Essential Suffolk March & April 2019

MARCH / APRIL 2019 | PRICELESS

Essential SUFFOLK

FESTIVAL SEASON Suffolk’s 2019 festival season starts

www.essentialsuffolk.com

Celebrating all that makes our county great

The works (including all building works): Replace the kitchen, refurbish the butler’s pantry, larder, laundry, back hall and downstairs cloakroom.

James and Louise comment:

“We are very proud to have an Orwells kitchen and to have worked with such capable, honest, passionate, fun, friendly, talented and competent practitioners as Gill, Matt and their amazing team. For product quality, service, value, design talent, taste, sense of the place and understanding of the functional needs and arrangements, I cannot fault Orwells at all and I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone. So much so that we have invited them back to refurbish 3 bathrooms for us.”

www.orwellsfurniture.com Showroom, Design and Manufacturing all at the same Su olk address.

Halifax House | 497-499 Wherstead Road Ipswich | Suffolk IP2 8LL | 01473 680091

MA RCH / A P RIL 20 19 Adventures Offshore page 10

Welcome Spring is upon us and shortly we’ll all be breathing a collective sigh of relief as the clocks change and we welcome more light into the day. It’s a time to get out and about, weather permitting and enjoy bobbing daffodils and blossom as the Suffolk countryside bursts into life.

And if there’s a dull day maybe you’d like to tuck up with a copy of Essential Suffolk – there’s plenty to read.

For keen gardeners Catharine Howard introduces an interesting perspective on planting, we’ve chatted with Strictly favourite Kevin Clifton – who is embarking on a new career in musical theatre and images from a new photographic exhibition in Ipswich.

Plus we have an exclusive interview with Edward Tollemache who talks about swimming around the moat at his ancestral home, Helmingham Hall and how he’s looking forward to the Suffolk Community Foundation’s Woofer’s Winter Walk on March 3.

For those who like sailing, spring is a time when most people put their boats back into the water and for sail training charity Adventures Offshore, it’s the start of a new season taking young people from across the UK out to sea, often for the first time. Spokesman Kevin Bye explains that they have two 42-foot yachts but the whole operation is run entirely by volunteers and that includes crew for the Tall Ships Race.

So do you feel you have a business idea that you’d like to explore? If so you may be interested in a new venture Shout About Suffolk which launched this year with the aim of helping ‘startups’. Based in Melton there’s a range of options for would-be entrepreneurs – and for those with the right business the opportunity for investment too.

10 Adventures Offshore The Suffolk-based Sail Training charity

15 Suffolk in Brief News from around the county

16 What’s On Where to go and what to see in Suffolk during March & April

Plus we’ve got all the regulars; Darcy’s Pub Walk, Fashion, Food & Drink, Homes & Interiors and some of the finest properties for sale in the county so enjoy reading your March & April edition of Essential Suffolk.

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Get in touch Lesley Rawlinson

Anne Gould

Paul Newman

Essential SUFFOLK

DIRECTOR

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

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Suffolk’s most exclusive magazine delivered only to individually selected homes, businesses and venues. It is brought to you each month with the valued support of our commercial partners.

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TERMS AND CONDITIONS Copyright on all content is with Achieve More Media Limited. Reproduction in part or whole if forbidden without the express permission of the publishers. All prices, events and times were to the best of our knowledge correct at the time of going to press and you are encouraged to contact the venue prior to booking.

All expressions and opinions within the publication are those of the editor including contributors. Essential Suffolk is a trading name of Achieve More Media Limited.

Cover image: Irises by Jelly Green

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C O NTE NT S

Ipswich & District Photographic Society page 32

28 Kevin Clifton On stage in Rock of Ages

32 A Photographic View Ipswich & District Photographic Society’s Annual Exhibition

35 Suffolk Festivals INK and Alde Valley Spring Festival

38 Edward Tollemache Life at Helmingham Hall

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Fashion

Shout About Suffolk

Gardening

Spring & Summer 2019

Suffolk’s new Start-Up Lab

Planting season underway

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Pub Dog Walk

Property

A collection of walks from The Ship at Dunwich

A selection of our county’s finest homes for sale

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Food & Drink

Essential Faces

Lunch at The Artisan Smokehouse, Chef’s Recipe from Ufford Park plus ideas for eating out

Highlight’s from Suffolk’s social calendar

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Homes & Interiors

My Suffolk

Top tips for choosing the right mattress

Karen Simpson, Artistic Director and CEO of The Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds

Kevin Clifton page 28

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VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY Adventures Offshore is a charity with a base at Ipswich that offers teenagers and young people an opportunity to try out a sail training experience on the high seas.

Anne Gould finds out more

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AD VE N TU RE S O FF SHO RE

s adults, we all know that if we want to learn something new about life and ourselves, that getting out of your comfort zone is one of the fastest ways to do it. So many people try out marathon running, mountain climbing, cycling challenges etc and then find all of a sudden that they see life in a different way, which provides a stimulus for change.

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“In the mid-90s, we were given a legacy that enabled us to upgrade our boats and extend what we do. So our current fleet consists of Ocean Scout and Offshore Scout; two near-identical, modern 49 foot Oyster ketches. They were purpose-built for us back in 1993 and 1997 respectively; each specifically designed and equipped with sail training in mind.

Similarly, for young people ‘adventure training’ can be a key educational tool in developing the ‘soft skills’ – like communication and being able to get on with people – that employers love. Another big plus is that stepping outside a normal routine can literally help pivot ambition and attitudes forever.

“Since their introduction, they have been lovingly maintained and upgraded, meaning that they are in as good condition today as they were all those years ago.” The vessels are fitted out to full commercial standards and category 1 ocean safety standards, he says.

Adventures Offshore, which has two sailing yachts based in Ipswich, has been offering this kind of experience on their training yachts to groups both locally and nationally for more than 50 years now.

While the charity is run by volunteers, as are the boat skipper and crew, all sea-going volunteers hold professional sailing qualifications and have undertaken appropriate safety training for commercial vessels and hold DBS accreditation. In April, after a winter overhaul, both boats will be fitted out and going back into the water for another season.

Kevin Bye, who is one of a team of 50 volunteers who run the charity explained, “We started out in West Mersea, and were and still are allied to Essex Scouts and although our headquarters is still there, we run our training cruises from Ipswich Haven Marina.

Kevin says that this year they will be running a number of weekend voyages starting and

finishing in Ipswich. “A typical weekend would see us sailing down the Orwell on Friday evening. We might anchor for the night, somewhere near to Harwich Harbour and on Saturday either sail out to sea and around an old WWII fort, up the coast to Great Yarmouth or down to the Essex Rivers.

Then on Sunday, we would spend the whole day sailing back to base.”

Adventures Offshore also offers a number of longer coastal expeditions – across to Holland or maybe to the south coast. Plus once a year there’s an opportunity to take part in the Tall Ships race – a week-long event organised for sail training ships, this year from Aarhus in Denmark and along the coast to Bergen in Norway. ‰

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WELCOME

We’re giving our ground floor a makeover with a whole new food and drink offer in a beautiful Georgian space.

Come and see for yourself, join us for the launch in early Spring.

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AD VE N TU RE S O FF SHO RE

Kevin, who will be skippering this boat said that it's a huge opportunity for young people to compete but also meet people from all over the world. He said that their voyages are aimed at young people between the ages of 10 and 20 and are open to all – although Adventures Offshore is a charity, participants are required to pay a fee. “However there is a bursary scheme available to those who might not be able to pay – we want it to be affordable to all.”

The experience that young people gain from being on board though is a real investment in the future. “Life at sea is unfamiliar and testing, helping to build personal resilience and broaden participants’ horizons, as well as the courage to push beyond one’s comfort zone.

“This means boundaries are broken down and people have to learn to work together, enhancing the sense of accomplishment at the end of any activity.” He said that you often find at the start of a weekend that participants can be shy and quiet but by the time they get to go home they are laughing and talking and enjoying being in other people’s company.

Teamwork aboard ship is essential, as many activities, such as hoisting a sail, require all the crew to pull together. Other activities see crew fulfilling different roles, such as one steering and another keeping a lookout, which requires trust and good communication between all involved.

There is a great emphasis on personal responsibility, often through simple things like being expected to wake up and be ready on deck to take an overnight watch. A similar emphasis is placed on collective responsibility, with the crew on a rota for preparing food and cleaning. “The whole ship suffers if people don’t pull their weight.” Obviously, although the young people are totally involved in the experience at all times, they are always supervised by two and sometimes three members of fully qualified crew.

“Although some of those who come along only do so on the one occasion for others they return time and again – and for some, it has sparked a life-long passion for sailing and the water, and they in their turn are now volunteers for the charity.”

INFORMATION adventuresoffshore.co.uk

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SUFFOLK in brief Thanks to a £38,000 investment, Ophthalmology patients at Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital now receive gold standard testing all under one roof. The purchase and installation of an Optical Coherence Tomography machine (OCT) for the ophthalmology suite in the Outpatient department means patients no longer need to go elsewhere for scans to diagnose and evaluate a range of eye conditions including macular degeneration and glaucoma. The private patients’ pathway is now seamless for those seeing any one of the hospital’s ophthalmology consultants, with scanning usually able to be done as part of their initial consultation. Prior to this, consultants would have to advise patients where else they could book an OCT scan to be performed before returning to Nuffield Health Ipswich for their assessment and diagnosis to be completed. The service was initially proposed by Consultant Ophthalmologist, Mr Simon Hardman-Lea and working with the management team and his consultant colleagues, the investment was agreed and along with it, a huge improvement to the pathway for their ophthalmology patients.

The Alde & Ore Estuary Trust reports that following a successful application to the Garfield Weston Foundation, a familyfounded grant making trust, a donation of £400,000 has been received taking the fundraising total since the launch of the Save Our Suffolk Estuary campaign in 2017 to well over £1million. The grant will be used to fund the work of the East Suffolk Internal Drainage Board, a non profit making organisation who have already received £185,000 from the Trust in 2018 and are working on the business case for the upper estuary (Aldeburgh, Snape and Iken flood cells) which will be submitted to the Environment Agency in April 2019. For more information visit www.aoetrust.org

Ipswich, a town synonymous with the great farming history of Suffolk, will now host a monthly Farmers’ Market.

On the first Sunday of every month, The Cornhill will host a number of stalls selling a vast array of quality products which will give local residents lots of reasons to visit this new market. Justine & Alex Paul, co-founders of Suffolk Market Events who will run the market stated: `We’re thrilled to be finally bringing a Farmers’ Market to Ipswich.

We’ve talked about this opportunity for many years and finally with the development of the Cornhill and the work by Ipswich Vision to help bring fresh energy and fun to the town centre, it’s going to happen’. An Ipswich Borough Council spokesman has said: “We welcome this unique enterprise to Ipswich town centre to help create a buzz on a Sunday and attract shoppers not only to the Farmer’s Market but also to our other businesses open on a Sunday.” The Farmers’ Market will launch on the Cornhill on Sunday 7th April and run every first Sunday in the month from 10am – 2pm.

Entries are now open for a popular Dragon Boat Race which is taking place at Ipswich Waterfront on Saturday 1st June 2019. The race provides an opportunity for people to try out rowing and have fun on the Wet Dock with friends or colleagues this summer. With only 28 boats available, team spaces for the Dragon Boat Race are expected to go quickly and are available on a first-come first-served basis. The 200m race is in support of Fresh Start – new beginnings, an Ipswich-based charity that works with children who have been sexually abused, helping them to overcome trauma and give them the tools to overcome feelings of blame, shame and guilt.

To find out more information about the race and to receive an entry form please contact Patsy by email patsy@fsnb.org.uk or call 01473 705111.

The focus of World Hearing Day 2019 is on the importance of early identification and intervention for hearing loss. On Friday 1st March The Hearing Care Centre is organising a ‘Hearing Care Day’ in Aldeburgh, where they are encouraging local people to prioritise their hearing health and book a complimentary assessment (usually £20). During the event, the expert team will be providing free professional advice about hearing test results and discussing possible solutions. All services are available by appointment only. To book call The Hearing Care Centre on 01473 230330 or visit www.hearingcarecentre.co.uk.

YMCA Trinity Group has announced the venue for its 2019 Sleep Easy event in Ipswich to raise awareness of sleeping rough and raise funds to support young, homeless people across the town. It will take place on Friday 8th March at Ipswich Town Football Club.

The aim is simple: participants spend a night challenging themselves to sleep rough, raising money to help change the lives of vulnerable young people. For more information visit www.ymcatrinitygroup.org.uk Retreat East, Coddenham is the latest new brand partner for Suffolk based digital voucher provider Pressi – enhancing the range of gift options for the recently launched Pressi Corporate Choice. Retreat East is opening its door for a limited time, a retreat with all the comfort and luxury expected of urban living, juxtaposed against a former 16thcentury dairy farm and rural backdrop. It is an intriguing and impressive collection of bespoke ‘homes from home,’ each one containing original, unique characteristics and design features. You can now source your stay at Retreat East instantly in a stress-free way with Pressi.co.uk.

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

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What’s On MARCH 1 The Midnight Soup Halesworth Cut The Midnight Soup is a piece of theatre during which the audience prepare a meal that they share at the end. The piece starts as a monologue and gently opens out to become a conversation. newcut.org

MARCH 2 Farmers Markets Beccles Heliport 9am – 1pm Snape Maltings 9.30am – 1pm Wyken Vineyard 9am – 1pm

MARCH 3 Ipswich Symphony Orchestra Family Concert Ipswich Corn Exchange 2.30 pm Conductor: Adam Gatehouse. A concert for all the family! It’s your chance to explore the orchestra, with scores from Jurassic Park, ET and Born Free. Plus orchestra pops from some of our favourite composers, Bernstein, Bizet, Berlioz, and much more!

Tickets: £7 – £10 Box Office 01473 433100 www.ipswichcornexchange.com

www.ipswichsymphonyorchestra.org

MARCH 6 Meet Our Consultants On … Varicose Veins Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital, 7pm With presentations from our consultant vascular surgeons, you can explore your options for private varicose vein treatment.

Entry: Free but booking essential Information: 01473 851960 nuffieldhealth.com/book

March 12.00 – 5pm (Prize giving is at 10am but only for prizewinners and their families), Sunday 10th March, 10am – 4.30pm.

Proceeds going to Cancer Research UK.

MARCH 9 Farmers Markets Halesworth Produce Market, The Old Print Works 9am – 1pm Woodbridge Community Centre 9am – 1pm Wyken Vineyard 9am – 1pm Indoor Market Chamberlin Hall, Bildeston 10.30am – 2.30 pm Indoor Market with a variety of stalls including cakes, pickles, jams, spices, gifts, homewares, clothing, cards, artworks and more. Refreshments available throughout.

Ample car parking.

Entry: free chamberlin.indoormarket@gmail.com or 07833 312964

Here Come the Girls Ipswich Regent An all new show ‘Here Come The Girls’ with Strictly stars Dianne Buswell, Amy Dowden and Chloe Hewitt with an exciting mix of individual performances and group numbers with their supporting dance partners.

Tickets: £30 Box Office: 01473 433100 Ipswichregent.com Meet Our Consultants On … Back Pain Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital, 7pm Along with a senior physiotherapist, consultant spinal surgeons will be presenting on back pain and private treatment options available.

Entry: Free but booking essential Information: 01473 851960 nuffieldhealth.com/book

MARCH 13 – 23

Friday 8th March, 1 – 5pm, Saturday 9th

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MARCH 16 Farmers Markets Aldeburgh Church Hall 9am – 12 noon Beccles Heliport 9am – 1pm Long Melford Village Hall 10am – 1pm Wyken Vineyard 9am – 1pm The Amazing Mr Handel Snape Maltings Concert Hall, 7.30pm Aldeburgh Music Club choir and Suffolk Baroque Players, a concert to celebrate the glories of the ceremonial, sacred and orchestral music of George Frideric Handel.

Entry Price: £18 – £25 (students half price) Information: 01728 687110 www.aldeburghmusic.club

MARCH 13

MARCH 8 TO 10 Young Art East Anglia 2019 Peter Pears Gallery, Aldeburgh

A sequin-studded warm-hearted ballroom drama. Three young couples are striving for glory on the competitive dance circuit – having finally made it to Blackpool's National Amateur Championships via the motorway hard shoulder.

Box Office: 01473 295900 wolseytheatre.co.uk

Kiss Me Quickstep New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich

MARCH 17 Big Spring Sing Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall, 2pm – 4pm.

Music, singing and fun for all ages from 1 to 100. You don’t need to be a musician or a singer, or have any experience at all; we’d just love you to join us for our Big Spring Sing, expertly led by professional singer and animateur Robert Gildon.

Entry: Free.

Information: 07980 748547 aldeburghjubileehall.co.uk

MARCH 20 Meet Our Consultants On … Hips & Knees Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital,7pm If hip or knee pain is affecting your mobility, you can find out more about private treatment at this event.

Entry: Free but booking essential Information: 01473 851960 nuffieldhealth.com/book

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MARCH 22 ‘Trust Fast Health’ Ipswich Regent Dr Michael Mosley has changed tens of thousands of lives with his award-winning programmes and international bestselling books. In this informative and entertaining live show the man behind the iconic 5:2 Diet will explode common health myths and offer fascinating insights into the workings of the human body.

Tickets: £25.50 Box Office: 01473 433100 Ipswichregent.com Suffolk Dyslexia Association Information Day Ropes Hall, Kesgrave Conference Centre Information day for children, adults, parent/carers, teachers/ professionals in the field of specific learning difficulties.

Entry: Free Information: denys@lynebylyne.co.uk (07900 916333) suffolkdyslexiaassocation.co.uk

Torus DanceEast Torus is a journey through the flow of nature.

Humanhood‘s first group piece draws inspiration from our tribal roots and will take you on a journey of chaos and stillness.

Box office: 01473 295230 www.danceeast.co.uk

MARCH 23 Farmers Markets Snape 9.30am Woodbridge Community Centre 9am – 1pm Wyken Vineyard 9am – 1pm Ipswich Regent Magic of Motown The unstoppable Magic of Motown show steams into town.

Tickets: £31 Box Office: 01473 433100 Ipswichregent.com

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

MARCH 24 Bootleg Beatles in Concert Ipswich Regent The world’s most famous Beatles tribute recreates the greatest song book of all time.

Tickets £31.50 Box Office: 01473 433100 Ipswichregent.com Farmers Markets Lavenham Village Hall 10am – 1.30pm

MARCH 28 Meet Our Consultants On …Feet And Ankles Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital, 7pm This event is for anyone suffering from foot or ankle pain and to find out more about private treatment.

Entry: Free but booking essential Information: 01473 851960 nuffieldhealth.com/book Each Quiz Evening Shelley's Restaurant, Suffolk New College There will also be a raffle on the night with

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lots of exciting prizes. Thank you to event sponsors Just Recruitment.

Entry: £15 per person, includes quiz entry and a light table buffet, teams of 4.

Information: 01473 917965 / georgia.memory@each.org.uk An Evening with the Hairy Bikers Ipswich Regent The stars of several hit television shows Si and Dave talk cooking.

Tickets £22.50 – £42.50 Box Office: 01473 433100 Ipswichregent.com

MARCH 29

seminal master piece, Mistero Buffo – a daring and explosive rallying cry for the disenfranchised. A travelling storyteller, another employee of the gig economy, rushes from his last delivery of the day to recount ancient tales of Jesus and his life... however these versions aren't like any you've heard before. Darkly comic, sometimes tragic and always subversive, Mistero Buffo takes aim at those who manipulate truth and belief for power and control.

Box Office: 01473 295900 wolseytheatre.co.uk Shopping Day in aid of Cancer Research UK Village Hall, Lavenham, 10am to 3pm Hotfooted ladies shoes & boots (a whole hall full!), collections of ladies clothes, jewellery, fashion accessories, gifts, plants & more...

Light lunches and refreshments available.

Entry: £3 (£2 after 1pm)

Girl Power Ipswich Regent Girl Power continues the legacy of British pop sensations, the Spice Girls.

Tickets: £24 Box Office: 01473 433100 Ipswichregent.com

MARCH 30

Mistero Buffo New Wolsey, Ipswich Rhum and Clay bring to the stage Dario Fo's

Adam Kay – This is Going to Hurt (Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor) Ipswich Regent

Award-winning comedian Adam Kay shares entries from his diaries as a junior doctor.

Tickets: £25.50 Box Office: 01473 433100 Ipswichregent.com The Jazz of Dudley Moore Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall, 7.30pm The beloved comic actor Dudley Moore was also one of the UK’s most dazzling, jazz pianists and a composer of wit and depth.

Following their acclaimed Hoagy project, the Chris Ingham Quartet revisit Moore’s music.

Tickets: £16 Box Office: 01728 454884 aldeburghjubileehall.co.uk

MARCH 31 Spring Steam Up The Long Shop Museum, Leiston, 10am – 4pm Spring Steam Up will take you back to the Steam-age where you can experience all the Long Shop Museum has to offer.

Entry: Adults £8, children £4 Information: 01728 832189 www.longshopmuseum.co.uk

ALDEBURGH BEACH

LOOKOUT

Presents

#Alive in the Universe at the

VENICE BIENNALE 8th May – 4th June 2019 at the Palazzo Pesaro Papafava

You are invited to come to Venice and join in the fun!

Artists include: Mathew Darbyshire, Nigel Hall RA, Maggi Hambling, Sarah Lucas, Issam Kourbaj and many many more, mainly from Suffolk.

All details at www.aliveintheuniverse.com Call Caroline Wiseman on 01728 452754 | caroline@aliveintheuniverse.com | www.aldeburghbeachlookout.com

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APRIL 1

APRIL 2

Ant Middleton – Mind Over Matter Ipswich Regent

Collabro Ipswich Regent

Ant Middleton, of SAS: Who Dares Wins, has a brand new fully immersive show.

Tickets £30.50 – £38 Box Office: 01473 433100 Ipswichregent.com

Britain’s Got Talent winners Collabro are the world’s most successful Musical Theatre group.

Tickets £22.50 – £45.50 Box Office: 01473 433100 Ipswichregent.com

APRIL 1 – 6

The Trick Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall, 7.30pm

Ipswich Choral Society: Mozart Requiem Snape Maltings ICS returns to Snape following its hugely successful performance of Mendelssohn’s ‘Elijah’ in 2017.

Box office: 01728 687110 www.snapemaltings.co.uk

APRIL 7

The Picture of Dorian Grey New Wolsey, Ipswich A Tilted Wig Productions, Malvern Theatres and Churchill Theatre production. In a society obsessed with youth and beauty, Dorian Gray is given the chance to keep his looks forever.

But at what cost...? This bold new production based on the classic novel celebrates Wilde's wonderful language and will appeal to audiences old and new.

Box Office: 01473 295900 wolseytheatre.co.uk

Mira lost her husband seven months ago but just because he’s dead it doesn’t mean either of them is ready to let go. Delightful and moving, with magic to charm the audience, The Trick is a beautiful meditation on ageing and grief.

Tickets: £18 and £16 (concessions) Box Office: 01728 454884 aldeburghjubileehall.co.uk

APRIL 6 Farmers Markets Beccles Heliport 9am – 1pm Snape Maltings 9.30am – 1pm Wyken Vineyard 9am – 1pm

In A Persian Garden Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall, 5pm Part of the Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall Concert Series. A concert for four voices and piano.

Tickets: £15 Contact: 07980 748547 aldeburghjubileehall.co.uk

APRIL 8 Dirty Dancing Ipswich Regent Full of passion and sensational dancing, Dirty Dancing tells the story of Baby and Johnny.

Tickets from £15, group discounts available Box Office: 01473 433100 Ipswichregent.com

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SATURDAY

APRIL 12 AND 13

APRIL 13 AND 14

Heart of Darkness New Wolsey, Ipswich

Framlingham Country Show Framlingham College

Written more than 100 years ago, amid the optimism at the turn of a new century, it’s a tale of lies and brutal greed and of the dark heart which beats within us all.

Box Office: 01473 295900 wolseytheatre.co.uk

This year the show is going to be bigger and better than before, with amazing main ring attractions, a new and improved food and drinks area showing off local produce, an amazing cookery theatre with Suffolk amazing chefs and there will even be a festivals of cars area.

Contact telephone: 01728 685302

Idomeneo Quartet II Orford Church

APRIL 13 Farmers Markets Halesworth Produce Market, The Old Print Works 9am – 1pm Woodbridge Community Centre 9am – 1pm Wyken Vineyard 9am – 1pm The Mystery of the Raddlesham Mumps Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall, 7pm Celebrated poet and broadcaster Murray Lachlan Young (BBC 6 Music, Radio 4, The Wright Stuff) presents his thrilling new family performance.

Tickets: £9 Box Office: 01728 454884 aldeburghjubileehall.co.uk

APRIL 16 – 17 Peter Pan – Easter Panto Ipswich Regent This year’s Easter panto is the classic tale of Peter Pan! Tickets: £24 (concessions £22) Box Office: 01473 433100 Ipswichregent.com

APRIL 19 AND 20 Easter Weekend at Snape

Whilst not sacred music in any conventional sense, Beethoven’s spacious late quartet displays his spiritual beliefs. A bewitching fantasy of tremulous energy and a shimmering beauty.

SUNDAY Bach: St John Passion Maltings Concert Hall Aldeburgh Voices, The Suffolk Ensemble, James Gilchrist Evangelist and Alumni of the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme.

Exquisite solo arias and chorales allow space for contemplation in Bach’s almost operatic treatment of Christ’s Passion.

Box office: 01728 687110 www.snapemaltings.co.uk

APRIL 20 Farmers Markets Aldeburgh Church Hall 9am – 12 noon Beccles Heliport 9am – 1pm Long Melford Village Hall 10am –1 pm Wyken Vineyard 9am – 1pm

KEEPING MEMORIES ALIVE

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

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W HAT’S ON

Tiff Stevenson, Comedian: Special Stand-up Comedy Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall, 8pm Tiffany “Tiff” Stevenson is an English standup comedian and actress. She has appeared on Days That Shook the World, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Drunk History, The Apprentice: You’re Fired, Mock The Week, Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled and People Just Do Nothing. This one-hour show brings you the best bits of her critically acclaimed touring shows. It’s like a Special, but more Special.

Tickets: £12 Box Office: 01728 454884 Information: 07980 748547 aldeburghjubileehall.co.uk

APRIL 20 TO MAY 19 Exhibition of works by the Royal Society of British Artists Thompson’s Gallery, Aldeburgh Comprising 60 works and will showcase a broad variety of styles and techniques with a strong thread of quality running through as you would expect from such a well known and long established art society.

Information: 01728 453743

APRIL 23 – MAY 4

APRIL 27

The 39 Steps New Wolsey Studio

Farmers Markets Snape 9.30am Woodbridge Community Centre 9am – 1pm Wyken Vineyard 9am – 1pm

Take one Hitchcock masterpiece and combine with a sensational spy novel, add a dash of Monty Python, and the wit of Patrick Barlow and you have The 39 Steps, a fast-paced whodunit for anyone who loves the magic of theatre!

Box Office: 01473 295900 wolseytheatre.co.uk Old Herbaceous Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall, 7.30pm Described as ‘Downton Abbey with gardening tips’, Old Herbaceous is the humorous love story of a single-minded man with a passion for plants. This charming one-man play, by Alfred Shaughnessy from the novel by Reginald Arkell, has entranced audiences all around the country over the last two years.

Tickets: £12.50 Box Office: 01728 454884 Information: 07980 748547 aldeburghjubileehall.co.uk

An Honest Gentleman Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall, 7.30pm Stuff of Dreams Theatre Company presents a musical play about Thomas Easter, East Anglia’s very own Dick Turpin. An Honest Gentleman will explore the life and times of this little known highwayman from Norfolk and take you on a rollicking Georgian adventure.

Tickets: £15 and £13 (concessions) Box Office: 01728 454884 Information: 07980 748547 aldeburghjubileehall.co.uk

APRIL 28 Farmers Markets Lavenham Village Hall 10am – 1.30pm

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

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LOVE HAVE I KNOWN Aldeburgh Cinema March 6 Love Have I Known is based during the 1914-18 War and centres on the relationship between English schoolboy James and his fellow pupil Otto who is German, and the dilemma they face when they realise that, despite their close friendship, they are now officially enemies at war.

It’s a first feature film by young Suffolk director Gregory Nice and has been backed by among others, the actor, writer and comedian Stephen Fry. There were several Suffolk locations used in the film.

The battle scenes were shot on location in Suffolk at Trench Farm, near Ipswich where British and German style trenches from World War I have been painstakingly recreated for battle re-enactments for film and television. Also featuring in the film is the Mid-Suffolk Light Railway.

ALIVE IN THE UNIVERSE From Aldeburgh Ideas at the Venice Biennale May 8 to June 4 Alive In The Universe is an extraordinary project taking the work of Suffolk artists to the heart of the art world at the Venice Biennale in May. Co-curated by Caroline Wiseman and David Baldry, Alive in the Universe is taking over the Palazzo Pesaro Papafava with its dramatic canal side location and projecting films which express how it feels to be alive in the universe.

Gregory, who grew up in Bury St Edmunds and spent most of his summer holidays in Aldeburgh says the inspiration for this film came from a discussion with Joseph Gassner, a friend at Uppingham School. They considered the likelihood that, had they been at the school together just before the outbreak of the Great War, they would probably have found themselves enlisting in their respective countries as young officers, destined to fight opposite each other in the trenches and facing almost certain death.

“The film’s intention is educational: a reminder of the enormous personal cost of war; a plea for peaceful conflict negotiation and resolution; it promotes the sense of humanity and international unity.” Sinking all his personal savings into the project, Gregory assembled a remarkable cast and production crew: ‘Love Have I Known’ features Eugene Simon as James and Jono Bergmann as Otto for the leading roles.

INFORMATION Tickets are free – seats must be booked in advance Box Office: 01728 454884 | www.aldeburghcinema.co.uk

Suffolk artists taking part include Sarah Lucas and Julian Simmons, Maggi Hambling, Bill Jackson, Susan Brinkhurst, Eileen Haring Woods and Telfer Stokes. They are joined by internationally known artists including Issam Kourbaj from Syria and Ermias Kifleyesus from Ethiopia, as well as eminent Royal Academicians such as Nigel Hall.

Presented by Aldeburgh Ideas at the Venice Biennale from May 8th to June 4th, the artists from Suffolk will be joining fellow creatives from around the world who have been invited to consider how it feels to be alive in the universe and then express it through very short art films.

In addition, 28 of the artists including Issam Kourbaj, Sarah Lucas, Nigel Hall RA, Maggi Hambling, Matthew Darbyshire and Ermias Kifleyesus participate in Big Bang: where every day over the 28 days a different artist makes a big impact, using performance or installation to further explore life/death, space/time, positive/negative forces or myths/logic.

Caroline Wiseman added that all the films will be shown again for Suffolk audiences at the Aldeburgh Beach Lookout in June.

INFORMATION www.aliveintheuniverse.com

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M IN I P R E V IE WS

THE LOST WORDS FORGET ME NOT The Lettering Arts Centre, Snape Maltings 15 March – 26 May A new exhibition celebrating the disappearing words of nature opens in March at the UK’s home of the lettering arts. The Lost Words – Forget Me Not is an artistic response to the ‘The Lost Words – A Spell Book’ by Robert MacFarlane and Jackie Morris. The book was published in 2017 after the Oxford University Press began to delete a whole series of words from its Oxford Junior Dictionary to make way for new, seemingly more relevant and familiar words.

The exhibition is a celebration of our connections with nature and the images, feelings, associations and memories conjured by words such as ‘acorn, ‘conker’, ‘adder’, kingfisher’, ‘lark, ‘ fern’ and ‘willow’ – each of which has been cut from the Junior Dictionary in recent years.

Artist and illustrator, Jackie Morris, said, “Stone is such a beautiful medium. Time takes on a different texture when the words of humans are drawn into it. The Lost Words, seen in stone is the perfect project.”

Lynne Alexander, Director of Education & Exhibitions at the Lettering Arts Trust, said, “The Oxford University Press says that it needs to make room for new words: the likes of ‘blog’, ‘attachment’, ‘smartphone’, but should we be ignoring the words that make up the magic and mystery of our natural world? If you don’t see, read and hear these words, in fifty years’ time, they will mean nothing. This is not a protest against the OUP deleting the words, but a little insurance for the future against the words never again being spoken or understood.”

It features new work by the UK’s leading lettering artists, each of whom has been asked to choose a ‘recently-lost’ word. The words will be carved, using an age-old skill that has been mastered by only a few modern-day artists. The Lettering Arts Trust aims to ensure that this craft flourishes in modern times and continues to be shared with new generations of artists.

The new pieces will sit within a delicately-painted wildlife scene, appearing almost ghostly on the gallery walls. They will be accompanied by the Oxford English Dictionary entries for each of the chosen words, as well as the evidence of their first use.

Among the exhibits will be ‘Wren’ by Robyn Golden-Hann, who says, “My intention has been to capture the very flighty nature of the little wren, perched on the word, about to fly away at a moment’s notice.”

Jo Sweeting said, “Could there be a more delightful word than ‘Lark’?! When I was asked to carve for this show, I couldn’t believe no one else had chosen it! My carving will be made on Lincolnshire Red Bedstone in the hope that the warmth will reflect the first and last light of the day.”

INFORMATION Entry: Free. Opening Times: Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays & Mondays 11am – 5pm. Closed: Tuesday – Thursdays.

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Ballroom Blitz!

Kevin Clifton – or Kevin from Grimsby – will be at Ipswich Regent in March having stepped into new shoes on stage with the musical Rock of Ages.

He talks to Essential Suffolk about his new role

C EL E BR IT Y I N TE RVI E W | KE V IN C L IF T ON

It’s really exciting because I’ve wanted to do musical theatre for so long.

I’ve talked about it quite a lot over the last couple of years, but everything has been so dance and Strictly focused, so when this opportunity came up I wanted to grab it with both hands. I feel like I’m switching roles from Strictly, as there I’m in my comfort zone, I’m the professional and Stacey is the celebrity trying to learn to dance whereas now I’m figuratively and literally becoming Stacee!

What made you want to be involved with Rock of Ages?

I first saw the show in 2009 on Broadway, when I was in New York with Burn The Floor, and Rock of Ages was on the next street over.

I just loved it and went back and saw it two or three more times on Broadway and then saw it again when it came to the West End. I’m a big fan!

T

here’s clearly a real soft spot right across the UK for ballroom dancer Kevin Clifton; for his imaginative choreography and charming personality. Having won the last series of Strictly Come Dancing with his celebrity partner Stacey Dooley, audiences in Suffolk are going to see him in a new light singing, dancing and acting in Rock of Ages. So what’s his experience of this new career move?

What is it like switching from Strictly Come Dancing training sessions, and the high of winning the show with Stacey Dooley, to taking on the role of Stacee Jaxx in Rock of Ages?

I’ve always been a massive rock fan anyway, and before I was on Strictly I used to fancy myself a bit of a rock star. I used to have long black hair and eye makeup and black fingernails and used to swan about thinking I was the Jim Morrison of the ballroom! I never thought they’d want me to be involved in the show, let alone play Stacee Jaxx so when they suggested I come in and audition it was just unbelievable.

How was the audition?

I think it went well! It was a bit daunting to be auditioning as a musical theatre performer, rather than as a singer. I was in Dirty Dancing The Musical before but that was primarily a dancing role. However, the director and choreographer, Nick, has an amazing ability to make you feel immediately comfortable. I didn’t feel like I was being judged so I just went for it! ‰

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C EL E BR IT Y I N TE RVI E W | KE V IN C L IF T ON

Could you tell us a little about the show?

What are the challenges of performing this style of music?

It’s the story of two wannabes that have headed to California to make it as stars, all told with the help of amazing 80s power rock songs.

Drew wants to become a rock star, and Sherrie wants to become an actress. They both end up working at this bar, waiting tables and falling in love. However, in walks this guy, Stacee Jaxx, who is the front man of a rock band. He’s the over the top, flamboyant megastar that all the girls want to be with and all the men want to be but at the same time he’s a bit of a villain – he’s pretentious and self obsessed, thinking he’s God’s gift to everything and ultimately he disrupts everyone else’s lives.

I’ve spent a lot of time learning how to breathe differently as a singer than I do as a dancer actually. As dancers we take shallow, short bursts of air as we move, whereas when you’re singing and hitting these big notes you want to take in large amounts of air quite quickly and from quite low down. I’m training myself to be more conscious of my breathing and getting used to it. Otherwise I might run out of breath on stage! You don’t realise all these things until you start learning about them and it’s not just a case of thinking I can hold a tune therefore I can do a musical, there’s much more to it than that.

Will it be quite fun playing someone a bit villainous?

What was your first experience of musical theatre?

Oh yeah. I can definitely tap into the pretentious nature of him – I think I used to be a bit like that, thinking I was a rock star when I was just a ballroom dancer, everyone goes through that sort of phase a bit though. I used to think I was really rock’n’roll when I am the least rock’n’roll person in the world! It will be fun to play Stacee as he’s so different to how I am on Strictly, and how people are used to seeing me. Although having said that, Rock of Ages is just as flamboyant as Strictly, and has the same sense of fun, although in a different way.

One of my earliest memories is me and my sister sat in front of the TV watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. We used to get the fire guard from the fireplace and put it in front of us, pretending it was the car. We would sit there one behind the other singing. We used to get my Dad’s snooker cue out of the garage and do Me Ol’ Bamboo. When we were really young we came down to London to watch Cats and I remember being so blown away by the whole spectacle of it all. I remember sitting there and thinking this is amazing. Mum and Dad bought us the soundtrack on cassette, and I used to sit and listen to it all the time.

What are you doing to prepare for the role?

I’m taking singing lessons to make sure my voice is strong enough to sing the role, particularly to be able to maintain it. Its one thing to be able to sing in an audition but it’s another to do eight shows a week and belt out these amazing 80s tracks.

Do you have a favourite song you look forward to performing?

My first big song is Bon Jovi’s Dead or Alive, that’s Stacee’s big moment and I love that song. It’s his big opening in the show and you’ve really got to come on and make a massive impact with the audience, really get them going and show what kind of character Stacee is. It should be fun!

You’ve toured before with various shows, is it something you enjoy, or do you find it a challenge?

I love it actually. I don’t have a problem with tour life, I quite enjoy it and find it exciting. When you’re on tour with a cast you really get to know them and you build a sense of family. It all feels like a bit of adventure.

Do you have any ‘must-have’ items you take with you?

My podcast app on my phone, I’m constantly listening to podcasts on my phone, lots of motivational ones. My iPad too, so I can catch up on Match of the Day and stuff.

What do you like to do during any down time you get?

I’ve not had any downtime for a long time, but I’m a massive football fan. Scunthorpe United is my team.

Have you ever been given a piece of advice, or some words of wisdom that have stuck with you?

I can’t remember who said it to me, but I took it on board, “it’s not about doing nothing wrong, it’s about doing something magical”.

I think people make the mistake of thinking to do a good performance they’ve got to be technically perfect, but there are some brilliant performers who can hold a crowd in the palm of their hands but they’re not always necessarily the best dancers, singers or actors.

However, they can create magic and make people feel something.

Finally, what can audiences expect when they come to see you in Rock of Ages?

Don’t expect ‘Kevin from Grimsby’ as they call me on Strictly Come Dancing. It’s me in a completely different light, probably being a bit raunchier than you’re used to. I’m going to look completely different, but it will be a lot of fun and you should expect to have an amazing time.

INFORMATION Rock of Ages is at Ipswich Regent from March 5 – 9 | Box office: 01473 433100 | ipswichregent.com

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MA R CH / AP RI L 201 9

Ipswich & District Photographic Society is one of the oldest clubs of its sort and holds an annual exhibition.

Essential Suffolk takes a look at what’s on offer this year

A Photographic Rugged by Jamie Bird

Higham Point to Point by Matthew Clarke

Southwold Pier by Matthew Clarke

by Matthew Clarke

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Glen Coe across Loch Achtriochtan

by David Robinson

Night Shift by Jamie Bird

I PSWI CH & D IS T RI CT PHO TO G RA PH IC S OC I ETY

View

Suffolk Punch Working Pair

by Kim Dewing

Overhead by Jamie Bird

W

e live in a world bombarded by pictures and images and according to some academics, Instagram and other social media are starting to change the way we communicate. But away from the online world are those who specialise in crafting beautiful images with love, time and expertise and this month a free exhibition of the Ipswich & District Photographic Society will put some of these pictures on show.

Founded in the earliest days of photography in 1888 Ipswich & District Photographic Society has a remarkable history. It’s been holding regular annual exhibitions since 1926 and its members over the years have included a number of prominent local people and leading photographers too.

Felixstowe Pier by Sarah Potter

Today its 80 members come from right across the UK including a number who have been recognised by the Royal Photographic Society for their work. This year's annual exhibition is being held at Ipswich Town Hall from March 5-16, entrance is free and there’s a chance too for visitors to win a free framed image of their choice.

by Felicity Roworth

Helmingham Hall, September

by Lindsey Saunders

Society spokesman, Jamie Bird, says that the exhibition will feature nearly 300 prints and 250 digital images on widescreen.

“They cover a wide range of genres including monochrome and colour, landscape, pictorial, creative, record, photojournalism, sport, record, portraiture and natural history and in all, some 40 members of the Society will have their work exhibited.”

The standard of work is as always very high and competition to be included is intense – and the judges, Chris Palmer and Ian Wilson, had to sift through 1,000 images to curate the show. Ipswich and District Photographic Society meets on a weekly basis and also has a monthly training session as well.

INFORMATION www.idps.org.uk

Landguard Point by Matthew Clarke

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S PR IN G FEST I VAL S

SPRING FESTIVALS

Take a deep breath as the festival season for 2019 is about to start, with two incredible events celebrating art and culture

M

any people when choosing to relocate to Suffolk from the city say they made their choice because access to London and all its culture is easy. Then they move here and discover there’s so much exceptional art, music, theatre and entertainment they may never need to hop on that evening train. This is in part due to the amazing festivals that take place right across the county two of which, INK Festival and Alde Valley Spring Festival are about to launch.

INK Festival The Cut, Halesworth April 12 – 14 INK is a theatre company and registered charity that sources, develops, and produces the best new short plays for stage and radio, from writers with an East Anglian connection. This year, at The Cut, Halesworth the fifth INK Festival is showcasing over 35 brand new short plays, one of which will be a musical.

INK is staged and performed by 40 professional actors and directors and features performance poetry, talks and workshops by prominent writers and theatre practitioners, comedy and children’s activities. And after its sell-out success last year, the 2019 Festival has been expanded to include a third day with performances taking place in additional new locations, including The MR King showroom and The Museum.

Four well known writers have each written a four-minute script around a common theme – these include Scarlett Curtis, Paul Heiney and Greg Mosse. Performance Poet Luke Wright, who is touring with his new show ‘Luke Wright, Poet Laureate’ will perform and Shappi Khorsandi who has appeared on Mock The Week, 8 Out Of Ten Cats, Have I Got News For You, QI and I'm a Celebrity will also be on stage at The Festival's evening of comedy on Saturday April 13.

Workshops and talks will also be given by Greg Mosse, Richard Curtis, Robin Brook and many more leading theatrical professionals. Plus there is a children’s programme ‘A play in a day’; children will be given the opportunity to write, produce and perform a play in 24 hours.

Art@ INK, an exhibition of 12 artists new work will be shown for the first time in The Gallery at The Cut. Julia Sowerbutts, Artistic Director said “We have received over 300 submissions of new short plays for stage and radio, a huge increase on last year – 2019 is going to be a wonderful festival of such contrasting work – a showcase of the incredible talent here in Eastern England”.

Following the main event INK On The Road will tour to nine locations in East Anglia including: April 18 April 19-20 April 26 April 27 April 28

The Sir John Mills Theatre, Ipswich The Headgate Theatre, Colchester The Fisher Theatre, Bungay Bradfield Village Hall Brandeston Village Hall

INFORMATION Box office: 01986 872555 | inkfestival.org

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MA R CH / AP RI L 201 9

S PR IN G FE ST I VAL S

Alde Valley Spring Festival 2019 White House Farm, Great Glemham April 27 – May 26

The Alde Valley Spring Festival was created in 2011 to celebrate the coming together of food, farming, landscape and the arts in the beautiful Upper Alde Valley of East Suffolk. As always the centrepiece is the Festival Exhibition – which lasts for four weeks and is comprised of curated Solo Shows by selected guest artists.

Taking part this year are Jelly Green with paintings of irises, including varieties created by Sir Cedric Morris at Benton End and now grown in the National Collection. There will be a small archive exhibition about Benton End alongside Jelly’s solo show of iris paintings.

Alice-Andrea Ewing has a solo show of limited edition bronzes of selected fruits and vegetables from the beautiful walled garden at Great Glemham House. The bronzes all rise from The Pomarius Residency – a continuation of a residency project started at White House Farm in 2015. They are part of the Glemham Series – an ongoing collaboration with Alice Andrea-Ewing that explores the history of vegetables and fruits at Great Glemham House.

In a separate room, bronze adpressions of the Sea Pea and other selected coastal plants are on show in tribute to the poetry of George Crabbe and his botanical records – mostly now lost. There will be a large solo show of Tessa Newcomb’s work of paintings from allotments and White House Farm’s market garden.

Other artists include Ruth Stage showing a series of paintings from the walled garden and Great Glemham House and the market garden at White House Farm, Perienne Christian with paintings and etchings about wild herbs and medicinal weeds along the Suffolk coast at Bawdsey and in local waysides and hedgerows and Lily Hunter Green with a sound installation exploring the acoustic architecture of flowers and their sonic interactions with pollinators. Maggi Hambling, a regular contributor to the festival will also be showing work.

The festival also celebrates writing and the lead writer in residence and guest curator this year is Tim Richardson. Sixteen workshop residencies are also offered to local artisans based in East Suffolk and at White House Farm. These range from wood turning and chair making to knife forging, basketry, tile making, leather work and jewellery.

During the course of the festival there are also a series of four suppers served in the farmhouse Dining Rooms – all prepared by Suffolk chef Pater Harrison with food producers and the weekly Writer in Residence as the guest of honour.

INFORMATION www.aldevalleyspringfestival.co.uk

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Woofers Winter Walk

SUFFOLK COMMUNITY FOUNDA ATION AT TION PRESENTS PRES

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

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SUFFOLK

To find out more, go to:

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E D WAR D TO LL E MA CH E

When home is Helmingham Hall For Edward Tollemache, home has always been at Helmingham – and last year after living in London he returned to the stately home with his young family.

Anne Gould talks to him about his life and ambitions for the estate

P

ulling up the drawbridge is a phrase that most people understand only metaphorically as a matter of settling in at home for the night, pulling the curtains and sitting in front of the fire. For Edward Tollemache however, his last chore of the day is actually to pull up two ancient drawbridges across his Helmingham Hall moat – a very physical sign that the house is about to be put to bed.

“We moved in last year after a very long period of planning with my parents, who left here after 40 years but still live close by,” he explains. So now the medieval moated manor echoes with the patter of tiny feet again as Edward and his wife Sophie have three young children aged eight, six and two.

What’s it like to have grown up in one of the most iconic and stunning properties in Suffolk and in England? “It’s home, as a child I didn’t really think about it but there are lots of other really beautiful houses in Suffolk,” he says modestly.

Of course, the property and 5,000-acre estate has a great deal of history – the Tollemache family have lived at Helmingham since 1510.

“That’s more than 500 years so I regard our stay here as just being custodians for thirty or forty years, just a blip in a very long time.”

However, he added, “It’s a warm family home and everyone who comes to stay here seems to feel that.”

Previous to moving back to Suffolk though he and Sophie established a home in London alongside an investment business as well. As a result, he spends part of the week in London but gets back to Suffolk just as often as he possibly can. “This is very much home and we are settled plus the older children are settled at a local school and are very happy there.”

So having grown up at the hall the obvious question is can you swim around the moat?

“Well actually yes – it’s not that deep in parts – around 3ft and it’s full of fish. The fastest record for getting around the moat is around four and a half minutes.”

Those who venture into the water today, however, might find themselves coming face to face with an aquatic experience they hadn’t bargained for. “The moat is now home to a five-foot catfish called Debbie,” he said.

The house itself is private but the grounds are open throughout the course of the year for a number of events – the next being the Woofers Winter Walk organised in aid of Suffolk Community Foundation on March 3.

Edward explained that it’s a three-mile route around the parkland in early spring when, weather permitting, the estate looks stunning. “We had a foot of snow in early March last year so who knows what we’ll get this year? So Wellington’s are advised and all dogs have to be kept on leads because there will be young deer and lambs in the park at that time”.

Of course, this isn’t the only time that people can visit; his parents supported various events including Suffolk Dog Day – another immensely popular Suffolk Community Foundation fundraiser, that is one of the highlights of the Suffolk summer attracting thousands from far and wide.

Sadly last year this event had to be cancelled because of the overwhelming heat, but plans are going ahead for this year – on July 28 – in the hope of adding to the £500,000 that it has already raised for Suffolk charities.

Edward added, “My mother is deeply

involved with the Ormiston Trust, a Suffolk based charity and we have had their fundraising ‘Walk with a Fork’ event here in the autumn for many years. It’s another excellent event.” Plus there’s a classic car rally, two plant fairs in the spring and summer, and music in the gardens events.

Of course, the garden at Helmingham is beyond famous – created by his mother Xa – in 2017 it was named Garden of the Year by Christies and the Historic Houses Association and there are opportunities to visit on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays during late spring and summer.

Last year Edward and Sophie introduced a new Christmas lights event where the Hall and gardens were illuminated with a trail for visitors. It sold out. And of course in the summer Helmingham Hall is also a popular wedding venue, all arranged through the Events team at the Hall.

Tim Holder, spokesman for Suffolk Community Foundation said that that tickets for the Woofer’s Winter Walk are £5 (cash) on the day but anyone who wants to take part is advised to register in advance at www.suffolkdogday.com/woofers-winterwalk. Those who register will be eligible to win a Skinner’s Doggy Bag on completion of the walk.

INFORMATION For more information about Helmingham Hall visit www.helmingham.com, for more information about Suffolk Community foundation visit www.suffolkcf.org.uk, for more information about Woofers Winter Walk visit www.suffolkdogday.com/ woofers-winter-walk

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MA RCH / A PRIL 2019 Chillys Bottles from £15 Woodbridge Kitchen Company

MUM’S THE WORD

Essential SUFFOLK

always proud ~ to feature ~

LOCAL RETAILERS

Mothering Sunday is on March 31st and we’ve put together your Essential Guide to hand-picked gifts from local independent retailers

Tess wrap (baby blue) £50 large silk scarf £38 Tillie & Grace

Chloe earrings £15 Cake & Catwalk

Tyler Wallet £45 Tillie & Grace

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M OT H ER ’S DAY

Nora earrings £15 Tille & Grace

Large panel bag with detachable shoulder straps, and interior and exterior zip compartments £44 Cake & Catwalk

Padded heart key charms £10 each Cake & Catwalk

London Pottery Hi-T stoneware tea pots with infuser, from £21.50 Woodbridge Kitchen Company

Woodland range; tea towels (set of 3) £8.99, cake tins (set of 3) £14.99, mugs £3.99 (each), storage glass jars from £4.50, trays from £4 Woodbridge Kitchen Company

Etnika necklace £45, earrings £15 Cake & Catwalk

Brandi Ring £15 Tillie & Grace

Erica Bracelet £25 Tillie & Grace

STOCKISTS Cake & Catwalk 15 St Peter’s Street, Ipswich. T: 01473 235573 www.cakeandcatwalk.co.uk Tilley & Grace 47 Thoroughfare, Woodbridge; 140 High Street, Aldeburgh; 33 High Street, Southwold; 2 Pound House, Market Place, Holt. T: 01728 885598 www.tilleyandgrace.co.uk The Woodbridge Kitchen Company 5-7 Thoroughfare, Woodbridge. T:01394 382091 www.woodbridgekitchencompany.co.uk

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There’s colour, there’s pattern, there’s comfort – it’s time to shop ‘til you drop for your new spring wardrobe

Spring ‘19 Heart Sweatshirt.

Drop back with snakeskin effect foil heart £60 Cake & Catwalk

Yellow striped top £35 Ninni Noo Boutique

Floral blouse £39.99 Ninni Noo Boutique

Emreco blue flower print top £33 Adams Apple

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Numph festival knitwear £62 Joli

In Town yellow flower print top £56 Adams Apple

FASH I ON

Marble green top £56 Adams Apple

Yellow jumper £46.50 Ninni Noo Boutique

Numph pink jumper £45 Joli

Emrecogreen with flower print top £47 Adams Apple

In Town strip knitted top £62 Adams Apple

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HATLEY ADINI CAPRI INTOWN SIGNATURE MARBLE POMODORO LILY & ME YEST EMRECO

YAYA PART TWO SOAKED IN LUXURY LUELLA ‘STAR’ COLLECTION PILGRIM JEWELLERY

SPECIALISING IN JERSEY & KNITWEAR

NEW SPRING COLLECTIONS NOW IN

PERUZZI

NEW SPRING COLLECTIONS NOW IN STORE

SUZY D

89/91 Thoroughfare Woodbridge Suffolk IP12 1AW 01394 386686 laurajaneboutique.co.uk Situated at the end of the Thoroughfare, just over the traffic lights.

70 Thoroughfare Woodbridge 01394 384685

Collections can also be found at Inspirations, Wickham Market.

THE HEART OF

A great place for retail therapy all on one street

New Spring collections have arrived

See It...

Love It...

Want It...

55 Thoroughfare P12 1AH 01394 382300

Find your perfect fit at Sweet Dreams 45a Thoroughfare, Woodbridge | 01394 380306 Open 9.30 – 5 Monday to Saturday

FASH I ON

Essential SUFFOLK

always proud ~ to feature ~

LOCAL RETAILERS

Part Two Ociana raincoat £89.95 Laura Jane Boutique

Thought warm grey knit detail jumper £69 Joli

Part Two Ohanna jacket £139.95 Laura Jane Boutique

Part Two Ochi blouse in blue £49.95 Laura Jane Boutique

Check print trousers £67 Ninni Noo Boutique Part Two Ochi blouse in pink £111 Laura Jane Boutique

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NEW SPRING STYLES IN STOCK NOW Bold, contemporary, unique, designer led costume jewellery, bags and scarves

New Online Boutique available – visit cakeandcatwalk.co.uk

Striped print dress £48 Ninni Noo Boutique

15 St Peters Street, Ipswich, IP1 1XF T: 01473 871566 E: info@cakeandcatwalk.co.uk

www.jolisuffolk.com ALDEBURGH S OU THWOLD

WOODBR ID GE HOLT

WWW.TILLEYANDGRACE.CO.UK

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158 H I GH S TRE ET A L DE BUR GH I P15 5AQ 07771 623408

FASH I ON Soaked in Luxury Bobbie shirt £59.99 Laura Jane Boutique

French Connection dress £130 Holly Blue Boutique

B Tempt’d B wow’d in rose smoke – push up bra £35 Sweet Dreams

Sandwich stripe £89.99 Holly Blue Boutique

Wacoal Lingerie Lace Affair, patriot blue, halogen blue bra £46, tanga £22 Sweet Dreams

Wacoal Lingerie Lace Essentiel cream, powder bra £52, brief £28 Sweet Dreams

STOCKISTS Adams Apple 70 Thoroughfare, Woodbridge T: 01394 384685 Cake & Catwalk 15 St Peter’s Street, Ipswich. T: 01473 235573 www.cakeandcatwalk.co.uk Holly Blue Boutique 55 Thoroughfare, Woodbridge. T: 01394 382300 Joli 158 High Street, Aldeburgh. T: 07771 623408 www.jolisuffolk.com Laura Jane Boutique 89/91 Thoroughfare, Woodbridge. T: 01394 386686 Ninni Noo Boutique 57 Thoroughfare, Woodbridge. T: 01394 388655 Sweet Dreams 45a Thoroughfare, Woodbridge. T: 01394 380306

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SUFFOLK’S START-UP LAB

We all love to hear stories about people who have a nugget of an idea that turns into entrepreneurial success. For those still in the ‘ideas’ stage a new start-up lab – Shout About Suffolk – could help turn those dreams into a healthy bank balance.

Anne Gould finds out more

L – R: Paddy Bishopp, Richard Croft and Toby Durrant

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S H O U T AB O UT S U FF OL K

ups’ at any one time who will be supported with an initial sum of £30,000 in combination with mentoring and back office support.

Those selected, by a three-minute video pitch, will have access and training on a CRM (customer relationship management) system, which is normally out of reach for most start-ups.

Paddy says that they will be able to get advice about how to approach banks, achieve investment and grow a business in the right way. “The three of us have all set up businesses and made mistakes at the start – and the important thing is that you need to learn from them. So we are in a unique position to advise and help people on their journey”.

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ynthetic grass, table football, bean bags and walls that you can write on – very much the ingredients that you might expect in the offices of tech giants like Google or Apple. But you can find them in Suffolk too – just a stone’s throw from the magnificent River Deben as it widens at Wilford Bridge and flows to the sea. It is the brainchild of Richard Croft, Toby Durrant and Paddy Bishopp – successful Suffolk businessmen who are passionate about passing the knowledge they have acquired over the years on to other would-be entrepreneurs.

Paddy – of Paddy and Scots fame, said, “It all started over a conversation in early August while we were having a coffee at a small table in a square. We talked about wanting to use our experiences as entrepreneurs to help others with their fledgling businesses. Our vision is to provide the kind of mentoring and the sort of support network which would have been really useful to us in our early professional lives.”

So Richard – whose background is commercial property – has provided the funding and Paddy and Toby are tasked with making it happen. Paddy said that there have been so many conversations over the last five or so years, right across the county about this sort of concept, but once the decision was made they were eager to get the project off the ground quickly.

So, Shout About Suffolk was created and launched in early 2019 in just a matter of months with modern, airy, light premises in

Having opened in a blaze of publicity there’s been an incredible interest in Shout About Suffolk from would-be entrepreneurs, literally of all ages from the age of 18 to 75. They come from all sorts of industries too - fashion, technology, food and drink, creative industries and manufacturing. So who is Shout about Suffolk for? “The Golden Rule is that to enter the Lab or the Hub you must have a Suffolk postcode, we are purely about the future of Suffolk enterprise,” Paddy added.

Riduna Park. It’s like the sort of incubator that you might find in London – hence the break out room with table football to encourage innovative thinking. Walking meetings are good. There’s a very Suffolk feel to the decor too – a wrap of our native big skies upstairs and a treescape from Rendlesham Forest downstairs.

As a business Shout About Suffolk is also in two parts. The Hub is a social enterprise, with all profits being put back into growth. It is designed for micro and one-person small business owners offering them a place to work in a space that is entrepreneurial, inspirational and creative. There are 25 seats available here with the addition of mentoring and networking sessions as well.

Part of this also includes a corporate sponsorship scheme where ten bursaries are being made available to entrepreneurs with limited finances. Birketts and Ensors are among the sponsors who have already signed up but, says Paddy, they’d be very happy to talk to other established businesses who might be interested.

Another aim is to engage the younger generation in business so there’s also a Young Enterprise Support Programme which will be working with schools and higher education establishments. The idea here is to engage young people with the prospect of business creation but also to offer the skillsets required.

The other side of the business is The Lab, which will house between six and eight ‘start-

INFORMATION www.shoutaboutsuffolk.co.uk

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HE A LT H

DAMAGE LIMITATION FOR SKI SEASON Taking to the slopes has its risks and injuries are not uncommon but here we explore a few measures you can take to limit your chance of the most common ski injuries COMMON SKI INJURIES

the slopes and walking up to the ski lift can work wonders for warming the muscles.

SEEK ADVICE IMMEDIATELY AFTER AN INJURY

Knee injuries – The most common injuries are to the knee, due to the twisting motion that can occur during falls or from direct trauma to the knee when skiing. The medial collateral ligament (MCL) and anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL), which run on the inside of the knee and provide stability to the joint, are commonly injured during skiing.

Set bindings correctly – Your ski binding release (DIN setting) being too tight is a common cause of ACL and MCL injury. This setting allows your boot to come out of the ski when you twist at low speed, where there's highest risk of injury, and at high speed falls.

Resist the temptation to plough on after an injury. Ski-clinics are well-versed in treating common injuries: heeding their expert advice will help you last the season and follow-up with an appointment to see a physiotherapist when you get home.

Upper limb injuries – Dislocated shoulders are another common injury resulting from a fall. The ligaments and the joint capsule become stretched during the trauma, which results in the ball of the shoulder joint coming out of the socket.

Brace yourself – Knee braces can be an excellent way of reducing injury in combination with training in the run up to your ski trip. There are many different types of braces that can be used, from simple hinge braces through to advanced support for people who have previously suffered a specific injury.

Thumb injuries – Skiers’ thumb can occur when the ski pole causes the ligament on the inside of the thumb to become stretched or torn.

SKI TRAINING & PREPARATION Improve your general fitness – Like all sports, injuries are much less likely to take place if your general level of fitness is high.

For skiing, improving your strength and stamina can go a long way to preventing injuries. You could try running, cycling or swimming to build your cardiovascular fitness or challenge yourself with our pre-ski workout.

Build strength – The muscles in the legs aren't accustomed to the forces placed on them during skiing so many injuries happen at the start of a holiday. It may be seen as ‘unlucky’, but skiers whose muscles aren't ready for the extra exertion of skiing are unable to control their leg position or withstand changes in force placed on the knees from a minor bump or twist.

Exercises such as sitting against the door in a squat position can help, but a simple 20minute plyometric (jump training) programme every other day for as little as two weeks before your trip might be more effective.

Prepare your muscles each day – Warming up and stretching means that the muscles are activated and are ready for exertion. The neuromuscular control (brain to legs) keeps the legs steady and able to respond and adapt during skiing. On the day of skiing, always carry out an adequate warm up and cool down. Carrying your skis from the car to

IF YOU’RE GOING TO FALL, LEARN HOW TO DO IT RIGHT Formal ski lessons will teach you to stop, fall and control your speed.

GOOD SENSE WAYS TO AVOID SKI INJURY Know your limits – Knee injuries can be caused by skiing on slopes above your level of competency. Whilst striving for the black runs is the goal of most skiiers, remember that the secret to avoiding injuries is knowing your limits. Sharp, out of control turns can cause havoc with the knees' anatomy so master the level you’re at before taking on more challenging routes. The same goes for tricky conditions, icy slopes can make even the easiest of pistes more challenging to take it easy when the snow isn’t powder.

Ski off-peak – The busier the slope, the more vulnerable you are to collisions.

Enjoy the freedom of quieter slopes for a safer ride.

Avoid alcohol at lunch – Alcohol compromises your concentration and reaction speeds, while lowering your inhibitions.

Avoid that ‘one last run’ • Leave the slopes on a high, rather than when exhausted, to avoid injury • Take the lift at the end of the day • Icy, patchy slopes crowded with tired skiers are a hot bed for injury. Be cool and take the lift.

Information for this article has been taken from: www.nuffieldhealth.com/article/how-to-avoid-skiing-injuries.

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Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital has a team of Senior Physiotherapists to help if your skiing holiday didn’t go to plan and remain injury free. They can normally see you within 24 hours to offer advice and treatment and will work with you on an individualised recovery programme. Should further treatment be required, you don’t have to wait to see our Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeons who individually specialise in foot, ankle, hip, knee, spinal and shoulder pain. On-site MRI and CT facilities mean rapid referral to diagnostic and imaging services to get your treatment pathway under way with no waiting list – in preparation for your summer sports season!

Call us on 01473 279 179 for further information on how to book a private consultation with one of our orthopaedic surgeons or physiotherapists.

Alternatively you can book your physiotherapy appointment online: www.nuffieldhealth.com/ physiotherapy/ipswich Or come along to meet the team in person.

Book your place at one of our FREE events.

Meet our Consultants on…

Back Pain Wednesday 13th March 2019 7pm with Mr Shaishav Bhagat and Mr Saajid Kaleel, Consultant Spinal Surgeons, and a Senior Physiotherapist.

Hips and Knee Pain Wednesday 20th March 2019 7pm with Mr Mark Bowditch and Mr Chris Martin, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeons, and a Senior Physiotherapist.

Foot & Ankle Pain Thursday 28th March 2019 7pm with Mr Shafic Al-Nammari, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, and a Senior Physiotherapist.

FI NA NCE

A HELPING HAND WITH TAXES

Faye Howard Tax Director

Faye Howard, tax director at Scrutton Bland suggests some of the ways that a tax adviser can make your life easier What did you do over the Christmas break this year? For some people it meant the chance to spend time with family and friends, for others it was just another day, but according to the Financial Times, for 2,616 people, it was the day they chose to file their Tax Return. Apparently Boxing Day was also a rather more popular day for filing with 8,465 people submitting their Tax Returns on 26th December.

Whilst it’s to be applauded that these Returns were filed before the 31st January deadline, I can’t help but wonder how many of those who filed their Tax Returns over the festive period had their holiday ruined by an unexpected tax bill.

Clearly there’s no such thing as a good time to find out how much tax you need to pay, but the earlier in the tax year the bill is anticipated, the great the opportunity to do something about it, and that’s where our

accountants and Independent Financial Advisers can help.

Being near the end of the tax year, March is the traditional time to consider making additional pension contributions and for using up ISA allowances. By estimating your tax bill before the end of the tax year, we can help to plan your pension contributions so that they have the optimum effect, whether this be to keep you within the basic rate tax band, keep your income below £100,000 to preserve the Income Tax personal allowance, or to keep you out of the 45% tax band.

Of course whilst March may be the optimum time for making pension contributions, factors such as timing and cashflow may mean that pension contributions before the end of the tax year aren’t practical. Whilst pension contributions can’t be carried back to reduce the prior year’s tax position, certain other tax efficient investments can, and

whilst our tax advisers and IFA’s are able to work independently to provide tax and investment advice, we spend much of our time working together to provide joined up solutions to our clients to make sure they pay no more tax than they need to.

Why not give us a call to find out how our joined up approach can help not only give you advanced notice of your tax bill, but also suggest a strategy to mitigate it? Then, if you were one of the people who filed their Tax Return over Christmas, perhaps this year you can watch the Queen’s speech safe in the knowledge that your Tax Return has been dealt with.

For more information on some of the ways that a tax adviser can make your life easier contact Faye Howard on 0330 058 6559 or email faye.howard@scruttonbland.co.uk

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Sponsored by

Pub Walks with Darcy

www.christchurchvets.co.uk

‘Top of the Pops’ for Darcy, Dunwich has always been a favourite destination when we head out for a Pub Walk

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Back in October 2018 we chose Darcy’s ‘Top Ten Pub Walks’ to celebrate her 10th birthday. In the Number One spot was our very first route from The Ship at Dunwich and so due to popular demand we’ve created another of our ‘Pub Walks collections’ for you to enjoy; with three routes all from that very spot.

Dunwich Forest

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Bridge Farm

6 While we enjoy Dunwich year round, spring is possibly our favourite time to visit. Daffodils bobbing happily in among the ruins of the Friary, the heather just coming in to bloom and so much wildlife to enjoy all over the woods and heath.

Plus of course, if you take Route 2, you’ll also enjoy a magnificent stretch of beach and our advice is to try to coincide with low tide as the firm sand on the shoreline is definitely easier to tackle that the shingle.

Though the Dunwich of today is a quiet village it’s steeped in history. If you’re making a day of it and planning a break between each route we’d suggest a visit to the little museum just along the road from The Ship to find out more about what was once one of the most important ports in East Anglia. But make sure you save plenty of time for refreshments; you and your dog will be warmly welcomed at The Ship, there’s an ample garden plus a covered patio and the ever changing menu celebrates all that’s good about Suffolk.

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Dingle Stone House

Sandy Lane Farm

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Start point 1 for all routes

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Westleton Heath Nature Reserve

2 Greyfriars Wood

WESTLETON

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Walkbarn Farm

Dunwich Heath

5 Coastguard Cottages Scotts Hall Minsmere Nature Reserve Saunders’ Hill

the walks OS MAPS: Explorer 212 & 231 START POINT OS REFERENCE: 478 706 As always please keep your dog under close control and follow any advisory signs. Before you set off ensure you visit www.essentialsuffolk.com/pub-walks-with-darcy for a printable map and comprehensive instructions for these routes and more than 70 previous walks.

ROUTE 1

Blue Route

The first route heads south, passing the ruins of the Friary and then across the heath to the National Trust Coastguards Cottages. It’s a beautifully open stretch of heath and if you keep your eyes peeled either early morning or before nightfall you might be lucky enough to see deer. If you’re following the combined map please take care to only follow the blue numbers.

ROUTE 2

Purple Route

Heading off along a path that divides the woodland from the beach there’s plenty to see on this walk. On the first stretch there are several interesting properties with stunning views across Dingle Marshes. As you leave the woods and head across the marsh you’ll clearly see Southwold ahead before returning along the shoreline to The Ship for some well-earned refreshments. If you’re following the combined map please take care to only follow the purple numbers.

ROUTE 3

EXPLORE THE BEAUTY OF THE SUFFOLK HERITAGE COAST Once a haunt of smugglers, The Ship at Dunwich, nestled in between Southwold and Aldeburgh, isn't just a great place to eat, drink, relax and get away from it all – we like to think it's also part of a great story.

Now a quiet, idyllic village, surrounded by nature reserves, heathland and beach, only the romantic ruins of Dunwich monastery remain to hint at the fate of this once thriving medieval port claimed by the waves during a terrible storm. It's said you can still hear the peal of the church bells beneath the waves.

We look forward to welcoming you.

ENJOY TODAY’S CATCH

Our menus offer both traditional pub favourites as well as some more adventurous dishes. All local, fresh and hand-made by our talented kitchen team.

Red Route

The third and final route is another absolute beauty. In spring and early summer the scent of the gorse along the path is reminiscent of coconut and the pine forest offers plenty of shade for the dogs to dart in and out of. On the return stretch there’s a section of boardwalk and it’s best to keep your dog on a lead at this point or you might end up with a very soggy car boot! If you’re following the combined map please take care to only follow the red numbers.

MUDDY PAWS

A note to all four legged members of the family: You are most welcome! Ask your humans to explore some of the stunning walks on offer in this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Also if you fancy staying overnight all our rooms are dog (and human) friendly and you even get your own breakfast!

The Ship at Dunwich St James Street Dunwich Suffolk IP17 3DT 01728 648219 info@shipatdunwich.co.uk

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Smoking SUCCESS

Artisan Smokehouse is a small yet multi award-winning smokehouse set in a beautiful rural landscape not far from Felixstowe. Lesley Rawlinson discovers more

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asking in the warmth of the early spring sun, beaming through the window at Goose Barn, I momentarily forgot the biting February wind that had buffeted us along our short journey to Falkenham. Although in reality we were just a mile or so from the busy A14, tucked away along Back Road, we could have been miles from anywhere. And bearing in mind that this was a Thursday lunchtime in early February the Café & Deli at Artisan Smokehouse was positively buzzing.

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Open since late 2016, the café is just one part of this award winning business. “It all started back in 2010 when we launched Artisan Smokehouse – curing and smoking top quality, ethically reared ingredients. Most of our business was supplying hotels and restaurants and our own café wasn’t even part of the plan at that stage” explained Gill Matthews, one half of the husband and wife team who have created this gem.

Well I don’t think I’m alone when I say that I’m glad they added a diversion from their original path. A very large part of their business is creating mouth-watering hampers of their own smoked products alongside carefully selected complementary items like oils, relishes, crackers and other delicious treats – but everything that you will find in the hampers and on your plate in the café can also be bought from the deli; and so the circle is complete.

D I N IN G R E VI EW | A RTI S AN S MO KEH OU SE

It’s their attention to detail and appreciation for quality – but with a firm understanding of what their customers enjoy – that has been at the heart of their success. The ‘official’ awards are numerous and include Great Taste Awards, Young British Foodies Meat Champion, Suffolk Food & Drink Awards Pride of Suffolk and most recently winners in the Best Rural Food Business category at the 2018 Rural Business Awards. But just as importantly, Tim & Gill have high praising testimonials from wellknown names including Wine expert and TV presenter Olly Smith and TV chef Valentine Warner to name but two.

And when you walk through the doors you just get the right feeling; everything is bright and fresh (including the welcome), there’s plenty of choice but the menu isn’t overwhelming. Coffee and cake is fine or you can settle in for lunch with a bottle of wine… just enjoy exactly the experience you’d like to have – not a pre-defined conveyor where there’s pressure to follow the rules.

However, back to our visit. Open 10am until 4pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays only, it’s worth booking ahead. In good weather there’s some extra seating outdoors with pretty views across the fields and a great sense of openness. Breakfasts are served until 11am with the day’s choices posted on a blackboard and there are savoury snacks – like Tim’s outstanding homemade sausage rolls – along with a host of indulgent cakes, on display at the counter.

For those who enjoy a little structure, there’s a set lunch menu (two courses £14 or three for £17), or you can just meander through the menu as we did. There are various ‘Nibbles’ – smoked marinated olives, smokes almonds and the like, or ‘Small Plates’ that include hummus, smoked stilton or smoked salmon pate, soup… many of the choices vegetarian and special dietary requirements easily catered for.

But my lunch buddy (Mrs M) and I hovered over the hearty salads (including smoked free range duck breast, smoked goats cheese, halloumi and more), momentarily entertained the idea of an open sandwich and even gave the ‘ploughman’s style’ sausage roll with a wedge of smoked cheddar, pickles, salad and cheesy bread (from local bakers The bread Basket at Walton) serious consideration but we knew we were headed for a platter – or two!

This is when lunching with a friend who has similar tastes can be really rather handy.

With six platters to choose from our first challenge was to whittle down to two that we would share. The choices were: Smoked Meat, Smoked Salmon, Cheese and Meat, Smoked Beef Carpaccio, Smoked Cheese or Vegetarian. But those are just the headlines.

Most come with locally baked bread and salad leaves but for example the beef carpaccio is joined by stilton and walnut pate, parmesan shavings and truffle honey. The vegetarian option includes smoked olives, chargrilled halloumi, hummus, sweet red peppers, beetroot relish and handmade pickles; appealing to say the least. The selection of smoked cheeses is accompanied by crackers (can be gluten free), English quince and smoked olives – all so tempting.

We made our decision – we’d share the Smoked Salmon Platter; a selection of coldsmoked and hot-smoked salmon plus handmade smoked salmon pate, served with capers, lemon, beetroot relish, salad leaves and bread. We’d partner it up with the Cheese & Meat Platter; smoked salami, prosciutto ham, cheeses and smoked olives.

More salad and bread – perfect!

For some, the thought of an entire meal of smoked flavours may seem a little overwhelming however I must set your minds at rest. There are no artificial colours in Gill and Tim’s smoking. No artificial flavourings or preservatives are added. This is

not a mass produced affair. Their smoking process uses maple wood and the subtlety of flavour is quite magnificent. We started with the olives – an absolute revelation – and having taken Tim’s advice to try them with a cold glass of Cloud Factory Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand we were absolutely blown away from the start.

I sometimes find fish pates a little too salty for my taste, but not this one. The smoked salmon pate was so light and it paired perfectly with the seedy loaf. The hot-smoked and coldsmoked salmons achieve such different flavours and textures and we discussed and contrasted at length the merits of each.

The smoked cheeses were stilton and a farmhouse Cheddar with a wonderfully nutty flavour. Teamed with the prosciutto and salami we’d been a little afraid that this combination might be a little too filling but we couldn’t have been more wrong. Satisfying – yes, but not heavy or over indulgent. And we could take our time. There’s no rush. While the café was busy around us we were content in our flavour filled bubble – chatting, eating, drinking and simply enjoying.

Although Mrs M had spotted Banana Waffles when we first surveyed the menu and we’d seen various versions of delicious looking Affogato arrive at neighbouring tables we decided to forego dessert and round off our meal with a cup of locally roasted coffee – another example of their careful curation and love of all things ‘Suffolk’.

INFORMATION The Artisan Smokehouse, Goose Barn, Back Road, Falkenham, IP10 0QR 01394 448414 www.artisansmokehouse.co.uk

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Veggie-Might!

Packed with powerful anti-oxidants this vegetable crumble is a perfect lunch or light supper dish for kick-starting spring

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C H E F’ S R E CI P E | UF FO RD PA RK

Roasted tomato and vegetable crumble Serves 4

INGREDIENTS Vegetable mix: 1 aubergine, diced 1 courgette, diced 1 red onion, diced 1 red pepper, diced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tbsp of olive oil 1 tin tomatoes (400g) 1 tbsp tomato puree 100ml vegetable stock 1 tbsp dried basil 1 tbsp malt vinegar ½ tbsp demerara sugar Salt and pepper Ash Green has been with the team at Ufford Park for 16 years but took the helm as head chef a little over six months ago. Working his way through the ranks at the hotel, Ash has realised his dream and is really enjoying being head of the busy hotel kitchen. He says that being a chef was always what he wanted to do, he never considered any other career and of course working in a busy kitchen is a challenging, invigorating and rewarding job. Ash thrives on creating beautiful food, locally sourced wherever possible and producing delicious menus for hotel guests to enjoy. A local family man himself, Ash enjoys spending time with his family when he has some time away from the kitchen.

Crumble mix: 115g butter 150g plain flour 115g Parmesan cheese, finely grated

METHOD 1. In a baking tray, place all the vegetables, onions and garlic and coat with olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake in the oven at 180°C for 15 – 20 minutes until cooked, but still holding their shape.

2. Transfer the vegetable mixture into a saucepan and add the tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, vegetable stock, malt vinegar, sugar and basil. Season and let it simmer on a medium heat until the sauce is thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.

3. In a bowl, rub the flour and butter together until it resembles breadcrumbs and then stir in the parmesan.

4. Put the tomato and vegetable mixture into a shallow baking dish and evenly sprinkle over the crumble mix until it is all used. Baked for 25 minutes at 180°C until golden and bubbling.

The Park Restaurant is the perfect choice for a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, with breath taking views across the 120 acre golf course.

Our chef's are looking to satisfy your tastes with a seasonally-changing menu using the very best, locally-sourced ingredients.

All party sizes can be accommodated.

Families welcome. t 01394 383555| w www.uffordpark.co.uk

Yarmouth Road|Melton|Woodbridge|Suffolk|IP12 1QW

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The Artisan Smokehouse

FO O D GA L LE RY

Fynn Valley

Sibton White Horse

In the countryside just outside Ipswich, the new Fynn Valley Café Terrace and The Venue catering for weddings, celebrations, private & Christmas parties, charity events, conferences & more is where your event is uniquely designed by you and created by us. It is the ‘place for taste’ with delicious, locally sourced, breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea or just coffee and homemade cake.

Picturesque views across our golf course.

Open to ALL – Non-members very welcome.

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.

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

Please see website for variations in opening.

Food served all day – breakfast until 11.30am

Open: 8am – 6pm every day Food served 8am – 4pm Please check our website for what’s on and Events (i.e. Mother’s Day / Easter Sunday) as opening and food service hours will vary.

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.

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

Fynn Valley, Witnesham, Ipswich Suffolk, IP6 9JA

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

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

01473 785267 enquiries@fynnvalleyterrace.co.uk www.fynnvalleyterrace.co.uk

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

The Fountain

Ufford Park

The Randolph

Just three miles north of Ipswich in Tuddenham St Martin a warm welcome awaits at our informal bistro style restaurant.

Enjoy the atmosphere of a 16th century country pub with great food, great service and great value. Full A La Carte menu plus set price menus available daily. Our ever changing ‘Specials’ can be found on our website. Covered heated patio and spacious beer garden. Now serving coffee, cakes and brunch from 9.30am to 2pm daily.

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 £19.00 per person. Looking for somewhere to hold your family party or a special occasion? We are able to help you plan a menu and can accommodate all party sizes. Open to all; non-members welcome.

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.

Open: Monday to Friday: Brunch 9:30am – 2pm, Dinner 6pm – 9pm.

Saturdays: Brunch 9:30am – 2pm, Dinner 6pm – 9.30pm.

Sunday: Food service from 12 – 7pm

Open: Monday to Sunday 6.30pm – 9.30pm.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Café & Deli

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.

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

B US I N ES S P RO FI LE | W RE N KI T CH E NS

A KITCHEN TO COME HOME TO The relentless pace of 21st century life means we all long for somewhere comfortable and familiar to come home to and relax in. For many of us, that means the kitchen

lthough the kitchen is still the place where we cook, eat and entertain, over the years it has evolved into a family space, somewhere we do homework, sit and read or simply spend time with our loved ones after a busy day.

A

example, can evolve throughout the day from the place for children to eat their cereal before school, to a handy desk for anyone working at home, and extra prep or serving space for nights when you're entertaining.

Creating this kind of space is a lot more straightforward and affordable than it used to be, thanks to Wren Kitchens. Wren offers thousands of different style, unit and colour combinations to help you build a flexible and unique kitchen that works for you and your family – and create a place that welcomes you home after a tough day.

Features like this create that pull you feel when you open the front door after a long day, and make a kitchen the place you want to settle into for the night.

A kitchen for all seasons

So what are the secrets to planning that perfectly homely kitchen?

Creating a comfortable living space If the idea of thousands of options sounds a bit daunting, don't worry. When you visit a showroom, one of Wren’s expert kitchen designers will spend time with you, finding out what you need from your kitchen and helping you plan it out. And getting this planning stage right is crucial – it's not just about the basics of getting all of the measurements spot on, it's your chance to really think about what you need your kitchen to do for you.

For example, you might want to consider living and lounge units to create an area within your kitchen for the family to relax with a comfy sofa and flat screen TV while the magic happens in the kitchen close by. Wren’s Infinity Plus Milano Ultra is the ideal range for this layout – it has stylish and modern units which you could pair with rich and textured granite worktops for a beautiful contrast. A space designed for the whole family to spend time in together.

Adaptability is key For a kitchen that feels welcoming to every member of the household, aim to create a flexible room that adapts to everyone's needs. This all comes down to detail. An island or breakfast bar, for

It’s hard to beat a classic Shaker design when it comes to versatility or a warm welcome. Dressed up or pared down, Shaker units create functional spaces for efficient prepping, cooking, laundry and homework yet at the same time make welcoming homely rooms for lingering and relaxing – as places to dine or be social.

A soft-touch Ermine finish brings out the beauty of the Shaker design. Available in a wide range of colours to suit your home and personal style, Shaker Ermine can be elegant in Charcoal, fresh in Moonlight or Pillow or country in Sage or Mushroom. Pick two or more colours to divide your space or create focal points. Match it up with a simple, stylish tap, durable laminate worktops, and open shelving to add another opportunity to personalise your room with your favourite objects.

Creating a welcoming space that works for everyone isn't straightforward – but Wren Kitchens makes it easier than ever before to create a kitchen you're happy to come home to.

INFORMATION Wren Kitchens has a wide range of kitchens to choose from, and expert designers who can help you to plan out what you need.

To find a kitchen you’ll love to come home to, head to your local Wren Kitchens showroom, or browse the range of kitchens online, at wrenkitchens.com

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DUNLOPILLO

Royal Sovereign Four Drawer Double Mattress & Base Set WAS £3029 OUR PRICE

£2271

SLEEP EASY WITH HUGE REDUCTIONS ON BEDS, MATTRESSES AND BEDROOM FURNITURE ACROSS OUR RANGE.

All Hypnos king size mattresses, bases and bed sets can be found at the same price as a doubles, during Bed Month.

(Available until the 31St of March 2019 )

H O ME S & I N T ER IO RS

Essential SUFFOLK

always proud ~ to feature ~

LOCAL RETAILERS

Woolroom Amelia bedstead from £2,699 The Sleep Studio

MATTRESS MATTERS Buying a mattress is a big investment – after all you spend a third of your life sleeping, therefore it is imperative you find a mattress that is just right for you.

We have asked the experts from Sleep Studio to share their seven top tips for choosing the right mattress

Woolroom All seasons duvet from £179.99 The Sleep Studio

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1. Spend your maximum budget and don’t compromise Financial constraints often determine how much we spend but we’ll often stretch for something we really want. What value do we put on waking up refreshed to face the day? £1000 over ten years for two people is only 13.6 pennies per night, well worth it for a comfortable night’s sleep!

2. Always ask for advice and recommendations Use the knowledge of the sales advisor in the store/online-chat to ask all your questions, they are there to help and will guide you through the process from start to finish. They should genuinely help guide you to your perfect night’s sleep.

Hypnos Pillow Top Cirrus double mattress & base divan set. Sleep like royalty, £1805 for a double-sized mattress and base set Barretts of Woodbridge

DISCOVER BETTER SLEEP AT THE SLEEP STUDIO

We believe better bedding means better sleep. Our bedding range is made from premium natural fibres, no nasty chemicals. We partner British wool with other natural materials such as alpaca and cotton to create a truly wonderful sleep experience with bedding that breathes with your body, naturally. Relax, and take your time to try our beautiful hand-crafted mattresses and bedding in a unique location at The Sleep Studio.

AGENTS FOR

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Have the studio to yourself, book an appointment today to suit you, evenings and weekends included. Contact Bob or Niki at The Sleep Studio at Sycamore Farm today.

Sycamore Farm, Somersham Road Bramford, Ipswich IP8 4NN T: 01473 831723/07477 090 745 E: ipswich@thewoolroom.com www.thewoolroom.com Open Tuesdays and Thursdays 10am – 4pm.

Call us to arrange a visit at any other time.

H O ME S & I N T ER IO RS

3. Choosing the right tension is key to comfort and support Try to avoid a mattress too soft for you as this will cause your hips and shoulders to pinch in and the spine to curve downwards, putting pressure on joints and muscles which could lead to pain in the morning or throughout the night.

Try to avoid something too firm; a mattress which is firm puts unnecessary strain on your shoulder and hips and is unlikely to support the lumber region of the spine causing back pain or stiffness in those high-pressure areas.

The base the mattress is on will also affect the tension. Slatted bases will firm up a mattress significantly, so it is something to bear in mind when deciding on the tension to go for.

Sanderson Wisteria Blossom Ochre Wake up to the calming colours of spring, ÂŁ105 for a double set with 2 pillowcases Barretts of Woodbridge

Over 25 years of supplying high quality German kitchen furniture and Villeroy & Boch bathrooms

German kitchen furniture | Corian | Dekton | Miele | Neff

Villeroy & Boch bathrooms | Hansgrohe | Matki | Aqata | Keuco 2 A1

WOODBRIDGE INTERIORS

WOODBRIDGE A1152

A1 15 2 D NR LTO ME

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KITCHEN & BATHROOM SPECIALISTS

A12 A12

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Kitchen & Bathroom Showroom Smithfield, Melton Road, Woodbridge, IP12 1NG

01394 386390

www.woodbridgeinteriors.co.uk

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H O ME S & I N TE RI OR S

4. The base is more important than you might think Consider changing your bed base, as a mattress is designed to contour to you, it will also contour to the base. Whilst it may look in good shape today, ask yourself if the base will last another ten years. An old base can ruin a new mattress very quickly. A wooden or metal slatted base will firm a mattress significantly, so it is always best to look for a sprung option if possible.

5. Head and neck support are also very important Pick a new pillow at the same time, the position of the head and therefore the neck and spine are crucial in finding comfort.

Woolroom Isabella bedstead from £2,499 The Sleep Studio

6. Carefully consider the size of your mattress The width and length of the mattress – carefully consider the size of the mattress.

For example, if there are two people sharing the bed sleeping on a double is like sleeping on a cot mattress! Consider upgrading to a King-size which offers a little more width and also 10cm extra length – perfect for those who are perhaps a little taller.

Woolroom pillows from £37.49 each The Sleep Studio

Woolroom deluxe mattress topper from £149.99 The Sleep Studio

Remember to match up your mattress protector/topper with the size of the bed, this will increase the life of your mattress by a couple of years. Always choose a wool protector/ topper to go over a natural mattress otherwise you won’t get the full benefits of a natural mattress.

7. Check the contents and filling of your mattress Whilst some synthetic fibres and materials may generate comfort they can also lead to a significant reduction in breathability and heat regulation. We strongly recommend considering the inner materials within your mattress – natural fillings such as cotton, hemp and wool will breathe significantly better than polyester fibre, Polyurethane forma and Memory foam.

Woolroom All seasons duvet from £179.99 The Sleep Studio

The Woolroom mattress collection finding the perfect mattress for the bets nights leep from £599 The Sleep Studio

STOCKISTS Barretts of Woodbridge 40-42 Thoroughfare, Woodbridge. T: 01394 384300 www.barretts.co.uk Sleep Studio Sycamore Farm, Somersham Road, Bramford, Ipswich. T: 01473 831723 www.thewoolroom.com

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G ARD E NING

SPRING PLANTING Spring brings the planting season as garden designer and plantswoman Catharine Howard explains

MA RCH / A PRIL 2019

he Wardian case was invented by Dr Nathaniel Bagshaw in 1829 in order to bring living specimens back from foreign expeditions that included plant hunting. It was glass hermetic box that kept plants alive but safe from the roughest weather at sea.

Back in the UK optimum growing conditions had to be found for the expensive and rare flora and a rather precious coddling culture of growing was born.

T

The application of this way of observing nature is that a whole community of plants will be looked at together. This then becomes a kind of template for planting in the garden. Put simply, we copy what is out there in nature. A list of ecologically minded authors – amongst whom are James Hitchmough (Sowing Beauty) and Thomas Rainier (Planting in a Post Wild World) have taught us to observe the interaction of plants cohabiting in the wild and to emulate this.

A leaf through my old collection of gardening books shows the mentality of treating plants as individuals – pieces of furniture, if you will. By this I mean putting them in just the right place and getting the spacing right so that the neighbours do not lean over and smother them. Each plant is cared for as an individual with its own menu of weeding, mulching, irrigation and fertilisation.

The golden key is to think in layers. In the spatial sense this will be vertical. From shade tolerant ground cover at the base to tall vertical shapes for colour and pollination purposes. This will cross reference with layering in time from the emergence of spring bulbs through to tall perennials for the late summer and autumn. I will write on this big subject later in the year.

The basic premise here is constant human intervention but the days of employing 100 gardeners, a la Ellen Wilmott, are gone but even one knowledgeable gardener is a scarcity these days. Handy then that this Wardian case mentality has been overthrown by the quadrat approach.

This is a standard bit of kit for the ecologist who throws it down in a natural place that he is exploring and then uses it to list all the flora and fauna inhabiting the random square metre that it covers.

Your choice of flora will be governed by research. How do these plants spread and are they shade tolerant? Look at the sort of roots they have.

It is simple: shake the plants out of the soil and examine them. A range of tap roots, shallow fibres, deep fibres and the rest means that access to water and nutrients will come from different soil horizons. Above all avoid aggressive colonisers and prolific seeders.

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G ARD E NING

A cast back in time to the floriferous Olympic Park, might nudge your memory to the use of effective sheets of colour from around the world.

The approach was ecological but not purist – that is to say that beautiful flowers from different geographical zones were mixed in together. The collaboration was between plant ecologist James Hitchmough and planting artist Sarah Price.

Think of your planting as a community. With this mindset do away with all the traditional garden tasks. No more watering, mulching, spraying, pruning or leaf litter removal. Replace these with infrequent large scale actions such as mowing or burning. The emphasis shifts to preserving the integrity of the whole.

And never underestimate the part that the soil plays in all this, but working with what is there without horticultural intervention. There is a warning sign over too much nutrition. This brings on overgrowth resulting in weak sappy stems and an oversized leaf mass. Floppy flowerbed occupants apart, the invitation to disease and insect depredation is written large. The book ‘Peter Korn’s Garden: Giving plants what they need’ takes the exercise one step further in order to grow his plants hard and healthy. Plants are unpotted, roots washed and then dug into 30cm of well draining sand. There are experiments to be carried out and I will report back on them later in the year.

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

MAKE LIGHT WORK OF YOUR LAWN & GARDEN Large selection of Garden Machinery

LAWnmoWeRS

Competitive Prices ShReddeRS

Ask Elmers SCARIfIeRS/ LAWnRAkeRS

about choosing the right “ It’s machinery, tools and care products to suit your lawn.

The team at Elmers are here, ready to help and advise you

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Says Justin, Elmers Garden Machinery Expert

Elmers Hardware | 59-61 Edmonton Road | Kesgrave | Suffolk | 01473 623381 | www.elmershardware.co.uk

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MA RCH / A PRIL 2019

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

HAPPY NEW YEAR THE ANSWERS! A big thank you to those who submitted answers to last year’s quiz which came from as far afield as Kent! There was in fact no one who achieved a one hundred per cent success rate so we have chosen the winner who provided the greatest number of correct answers.

New government guidelines, known as GDPRs, might prevent me from publishing the winner’s name but here goes anyway!

Congratulations go to Sue Warren who has provided her address as being beside the seaside… but, at this point, I must stop you before you break into song!

For those of you who found the quiz a bit of a challenge, or may not have submitted your efforts, here are the answers with the initial letter of all of the answers spelling out Happy New Year.

H stood for Herringbone. The style of decorative inlay laid out in the same pattern as the backbone of the fish bearing the same name.

A is for Adam. The most well-known of four brothers being Robert.

P was the initial letter of Papier-mâché. The second P stood for Patina being the build-up on the surface of furniture resulting from general wear and tear, polishing etc. Y represents Yoke, the wooden object carried on the shoulders to support say pails of water or around the necks of oxen etc.

James Neal

Now onto the more contemporary or ‘New’ element. N is the first letter of Nursing as in low seated chairs used by nursing mothers, or in this PC world fathers or others feeding or nursing a baby. E takes us to our French friends for the word Escritoire. It has to be said desk is simpler! W appears at the beginning of Whatnot; a multi-tiered stand for displaying your treasures.

We are now on the final stretch as we head into ‘Year’. Y is the initial letter of the type of chair with a tall back and two carved semi-circular horizontal rails or splats and known as a Yorkshire chair. E is for Escutcheon, the name given for the pivoting cover concealing a keyhole. A starts the word which is as difficult to say as to spell! The answer is Anthemion; a type of decoration used in Adam and Sheraton furniture designs. Finally, we arrive at our last letter which is R and this starts the word Robing to describe a full-length mirror which could be mounted on a wall, on a stand or included in the door of a wardrobe etc.

I hope you feel suitably enlightened!

Moving Home?

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 70 71 73 75 77 84

Fenn Wright Jackson-Stops Savills Clarke & Simpson Mortimers Hopkins Homes

72 Parham

74 Hasketon

76 Hintlesham

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

Old Felixstowe

Burgh, Woodbridge

An individual, detached house enlarged and modernised with a contemporary twist set in about two thirds of an acre (sts).

This spectacular three bedroom first floor apartment is part of the conversion of the former Bartlet Convalescent Home and features a delightful balcony with exceptional views. The property benefits from modern conveniences whilst retaining the charm and character of the 1920s original building.

• Semi-rural, secluded location • Flexible accommodation for modern living • Bedroom suite with mezzanine, shower room and balcony • Summerhouse, workshop, garden sheds, log stores • Garage and carport • EPC rating E

Guide Price £675,000

Woodbridge

• Panoramic sea views • Stunning modern accommodation • Open-plan sitting/kitchen/ dining room • 10 ft ceiling height in living area and master bedroom • Excellent loft storage • Allocated parking • EPC rating TBC Guide Price £625,000

Capel St Mary A beautiful town centre property, full of character. The house is the principal property on a contemporary development undertaken by Greystoke & Everleigh where substantial houses were constructed in the heart of the town as part of the redevelopment of the former primary school into a new library.

An individual four double bedroom detached house with a selfcontained one bedroom annexe.

The property is set in an elevated position in a sought after village location that offers excellent access to the A12 trunk road.

Guide Price £649,500

Buttermarket, Ipswich

• Approx. 2,100 sq ft • Orwells handmade kitchen with integrated appliances • Sitting/dining room with Inglenook fireplace • Family room, separate utility room • En-suite to the master and guest bedrooms • Double garage, EPC rating C

01473 232 700

• 5 bedrooms, 3 en-suites and a bathroom • Floor area approx. 3,270 sq ft • Magnificent drawing room • Spacious Amdega conservatory • South facing part walled garden • Garage, bay in car port and parking for two more cars • EPC rating B Guide Price £1,350,000

Main Road, Kesgrave

01473 358 400

Quayside, Woodbridge

01394 333 346

WoodbRidgE

banKS oF tHE RivER oRWEll

● 4 bath/shower rooms ● Private & secure courtyard garden

● 3 reception rooms ● 5 bedrooms & dressing room

● Imposing Georgian townhouse ● 3 reception rooms ● 5 bedrooms ● 2 parking spaces ● Central town position ● No onward chain

● Elegant Georgian mews house ● Secure parkland setting ● Rural views ● 3 bath/shower rooms ● Garaging & parking ● Secluded gardens

guidE £1,250,000

guidE £800,000

FElixStoWE

WoodbRidgE

● Stunning sea views ● Property currently subdivided

● 2 reception rooms ● 3 bedrooms ● 2 bath/shower rooms

● Single storey residence ● Potential for redeveloping or extending ● 3 reception rooms ● 6 bedrooms ● Garage ● ¼ of an acre in all

● Elevated & private position ● Vaulted kitchen/dining room ● Double garage ● Armadilla office pod ● Private parking

guidE £495,000

guidE £550,000

ipSWicH 01473 218218

Tim Dansie

Jonathan Penn

James Squirrell

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

MA RCH / A PRIL 2019

The Old Hall Facts Location: Parham Price: £895,000 Agent: Clarke & Simpson

Historic Home The Old Hall is an impressive and very attractive Grade II listed property, believed to date from the sixteenth century. With six bedrooms and 1.1 acres of land the house is also of architectural interest because of its unusual chimneys.

Both internally and externally, the house offers characteristic period features including exposed timbers, original doorways, mullion windows and inglenook fireplaces. The current owners have carried out sympathetic renovation works throughout in the house.

Externally, as well as landscaping the grounds, they have fully renovated the garage outbuildings that offer great scope for alternative uses.

Downstairs there’s a snug and a spacious sitting room with brick fireplace with a

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canopy and bressumer beam above and exposed timbers. A door to an inner hall leads to the dining room with wall-to-wall south and west facing windows overlooking the rear garden. The breakfast room has east and west facing windows overlooking the front and rear of the property. From here a large opening leads into the kitchen, which has traditional high and low level wall units with timber and granite work surfaces.

On the first floor are five bedrooms, a bathroom and shower room and on the second floor an attic room which could be used as a sixth bedroom. The property is approached from the road via an 80m shingle drive that leads to the range of garages and the house itself. These garages have been fully refurbished. The two main garage areas are insulated and have recessed spotlights.

Whilst ideal for a classic car collection or as general storage/workshops, the building has great scope to be converted to holiday units, an annexe or offices (subject to the normal consents).

To the front of the garages is a substantial area of parking/yard and, beyond this, formal gardens that have relatively newly planted beds with shrubs and maturing hedges and trees. The driveway continues to the house itself and a sandstone path leads round the house to a south and west facing rear patio that abuts the kitchen and dining room.

Within the garden is a brick outbuilding which has a store plus an office of 15’6 x 8’2 with window.

INFORMATION Clarke & Simpson 01728 724200

Properties of the month

Savills Suffolk 01473 234 800

Higham Guide £1.1 million

Bildeston Guide £1 million

4 bedrooms, 3 bath/shower rooms, 3 reception rooms, study, annexe, double cart lodge, gym/home office above, landscaped gardens, ePC rating – e

6 bedrooms, 3 bath/shower rooms, 3 reception rooms, delightful garden, off street parking, barn & outbuilding, double garage, about 0.6 acre

Rickinghall Guide £825,000

Holbrook Guide £850,000

6 bedrooms, 4 bath/shower rooms, 3 reception rooms, study, garage, studio/workshop, mature gardens, about 0.6 acre, ePC rating – f

5 bedrooms, 2 bath/shower rooms, 3 reception rooms, potential annexe, garage & parking, mature garden, ePC rating – f

Claydon Guide £825,000

Ipswich Guide £750,000

5 bedrooms, 2 bath/shower rooms, 2 reception rooms, detached 2 bed cottage, tennis court, mature gardens, about 0.75 acres

6 double bedrooms, 3 bath/shower rooms, 2 well proportioned reception rooms, landscaped courtyard garden, off street parking

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?

MA RCH / A PRIL 2019

The Granary Facts Location: Hasketon Price: on application Agent: Jackson-Stops

Country Home in Hasketon Set at the end of a long gravel drive, The Granary dates from Victorian times and was originally the granary for the former Hasketon windmill. Converted in the 1970s, the six-bedroomed accommodation, extends in all to some 3,628 sq ft. with many of the rooms enjoying fine views across the gardens and surrounding countryside.

Set off a spacious reception hall is a twin aspect drawing room with the dining room beyond linking back into the large kitchen/breakfast room. An inner hall accesses the study and sitting room with its full height glazed windows. All three reception rooms have access onto a

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wide paved south facing sun trap terrace.

Beyond the kitchen is a utility room, boot room and pantry.

There is a sheltered hard tennis court as well as a heated swimming pool adjoining a wide sun trap terrace.

On the first floor, which is accessed by twin staircases, are six double bedrooms and three bathrooms, two of which are en suite. The majority of the bedrooms enjoy fine views across the gardens and surrounding countryside.

To the rear is an area of productive kitchen garden sheltered by beech hedging with a herb garden and ‘breakfast terrace’.

There are further lawned gardens and a grassland meadow interplanted with a beech tree avenue and sheltered by a mature tree belt. In all the property extends to about four acres.

Outside The Granary overlooks formal gardens which lie principally to the south and west, enclosed and sheltered by mature hedgerows and trees and laid mainly to grass with mixed herbaceous and shrub borders.

INFORMATION Jackson Stops 01473 218218

Grundisburgh, Nr Woodbridge £895,000

Sibton, Nr Heritage Coast £550,000

a prominent grade ii listed village house with stunning contemporary extension to the rear, occupying a large plot & offering annexe accommodation. Drawing room, sitting room, kitchen/ dining room, utility room, boot room & cloakroom. master bed with en-suite shower room, 4 further beds, study/bedroom 6, bathroom & shower room. annexe with sitting room, kitchen, double bedroom & bathroom. Double garage. gardens extending, in all, to nearly half an acre. Ref: 6095

an impressive village house with field views, situated within walking distance of shops & 8 miles from the coast. Hallway, dining room, sitting room, kitchen/breakfast room, boot room & utility room/study. Downstairs shower room & cloakroom. annexe with open plan kitchen/dining/sitting room. 4 bedrooms, 2 en-suite shower rooms & additional shower room. ample off-road parking. south-west facing rear garden. in all, 0.25 acres. ePC = D Ref: 6099

Dennington, Nr Framlingham £495,000

Mendlesham Green, Nr Stowmarket £495,000

a detached bungalow located in a standalone position with grounds of over 3 acres, within the parish of Dennington, near laxfield. Boot room, cloakroom, kitchen, dining room & sitting room.

3 bedrooms & bathroom. gardens, paddocks & meadows extending, in all, to 3.2 acres. range of traditional agricultural buildings including small suffolk barn. ePC = e Ref: 6097

a well-presented detached house standing in a rural location along a small lane, within grounds of quarter of an acre. Hallway, kitchen/breakfast room, utility room, downstairs shower room, dining room, study & sitting room. master bedroom with en-suite. 4 further bedrooms. Jack & Jill shower room & additional bathroom. ample off-road parking, large garage & west facing rear garden. ePC = D Ref: 6086

Bedfield, Nr Framlingham £425,000

Eyke, Nr Woodbridge £365,000

an exceptionally well-maintained & beautifully presented bungalow sitting in the middle of its large plot of approximately 0.27 acre. entrance porch, entrance hall, sitting room/dining area, dining room/bedroom 3, conservatory, kitchen/breakfast room & utility room. master bedroom with en-suite shower room, bedroom 2 & bathroom. Double garage. ample parking. attractive & mature gardens extending in all 0.27 acres. ePC = e Ref: 6093

a detached house situated in the well regarded village of eyke. entrance hall, sitting room, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room & cloakroom. master bedroom with en-suite shower room, 3 further bedrooms & shower room. garage & driveway. gardens to the front & rear. ePC = C Ref: 5934

Darsham, Nr Heritage Coast From £294,995

Great Finborough, Nr Stowmarket £235,000

Open Day 23rd March 2019 – Cheyney green is a stunning new development of just twenty contemporary 2, 3, 4 & 5 bedroom homes in the charming village of Darsham, built by the well regarded local housebuilder, sunbury Homes. Jsa savills. Ref: 5906

an impressive end-of-terrace house within walking distance of the primary school & village pub.

Kitchen, sitting/dining room & cloakroom. 3 first floor bedrooms & bathroom. Front & rear gardens. garage & tandem car parking spaces. ePC = C Ref: 6088

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

T: 01728 724200

www.clarkeandsimpson.co.uk

MA RCH / A PRIL 2019

The Old Barn Facts Location: Hintlesham Price: ÂŁ895,000 Agent: Savills

Beautiful Barn Conversion Set amid stunning views over beautiful Suffolk countryside, The Old Barn is a sixbedroomed property on the edge of the much sought after village of Hintlesham.

It is a period barn conversion situated down a long drive and is believed to date from the 1820s.

The property has many attractive features including well-proportioned and light filled rooms, stripped pine doors, quarry tiled floors and some fine exposed oak ships timbers.

The accommodation flows from the central reception hall out to three reception rooms.

On one side is the dining room with a multifuel burner and door to the garden room.

The next door study is partially vaulted with French doors out to the garden.

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Across the hall the kitchen has wooden base and wall mounted units and exposed studwork, leading to the sitting room which has a multi-fuel burner. The rear hall houses the large utility room, cloakroom and boot room as well as giving access to the wellproportioned drawing room. Beyond the drawing room are two bedrooms and a shower room. The first floor is reached via a wrought iron staircase leading to four bedrooms and two bath/shower rooms.

Outside, the property is set well back from the lane and is approached across a long drive. To one side is the triple cart lodge. The front gardens are mainly laid to lawn with a number of trees interspersed within the lawns and backs on to open countryside.

The rear garden has flower borders, a koi carp pond and summerhouse, with a sheltered paved courtyard running along the length of the barn, perfect for al fresco dining.

Slightly elevated and to the side of the barn are further flower borders, greenhouse and a well-stocked orchard with apple, pear, cherry and mulberry trees as well as a vegetable garden with poly-tunnel. To the north-east of the property lies the paddock land which offers outstanding views of the surrounding countryside.

INFORMATION Savills 01473 234800

FAmiLy Run BuSinESS With OvER 30 yEARS ExpERiEncE

Orford

Guide Price £650,000

An immaculate 3 bedroom detached house which has a lovely feel with its brick fireplaces, farmhouse style kitchen with wood burner, sitting room, study, garden room, cloakroom, master bedroom with en-suite, two further double bedrooms and a family bathroom, pretty gardens and double garage. Sought-aer location. EPC: E

Woodbridge

Guide Price £495,000

A spacious detached house located just a short distance from the Market Square and town centre. Kitchen, dining room, sitting room, garden room, 2 bedrooms, study/ bedroom 3, cloakroom, family bathroom, dressing room, pleasant gardens, separate garage and parking. EPC: D

Woodbridge

Guide Price £495,000

is handsome 4 bedroom town house offers flexible living accommodation over 3 floors. Ent hall, music room, bed 4, utility, shower room, kitchen, open plan sitting /dining room, 3 futher bedrooms and a bathroom, part garage store, parking and a large south-facing garden. garden. EPC: D

Guide price £425,000

Woodbridge

A charming period town house with accommodation over 4 floors. Ent hall, sitting room, bed 4/study, kitchen, dining room, cloakroom, Two 2nd floor bedrooms and bathroom and a master suite on the 3rd floor with en-suite. Pretty garden. EPC: E

Guide Price £379,500

Woodbridge

An attractive period cottage located in a highly desirable area. Sitting room, dining room, kitchen, lobby and bathroom, two bedrooms, garden and a garage accessed via Beaconsfield Road. UPVC d/g, gas c/h. EPC: D

Guide Price £700,000

Bredfield Building plot

SALE AGREED – MORE LAND WANTED WITH OR WITHOUT PLANNING PERMISSION – TOP PRICES PAID Call Linda Mortimer MNAEA for more details.

mORtimERS tERmS & cOnDitiOnS 1% of the sale price including VAT (minimum fee will apply to properties below £200,000).

THERE IS NO TIE IN PERIOD IN OUR CONTRACT. Energy Performance Certificates £70 NO VAT. FREE honest and realistic valuations by qualified staff.

FAMILY RUN BUSINESS WITH OVER 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE.

Linda mortimer MNAEA

Dale mortimer MNAEA Dip DEA

omas mortimer

patricia masson

Rosemary Barnard

Call 01394 386688 or email info@mortimersestateagents.co.uk

Essential FACES

Shout About Suffolk Launch Event A new year signalled a new arrival for Suffolk’s impressive entrepreneurial scene. Three successful business founders launched Shout About Suffolk in January, bringing an innovative ‘start-up lab’ concept to the county. The initiative will provide a mentoring support scenario and also aid the growth of other entrepreneurs. The launch party was attended by dozens of business representatives, and featured speeches from the likes of corporate supporter Birketts. See pages 48 & 49.

Paddy Bishopp, Toby Durrant

Jim Fennell, Gemma Griffin, Louis Hurd

Mike Rieder, Vernon Blackmore

Katie & Ben Emerson, Sophia Taylor

Sarah Bishopp, Sandy Ruddock

Samual Stamp-Dod, Bob Scott, Digby Chacksfield 78

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Francie Readman, Tim Rowan-Robinson

Liz Brownsell, William Catchpool, Elizabeth Pearce

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Emma Barnard, Paul Hutton, James & Emma Kindred

Katie Harrison, Dom South

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Georgie Croft, Laura Shearer

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Kevin Bolton, Lucie Fairweather

David Holloway, Vaughan Evans

EssentialSUFFOLK

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Essential Directory CARE SERVICES

Personalised affordable care at home Ipswich and east Suffolk 01473 707900 Homecare@stelizcare.co.uk

DESIGN SERVICES

Clear graphic design in print and online We are a team of friendly, hardworking, no-nonsense designers creating distinctive brands and concise communications across a range of sectors

GIFTS

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

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Newman Design 8 Brightwell Barns Ipswich Road Brightwell IP10 0BJ 01473 811728 info@newman-design.com www.newman-design.com

Celebrating Suffolk life & landscape

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

MOTORING

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01394 386390

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Mercedes-Benz Independent Specialist Sales, Service & Repair

Complimentary Courtesy Cars

Enduringly beautiful windows and doors

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

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Rendall Wright

Award winning interior design, creating beautiful, elegant and timeless interiors in the heart of Suffolk

Beautifully hand crafted, bespoke kitchens, cabinets and furniture www.orwellsfurniture.co.uk

The Woodlands, Badley Needham Market, IP6 8RS 01449 774222 service@derrickwells.com www.derrickwells.com

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Competitive hourly rate of £58 + VAT.

Wide range of e-bikes to suit any age or ability, from hybrids to folders to xtreme downhill, we have it all on display. e-Vélo, 7a Blyth Road Ind. Est. Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 8EN 0800 246 5306

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

EssentialSUFFOLK

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MA RCH / A PRIL 2019

M Y S U FF OL K

My Suffolk This year the Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds is celebrating its 200th anniversary.

It is the last surviving example of a working Regency playhouse in the country and is also a National Trust property. Karen Simpson is Artistic Director and CEO How did you come to live in Suffolk?

My first trip to Suffolk was touring a production of Some Like It Hotter to the New Wolsey, in Ipswich. Little did I know that three months later I would be head of the wonderful Theatre Royal and moving house from Sheffield to sunny Suffolk!

What’s special about the county?

It’s friendly and welcoming and I adore the weather here. I have to say it took a little while to get used to how flat the county is when I first came here but the countryside is still charming and the coast is wonderful too.

Do You have any hobbies?

Theatre, theatre, theatre! It's been my life really. I got my first professional theatre job at the age of 23 and spent seven years as a stage manager working in and around Manchester and was also resident stage manager for The Queens Theatre, Hornchurch. I then decided to move into directing and producing theatre and that led to work with touring companies in the North West and Oxford, and to work for Michael Grandage and Sam West at the Crucible Theatre Sheffield. I used to be a keen sportswoman too and played netball for many years. I cried when England won the Commonwealth Games last year. Finally the game got national recognition.

Where do you like to walk?

I like to get on my bike and ride around the lanes near to where I live just outside of Bury St Edmunds.

Where do you like to eat out?

I love Indian food and therefore the Valley Connection, in Bury St Edmunds which was named as the BCA restaurant of the year a couple of years back is always a favourite.

I also like the White Horse in Whepstead.

Great home cooked food and good value.

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Why is Suffolk so rich in its Arts, Culture and Heritage?

I'm not sure. Clearly there are some very old historical sites right across the county, which are intriguing. I have also been really impressed by just how many people have been born here and gone on to do great things in the arts. Peter Hall for instance is a wonderful example of boy from Bury who went on to become one of the most influential Theatre Directors of the 20th Century running the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre.

Tell us one thing about Theatre Royal that most people don’t know It operates on a tiny fraction of core support each year compared to many of the region’s theatres and venues.

What one picture would you choose to represent the county Theatre Royal of course and its beautiful auditorium.

If you had to take newcomers on a tour of Suffolk where would you take them?

Definitely Bury St Edmunds. I really did not know a thing about the town and its incredible history before coming to live here.

It really is the gem in the crown of Suffolk.

An abbey which is about to celebrate its millennium, a theatre which is 200 years old, medieval houses and an array of independent shops and cafes all make it a definite hit.

Each time I have family or friends to stay I am reminded just how much people love the town once they are introduced to it. But without a doubt our tour would include a trip to Suffolk’s beautiful coast and walk on the beach.

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