Living in Suffolk Coastal - Issue 37

LIVING IN SUFFOLK

Save The Deben ... the fight continues

Local home owners… throw open their doors

FREE

PASS

Child free zones?… meet the couple with the Parent Pod!

Oxygen therapy ... “my life saver”

Is grey just so last year?… Jojo Humes Brown on colours

GET INVOLVED …

if you’ve got a heartwarming or topical story, an inspiring home or business to show off or an event you’re planning, get in touch!

The copy deadline for our June / July edition, which hits the streets in early June, is May 14th 2023.

l For advertising information or if you’d like to submit any collaboration ideas or stories for future issues, hit us up at: info@livinginsuffolk.com

ON OUR COVER …

We love our beautiful cover image (and this sunset photo to the left) taken by talented photographer Ruth Leach who is also co-founder of the campaigning group Save The Deben - see our news story on page 5. Ruth, who has lived in the area for the past eight years, offers studio and location shoots. l Check her out at: www.ruthleachphotography.com

LIVING IN

Editor: Angela Hagan 07930 184773, info@livinginsuffolk.com

Designer: Lewis Webb

Writers: Charity Crewe and Carl Stickley charity@livinginsuffolk.com, carl@livinginsuffolk.com www.livinginsuffolk.com

Due East Media Ltd: Soane House, 4 Soane Street, Ipswich IP4 2BG. Registered in England number 10242873

Disclaimer: Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the data in this publication is accurate, neither the publisher nor the editor, nor its editorial contributors can accept, and hereby disclaim, any liability to any party for omissions resulting from negligence, accident or any other cause. All artwork is accepted on the strict condition that permission has been given for use in this publication. LivingIn…SuffolkCoastal does not officially endorse any advertising material included within this publication. All rights reserved. No parts of this publication may be reproduced, without prior permission of Due East Media Ltd.

STOP POISONING OUR BELOVED RIVER

Save The Deben, co-founded by Ruth Leach and county councillor Caroline Page, have vowed to fight on after the government’s recent decision to turn down their application for Woodbridge’s designated bathing status. Despite their relief that their application for nearby Waldringfield will go to Public Consultation, they remain “shocked” that their requests (for two stretches) of the River Deben were rejected.

DEFRA, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, headed by the region’s Conservative MP, Therese Coffey, have not given their reasons for the refusal but the local pressure group surmise it is because the number of bathers does not meet DEFRA’s undisclosed threshold.

But Ruth Leach says: “It’s not just about bather numbers, there are lots of other groups who use the river including the Sea Scouts and kayakers who are not being taken into account.”

Ruth points out that under the government’s Storm Overflows Reduction Plan, August 2022, water companies will have to filter sewage at the treatment works outlet and will not be able to allow CSO events (RAW sewage discharges) in ecologically sensitive areas.

“There is a rare, listed mollusc - the mollusc vertigo augustior - that was identified at Martlesham Creek,” she says, “so this is an ecologically sensitive area.” The group’s fears come amidst claims that dangerous bacteria E.Coli has been found in the River Deben, notably by former Woodbridge mayor and river campaigner Eamonn O’Nolan.

Mr O’Nolan carried out tests on the

water claiming he found high levels of E. Coli in five places, though Anglian Water said it was “impossible to comment on the validity” of water quality testing carried out by citizens as they were not “very representative”.

Ruth Leach says: “We believe part of the source of E.Coli is the sewage treatment works at Woodbridge. One of the sewage outlets is at Kyson Point.

“Getting the bather water status here would mean that Anglian Water would have to filter the discharge at source and update their water treatment works. They would receive government funding.” Regular bather and Woodbridge resident, Julian Illman, tells LivingIn; “As part of a thriving Deben swimming group we were incredibly disappointed to not achieve designated bathing status. Is the health of Woodbridge people not important?”

Lib Dem County Councillor and terminal cancer patient, Caroline Page, who is a regular bather in the Deben, believes her condition was put at further risk recently after swimming in the river.

“I was diagnosed with acute kidney injury at Ipswich Hospital, having been blue-lighted there with extreme d&v after swimming with my mouth open at Kyson Creek,” she says. “None of my fellow swimmers, on enquiry, had the same. I have no wish to alarm but clearly something needs to be done.”

Save The Deben have vowed to fight on with a four-point action plan which includes drawing up a petition for DEFRA to reconsider the Woodbridge application. “People can sign it on April 29th at the World Earth Day celebrations at Whisstocks in Woodbridge,” says Ruth. “Then we will resubmit our application along with that petition. Two very senior MPs, who I can’t name as we’re trying to remain apolitical on this issue, have put in Freedom Of Information requests as to why our applications were declined. So there’s pressure from the very top. We will also be challenging DEFRA to redefine their critera for bather numbers so future applications will benefit everybody. We

will redo the whole thing over summer and submit again in October.”

l Visit: www.savethedeben.org

Constituents can contact Ms Coffey at: therese.coffey.mp@parliament.uk

IT’S A SIGN …

A mystery sign, which no-one has claimed responsibility for, recently appeared at Martlesham Creek, home to 100 or so boats including several live-on barges and neighbour to a Suffolk Wildlife Trust nature reserve. LivingIn … asked Ms Coffey, whose constituency covers Martlesham Creek if she did, indeed, receive any funding or sponsorship to allow the ongoing pollution there. We also asked why the Woodbridge application was turned down and if she believed Anglian Water, which last year made £96.3 million profit before tax, should be held to account for the alleged increase in E-Coli found in the Deben.

She replied with already-published comments which had been given to other media, stating: “Improving the water quality in our rivers and sea in Suffolk is really important to me. That is why I am pleased about the consistently excellent ratings of the beaches in Felixstowe, and why I intervened with Anglian Water to improve Southwold Denes beach quality. Martlesham Creek is not a bathing water and I do not know the validity of the recent samples suggesting the presence of E-Coli. If the constituent in question wants to contact me with the details, I can follow up with the Environment Agency directly.”

“Two very senior MPs have put in Freedom of Information requests asking why we’ve been turned down. There’s pressure from the very top” Ruth Leach, Save The Deben

“I suffered from acute kidney injury after swimming in the Deben” Cllr Caroline Page, terminal cancer sufferer

© Ruth Leach

William Crees

Caroline Page and Ruth Leach

ON THE MARKET

Your latest local property news from around the coastal region …

A CLASSIC EDWARDIAN MANSION

Cransford Hall is understood to date from around 1910 and offers extensive and flexible use

Accommodation extending to some 15,800sq ft across four floors. Standing amidst mature, formal gardens which surround the house, it was originally built as a private residence and currently used as such. Cransford Hall has previously been a girls’ boarding house for the former Framlingham Grammar School and also, for a number of years, a residential care home.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!

Tucked away in the very heart of Woodbridge is this spacious and airy three bed property with ample off-road parking including a sheltered space.

It offers two reception rooms plus a large kitchen/ diner, gas-fired central heating and a re-fitted bathroom upstairs. All ready for a new owner to stamp their mark on it. An early viewing is strongly advised by Mortimers estate agents on this property.

Guide price: £550,000

l To book a viewing, call the team at Mortimers in Woodbridge: 01394 386688.

The accommodation, which benefits from an oil-fired central heating system and a CCTV security system, features four impressive principal reception rooms set off fine entrance and reception halls, together with studies, a library and office, beyond which is an extensive range of domestic offices, including a former commercial kitchen and large breakfast room. On the first floor, set off a light and spacious landing, are currently 12 bedrooms, four dressing rooms, with six bath/shower rooms and two separate cloakrooms.

On the second floor, there are six further bedrooms, together with a bath and shower room. The potential and flexibility exist for the rationalisation of the first-floor accommodation as required.

The property boasts an extensive basement with boiler room housing twin oil fired boilers which provide for domestic hot water and central heating.

Electronically controlled wrought iron gates on brick pillars provide access to a long private driveway which sweeps down through meadows and woodland to the rear of Cransford Hall, where there is ample parking and access to a range of garages.

Set off the drive is the detached gardener’s cottage, with a kitchen and living room, plus a ground floor shower room and first floor bedroom.

In all, the property extends to about 15 acres. Guide Price: £2,750,000

l Call Jackson-Stops in Ipswich on: 01473 218218

THE BEST ROOM IN TOWN!

The Woodbridge Tide Mill Museum reopens its doors this month unveiling a new exhibit in its beautiful Weaver Room …

During the down season the team at the Tide Mill ventured up to the very top floors of it to start cataloguing and archiving all the things that had been stored up there for many years. Nobody was quite prepared for the volume and range of the artefacts that were found. Honorary curator, Dr Amy Barnes, set about the huge task of sorting through the collection and cataloguing and archiving each article and

such is the scale of the job, the mill is currently reaching out for local volunteers to help with the workload. The collection ranges from old architect sketches imagining the mill as a bar with a spiral staircase, minutes from countless meetings overseeing both restorations, portraits of past millers and of course, countless prints, photographs and paintings of the iconic mill.

Senior warden, Stephen Molyneux, who

also runs Woodbridge Arts Services (www.woodbridgeart.services), got to work on preparing the Weaver Room, situated at the back of the mill downstairs and boasting the best view of the river in all of Woodbridge, to exhibit The Tide Mill Collection featuring the photos, paintings and prints.

“On Amy’s recommendation, the first step was to protect the works from the sun that pours into the room”, Stephen told us. “We managed to get the support of Preservation Equipment Ltd for the UV film and I installed it over the winter. We were then ready to hang the pieces and with the support of All About Framing we were able to get the perfect hanging solution of a STAS j rail system with perlon cords”.

“It’s funny as we had previously put a call out for more images of the mill to populate the walls of the Weaver Room and now, we’re having to edit which we use and which we will put back in storage”.

Stephen has worked in galleries all over London for the past 20 years and also ran an arts charity in Southeast London. He’s hung great masters of the 20th century, whilst also installing school shows in the community project space he ran as part of the charity.

“I just really enjoy putting together the puzzle of any kind of installation. There

are so many variables and slight details that can elevate a collection. whether it’s in someone’s front room or in a museum”.

“It’s been an absolute joy turning the Weaver Room into this little space dedicated to all these varied representations of Woodbridge’s iconic landmark. We plan to also install interactive screens displaying the entire digital archive plus all the data we’re generating from the newly installed weather station.

“I really do think that it’s the best room in town giving you these incredible panoramic views out over our unspoiled Deben estuary. I mean you can’t live in Woodbridge and not love the river and when you’re working on the river, observing its cycles and drawing from it to operate this incredible old mill, it just deepens that connection”.

Stephen says the mill is a living testament to a time before our reliance on burning polluting fossil fuels for energy, however, it also provides a blueprint for a future where we must look past them to avoid climate disaster. Indeed, Woodbridge Climate Action Centre chose the mill for its inaugural

base. Talks and screenings looking at the state of pollution in river were at the core of these events and led to Stephen wanting to get more involved in preserving the town’s prized asset, its outstanding natural beauty. That’s why when he was asked to stand for the Green Party at the next local election on May 4th he says he jumped at the chance.

“It was quite a surprise and a huge compliment to be asked and the opportunity to be instrumental in keeping our town green was just too good to miss”, he added.

l For more details, go to: www.woodbridgetidemill.org.uk/ plan-your-visit

“You can’t live in Woodbridge and not love the river”

40 AT FORTY!

From 1983 when it first opened its doors, around 250,000 oxygen sessions have been administered at Suffolk Oxygen Therapy.

Clients include those suffering from multiple sclerosis, dementia, Crohn’s Disease, cerebral palsy, Parkinsons through to cancer, long covid and more.

Many will tell you that breathing in pure oxygen has had an incredible effect on their condition - often picking up where allopathic treatment might have failed.

The known benefits of this non-invasive therapy include reducing swelling in the body, fighting bacteria, encouraging the growth of new blood cells and assisting in repairing tissue damage. Breathing high

levels of oxygen in a barometric chamber dissolves more oxygen in the body’s fluids and it can reach areas where the circulation is diminished or blocked, and so improves recovery.

Sitting in one of the chambers for a one-hour session, you are just as likely to come across an Ipswich Town footballer or world-ranking martial arts fighter looking to heal their sporting injuries as you are someone aiding their chemotherapy treatment, or even looking for a beauty therapy to give them a youthful glow!

Indeed, regular client

William Crees, says: “I was diagnosed with MS in 2015 and shortly after I heard about the Suffolk Oxygen Centre - but not from my consultant!

“After the original 20 sessions I have been going weekly and really notice how it helps my energy levels. Even after a bout of Covid I noticed how quickly I bounced back after my weekly session. The oxygen, combined with diet, supplements and exercises has halted the progression of my MS. This is definitely something I intend to do for the rest of my life!”

Clients of all ages come from all walks of life, but the one thing they share is an appreciation that Suffolk has such a unique centre - it’s based in Great Blakenham - and is one of a handful dotted around the country.

The charity has to subsidise every treatment and desperately needs vital funds to help with the ongoing maintenance of the building as well as a new oxygen generation system which would halt the need for costly oxygen cylinders.

This big-hearted centre, which is manned by highly trained staff as well as volunteers, is funded entirely from donations, grants and fund-raising activities in order to continue offering such a vital lifeline.

Suffolk Oxygen Therapy is celebrating 40 glorious years and its manager Mark Suddes is asking people to raise just £40 for this very special charity …

“If we all pledge this amount it will make a considerable difference”

Mark Suddes, manager of Suffolk Oxygen Therapy

William Crees

l Email Mark at: mark@suffolkoxygentherapy.co.uk

Scan to check his JustGiving page out.

To book oxygen sessions at the Suffolk Oxygen Therapy, Unit 27 Claydon Business Park, Gipping Road, Great Blakenham, IP6 0NL, call: 01473 830359. Or go to: www.suffolkoxygentherapy.co.uk/

MANAGER MAKES HIS MARK!

Mark Suddes, who took over the reins as manager last year, has been busy breathing new life into the charity as he launches the 40 At Forty campaign.

“As part of his Coronation in May, King Charles is encouraging the public to use the extra bank holiday to volunteer or do something charitable”, smiles the dad-of-three, who balances his busy role with working as a lecturer in Business and Management at University Centre Colchester. “To coincide with this and our 40th anniversary, we are encouraging all our members, staff, trustees and volunteers to raise £40 for the charity in this celebratory year. Of course, you can raise more than this, but if we all pledge this amount to the charity, it will make a considerable difference to Suffolk Oxygen Therapy Centre”.

Mark will be embarking on a gruelling 12-hour continuous charity spin session at the centre on Monday 8th May - see his JustGiving page, left - although he’s not expecting everyone else to follow suit!

“Other pledges made by users of the charity include a 40-length swim in 40 minutes, a beer tasting evening and charity donations in lieu of birthday presents to name but a few!

“You might choose to do a bake sale, sponsored run, or cheese and wine eveningthe choice is yours!” he adds. “I’d be very grateful if you could email me your ideas and pledges”.

“Even after a bout of covid I bounced back after my oxygen session”

William Crees, MS sufferer

FELIXSTOWE’S MAKING A SPLASH!

Felixstowe has made it into the Sunday Times Best Places to Live 2023: East of England annual guide …

This guide is a celebration of towns, cities and villages that are each a fantastic place to live in 2023 from Orkney to Felixstowe, the Chew Valley to Manchester city centre,” guide editor Helen Davies tells LivingIn. “Whether you’re downsizing, trading up or getting onto the property ladder, there will be somewhere to suit you.”

According to the guide, “Old Felixstowe is friendlier and cheaper than the more favoured

resorts further up the Suffolk coast, and it has one of only two blue flag beaches in the county. Away from the port, it’s beautiful, too - especially around the tiny hamlet of Felixstowe Ferry. A vast programme of regeneration has paid dividends.”

The overall winner for the East of England was Saffron Walden in Essex.

5 REASONS WE LOVE FELIXSTOWE …

1. Beach Street Felixstowe is an award-winning destination for street food and retail. We love the yoga classes at Hazel & Co, run by Hazel Baldwin (www. hazelbaldwin.com) who also specialises in all things CBD.

2. Also Beach Street’s Hopsters Beer Festival, is coming on Friday 28th and Saturday 29th April. It features craft beers, real ales, live DJ’s and guest breweries. Visit: www. beachstreetfelixstowe.co.uk

3. We adore the four miles of gold sand and shingle beaches, running from Felixstowe Ferry to the historic and unique Landguard Fort.

4. Trimley Marshes offers breathtaking scenery and one of the best wildlife sites in the county.

5. We dream of the fish and chips (from the award-winning Fish Dish opposite the pier) followed by a stroll through the Grade II listed Seafront Gardens, which sit on cliffs between the town centre and beach.

©

John Ferguson

CORONATION STREET!

The Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III will take place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, 6th May. Charity Crewe suggests how to make the most of the Coronation weekend ...

felt like it had to be done! We will be playing in the Elmhurst Park Bandstand from 2pm to 4pm in a free-entry open air concert. All we ask is that people bring a chair or blanket to sit on, maybe a picnic if they would like and a flag to wave and join in the celebration!”

Visit: www.woodbridgeexcelsiorband.org

Framlingham Coronation Celebration weekend

St Michael’s Church, Church St

Saturday 6th May, 10.30pm to 12.30pm

Pageant Field, Badingham Road

Sunday 7th May, 12pm to 3pm

Live screening of the Coronation ceremony in St Michael’s Church on Saturday, with a flower festival celebrating the event. There will also be free fizz and a best-dressed competition, all subject to confirmation. On the Sunday, you are invited to bring your own picnic and blankets to Pageant Field. A bar, entertainment and music by local musicians will be laid on.

For further information:

www.framlingham.com

Contact James Overbury, townclerk@framlingham.com with offers to get involved.

Coronation Weekend at Bedfield and Monk Soham Community Club

It’s not too late to organise a street party. There are plenty of suggestions on how to put on a King’s Coronation event on the Suffolk County Council website, see below. Although the submission deadline for resident led street parties was Sunday 2nd April, the council says that; “any applications received beyond the deadline may still be processed”, but they won’t now be coughing up for the “costs of traffic management for the event.”

If organising your own street party doesn’t appeal, there are plenty of public events happening nearby. Here’s a few of the highlights:

Coronation Afternoon Tea at Aldeburgh

Jubilee Hall, Aldeburgh

Monday, 8th May, 3pm to 4.30pm

In May 1937, the people of Aldeburgh gathered at the Jubilee Hall to celebrate George VI’s coronation lunch (see photo of the happy occasion). The people at Jubilee Hall are keen to replicate this photo at

Charles III’s Coronation tea. There will be food, live entertainment, a fantastic raffle and storytelling for children. This community event is being organised as part of The Big Help Out, to “create a legacy of better-connected communities long beyond the Coronation itself.” Entry is free, but tickets must be reserved in advance. Details for booking: www.aldeburghjubileehall.co.uk or 01728 454022

Earl Soham Coronation Celebration at Earl Soham Village Hall Saturday, 6th May A live screening of the Coronation, will be followed by a sharing picnic. Get baking for a cake competition on the theme of nature. Judging is at 2pm. Local musicians will perform. Budding artists are being asked to submit nature-themed art to Susie Stark by May 1st for a display. Further details email: susiestarke@gmail.com

Woodbridge Excelsior Band, Elmhurst Park Bandstand, Woodbridge, Monday 8th May This marvellous band is no stranger to royal events. Secretary Pauline Cooke says; “We have celebrated the Queen’s 90th Birthday and then the Platinum Jubilee last year (pictured above with guest conductor Mayor Patrick Gillard). We were very honoured to be asked by Woodbridge Town Council to play at the King Charles III Proclamation Ceremony on Market Hill so putting on a concert for the Coronation

The Community Club (known as the Hub), Long Green, Bedfield

Saturday 6th to Monday 8th May

On Saturday, there will be a live screening of the Coronation at the Hub. Tea and coffee, will be served alongside waffles from Chestnut Waffles. On Sunday, there will be a celebration service at Worlingworth Church, followed by a community party at the Hub and playing field. Bring the family and a picnic. You can enter the Coronation Cake Celebration, or bid for one of the cakes at auction. There will be a crown parade to show off your crown making skills, an open mic session, Morris dancers and traditional family games. On Monday morning, Friends of Bedfield Heritage will be in the churchyard having a Spring tidy up. Bring shears, secateurs or a rake and join in.

For details, www.bedfield.onesuffolk.net

TO CROWN IT ALL …

The Big Helpout takes place on Monday 8th May, when thousands of organisations across the country are getting together to give us all the chance to help out in our own local communities. You can find out where you can help at: www.thebighelpout.org.uk

l For more details on the King’s Coronation : www.suffolk.gov.uk/ Kings-coronation.

CAROLINE GLADWELL WOMENSWEAR

3 Elmhurst Walk, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 1DB

CLOTHING ART!

The new spring/summer season at Caroline

Gladwell Womenswear

It’s nearly three years since I opened the door of my business and I have to say life and business continue to be ‘on the up!’

You may remember that I opened after the lifting of the first lockdown in June 2020 having narrowly missed the opportunity to open earlier. My business has grown from strength to strength, and I continue to source new and established brands with ethical and sustainable values and compelling products.

One of these is PRIVATSACHEN. It is German and was established in 1984. I came by it quite by accident, perhaps four seasons ago, and it is fast becoming one of my favourite brands to wear personally. The designs are sophisticated and naturally avant-garde with exceptional quality and functionality. You might call it ‘clothing art’ with its precisely crafted cuts and unique colour formulas. Manual craftsmanship is celebrated with handmade, hand-pleated, hand-ironed, hand-laundered, hand-sewn; hand stitched and hand-dyed garments and the subtle variations of manual craftsmanship are very much an integral part of PRIVATSACHEN.

As with nearly all my brands, there are infinite possibilities to combine past garments with the present and also the future but with PRIVATSACHEN there is huge scope to do this across all seasons not just winter with winter or summer

by Caroline Gladwell

fashion can overwhelm us. When I see a well-dressed woman, I see the clothes, but my attention is drawn to the wearer, her personality and being. It is the wearer that I remember and this is how I think it should be.”

l Caroline Gladwell Womenswear, 3 Elmhurst Walk, Woodbridge. Call 01394 383030.

with summer - so if you like the product, it really represents amazing value too.

The second brand I’d like to mention is YACCO MARICARD - another wellestablished company conceived in Japan in 1977 by three friends looking to break away from the constraints of conventional Japanese clothing of the time. In so doing, they developed oversized shapes in an excess of luxurious natural fabrics and, as their journey progressed, they developed the garment dye process and hand placed pin tuck work - characteristics now synonymous with the brand. The collection has a distinctive urban and casually refined look and, much like PRIVATSACHEN, the ethos is very much along the lines of their clothes being tools of self-expression and not fashion or clothes for clothes sake.

From inception, I have always maintained that I sell style rather than fashion. I think style enhances us whilst

OTHER BRANDS INSTORE INCLUDE:

• Aino

• Elemente Clemente

• Knit Knit

• Les filles d’ailleurs

• Mat de Misaine

• Opificio Neirami

• Seeberger Hats (pictured)

Privatsachen overshirt, £369

Yacco Maricard waistcoat, £245 trousers, £249

A selection of hats by Seeberger

Jan Pulsford tells a tale of Persia, roses, Woodbridge and scandal …

visitors’ book and that there was a rose growing there which had been brought over from the grave of 11th century Persian polymath, mathematician, philosopher, astronomer, physician and poet, Omar Khayyam.

I was intrigued …

My great uncle had a copy of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam on his mantlepiece. As a child I was fascinated with the illustrations, flowery words and sayings, and here I was standing next to the resting place of the Victorian poet and translator of that most famous bookEdward Fitzgerald.

Winding down the Suffolk lanes just outside of Woodbridge is the tiny, almost hidden, church of St Michael and All Angels.

As I stood in the graveyard at Boulge some years ago, another local connection and fascinating story began to unfold. Someone had told me it was the only church in Suffolk to have Farsi in the

THE RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM

It is thought that Oscar Wilde once described the Rubaiyat as “a masterpiece of art” placing it alongside Shakespeare’s sonnets as one of his greatest literary loves.

The 19th century English painter, John Ruskin, wrote; “I never did - till this dayread anything so glorious to my mind as this poem”.

Indeed, TS Eliot and Mark Twain join a long list of literary giants who were deeply moved by the Rubaiyat, which is said to be a spirited and humanistic celebration of life, love and liquor!

EFG’s 1859 adaptation of the Rubaiyat took a while before it found worldwide fame - by the 1880s, the book was extremely popular throughout the English-speaking world. Omar Khayyam clubs sprung up to discuss the thoughts of this esteemed writer, mathematician and astronomer who was born in 1048 and feted in Iran for his scientific achievements.

EFG, as he was known, was born in Bredfield in 1809 to one of the wealthiest families in England. He was educated at King Edward VI School, Bury St Edmunds and Trinity College, Cambridge.

Returning to Woodbridge, Edward shunned the comforts of the FitzGerald family home in favour of renting rooms on Market Hill. Being close to the Bull Inn he could meet his friends, the Woodbridge

Wits, and entertain visiting literary giants such as Tennyson and Thackeray.

EFG lived what some would consider an eccentric kind of life. He tried marriage but it only lasted a couple of months. He preferred sailing the Deben on a yacht called ‘The Scandal’ and sharing a herring lugger, the Meum and Tuum, with his close friend, Lowestoft seaman

“Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life” - Omar Khayyam

©

National Portrait Gallery D2155

Fletcher Posh.

Being independently wealthy, EFG could also afford to spend time on creative pursuits including learning Persian and translating various works, the most famous being the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.

At first the self-published book of quatrains (a four-line stanza) attracted few sales until the artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood enthusiastically introduced it to the Fitzrovia set after finding copies in a penny bin outside a book shop in London. And so began the rise of the little book from Woodbridge which became a worldwide phenomenon!”

l Jan Pulsford and Clare Perkins have hosted recitations of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam at various places around Woodbridge since 2018 including the Bull Inn on Market Hill, a Mother’s Day Tea at the Shire Hall, the Spirit of the Rose at the Angel pub and the Beowulf Festival at the Longshed. This year, they hope to present installations, poetry and music as part of the Woodbridge Ambient Music Festival weekend of September 22-24. For more details, visit: woodbridgeambientmusicfestival.com

DID YOU KNOW …

l Edward FitzGerald also lived in the grounds of Boulge Hall, Farlingaye Hall as well as in Little Grange Farm which has a blue plaque.

l The group known as the “Wits of Woodbridge” included, amongst others, local lawyer and landscape painter, Thomas Churchyard, Aldeburgh-born poet George Crabbe and the Quaker poet Bernard Barton.

l A bed of Omar Khayyam roses can be found in Woodbridge’s Elmhurst Park.

l The rose is used in the Woodbridge town crest.

l A copy of the Rubaiyat was part of the Power of Stories exhibition at Christchurch Mansion.

l Quotes from the poem were used by Martin Luther Junior.

l In 1970, a crater on the Moon was named after Omar Khayyam.

l “One thing is certain, and the Rest is Lies; The Flower that once blown for ever dies” - Edward FitzGerald, Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

This page: Main pic: Festival organiser Jan Pulsford is a composer, lyricist and music producer; Below, L-R, The 11th century Iranian polymath, Omar Khayyam. Middle; Possibly the world’s most famous book of poems; Of the five editions of the Rubaiyat, four were published under the authorial control of EFG

First Page L-R: Edward Fitzgerald watercolour by unknown artist, circa 1870-83, National Portrait Gallery, FitzGerald’s grave can be found at Boulge Church. Top Right: the Woodbridge town crest.

© John Ferguson

SPRING AT SNAPE MALTINGS!

Recreating the ‘Snape Style’ at home …

fairly-traded collections, it is the perfect place to find a gift for someone special.

Housed in the Granary Building is MALT Café, ideal for a coffee and a light bite to eat, as well as eco salon Asteria Wellbeing, Earsham St. Deli, The Maltings Gallery and The Shed featuring The Southwold Flower Company.

Combined with a relaxing river trip or reedbed walk, Snape Maltings offers nothing short of a great day out.

l Snape Maltings, IP17 1SP. Online at: www.snapemaltings.co.uk

Take a stroll through House & Garden this spring and you will be welcomed by lots of wonderful colour. The buying team are excited to launch new ranges in playful combinations of pattern, to bring a little joy to the home.

A new theme this season, and already a firm favourite with staff, is Country Garden, which combines traditional English floral patterns on handmade artisan products from around the world. Pale pink, soft lemon, cobalt blue and burnt orange all feature in this cosy eclectic mix to include brightly coloured crochet throws, scalloped rugs and patterned ceramics.

House & Garden provides everything you need for your home, from furniture and textiles to tableware, lighting and mirrors, all displayed to inspire, so you can recreate the ‘Snape Style’ at home.

Within House & Garden resides Samphire Boutique; brimming with beautiful timeless pieces carefully selected with their ethical credentials in mind. Their Books & Cards section focuses on rural subjects; curated to reflect their Suffolk heritage. You will also find their Little Rascals area dedicated to traditional toys and books for young children. To complete the offer, find the Food Hall, an ideal destination for something scrumptious. Locally made ranges such as Fishers Gin and B Chocolates sit alongside irresistible seasonal treats and delicious fare from around the world.

The much-loved Craft Shop, situated on the quay, has recently reopened after a spring refresh. Home to unique artisan products, ranging from pottery to handmade jewellery and

trouble shoot and advise on greenfingered matters. As well as plants, it stocks delightful garden paraphernalia from pots, seeds, garden tools to germination plates which make a great present for those who love a cutting! All at very reasonable prices too - you won’t be disappointed.

Cathy says the shop, which prides itself on suiting all budgets, is easily located and there’s bags of parking for out-of-towners. In fact, Loveone is minutes away from several key car parks.

l Check it out at 21 St Peter’s Street, Ipswich. Or shop online at: www.loveone.co.uk

INTERIOR LIVES

LOVEONE

We love, love, love this gem of a shop rooted in the heart of the Saints in Ipswich. Opened in 2007 by Cathy Frost as a gifts and homeware emporium, it’s now selling a luscious range of houseplants across two floors. Cathy is happy to

LAYERTREE

These gorgeous pieces are made by Suffolk company, Layertree, run by talented designers’ husband and wife team Myles and Madeleine Bigden.

After the success of their furniture and lighting business they branched out to specialise in steam bending wood. Now with 20 years’ experience between them honing this precious skill, they’re offering others the chance to learn it too. Their workshops will give adults and children the chance to create together items like the above, whilst exploring the magical world of steam bending.

l For more details, go to: www.layertree.co.uk

What’s new in your lively local arts scene? Charity Crewe has the lowdown …

A LITERARY GALA IN FRAMLINGHAM

The striking new community hall in Framlingham by the award-winning James Gorst Architects, has been abuzz with activity since opening its doors last month. Rising from the ashes of St Michael’s Rooms, the black zinc-clad Castle Community Rooms is already hosting a range of community events, from a bridge club to dance classes. On Saturday 22nd April, Flipside, the arts charity, is staging A New Suffolk Gala in the hall. It will be an evening of readings, poems and song to toast the reprinting of A New Suffolk Garland, the recently published anthology of the best writing and art celebrating this county. Writers Helen Macdonald, India Knight, Libby Purves and Blake Morrison are among those talking. Proceeds are going to various Suffolk charities.

7pm - 9pm, Saturday 22nd April, Castle Community Rooms, Framlingham.

l For further details and to book: www.flipsideuk.org

l For information about the Castle Community Rooms go to, www.castlecommunityrooms.co.uk

AN EVENING OF MUSIC INSPIRED BY THE BURY PSALTER

SUCKER PUNCH

Roy William’s award-winning 2010 play, Sucker Punch, about two aspiring black boxers growing up in Thatcher’s Britain, is coming to the New Wolsey Theatre as part of a nationwide tour, supported by the National Theatre. Expect a tender, funny and moving drama.

Showing from Tuesday 18th – Saturday 22nd April, New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich. l For details, go to: www.wolseytheatre.co.uk

LOOKOUT COOKOUT

HIGHTIDE RISING

There are big changes afoot at HighTide theatre company, which is reshaping itself to focus on playwrights who are from or based in the East of England. Clare Slater, (pictured), the new Artistic Director of HighTide - who was previously head of new writing at the Donmar Warehouse – is also on a mission to make it a climate friendly theatre company, and fully decarbonised by 2030. The relaunch is to be marked by a play reading festival, HighTide Rising, on Saturday 20th May at Wingfield Barns, near Diss. It will be a celebratory afternoon of extracts from plays by upcoming East Anglian playwrights, including Eloise Pennycott and Tom Ratcliffe, followed by audience feedback, music and drinks. l Further details can be found at: www.hightide.org.uk and www.wingfieldbarns.com

The sound of monks singing would have once been a familiar sound at the Abbey in Bury St Edmunds. In a one-off event, organised by St Edmundsbury Cathedral and Suffolk Archives, this sound is being recreated. Hexachordia, the early music experts, will perform music from the Bury Psalter, a beautifully illuminated book of Psalms, alongside other medieval music. The event is on Friday 21st April at St Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St Edmunds. Tickets: £10.

l For booking details, www.stedscathedral.org/events/ bury-psalter/

The Aldeburgh Beach Lookout, the tiny seaside tower dedicated to art, has published an artists’ cookbook, Lookout Cookout. Maggi Hambling and Alison Wilding are among the artists to have contributed recipes and art to the book. Curated by artist David Baldry and Caroline Wiseman, founder of the Lookout, this witty and irreverent cookbook, will be launched on Saturday 8th April, from 12pm4pm, alongside a live auction of art from the book. The cookbook’s cover star, Roger Hardy, will be cooking his recipe, Freud Eggs and Bacon, for the event. Tastings and book signings will continue over the Easter weekend. Then, every weekend over the next few months a different contributor will prepare their recipe for all to enjoy. Caroline is in no doubt these free tastings, “will be great fun. Great food has been nearly as important as great art at the Lookout”.

l The Lookout Cookout is available to buy at £25 from:

www.aldeburghbeachlookout.com. An online auction of art featured in book runs until Saturday 8th April at: www.airauctioneer.com/ lookout-cookout.

Visit the The Aldeburgh Beach Lookout, 31 Crag Path, Aldeburgh, from Saturday 8th - Monday 10th April

PUT A SPRING IN YOUR STEP!

s winter beats a hasty retreat, all eyes turn to spring with a renewed vigour to make the most of these muchwelcome milder months. There’s no better time to turn your attention to, arguably, the most important thing in life - your health.

Hailed by the Telegraph as one of the country’s top 20 health gurus, Woodbridge-based medical herbalist and acupuncturist, Steve Kippax, has an exciting itinerary for those wishing to spring into gentle (yet powerful) action.

Steve will be at the Woodbridge Library on Tuesday April 25 from 5.30pm-6.30pm with ‘An Introductory Talk to Tai GongLife Hacks for Simple yet Effective Physical Techniques to Maintain and Enhance Wellbeing’. He will answer questions after the talk.

AThe following week - Tuesday May 2 at 7.30am - he will be offering an introductory taster to Tai Gong, an ancient Chinese practice combining slow, deliberate movements, meditation and breathing exercises, in a central Woodbridge location.

A six-week course, limited to 12 people, starts from May 16, and a second one from July 4.

Steve is also founder of the highly successful brand, Herbs Are Good, specialising in tried and tested herbal mixtures aimed at supporting you through daily life. He’s currently got an offer on his wonderful Spring into Spring kits which help you detox from the long winter, helping to shake off any blues and cheer you up into the bargain!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT …

By Catherine Arnold

When my husband, Paul, was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2007 aged just 34, I was catapulted into the world of nutrition science. I worked with a nutritional therapist to radically change his diet which I delivered every day (with the help of friends and family) for his four-month duration in hospital. I attended lectures to learn as much as I could about nutrition and why the changes I was making might help him. I discovered my passion!

So, I left my successful career as a television director and retrained at the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London. After every nutrition lecture my mind was blown – it was like discovering the manual to our bodies and health – why didn’t we know this stuff already? Why is it not taught in school? Why don’t doctors study this too? I think a lot has changed now, we are definitely more nutrition savvy. But there are still a lot of really basic things that people don’t know that could be quite transformative to their health. This is why I love sharing my

“At times, we can all do with an emotional lift,” smiles Steve. “These kits are good for your liver, eyes, hair and skin tone as they consist of well known ‘liver’ herbs such as dandelion and burdock, milk thistle and nettle, amongst others.”

Each kit consists of 200ml Spring Clean, 200ml Shake Off The Blues featuring herbs such as St John’s Wort and Skull Cap, 50ml Calendula lotion and Bi Yan Pian pills which help protect against allergies, hayfever or sinus issues. Usually priced at £74, these powerful kits are on special offer at just £50.

l For more details, email: steve@ stevekippax.com or call: 07802 876678. To order your Spring Into Spring kit online, go to: www.herbsaregood.com

knowledge and experience via talks and workshops. People who come to my talks will often say; ‘I thought I knew a lot about nutrition, but it turns out, I didn’t!’ Yes, some of it is obvious - eat more veg, and eat less sugar. But understanding why and the biology around this makes it much easier to apply!

I will be doing a free talk at Woodbridge Library on Saturday April 29th at 3pm. It will last 45 minutes followed by a Q&A. You will learn really practical tips to help optimise your health and wellbeing. I hope that you will find It as inspiring and interesting as previous attendees have!”

l Catherine is a local BANT-registered nutritional therapist and certified functional medicine practitioner who runs an online consultation practice. She specialises in women’s health, menopause and healthy ageing in men and women. To book a space at her April talk in Woodbridge Library and / or to receive a free 15-minute consultation, email: catherinearnoldntutrition@gmail.com

They say knowledge is power and there is no place this applies more than with your health ...

© John Ferguson

BUSINESS BULLETIN

All the latest business news from around the coastal region …

adventurer Ben.

“We found there was an overwhelming amount of options online and it all seemed to be aimed at serious cycling enthusiasts. We wanted to simplify things and make the choices more straightforward for those who don’t have the time to wade through the myriad of options available. We don’t sell 30 different bike lights, just a few quality ones for all types of terrain, and we don’t sell 50 different e-bikes; more like 20 including a fantastic range of Wisper Bikes.”

“One lady, who bought an e-bike from us, came in the other day and said she’s lost weight and has so much more energy,” smiles Tom. “Indeed, my dad got an e-bike after he had a double hip operation and has recovered well and is

WHEEL OF FORTUNE!

Sometimes a dynamic new shop comes along which hits the high street at exactly the right time. It seems the stars have aligned for Virtue Electric Bikes in Woodbridge’s Thoroughfare!

It opened its doors before Suffolk County Council’s plans emerged for a £4m scheme to prioritise cyclists and pedestrians over motorised vehicles throughout the centre of the town. Subject to Public Consultation over the summer, it will introduce many pedestrian and cycle-friendly measures such as resurfacing and crossings with, reportedly, improved signalisation and one-way systems in place.

So far, Virtue Electric Bikes has been a flat-out success with customers (some of whom have ditched their cars in favour of a sustainable electric bike). For those who don’t know, the e-bike, as it is known, has a small motor which engages on peddling and gives you a gentle boost so you can zip up hills and cruise over tough terrain.

Prices start at £1400 and they cost around £25 a year to charge at home.

The owners of Virtue Electric Bikes, Tom and Ben, tell LivingIn… they have also launched an exciting new app so people can also rent bikes to help them get around Woodbridge.

Tom says: “We were pleased to receive a grant from Woodbridge Town Council to implement an e-bike rental system app for the town’s residents. How it works is people will find one of our bikes and use their app to pay to rent it for as long as they like.”

Tom says it was investing in an e-bike himself which first gave him the idea to open up the business alongside fellow

NEW COCKTAIL BAR FOR FRAM

much fitter now. People don’t realise that even though the e-bike is doing some of the work for you, your legs are still turning and you are getting good exercise out of it.”

l Check them out at: Virtue Bikes, 6a Thoroughfare, Woodbridge. Or call: 01394 834485. To buy a bike, visit: www.virtueelectricbikes.com For rentals, go to: www.virtuerentals.co.uk

The Watson and Walpole empire is expanding! Not only do they have the lovely ice cream parlour in the town, they are this month launching a new cocktail bar, Beviamo, behind their popular Italian restaurant in Crown and Anchor Lane. Here at LivingIn… we were treated to a sneak preview to sample some of the delicious cocktails on offer (it would have been churlish not to!) Opening in Easter week from Tuesday to Saturday, head there if you want to sample the finest Espresso Martini or a glorious Galliano Sour alongside truffle crisps and home-made pizza slices from the wood oven. Chin chin!

l Visit: www.watsonandwalpole.com

DOG ABOUT

My name is Bertie and I’m a two-year-old Samoyed and some would say I’m a rather spoilt boy. For some reason my mum, who runs Aldeburgh Flower Shop, insists on calling me Bertie Bear Face. I’m her second Samoyed and I guess it’s no surprise, thanks to my devilish good looks, that my dad was a show dog. I live for the beach - I love feeling the pebbles beneath my paws and the wind in my fur. That, and eating raw meat and salmon! Also I love digging in the garden - as you can see I like to help where I can. I go everywhere with my Mum and you can often find me snoozing in the shop window as I watch beautiful bouquets being made.

The only time you will see me looking unhappy is when fireworks are going off and I have to find a place to hide.

l Have you got a dog who would like his or hers 15 minute of fame? Email your best photos to: info@livinginsuffolk.com

When Hair Affair went on the market recently, hair supremo, Janene Hawkins Bush, feared it might well spell the end of a much-needed salon in Wickham Market.

So she swooped in and saved it.

“It would have been so sad to see it close down”, she says, “there’s been a salon at that site for 40 years and the last owner had it for 27 of them”.

It soon became obvious that this was going to be a bigger project than she first thought.

“It was never my plan to go big with this”, smiles Janene, pictured above at work, “but it made perfect sense to extend into the empty shop next door (formerly a tattoo parlour) and really open it up”.

Helped by her trusted team including

A HEAD FOR SUCCESS!

Hair Affair in Wickham Market has undergone a transformation and is sure to follow in the footsteps of its awardwinning sister salon Quay Street Collective in Woodbridge …

co-owners of two of her other branches, Sophie Thompson and Tris Curling, the ensuing refurb looks nothing short of amazing!

You might remember Hair Affair as an intimate little salon a few doors down from Revett butchers, overlooking the main square in Wickham Market. Charming but outdated, it featured a lot of chintzy pink; from hairbrushes, to towels to the décor and furniture!

“It was like someone’s living room”, recalls Janene, “but it had such a lovely ambience and five great staff - we kept them all on and have retrained them, whilst managing to stay open whilst the extension work was carried out! Our vision was always to ensure the continued comfort and improve the customer’s journey”.

Janene, who is behind the success of Quay Street Collective Hairdressing in Woodbridge, Heavenly Hair in Saxmundham and Sir & Co Barbers in Aldeburgh, has made sure Hair Affair shares the group’s sustainability principles.

Hair Affair overlooks the square

Hair Affair’s transformation

“All the furniture in Hair Affair was either second-hand or upcycled”, she says. And, of course, the products are all vegan and eco-friendly.

As you can see from the photos, on the first page and below right, Hair Affair has undergone a huge transformation. There’s bags of room and a light and airy new lounge and reception area, tastefully retaining all the charm of this historic oakbeamed building, which now welcomes customers.

Then there’s all those little touches which mean so much when you’re getting your hair done - like having your tea served in proper teapots and decent coffee and treats.

“Wickham Market is a great place”, says Janene, “it’s really up and coming, no wonder people are moving here from Woodbridge. There’s plenty of car parking, a big Co-op and some lovely independent shops as well as an Indian and Chinese restaurant”.

Janene is a passionate invester in people - “I love to create futures for others” - and the company is proud of its ongoing commitment to training and progression, as well as its nurturing support. “We are first aid trained in mental health”.

It is perhaps no surprise that sister salon, Quay Street Collective in Woodbridge, has scooped a whole raft of awards - notably, Most Sustainable Salon Of The Year Award in the 2022 Salon Awards. Their lovely apprentice, Ro, also earned an Apprentice of the Year gong for all her hard work and commitment, despite the setbacks thrown in her path by Covid.

It has so much to offer, from bespoke bayalage to amazing ashy blondes. Services include a full range of hair cutting, styling, Nanokeratin treatments, colouring and bridal services. Their

Saturday blow dry bar and monthly membership deals have been a stunning success.

All its staff have different areas of expertise - and you will often catch clients leaving with huge grins as they sport a fabulous hair makeover. Bubbly Ro, pictures (below left) with Quay Street’s senior stylist, Bela, an internationallytrained colour expert, tells us that she hopes to one day specialise in curly and afro hair.

You just know that it won’t be long before Hair Affair catches up with its sister salon and starts scooping those gongs too. Watch this space!

Better still, book an appointment and see what all the fuss is about …

CHECK THEM OUT …

l To book at Quay Street Collective Hairdressing in Woodbridge, call: 01394 386960 or email: info@quaystreetcollective.com Find them on Insta: @quaystreetcollective

l To visit the new-look Hair Affair at 73 High Street, Wickham Market, call: 01728 746616. Find them on Insta: @hair.affairuk

“I love to create futures for others” Janene Hawkins Bush

Sophie Thompson

Quay Street’s Ro and Bela

New lounge area in Hair Affair

Quay Street Collective

Quay Street Collective in Woodbridge

Cockerells Hall, Buxhall

Features:

Five bedrooms

Three bathrooms

Accommodates ten people

Swimming pool and gym

Grove Farm House, Thornham Magna

Features:

Five bedrooms

Three bathrooms

Accommodates ten people as well as one dog

THINKING OF LETTING YOUR HOLIDAY HOME?

With a soaring demand for staycations this year, those with second homes in Suffolk may well be considering letting to holidaymakers, says Helen Millin, director of Suffolk Hideaways, which boasts a Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award. Here she outlines the benefits of using an agent to let your home:

WHICH PROPERTIES MAKE IDEAL HOLIDAY HOMES?

Different holiday homes appeal to different customers. Some look for small, characterful boltholes that feel like a

It couldn’t be easier with Suffolk Hideaways…

home-from-home, while others are looking for luxurious apartments, barn conversions or something quirky. Our portfolio of over 130 properties covers a wide range of areas and properties and we are looking to expand across the entire county, whether that’s coastal or rural.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN BENEFITS OF USING AN AGENT?

Using an agent takes a lot of the stress and guess work out of letting a property as a holiday home. The benefits of letting with Suffolk Hideaways include the below, to name just a few:

• a complete styling service

• no joining or annual fees

• competitive commission rates

• free professional photography

• peace-of-mind damage cover

• no restrictions on the use of your property

• a highly focussed marketing strategy

– both on and offline

DOES IT MAKE FINANCIAL SENSE TO USE AN AGENT?

The short answer is “yes”! From our experience, there is always demand for quality self-catering holiday homes in our beautiful part of the country, and therefore there is always potential to make a healthy return on your investment. Suffolk Hideaways is happy to prepare holiday rental forecasts and can provide mortgage letters as well.

CAN PROPERTY OWNERS TAKE ON ANY ASPECTS OF THE LETTING PROCESS THEMSELVES?

Of course – Suffolk Hideaways offers two levels of service: a marketing service and a marketing and managed service. With our marketing service, property owners will be responsible for managing the day-to-day running of their property and dealing with guests. Equally, if owners would prefer to take a step back and let Suffolk Hideaways take care of everything, that’s fine too – that’s where our marketing and managed service comes in.

Court House, Aldeburgh

Features:

Four bedrooms

Three bathrooms

Accommodates eight people and two dogs

Three-storey house

And as some added peace-of-mind, Suffolk Hideaways is part of the Hideaways Holidays Group which has over 40 years’ experience and consistently high standards of comfort, service and value for money.

l To request your Free Property Letting Guide or to talk to one of our Property Managers, please call us on 01728 666 300 or email newowners@suffolkhideaways. co.uk. Or simply pop into the office situated on Aldeburgh High Street, the door is always open!

A POSTCARD HOME …

Woodbridge’s Valerie Armstrong on her recent artist residency at the former home of DH Lawrence in Mexico

Iarrived at Villa QQ, dizzy with jet lag on February 18. This was to be my creative home for a month and, despite the tiredness and disorientation, I was very excited. My accommodation was beautiful; a simple but lovely room, entitled Birds, Beasts and Flowers leading out to a plant-filled and large patio with a shaded entrance.

Now known as 360 Xochi Quetzal and close to Lake Chapal (Mexico’s largest), this complex

was once the home of DH Lawrence. All the rooms are named after the feature they showcase, with a unique identity. Birds, Beasts and Flowers is so-called after Lawrence’s collection of poems. The original room inhabited by the writer is on

like-minded creative people, and so it has proved. After two weeks, it was almost too sociable! I had to discipline myself to work in the mornings in my glorious outside studio until about 1pm when the sun hit my space and then forced to pack up until the cool of the evening.

the ground floor, it is said that he wrote the draft for The Plumed Serpent in this space. Set up 11 years ago by New York fibre artist, Debora Kruger, she had the vision to offer a self-directed artists’ residence for textile and visual artists, poets, writers, and musicians, in private, low-cost accommodation in this inspiring location.

I knew that, during my time here, I would be surrounded by

This complex, with its yellow ochre, Indian red, and the cobalt blue often used in Morocco, (which makes my heart sing), offered a vibrant backdrop and a wealth of the most luscious flowering plants. This experience was definitely worth the jet lag!”

l See Val’s work, alongside that of sculptor Lucy Lutyens, painter Colin Slee and ceramic artist Caroline Fish, in the forthcoming exhibition, The Mind’s Eye, at Artspace Gallery on Wednesday May 30th. Go to: www.artw.co.uk To book an artistic retreat in Mexico, go to:

www.360xochiquetzal.com

EASTER AUDIO EGG

HUNT

The Red House Gardens, Golf Lane, Aldeburgh, Every day until Sunday, 16th April

There’s an Easter Egg hunt with a difference going on in the gardens of the Red House, former home of Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears. Instead of tracking down chocolate, kiddies are being challenged to find the sounds of different bird songs. Children will be given a family-friendly audio guide to help them explore acres of beautiful gardens. Head to the Red House reception to collect instructions, and return to claim an Easter prize!

• Free

• Recommended for children aged up to 13

• For details: www.brittenpearsarts.org/ exhibitions/easter-audio-trail

AND ABOUT! OUT

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

FASHION SHOW & FIZZ

Woodbridge Library, New Street

Thursday, 20th April at 7pm

CHARLIE HAYLOCK AND ‘THE DIG’

Food Museum, Stowmarket Friday, 28th April at 7.30pm

Author and historian, Charlie Haylock, explains the techniques and extreme lengths required to help Ralph Fiennes master the Suffolk accent for his portrayal of Basil Brown in the film, The Dig. Charlie will also impart fascinating facts about the Suffolk dialect. Combine it with a visit to the In Your Words exhibition at the museum, which celebrates East Anglian voices past and present.

• Tickets are £10,

• To book: www.foodmuseum.org.uk

Out with the blue stockings and in with the trend-setters, The Woodbridge Fashion Show is returning to Woodbridge Library. Laura Jane, Holly Blue, Tilley & Grace and No. 10 Market Hill, are among the shops showcasing their latest collections on a specially created catwalk. Street and skate wear will be on display for the first time this year, as Wahoo makes its fashion show debut. Clothes will be modelled by real customers. You will be welcomed with a glass of bubbles and invited take part in the raffle, with prizes donated by local shops. All proceeds will go to the refurbishment of the children’s library.

• Price £10

• Tickets available at the library, or by calling: 01394 330855

• Tickets to be purchased in advance and in cash

• Further details: www.suffolklibraries. co.uk/whats-on/fashion-show-and-fizz

JIM NIND & LISA BERRY EXHIBITION

142 Art Gallery, Hamilton Road, Felixstowe

Thursday, 6th April – Wednesday, 12th April

Private view, Saturday, 8th April 6pm – 8pm

Get to see two artists at work. Lisa and Jim, who have worked together for four years, will show nothing on the walls at the start of the week, and will gradually build a body of work out of both new and “previously ‘failed’ paintings”, says Lisa. 142 Art Gallery started as a pop-up in 2019. The format proved so successful that artists, Lisa, Toby and Drew have kept it going, and now run it as a community interest company (CIC). As well as attracting established artists, the gallery is a great place for emerging artists, who rent the space for a week at a time for minimal rent.

Brilliantly, artists are encouraged to paint or draw in the gallery, while their work is on show.

• www.142gallery.art

CALENDAR GIRLS THE MUSICAL

The Riverside Theatre, Woodbridge Wednesday, 7th June – Saturday, 10th June

The Riverside Musical Theatre Company are staging Calendar Girls the Musical. The singing troupe came together, almost by chance, when a number of amateur theatre groups gathered for ‘one night only’ to celebrate 100 years of the Riverside Theatre in 2015. Since then, they have put on many concerts and raised thousands for local charities. Now they are staging their second musical, Gary Barlow and Tim Firth’s acclaimed adaptation of the Calendar Girls’ film. It tells the true story of a WI group, who raised millions by posing nude for a calendar. CoDirector Samantha De Vita tells us; “it has it all, a fabulous score, a heart-warming story, fun and laughter and tears”.

• Adult tickets, £17.50. Ages 12-15, £15.50

• To book, www.theriverside.co.uk/ programmes/calendar-girls-themusical Or call: 01394 832174

TALK