678 reception@seckford.co.uk www.seckford.co.uk

01502 723603 reception@therandolph.co.uk www.therandolph.co.uk

The Artisan Smokehouse

Butt & Oyster

Ufford Park

Set in the lovely village of Falkenham, near Felixstowe, with wonderful countryside views.

Join us in our licensed café, where all the smoked foods are hand-made on site. Enjoy breakfast, coffee & cake, and light meals including smoked meat and fish platters, cheese boards, sandwiches and salads.

While you’re here why not grab something to take home from our deli, which stocks a wide range of products, including our own award-winning smoked foods.

The Butt & Oyster is one of the best known public houses in Suffolk renowned for its good beer, good food and great views.

As you eat watch the changing tides on traditional timeless shores. Understand an artist’s inspiration with Thames barges, swans and the river, enjoying the finest Suffolk ales whilst being tempted by the wonderful aromas which welcome you.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week from 9am. See our website for details of our menus.

Open every day, The Park Restaurant offers a relaxed atmosphere, local produce and a seasonally-changing menu. You can enjoy Sunday Lunch in both the restaurant and bar and this is priced accordingly. Afternoon Tea is served throughout the year and this is priced at just £18.95 per person. Looking for somewhere to hold a special occasion? Book your birthday celebrations, baby shower, christening or anniversary with us – all party sizes can be accommodated. Open to all; non-members welcome.

Café & Deli

Open: 11am – 11pm, 7 days a week. Food served 12pm – 2pm and 6.30pm – 9pm.

Open: Thursday to Saturday, 10am – 4pm.

Please see website for variations in opening.

Food served all day – breakfast until 11.30am

Open: 7 days a week 9am – 11pm Food served 9am – 9.30pm daily

The Artisan Smokehouse, Goose Barn, Back Road, Falkenham, Suffolk, IP10 0QR

Butt & Oyster, Pin Mill, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP9 1JW

Ufford Park, Yarmouth Road, Melton, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 1QW

01394 448414 info@artisansmokehouse.co.uk www.artisansmokehouse.co.uk

01473 780764 buttandoyster@debeninns.co.uk www.debeninns.co.uk

0844 847 9467 reception@uffordpark.co.uk www.uffordpark.co.uk

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Open: Monday to Sunday 6.30pm – 9.30pm.

Sunday Lunch in The Park Restaurant served 12 noon – 4pm

FO O D G A LL E RY

The Eels Foot

Sibton White Horse

The Fountain

Enjoy delicious food and drink in a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere at the award winning Eels Foot inn located in the pretty hamlet of Eastbridge. The extensive beer garden offers a children’s play area and a wood fired pizza oven available Sat – Sun 12:00 – 20:00. The Inn has six rooms and is a certified location with The Caravan and Motorhome Club. With freshwater marshes and scenic countryside leading directly to the sea The Eels Foot is a great place to stay.

Situated in the pretty Suffolk Village of Sibton, this beautiful 16th-century pub has a wealth of charm and an abundance of character. Enjoy delicious food in a relaxed atmosphere in the bar or restaurant areas.

Recently awarded 2 AA Rosettes, the food at the Sibton White Horse is freshly prepared using the local fresh and seasonal ingredients from Suffolk producers. Take one of the many local walks and build an appetite for lunch – best to book a table just in case it’s busy.

Located in the lovely old village of Tuddenham St Martin, three miles north of Ipswich, informal bistro style restaurant set in an oldie worldy 16th century country pub with great food, great service and great value. Full A La Carte menu plus set price menus; two courses £14.95, three courses £17.95. Current specials always included on the website. Sunday lunch served 12 noon to 7pm. Covered heated patio and spacious beer garden.

Open: Monday to Thursday 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm, Friday to Sunday 11:30am – 11:30pm (Food served Monday to Thursday 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 9.pm Friday to Sunday 12pm – 9pm)

Open: Food served lunchtimes 12 – 2pm Wednesday to Saturday (2.30 on Sunday).

Evenings 6.30 – 9pm Monday to Saturday, 7.00 – 8.30pm Sunday. Closed Monday and Tuesday lunchtimes.

Open: Monday to Friday, 12 noon – 2pm and 6pm to 9pm. Saturday, 12 noon – 2pm and 6pm to 9.30pm. Sunday, 12pm – 7pm

Eels Foot Inn, Eastbridge, Leiston, Suffolk, IP16 4SN

Sibton White Horse, Halesworth Road, Sibton, Nr. Saxmundham, Suffolk, IP17 2JJ

The Fountain, The Street, Tuddenham St. Martin, Suffolk, IP6 9BT

01728 830154 theeelsfootinn@hotmail.co.uk theeelsfootinn.co.uk

01728 660337 info@sibtonwhitehorseinn.co.uk www.sibtonwhitehorseinn.co.uk

01473 785377 fountainpub@btconnect.com www.tuddenhamfountain.co.uk

The Maybush

The Middleton Bell

The Coach & Horses

The Maybush Inn sits on the banks of the Deben in Waldringfield. The busy riverside pub and restaurant affords panoramic views across the river and beyond. The Maybush has become famous for its excellent food offering with a wide range and varied menu including local game, meats and fresh seafood. Vegetarian options and children’s menu available. Food offers are available throughout the week. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week from 9am. See our website for details.

Set in the beautiful village of Middleton the Bell Inn offers top quality food using the best local produce. Now under new ownership by the successful team from The Eels Foot Inn. Dine in the garden, traditional bar area or beamed restaurant and enjoy home cooked food and ales directly from the cask.

The Bell is the perfect venue to meet friends and family.

The Coach & Horses located just outside of Woodbridge, has extremely good access to the A12 with ample parking. Originally a staging inn or coach house, it’s historical role is equally well served today providing great family food. We offer a great combination of quality, value and atmosphere that the Deben Inns are renowned for. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week from 9am. See our website for details of our menus.

Open: 7 days a week 9am – 11pm Food served 9am – 9.30pm daily

Open: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm, Tuesday to Saturday, 12pm – 9pm, Sunday (Food served 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 9pm, Tuesday to Saturday, 12pm – 5pm, Sunday).

Booking advised.

The Maybush, Cliff Road, Waldringfield, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 4QL

The Bell Inn, The Street, Middleton, Suffolk, IP17 3NN

The Coach & Horses, Melton, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 1PD

01473 736215 maybush@debeninns.co.uk www.debeninns.co.uk

01728 648286

01394 384851 coachandhorses@debeninns.co.uk www.debeninns.co.uk

Open: 7 days a week 9am – 11pm Food served 9am – 9.30pm daily

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MAKE A BOLD MOVE

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H O ME S & I N T ER IO RS

Romo fabric swatches

Using a selection of bright tones to turn your living area into a fun, colourful space – or Colour Blocking – can create a really bold look for your home according to independent home products experts Glasswells

Lisbon sofa

Portia sofa

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H O ME S & I N TE RI OR S

S

o how do you get started? It's best to stick to a maximum of three colours, interspersed with a neutral tone. That neutral could be as simple as white or may have a little more substance such as a pale stone or cream.

A bright sofa adds an instant pop to your living room – you could try the Portia Sofa in a selection of gorgeous velvet fabrics, or the Lista shown in a beautiful shade of orange (see page 61).

An easy way to breathe new life into your old furniture is to paint sections. Take an old bookcase or shelving unit and choose random compartments to be painted in your contrasting colours for an instant hit of brightness.

If you’re not ready to commit to a colourful wall, then dip your toe into the world of colour blocking with a selection of bright accessories. The Linara fabric range by ROMO can be made into cushions, throws or other accessories, or alternatively see our selection of ready-made cushions and throws to find the perfect items for your home.

INFORMATION Glasswells.co.uk

Taylor sofa

Kitchens

Bathrooms

German kitchen furniture | Corian | Dekton | Miele | Neff

Villeroy & Boch bathrooms | Hansgrohe | Matki | Aqata | Keuco

2 A1 A12 A12

WOODBRIDGE

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A1152

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01394 386390 WOO MELTON DS L N

www.woodbridgeinteriors.co.uk wooDBriDGe interiors

KITCHEN & BATHROOM SPECIALISTS

Kitchen & Bathroom showroom SMITHFIELD, MELTON RD, WOODBRIDGE IP12 1NG

G ARD E NING

Candlemas Bells These days, although we might never be sure what winter will bring us, one of the first signs that our gardens are coming to life again is the snowdrop. Garden Designer and plantswoman Catharine Howard reports on the wonders of Galanthus February recitation of the Four Quartets in a small Norfolk church was as cold as The Eve of St Agnes. We stumbled out under a star sprinkled evening and into the big house. Plunged amongst the grandees of the county and it being rude to stare, I found myself eying up a glass bowl of snowdrops.

They, like the assembled company clearly were not common, and I found myself up against my first ever live and in the flesh galantophile.

A

expensive cultivars coming on the market.

On Ebay you will find this on offer: “Snowdrop Galanthus one bulb of Joy Cozens with ultrarare orange to apricot flower, £65 or best offer”. If you want to know more, take yourself under the wing of the two acknowledged experts and invest in “A Monograph of Cultivated Galanthus” by John Grimshaw and Matt Bishop. But let us start off with the everyday sort.

These are people who are avid lovers and collectors of snowdrops in their unusual varieties. They are a growing breed, the fanciers that is, with more unusual and

The snowdrop was named by the great botanist Carl Linnaus in 1597 as Galanthus nivalis and a member of the Amaryllidaceae family along with onions and narcissi. This

translates as “milk flower of the snow” and part of the allure is the pure shining whiteness of the simple flowers and the fact that they are in flower when all else is still dormant.

One of the common names is Candlemas Bells – and snowdrops tend to be up for that date, February 2nd, the date that celebrates Christ’s presentation at the temple, 40 days after his birth.

Galanthus nivalis is not a native – historical origins are a little mysterious but it is more than likely that the Romans brought them to Britain.

In our climate they spread by root division, not seed, which is an indication that they come ‰

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G ARD E NING

from a hotter place, probably Turkey. The plant is associated with religious houses: wide sheets of snowdrops are often to be found near abbeys and monasteries – I like to think of the nuns digging them up and moving them round in honour of the Candlemas; a quiet beacon of hope in the bitter frozen days of winter.

Nuns apart, this remains the best way to increase your patch of these bulbs. Clumps should ideally be divided up every three years, and replanted with artistry so that they are in rivers rather than sheets. Snowdrops are bought ‘in the green”. An order placed now, will arrive in small bundles, wrapped in moss.

Plant immediately into deciduous woodland; respite from summer sun with a leaf mould rich soil is ideal. Water in well with a weak dilution of seaweed feed.

in popularity. Death was a fashionable Victorian interest and snowdrops got planted liberally round graves. The first big patch that I made friends with is at the lovely church of Monks Eleigh, where the snowdrops in February seem to be discreetly fleeing the graveyard. It is said that the soldiers returned from the Crimea, their minds filled with the horror of war and pockets full of bulbs.

Where we travel into fiction and folklore I have two more stories: whilst fine in the garden, the flowers were unlucky in the house. Too ardent a suitor could be warned off with an envelope containing a few white flower heads and beware of bringing cut stems inside. The Handbook of Folklore, 1913 cautions that snowdrops “will make the cows’ milk watery and affect the colour of the butter”.

Walsingham Abbey in Norfolk is high up in the pecking order for religious credentials, Mary’s house in Nazareth was teleported here in 1061 and this makes it a top pilgrimage location. It is also top for massed plantings of snowdrops which shimmer in sheets through the woods.

Chatelaine Lizzie Meath Baker, tells me how her husband’s grandmother devoted energy to spreading the clumps of snowdrops as drifts, working in the gardens up until 1992, five years before she died aged 92. Clumps were to be replanted a tine’s width of a ladies garden fork apart.

Should you wish to go down the fancier route, I suggest you address yourself to the Fortnum and Mason of bulb companies, Avon Bulbs and before going for the premier snowdrop league, take their advice on the starter pack of posh snowdrops. In our garden I don’t want to worry about treading on or losing valuable plants – nor do I want to lie on my back upside down to gaze up them so I will stick with, good old Galanthus nivalis. But to Walsingham in February I will go to feast my eyes on them en masse.

In gentler times before Beeching axed the railway lines in the 1960s, snowdrops from Walsingham would be picked, bunched up in ivy twine and despatched as posies for sale at Covent Garden flower market.

INFORMATION Catharine Howard is a designer, gardener and plantswoman with many years of creating and renovating gardens. For a consultation or garden design contact her at: www.catharinehoward.co.uk

Before we return to the serious fanciers, our galantiphili friends, (a name coined by Victorian plantsman EA Bowles), let’s explore this unassuming plant’s move back into fashion.

The mid 19th century saw the snowdrop soar

The Walsingham Estate is open for snowdrops from 26th January to 3rd March inclusive, daily 10am - 4pm. Admission £5.50, child (6 -16) £2.50. Dogs on leads welcome.

All photographs: Walsingham Estate

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AN T IQ U E S & AU C TI O NS

A NEW YEAR QUIZ WITH BENEFITS! It is the period of the year when you may have a little more time to relax after the Christmas festivities, so I have put together a small quiz. If the initial letter of all your answers is correct you should end up with the words HAPPY NEW YEAR! Please send your answers to jwn@fennwright.co.uk and the winner, who will be picked at random from those submitting the correct answers, will receive a bottle of festive fizz to brighten their New Year.

James Neal

H A P P Y

The name given to a pattern of inlay replicating a fish’s backbone.

The surname of four brothers all linked furniture design.

The term used for making object from pulped paper.

The result of wear, polishing, etc on the surface of old furniture.

A shaped piece of wood often associated with oxen.

N The name for a particular type of low seated chair.

E An elegant French writing cabinet or table.

W A piece of furniture which has a number of shelves or tiers.

Y E A R

The name for a type of chair with two semi-circular carved splats.

The small cover used to conceal a keyhole.

A type of Grecian honeysuckle inlay used in Adam and Sheraton furniture.

The name for a full-length mirror on a wall, stand, wardrobe etc.

I do hope you have not found this quiz too taxing? However, taking part might just help to banish a little rustiness in the brain after the Christmas break!

Moving Home?

The questions all relate to cabinet making and furniture design.

Move in with us REVELLS REMOVALS & STORAGE UK – EUROPE – WORLDWIDE Eastlands Industrial Estate, Leiston, Suffolk, IP16 4LL 01728 830849 | info@revells-removals.co.uk

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P R OPE RT Y

Essential

PROPERTY 03 68 69 71 73

Hopkins Homes Clarke & Simpson Fenn Wright Jackson-Stops Savills 70 Waldringfield

72 Letheringham

74 Wilby

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A selection of property sold by Clarke & Simpson in 2018.

Can we assist you in 2019?

Orford

Great Bealings

SOLD

SOLD

Guide £1,500,000

St Margaret South Elmham Guide £950,000

SOLD

SOLD

Guide £875,000

Wilby

SOLD

Framsden

Guide £650,000

Guide £475,000

Woodbridge

Guide £895,000

SOLD

Cransford

Guide £685,000

SOLD

Stradbroke

SOLD

Brandeston

Guide £795,000

SOLD

Guide £540,000

SOLD

Dennington

Guide £525,000

SOLD

Bramfield

Clarke and Simpson, Well Close Square, Framlingham, Suffolk, IP13 9DU

Guide £452,500

T: 01728 724200

SOLD

Framlingham

Guide £359,950

www.clarkeandsimpson.co.uk

fennwright.co.uk signaturesuffolk@fennwright.co.uk

Waldringfield

Ipswich

Situated off Bucklesham Road, close to Purdis Golf Club on the eastern outskirts of Ipswich, is this contemporary detached chalet set in grounds approaching a quarter of an acre.

Offering an exceptional riverside position with stunning panoramic views over the River Deben is this rarely available two bedroom cottage with the added benefit of two annexe cottages, of beautiful design and currently providing an income from holiday lets.

• Sought after location • Stunning Orwells kitchen/breakfast room • Master bedroom with dressing room and en-suite • Guest bedroom with en-suite • South-facing garden • Double garage and parking • EPC rating B

Guide Price £795,000

Otley

• Fabulous riverside setting • Immaculately presented accommodation • 2 independent holiday cottages providing an income • Juliette balcony overlooking river • Mediterranean style patio • Garage and off road parking for multiple vehicles • EPC rating D Guide Price £1,200,000

Old Martlesham Nestled in stunning grounds, this delightful country cottage features beautiful gardens with a rose garden, perennial walkways and a variety of plants and shrubs, as well as an excellent family home with four bedrooms and a stunning living room with wood burner.

Located in popular Old Martlesham is this contemporary six bedroom residence, currently under construction, of a unique design, offering spectacular accommodation.

• Light and airy sitting room with sliding doors onto the terrace • Stunning kitchen with integrated appliances • Separate utility room • Carpets to all bedrooms • Gated access with parking for multiple vehicles • EPC rating TBC

Guide Price £850,000

Buttermarket, Ipswich

01473 232 700

• Delightful kitchen with separate utility room • Family bathroom & shower room • Wonderful gardens • Parking for multiple vehicles • Within easy reach of Woodbridge and Ipswich • EPC rating E

Guide Price £725,000

Main Road, Kesgrave

01473 358 400

Quayside, Woodbridge

01394 333 346

JA NUARY / FE BRUARY 2 019

Quayside Facts Location: Waldringfield Price: ÂŁ1,200,000 Agent: Fenn Wright

Riverside Haven Located in an exceptional position on one of Suffolk’s most beautiful and celebrated rivers Quayside is a property that really does offer something different. The main house has two bedrooms and a Juliette balcony looking over the river but the whole property also includes two independent holiday cottages which provide an income.

Towards the rear of the property is a dual aspect sitting room with feature fireplace and wood burner which offers stunning river views. The dining room also offers spectacular views over the River Deben, has doors to the rear leading to the garden area and also access through to the orangery again, with amazing views.

Entering the main house through the front door takes you to an impressive hallway which gives a taste of the incredible accommodation on offer. From the hall there is access to the ground floor bathroom, study and downstairs accommodation.

Meanwhile the kitchen offers a light and airy space with a wide range of units with co-ordinated work surfaces, integrated fridge, butler sink and plenty of storage space. This light and airy space leads to the utility room.

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Upstairs are two bedrooms and the shower room. The master bedroom is situated to the front of the property and offers stunning river views from the Juliette balcony and features built-in wardrobes and eaves storage.

Additional cottages include Quayside Cottage, a one bedroom, single storey building offering delightful river views to the front. The Boat House is located to the rear of the plot and is a cleverly designed, individual cottage also with one bedroom.

INFORMATION Fenn Wright 01473 358400

HADLEIGH

LETHERINGHAM

● Pretty part-walled garden ● Entrance drive & parking

● AGA kitchen/breakfast room ● Flexible use studio annexe

● 3 reception rooms ● Conservatory ● 4 Bedrooms

● Range of brick outbuildings ● Potential for home office

● 3 reception rooms ● 6 bedrooms ● 3 bathrooms

● Mature & secluded gardens ● In all about 4½ acres

GUIDE £795,000

GUIDE £1,500,000

KNODISHALL

HASKETON

● Mezzanine sitting area ● 4 bedrooms ● 4 bath/shower rooms

● 3 bathrooms ● Garage/store ● Tennis court ● About 4 acres

● Open plan living area ● Fully fitted kitchen ● Study/snug ● About ¾ of an acre ● Views over surrounding farmland

GUIDE £750,000

● 3 reception rooms ● Kitchen/breakfast room ● 6 bedrooms

● Mature gardens & meadow grounds ● Heated swimming pool

OFFERS INVITED

IPSWICH 01473 218218

Tim Dansie

Jonathan Penn

James Squirrell

15 Tower St, Ipswich IP1 3BE ipswich@jackson-stops.co.uk jackson-stops.co.uk

JA NUARY / FE BRUARY 2 019

Old Vicarage Facts Location: Letheringham Price: £1,500,000 Agent: Jackson-Stops

Distinguished Home The Old Vicarage in Letheringham is a distinguished six-bedroom property in a secluded and tranquil setting within the picturesque countryside of the Deben Valley.

Dating from 1857, the architecturally interesting and distinguished former Victorian vicarage was mentioned in Nikolaus Peusner’s book ‘Buildings of Suffolk’ and was built for The Reverend Charles Baldwin.

It was substantially altered in 1929 by the reputed Scottish architect George Walton, with the addition of its handsome, well admired and ‘pure’ Georgian style façade.

Although not listed, the property presents light, well laid out and well-proportioned accommodation, with high ceilings throughout. Set off the reception and

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inner hall are three principal reception rooms, two of which have full height French doors, opening onto a delightful east facing garden terrace.

A large kitchen/breakfast room has a wide bay seat window and AGA and a cellar below. On the first floor, off from a central landing are five double bedrooms, together with three bathrooms and a laundry.

Upstairs, on the second floor above is a further attic bedroom.

Outside the property is accessed via a five bar gate and a sweeping drive leads to the house. The former coach house has been converted to provide a flexible use annexe studio/games room/at home office, with the

benefit of electrical and plumbing connections and attached lean-to stores.

This property sits in a delightfully mature and secluding gardens and grounds, which abut the surrounding farmland on two sides and are sheltered by numerous and varied mature trees.

There is a former grass tennis court with a George Walton designed pavilion and a meadow area suitable for use as a paddock, with a separate gated entrance. In all the property extends to about 4.5 acres.

INFORMATION Jackson Stops 01473 218218

Selection of 2018 sold properties

Sold

Ingham

An elegant and immaculate country house in a delightful, quiet setting.

Stunning period house with views over the surrounding gardens and countryside.

96% guide price achieved

Sold to London buyers

Sold

Guide £1.85 million

Hintlesham

Aldeburgh

A stunning barn conversion with established gardens backing onto countryside.

Exceptionally well presented town house with spectacular sea view.

100% guide price achieved

Second home buyers

Guide £895,000

Sold

01473 234 800

Nr Halesworth

Guide £2.5 million

Sold

Savills Suffolk

Sold

Guide £1 million

Tattingstone

Ipswich

Superbly positioned period cottage & annexe on the edge of Alton Water.

Fully restored victorian house within easy reach of the town centre and established gardens.

Sold after 3 weeks on the market

100% guide price achieved

Guide £595,000

Sold

Excess £800,000

Talk to us today Peter Ogilvie Director 01473 234816 pogilvie@savills.com

Tom Orford Director 01473 234831 torford@savills.com

savills.co.uk | Follow us on what can we do for you?

JA NUARY / FE BRUARY 2 019

The Rookery Facts Location: Wilby Price: ÂŁ725,000 Agent: Clarke & Simpson

Moated Farmhouse to Modernise The Rookery is an attractive seven bedroomed moated farmhouse, which dates back in part to the 16th Century with various later additions, the last being in 1974. It offers impressive accommodation with outlooks over stunning established gardens and grounds that extend to 6.75 acres.

With attractive features including some wellproportioned reception rooms with French doors to the gardens, a feature bow window in the drawing room and open fireplaces, exposed beams and built in cupboards The

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Rookery provides the opportunity for a perfect country home.

Downstairs are four reception rooms and the scale of the dining and drawing rooms are particularly impressive.

The house provides extensive accommodation over three floors with two staircases and is set beautifully within a pretty lawned garden surrounded by mature trees and benefiting from an old grass tennis court and partial moat.

There is a summer house and beyond the garden is a paddock with further area of land which offers scope for further paddock use.

The drive leads to a parking sweep to the side of the house with an outbuilding to one side providing a double garage, workshop and two stores. The house does require modernisation throughout.

INFORMATION Clarke & Simpson 01728 724200

Essential FACES

Ipswich & Suffolk Club It was a fabulously festive start to the Christmas celebrations at Ipswich & Suffolk Club with the Annual Members’ Dinner.

The evening included a traditional dinner, fine vintage wines from the club cellars and plenty of fun was had by all. To find out more about Ipswich & Suffolk Club turn to pages 34 & 35.

Pauline & John Young, Joan Brightwell

Kevin & Rosemary Holley, Den Allen, Kay Salmon

George & Teresa McLellan

Melvyn Eyke, Sandra Eley, Andrew Johnson, Beverley Monk

Shirley & Trudi Nicholls

Peter & Maureen Gerber, Linda & Stephen Britt

Pam Gosling, Lucia Watson

Pat & Roger Cordy

Stephen Firmin, Stephen Britt, Trudi Nicholls, Rosemary Holley, George McLellan, Bruce Murrill

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Essential FACES

Suffolk Community Foundation Annual Celebration Suffolk Community Foundation aims to change local lives by connecting causes that matter with people who care, helping to make Suffolk a better place for all.

Supporters and charity partners were invited to Trinity Park to celebrate an inspiring year of success and to look forward to ways in which they may continue to make a difference in 2019.

Mark Murphy, Lesley Dolphin, George Vestey, Ann Osborn

Claire Horsley, Judith Shallow, Karin Norman-Butler

Tim Holder, Sally Ledger

Gale Pryor, Graham & Sue Hedger 76

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Tracey Thompson, Phil Lawler

Clive Rennison, Philip McConnell

James Dinwiddy, Sarah Bishopp

James Fletcher, Patsy Johnson-Cisse, David Hockley

Janette Wand, Faye Howard

Alison Betts, Janet Rudge, Joanna Purkiss

Essential FACES

James Rackham, Neil Griffiths, Tracey Bailey, Iain Jamie, Jill Bryce, James Buckle

Alison Stonham, Kev Driver, Paul Barnard

Mandy Abdel Aziz, Martin Cash

James Finch, Peter Richardson

Martyn Levett, Ian Milne, Jonathan Mathers

Rob Thacker, Dave Collins, Del Sharman

Nick Crocker, Clare Burgess, Paddy Bishopp

Josie Ruffles, Izzy Butler, Sally Ledger

Holly Barker, Tamsin Wakefield, Emma Crowhurst, Alice Firbank

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Essential FACES

Tilley & Grace Woodbridge Launch Celebrations To celebrate the opening of its new store in Woodbridge, Tilley & Grace, well known in Suffolk for beautiful jewellery and accessories, hosted an afternoon and evening of shopping with a glass of prosecco to introduce the team to the town and to unveil the wonderful collections in store.

Katharine Day, Susan Smith

Pauline Llewellyn, Gemma Watkins

Linda Berg, Sam DeVita

Brenda Dodson, Sally Clarke

Anne Stiff, Sharon Waylett

Amy Adamson, Rachel Hamilton, Stella Mitchell

Nick & Carole Harbottle 78

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Anna Sturmer, Gemma Watkins, Katharine Day

Donna Firman, Julie Mclaughlin

Sue Hughes, Marilyn Brass

Essential FACES

Elmer’s Big Parade Suffolk Matchmaker Evening Over 50 sponsors of St Elizabeth Hospice’s 2019 art trail ‘Elmer’s Big Parade Suffolk’ recently met at the John Grose showroom to choose the design for their Elmer sculpture.

Over 200 designs had been submitted which had been whittled down to 96 for the final selection event. The trail will run from mid-June to September raising vital funds for the care of the hospice’s patients.

Paul Elmer, Elmer, Paul Black

Jane & Mark Millar, Verity Jolly

Claire Jennings, Jennie Hutchinson, Joanne Beattie, Norman Lloyd, Juliette Joannes

Richard Parkin, Nikki Brown, Nicholas Wheeler

Amy Butcher, Charley Keveren

Mike Sorhaindo, Michelle Gordon, Allan Haskell

Peter Cook, Charlotte Spackman, Wayne Bevan

Ian Turner, Nina Parkinson, Grianne Drummond, Terry Hunt

Vikki Chapman, Mike Cherry

Daniel Shemmings, Karen Agent, Graham Shemmings

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Essential Directory CARE SERVICES

GIFTS

HEALTH & BEAUTY

The Beauty Room Melton Park Personalised affordable care at home Ipswich and east Suffolk

At the Beauty Room we pride ourselves on offering professional treatments with top brands in a warm and friendly environment.

01473 707900 Homecare@stelizcare.co.uk

No7 Clements Road, Melton Park, IP12 1SZ 01394 548734 www.thebeautyroommelton.com

Purchase instant ‘e’ gift vouchers via www.pressi.co.uk DESIGN SERVICES

Celebrating Suffolk life & landscape

Newman Design

Suffolk Prints, Calendars & Gifts Shop online at www.anythingsuffolk.co.uk

Friendly, hardworking, no-nonsense designers creating distinctive brands and concise communications across a range of sectors.

01473 811728 | info@newman-design.com newman-design.com

GARDEN SERVICES

Tel: 01449 721599 | Email: anythingsuffolk@gippingpress.co.uk

HOMES & INTERIORS

HOT TUBS IN IPSWICH

Spas in stock for quick delivery. Splasher pools / hot tub chemicals in stock.

NOW HERE The exclusive Deckworld Deben six seat hot tub – just £6795.

Ask for details.

Tree Surgery Need some help or advice?

Call us on 07507 660 533 suffolktreescape@gmail.com

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Felixstowe Road, Ipswich IP10 ODE (Opposite Miller & Carter)

Tel: (01473) 655777 www.deckworld.co.uk Visit us at jumpinyourhottub.com

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10% off all chemical orders over £50

Traditional craftsmanship, first-class products – A love for wood and an eye for detail For more information call 01206 298746/01473 365167 or visit www.hall-brothers.co.uk

To advertise from just £25 per month call 01473 809932 we’ll be happy to help and advise you

MOTORING

The perfect tiles for all the family Supplying Suffolk with beautiful exclusive tiles since 1998

Mercedes-Benz Independent Specialist Sales, Service & Repair

Just Tiles

Complimentary Courtesy Cars The Woodlands, Badley Needham Market, IP6 8RS

TILE SHOWROOM

01449 774222 service@derrickwells.com www.derrickwells.com

Smithfield, Melton, Woodbridge Suffolk IP12 1NH 01394 382067 justtileswoodbridge.co.uk

LEISURE

E L E C T R I C B I C YC L E S

JAGUAR SERVICE & REPAIR Service and repair for Jaguar Cars up to 2010 plus Classic cars of all varieties

Enduringly beautiful windows and doors

Wide range of e-bikes to suit any age or ability, from hybrids to folders to xtreme downhill, we have it all on display.

Notcutts Garden Centre, Ipswich Road Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 4AF. 01394 386666

e-Vélo, 7a Blyth Road Ind. Est. Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 8EN 0800 246 5306

www.burgess-group.com

www.e-velo.uk

Conquer hills and headwind without breaking a sweat

Skilled craftsman and technicians providing professional quality and service in repair and maintenance for your cherished car.

Our skilled team can manufacture unavailable parts and make bespoke upgrades to suit your needs.

In house fabrication and trimming.

Collection and delivery can be arranged nationwide by our own fleet.

Competitive hourly rate of £58 + VAT.

Pettistree, Woodbridge, IP13 OHP T: 01728 745055 E: info@suffolksportscars.com www.suffolksportscars.com

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JANU ARY / FE B RU ARY 2 0 1 9

M Y S U FF OL K

My Suffolk How did you come to live in Suffolk?

I was born in India but came to the UK at the tender age of six or seven. I grew up in Ealing and Hastings and then went to London to university. After doing Voluntary Service overseas in Nigeria I then lived in East Sussex.

By that time I was married and had a couple of children and my sister had moved to Ipswich because she was attending the University of Essex. We visited her and really liked Ipswich and decided to move here – my husband is African and the town felt really nice because it was multi-racial and multicultural. So we sold our flat in London and had to find somewhere to live but we ended up renting in Felixstowe. Our intention was to later move to Ipswich but we ended up buying in Felixstowe.

Gulshan Kayembe is an educational consultant who has worked extensively in management and governance in the public and voluntary sectors locally and nationally. She has recently completed nine years as a trustee for Suffolk Community Foundation

What is special about Suffolk?

I think there is a real sense of community here – people really know each other well and they really care. When I was chair of Suffolk Police Authority we appointed Simon Ash as Chief Constable of Suffolk – he had come here from Hertfordshire and he said the very same thing. Also, Suffolk is special because the pace of life is slower, which makes it a good place to live.

Do you have any hobbies?

I enjoy reading and politics. At the moment I have a broken big toe so exercise is difficult but I also like squash, badminton and Zumba.

I would like to spend more time writing, which I haven’t done in a long time. I also love walking, and that’s one of the things that I have got to get back into – living in Felixstowe the seafront is a great place to walk but there are lots of good walks in the area. One of the places I have yet to fully explore on foot is the River Orwell and I look forward to doing that.

Where do you like to eat out?

Suffolk Food Hall, Jimmy’s Farm and Cafe Bencotto in Felixstowe.

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What about arts and culture in Suffolk?

I love watching performances at DanceEast and we go to the shows at the New Wolsey too. One of the other places we visit is Ipswich Regent as I love watching comedy shows on television and sometimes those comedians tour and come to Ipswich.

Tell us about your work with the voluntary sector in Suffolk?

Before joining Suffolk Community Foundation in Suffolk I was involved with Suffolk Police Authority and various charities – Mind, Age UK, Bangledeshi Support Community and Iceni. They all do an incredibly good job. At SCF I chaired the Grants Committee and the Community Impact Committee and as a result I have seen what a fantastic job is being carried out by local charities filling the gaps. They may be small but these groups are able to focus and really solve problems and do the work for much less money too.

If you had visitors to Suffolk where would you take them?

Southwold and the coast. Then Suffolk Food Hall to see the amazing food down by the River Orwell. We would then drive to Holbrook and explore the Shotely Peninsula.

There are lots of places and villages around Felixstowe too – like Waldringfield. I think we would also go to Felixstowe Ferry and take the ferry across the river to Bawdsey. Bury St Edmunds is lovely for shopping too – it has lots of small shops that you don’t normally see on most high streets.

If you had one picture to represent Suffolk what would you choose?

The view from Languard Fort across the River Stour to Harwich – but it would also be nice to have a picture of our new pier in Felixstowe too.

S A LE T HE B I G WI NT E R

HUG E SAVINGS ACRO SS ALL HOM E FURNI SH ING DEPARTM EN TS

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