Living in Suffolk Coastal - Issue 39

ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

ISSUE 39 ... AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023

LIVING IN SUFFOLK

Local home owners… throw open their doors

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

Spinning plates ... creating a community Sound systems ... Suffolk’s own legacy

Caroline Page ... her goodbye letter

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

YOUR BRAND NEW FREE HOMES & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

GET INVOLVED …

If you’ve got a topical story, an inspiring home or business to show off or an event you’re planning, get in touch! The deadline for our October / November edition, which hits the streets in early October, is 11th September.

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

… Stunning Delftware Plate Collage by Norfolk illustrator and ceramicist, Laura Winstone, featuring at The Merchant’s Table in Woodbridge. Laura’s intricately cut collages are made using painted paper which she layers with exquisite painted detail.

l For more details on Laura’s work, see our Interior Lives column on page 15.

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 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.

COASTAL NEWS ...

FAREWELL DEAREST CRO ...

Much-loved County Councillor Caroline ‘Cro’ Page, who passed away in July, revealed in an emotional resignation letter how the love of local residents kept her going in her battle against cancer. Sadly, the letter didn’t get delivered in time as she passed away on 5th July. Her family and friends asked LivingIn… to print this abridged version, written by Caroline from her bed …

Caroline’s husband, Cllr Patrick Gillard (pictured below with Caroline), said the outpouring of love shown to her from fellow residents has been a huge source of comfort for him and the family during this sad time.

“So many people said they found her really inspirational - some even changed their whole attitude to life, based on how she dealt with things generally”, he says. “She had this gusto for life, she wanted to change things and stand up to the forces who wanted to keep things the same; she was an example that you don’t have to accept things as they are. She made a big difference. She was a force of character who encouraged people to work together, which is what’s happening in the town council now with the coalition, thanks to her. She really wanted to see other people carry on her good work”.

Dear friend,

I want to tell you that I am - very regretfully - resigning as your County Councillor, as of 7th August.

For the last 15 years I have been honoured by the trust that the people of Woodbridge have put in me - both you who approve of me, and you who do not!

And, for 15 years, since Sept 2008 you have continued to elect me to represent you as your County Councillor and to trust me to fight your individual and joint concerns in the town I love and am so proud of.

You may know that for much of the last year I have been working for you from bed because I have terminal lung cancer.

However, I have recently been told the cancer has spread to my brain. Sadly, your once-active councillor cannot walk, cycle to shop in town, or write or attend meetings or even get on the bus or go to the library.

My unbroken decade of monthly surgeries were cancelled because of the pandemic. It seems that with that, all the means we had of talking face-to-face, of discovering the real problems in the town and trying to tackle them, have disappeared.

I feel I am unable to help as I used to - and that you deserve more.

I am humbled, and truly grateful for the number of kind words I have been sent through the year from people (many beginning ‘ ‘you won’t know my name but we chatted at...’).

It means a great deal that people remember actual things I have done and tell me about them. Each word truly kept me alive through the last bleak winter! So, thank you - to every one of you.

Yours sincerely,

Patrick said he first met Caroline in the King’s Head pub in Woodbridge back in 1999 and was struck by her energy and joy for life - something which stayed with her until the very end.

“Her brother died at a young age, so she always understood that this wasn’t a rehearsal to live your life and that you shouldn’t turn things down”, he says. “We had a great adventure. I wouldn’t change it for the world”.

Caroline was elected to Suffolk County Council in 2008 and had held many positions, including being the spokesperson for Women, Disabilities and Adult Care, Highways and Transport and Deputy Leader for the Liberal Democrat, Green and Independent Group.

She had been vice-chair of the Education Transport Appeals Committee since 2010.

* Patrick and the family want people to know that there will be a celebration of life at 12.30pm on 30th August at Whisstocks in Woodbridge, “opposite the river she so loved”. Her favourite Rabble Chorus will be performing at the service, which is open to all. Instead of flowers, donations can be made to Kiva.org, an organisation Caroline passionately supported.

ON THE MARKET

Your latest local property news from around the coastal region …

NEWS IN BRIEF …

IT’S BACK!

The Woodbridge Ambient Festival returns this year with a whole host of cultural and musical goodies celebrating a genre which many believe was born right here.

Acclaimed producer Jan Pulsford (pictured) presents a packed weekend featuring ambient and electronic music. After last year’s sold-out events, introduced by the father of ambient music himself, Woodbridge’s Brian Eno, the town is looking forward to a weekend of visitors and live music around the town. Beautiful ambience was inspired by the river and our glorious landscape. It will feature many live music acts as well as films and installations and a Q&A with gifted pianist Tom Rogerson. Venues include Whisstocks Square, the Longshed and The Angel pub.

The festival takes place on the autumn equinox weekendFriday 22nd to Sunday 24th September. Tickets are available from Eventbrite.

l For further details visit, woodbridgeambientfestival.net

GEORGIAN SPLENDOUR IN 17.5 ACRES …

A rare opportunity has arisen to acquire Hollesley Lodge which has set our pulses racing. This untouched Georgian residence comes complete with two-bed annexe and established grounds and paddocks extending to a glorious 17.5 acres.

Hollesley Lodge stands in a wonderfully unspoiled rural corner between the villages of Shottisham and Hollesley, just over one mile from the coast, in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which also includes the Forestry Commission’s Rendlesham and Tunstall Forests, with their numerous paths and bridleways.

The main house, which is in need of modernisation, is elegantly proportioned with original reception room, sizeable first floor bedrooms, service rooms and cellarage. It is packed with original features including attractive sash windows, beneath hipped slate roofs. The annexe, which was completed in 2005, is independently serviced, and benefits from a separate driveway and parking.

l For further details, call Jackson-Stops on 01473 218218.

“I LOVE THE AREA WITH ALL MY HEART!”

Renowned actor and local resident Bill Nighy is putting his beloved home county on the map with an exciting new TV documentary series he is narrating.

Tom Porter of BriteSpark East, which is making the six-part series about Suffolk and neighbouring Norfolk for Channel 5, says, “This entertaining and escapist series charts everyday life in one of the UK’s most underexplored counties, meeting a diverse range of local characters, uncovering the region’s secrets and discovering the county’s ancient landmarks and hidden gems.

“Set against the glorious backdrop of natural farmland, wild coastlines and world-renowned beaches, the series promises a visually stunning treat for viewers”.

Bill, who starred in Love Actually and is said to live in Aldeburgh, has made no secret of his love for Suffolk.

“‘I love the area with all my heart”, he once said. “Dunwich for dramatic cliffs; Aldeburgh for tea and world-class fish ‘n’ chips; and Walberswick for sandy beaches and crabbing”. l Further details on the series are yet to be announced … watch this space!

© John Ferguson

© John Ferguson

GROW YOUR OWN (COMMUNITY, THAT IS!)

lovely dog walk - sometimes it would just be two of us, other times many more would come - and it built up from there. What became apparent was that they wanted to connect more with nature and with like-minded people and feel a stronger sense of community.

“Kazia and I felt strongly that we wanted to live in a brighter, kinder society which was more unified than the one we were living in. This can be done by reassessing every aspect of our lives from pre-birth to post-death. We wanted everyone to see that they are truly the masters of their own destiny”. Tina says the group also attracted those from the “healing community” - practitioners in reiki and other wellbeing treatments - who shared their vision to help others.

It was after her father died - during the fraught time when hospital access for relatives was restricted due to Covid - that Tina felt the time was right to make a big change.

“I’d always known I didn’t want to just live with our family unit. I felt that living in a multi-generational community would be

It started off, as all things do, with a great vision. It was during the height of the pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns when Tina Powick and her friend Kazia Gianni started to look at an alternative way of living.

“We felt the world was quite divided”, says the mum-of-four, who ran a children’s nursery with husband Dan in Rendlesham. “People were becoming more and more isolated, and Kazia and I wanted to see a return of the sort of community you’d have found pre-1980s. So we set up a Facebook page, called Joinavision, and started offering walks and meet ups.

“We started meeting people - a lot of them in their fifties and sixties - in Woodbridge and further afield who we’d never met before and, like us, they were questioning why we have a very sick society, mentally and physically. I don’t think all the devices and screens help. So we’d post up that we were going on a

much better for everyone in our familywe wanted to join forces with others wanting the same. We put our house in Ufford on the market and looked all over the country and joined up with more like-minded people”.

Around this time, the couple sold their family business too. Tina and Dan then took the plunge and bought a pub - The Cross Keys at Henley - as their vision to create a nurturing and sustainable community really took shape.

“Joinavision was never meant to be just a Facebook page”, she says of their online community which now hosts 15-20 groups around the world with a collective following of 11,000 people. “And it’s not

Fed up with the rat race and endless plate spinning? Fancy leading a simpler, more fulfilling life? Meet the locals who have done just that …

Dan, Tina and Kazia outside the Cross Keys pub

about telling people how to live their lives”, she says. “We wanted to encourage people to empower themselves”.

Having renovated and revitalised The Cross Keys Pub, which is manned by an army of friendly volunteers, it is today the vibrant community hub Tina, Dan and Kazia had always dreamed of. It serves wholesome food mostly sourced from local bio-dynamic veg producers and, if they can’t source it, they buy organic. They are part of the People’s Food and Farming Alliance which assists local communities

in growing and producing food products to “counter any incoming food shortages, ensuring future crop production.”

Tina says, “We are now a group of 14 people - three volunteers, one noninvestor/renter, with six children between us and four investors with two properties”. It’s hard work to keep everyone fed - and the pub stocked - but she says they all greatly enjoy their newfound freedom and have never looked back.

“We’ve already discovered how much surplus we have from the seeds we’re growing and plan to have a stall at our hub selling surplus seedlings”, she says. “This will hopefully generate a bit of money to cover the costs of the seeds we buy annually”.

The Cross Keys also offers healthy drinks (alcoholic and soft) so you won’t find any Coca-Cola or “mainstream” beers hereinstead, they offer locally-sourced and small batch drinks where they can.

They have all sorts of events happening, from art sessions, Pilates and yoga to live music, and there’s even a campsite. And a ladies choir use the space too.

“Nearby residents have started coming in and using it as their local again which we’re so delighted about”, says Tina. “They’d missed their community pub and

now they have it back and are very supportive. The Cross Keys used to be a bit of a bikers’ pub so we have also welcomed the bikers back and will be this month (August) hosting an event for them”.

Tina says they have come a long way since those dark days of Covid.

“I think this is the most exciting time to be alive”, she smiles. “We’ve had a really hard few years but now I feel like we’ve got an opportunity to regain that sense of community that so many places seem to have lost”.

l For details of events at The Cross Keys pub, find them on Facebook. Go to, thecrosskeyshenley.co.uk

“I felt that living in a multi-generational community would be much better for everyone in our family”

ROOTS ROCK REGGAE …

Woodbridge Festival celebrates Sound System Culture as part of the national Windrush 75 celebrations. Ben Osborne explains …

It’s hard to over-estimate the influence of Sound Systems on UK music. Whether you’re into hip hop, house, dubstep, jungle, grime or pop, there’s barely a genre it hasn’t touched.

Sound System culture grew out of Jamaican traditions, where, from the late 1940s/50s, DJs and selectors would muster ever bigger systems to play the hottest tunes.

Brought to the UK by WIndrush Generations, Sound Systems and blues parties were held in non-traditional spaces (anything from homes to church halls, community centres and parks).

From here their influence and music spread. Lord Kitchener, a Trinidadian calypso artist, had arrived on the Windrush itself in 1948. And soon other Caribbean genres, such as ska, reggae and dub were taking root in the UK. By the late 1970s, acts such as Aswad, Matumbi and Steel Pulse were creating era-defining music.

With this background, it’s perhaps not surprising the UK was the first country to have a hip hop track reach Number 1. New

York’s Sugar Hill Gang topped the Official UK Singles Chart in 1979 - the track itself had grown from Sound System culture.

In 1973, Jamaican Sound System DJ Kool Herc had moved to New York to organise Sound System parties. He found New Yorkers danced more if he only played the instrumental ‘breaks’ of funk and soul records, rather than the whole tune. Soon other DJs were copying him and a movement started that eventually gave birth to hip hop as a genre.

Artists in the UK readily took to hip-hop. But throughout the 80s and 90s were also experimenting with other Sound System traditions, creating new genres such as jungle, trip hop, bashment, UK garage, UK Hip Hop, grime, sub Lo, 2-step ... and many more. Aspects of Sound System culture permeated genres like house and rave culture, with acetates, dub ‘versions’ and MCs becoming fixtures.

Cities such as Bristol and London became overtly associated with the culture, with crews like The Wild Bunch and Soul II Soul paving the way for a slew of successful acts. Other strong cultures stretch back decades across the UK in Leeds, Manchester, Leicester, Birmingham, Sheffield …

Ipswich’s Sound System culture has been thriving in Suffolk for over half a century. Amongst the local crews there’s Ashanti Yard, which was established in 1968, Bopper Ranking, an Ipswich Community Radio regular who runs Freedom Sound System and Nicky Don’s Rastayard Sound System. Missile Sound has been running since 1986, with Skipa J and team organising regular events throughout the year. Daddy Turbo,

a well-known DJ with radio shows on BBC Radio Suffolk, built his name hosting Sound System events and setting up pirate station Flex FM, to tackle a lack of representation for the local black community on radio.”

l For in-depth details on all the above visit, woodbridgefestival.com

WOODBRIDGE FESTIVAL OF ART AND MUSIC GUIDE

Following on from August’s sold-out Aswad gig at Woodbridge Community Hall, the annual flagship festival at Elmhurst Park continues its programme of arts, featuring world-class music on the main stage, alongside art displays, spoken word and poetry, family entertainment including a fun-filled kids activity zone, a wellness zone plus a bigger than ever array of taste-bud tempting street food stalls and pop-up bars. Families are welcome to bring a picnic and, as it is an eco-festival, there will be recycling zones for all packaging and litter.

Friday 1st September - Main Stage

The music kicks off on Friday evening when Elmhust Park promises a fanfare of exciting national and regional bands and DJ sets.

Saturday 2nd September - Main Stage

Due to popular demand, Jazzie B (Soul II Soul) returns this year promising another epic crowd-pulling act which got the whole festival dancing in 2021. The exciting international line-up includes: A Man Called Adam, Ben Osborne, Caswell, Chris Coco and Kevin Pearce band among others.

Get involved throughout August Linking up with their series of successful Windrush events, there will be an Art trail ‘Anchors Aweigh’ with art and photography to be viewed in various windows along Woodbridge’s winding streets and a poetry competition, Journey into the Unknown’, the latter an open call for anyone to submit a written piece with a chance for selected entries to be recited on the spoken word Band Stand stage on 2nd September.

l Visit, woodbridgefestival.com

© John Ferguson

Ben Osborne (middle) pictured with legendary DJ Les Spaine, left, and Soul II Soul’s Jazzie B, right.

Photographer John Ferguson is exhibiting in nine venues around Woodbridge

CONTAIN YOURSELF!

We love these clever modular buildings by family-run Containers and More which has been hiring and selling specially converted space for over 20 years …

It really is the final frontier. We all want space. Even in Suffolk with our glorious huge skies and generous open landscapes, many of us seem to hanker after a bit more room in our homes or businesses. Here, Mark and Felicity Pryor, directors of Containers and More, give us a sneak peek at their projects book …

What first inspired you to set up Containers and More?

The flexibility and possibilities of modular buildings.

What are your backgrounds?

Art history, tropical agriculture and waste recycling but always design.

What is your proudest moment to date?  Each delivery of a building after several weeks of planning and design.

Any plans for the future?

To have countless fruitful conversations with people who want modular buildings designed to their layout.

Why should people consider Containers and More?

Because we know how to help you!

l Check them out at: containersandmore.co.uk

“Our feathered friends love these anti-vandal bird hides that can be painted to suit the locations”, says Mark. “They’re wheelchair-friendly with steel floor so no flammable materials”.

“Modified containers and fabricated modular buildings as workshops and offices (including with air conditioning). Ideal for moving to different sites or being a permanent building”.

“Container conversions cleverly linked together with roof balcony, clad in timber on the exterior and lined with wood laminate boards on the interior - makes an excellent cafe”.

INTERIOR LIVES

DOOR TO THE PAST …

We have been swooning over these fabulous doors installed by the Burgess Group for one of their customers who lives on the Suffolk coast. The property is a former Edwardian pump house which was restored and converted 30 years ago. The design of these doors boasts a timber double door - in Farrow and Ball Studio Greenwith a toplight and sidelights. It features 18mm Astragal bars and antique brass unlacquered Samuel Heath furniture. Their delighted client said, “The doors were tailored to the industrial past of the building. I adore the fact it lets in so much more light”.

l Visit, burgess-group.com

DREAMING OF DELFTWARE …

Lovely things are happening at The Merchant’s Table in Woodbridge. Namely these beautifully intricately cut collages, by award-winning illustrator and Norfolk artist, Laura Winstone. They are made using painted paper which Laura then paints exquisite detail onto. The collages depict collections of traditional Delftware pots with cats hidden within, in a stunning range of blues and white. Laura’s charming work reveals pictures within pictures and are as wonderful to study up-close as they are to admire from a distance. The blue and white tulipiere vase is also designed by Laura. The Staffordshire Dogs are by Alex Sickling.

l For more handcrafted homeware by British makers, check out The Merchant’s Table at 20 Church Street, Woodbridge. themerchantstable.co.uk

EXCELLENT IN ALL AREAS!

Woodbridge School

A co-educational independent day and boarding School for students aged 4 to 18, Woodbridge School, including our Pre-Prep, Prep, Senior School and Boarding, has been rated ‘Excellent’ in all areas by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) 2023.

Prep, Senior School and Sixth Form

Children at our Prep School develop a true love of learning in a nurturing, lively and inspirational environment where they are able to grow in character, kindness and excellence. Our Senior School and Sixth Form offers students the perfect balance of creative challenges and academic success, from Year 7 through to 13 where they work with teachers to find their individual pathway, to discover and develop their talents, so they can be the best version of themselves today, and in the future.

A levels and life at Woodbridge

We offer a wide range of academic subjects for further study, and work with students to identify which A levels are right for them, whichever subject or career they wish to pursue beyond School.

While results are tangible and of course something we work towards success in for every student, there will be as much focus on every other aspect of Sixth Form life. Exploring their chosen subjects in greater depth is coupled with opportunities for sport, co-curricular interests, many clubs and of course time to socialise.

Each student in our Sixth Form is cared for and nurtured as an individual, as part of our community, ensuring they are equipped with the tools they will need to go forwards and into their own future.

A flexible, comprehensive system of bus routes

With a number of minibus services operating daily throughout the local region, Woodbridge School offers a comprehensive system of bus routes reaching across Suffolk as well as Essex.

Full and weekly boarding

For those living further afield, the School offers full and weekly boarding options. Boarders form a vital part of the community at Woodbridge School, with everyone supporting and learning from one another.

David Beasant is passionate about ensuring our Sixth Formers get the absolute best from themselves and our School. “From taking students out of School to support learning as well as enjoyment and fulfilment, to being someone they can confide in and look to when they need support with anything and everything, we are always available,” he says. “Right beside them on their journey through Woodbridge, through to exams, results and life beyond, we want to make sure every student at Woodbridge Sixth Form learns and succeeds, and has an amazing experience while doing so, becoming the very best they can be.”

Director of Sixth Form

See Woodbridge School For Yourself

Visit Woodbridge School at any time by appointment or join us at our Sixth Form Open Evening on Tuesday 10 October 2023 where you can meet teachers, other students and even take snapshot lessons.

You can also visit us for our whole School Open Day on Saturday 23 September 2023, where you can hear from our Head, our teachers and Senior School students.

l Register your place for either event by visiting: woodbridgeschool.org.uk

BRINGING THE OUTSIDE IN …

It was during lockdown that Olivia O’Reilly had an idea which would bloom into a thriving business

expensive and required a lot of maintenance.”

With her wonderful eye for colour and love of nature, Olivia, who used to work as a product development manager for Disney, developed and created by hand these exquisite faux flower bouquets. “I focused on hand-tied faux flower arrangements alongside individual stems, plants and a home décor line.”

Fauxquet was born and nowadays is synonymous with beautifully realistic luxury faux flower stems, each one designed to invoke the beauty of nature, bringing a natural, elegant addition to your surroundings.

“Our range now includes ten core bouquets,” smiles Olivia (pictured), “as well as extra special limited-edition ranges. All use greenery to create an incredibly natural looking arrangement which are complemented by ‘real touch’ flowers, specifically created with a specialist coating so they feel completely natural.” Fauxquet is offering an exclusive discount code for readers: SUFFOLK10.

l Check out their website, which is bursting with ideas at, fauxquet.co.uk Or email, info@fauxquet.co.uk

We were living in a house without much natural light,” recalls Suffolk-born Olivia, “and we found that greenery and flowers really transformed the room, but buying weekly fresh bouquets was too

It’s no wonder that Fauxquet has recently appeared in several publications including Hello, Woman & Home, Good Homes and HomeStyle, as well as featuring in Michelin-starred restaurants and five-star hotels.

BUSINESS BULLETIN

All the latest business news from around the coastal region …

NEARLY NEW IS THE WAY FORWARD …

MAGICAL RIVER CRUISES …

Last month the Orwell Lady delivered the replica of Cardinal Wolsey’s hat to launch the fabulous Wolsey 550 exhibition at The Hold in Ipswich. We caught up with Emma Lightfoot of this family business to find out more about the much-loved Orwell Lady and asked her about its proudest moment.

“Without sounding a bit obvious”, she says, “it’s sharing the experience with people who have lived in Ipswich, sometimes Suffolk, and never been on the river before. Each day is different whether that is down to what we see, who we see (sometimes a seal!) or the impact of the weather and light conditions. People rarely get off without saying something very positive”!

And her most memorable moment?

“We had returned from a trip out when the Olympic torch came into Ipswich. We let the passengers stay on board and they had a close-up view”! Emma says the Orwell Lady has hosted some famous passengers in her time. “Each year we work with Felixstowe Book Festival and host a literary event”,

she says. “In 2022 we had Sir Terry Waite and in 2023 we had Louis de Bernières (who wrote Captain Corelli’s Mandolin amongst other books), next year we will have BBC Radio 4’s Robin Ince”.

She says the plan is to offer sightseeing trips, “and keep the price as low as we can to help people step out of the daily grind and relax. We will also continue to offer a few catered trips – such as English Afternoon Teas and Sunday Buffet Lunches and we are also looking at trips for photography enthusiasts. It really is a beautiful river.”

l Book your trip at, orwelllady.co.uk

After successfully opening in Ipswich, its 20th store in the UK, Motorpoint is inviting customers to discover its everyday unbeatable prices on a vast and fabulous fleet of nearly new vehicles. According to the country’s leading retailer, there are myriad reasons to invest in a nearly new vehicle. We all know that buying a brand-new car means you wipe 50-60% off the value the second you drive it away from a showroom forecourt. However, buying a nearly new Motorpoint car or van, which is usually under four years old with less than 30,000 miles on the clock, means you still get all the perks of the latest technology, performance and safety features, but you’re likely to need fewer parts replacing compared to an older car, and insurance premiums can be lower too. Motorpoint assures every vehicle sold has undergone a rigorous inspection to make sure it’s up to scratch, looking its best and is mechanically sound. Being nearly new, many are still under manufacturer’s warranty, but if not, Motorpoint provides a free three-month warranty.

Now is a great time to consider selling your used car, as most drivers will find they have equity in their vehicles. The Ipswich team offer expert advice in a friendly atmosphere – you can even sell your car to Motorpoint too. Pop in and see them!

l Motorpoint Ipswich, West End Road, Ipswich, IP1 2DZ.

Visit, motorpoint.co.uk/ipswich

HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY, MAGNUS PR!

2023 has been an incredible year for business owner and entrepreneur Ann-Marie Doggett.

From themed party cruises along the River Waveney, and a Fawlty Towers Dining Show to Lowestoft’s first Cuban-themed event and more.

Ann-Marie owns Magnus PR, a multi award-winning marketing, events and promotions agency based in Oulton Broad.

September marks the firm’s fifth anniversary, and Ann-Marie has a special event planned, with an RnB Cruise with DJ Ironik. She says, “I’m obsessed with 80s music, but I’m also a huge fan of RnB and hip hop, so I thought why not create an RnB Cruise”?

l Check it out at magnuspresents.co.uk

AND … BREATHE!

MAKE TIME FOR YOUR MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT

East Anglia’s most popular Mind, Body & Spirit Festival is returning to Trinity Park Event Centre on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th September from 10am to 5pm.

Focusing on wellness and wellbeing, take guidance from mediums or tarot readers, explore reflexology, massage, yoga and mindfulness. Find support for mental health, men’s health, and women’s health. Browse the exhibitors and enjoy amazing live music.

Chris Cozens, who is celebrating Life Arts’ 25th anniversary with his largest ever event, says, “We have selected more than 100 ethical exhibitors and some new experiences, including preloved fashion stalls and a “Red Carpet Selfie” experience.

“Our Festival Field offers camping/glamping, a Food Village, walk-in eco-art workshops, and a stage with a packed programme of folk, soul, blues and international performers.

“Celebrations continue into Saturday evening from 7-9pm, with ABBA and Bee Gees tribute bands, plus support. There’s FREE ENTRY for day/weekend ticket holders and exhibitors. Everyone else is welcome too for £7.50, payable on the door”. £1 from every ticket sold goes to Emmaus Suffolk, a local charity supporting those at risk of homelessness.

l Advance tickets are on sale now at, lifearts.co.uk

JOIN THE WIDE AWAKE CLUB!

We simply love Ella and Jo’s Wide Awake Gel which contains an incredible line-up of ingredients designed to help with any eye area niggles.

Whether it is dark circles, puffiness, fine lines and wrinkles or hydration, this remarkable gel tackles them all - leaving you bright-eyed, bushy tailed, and ready for the day ahead!

l Check it out at, ellaandjo.co.uk

All your holistic health, beauty and wellbeing news from around the coastal region …

SERENITY AND RELAXATION …

Holistic therapist Tracey MacRae has dedicated herself to the practice of wellbeing, massage and reflexology for over 35 years, operating in salons and spas worldwide and teaching complementary therapies for over 16 years. Tracey now offers reflexology, aromatherapy massage with hot stones and reiki within her home practice, transporting her clients into a state of serenity and relaxation. Tracey also supports and enhances the health and wellbeing of her clients in ways that extend beyond her treatment room, providing additional steps to improve wellness. This includes Tracey’s Sleep Aid and Hormonal Aid Kits, as well as self-care reflexology techniques to use at home.

Learn Something New …

Tracey delivers Reflexology and Indian Head Massage workshops at multiple venues across the county, including Suffolk Food Hall, Kersey Mill and Suffolk Yoga. These introductory workshops teach how to practice reflexology and massage on friends and family. It provides the

by Madeleine MacRae

knowledge and techniques to support stress-related conditions as well as balance hormones and gut health. The feedback from these workshops has been extremely positive and Tracey has many upcoming workshop dates starting from September.

Hormonal Balance and Pregnancy

A particular area of focus for Tracey is hormonal balance, menopause, and pregnancy reflexology. Tracey is supportive of women throughout their journey into motherhood - from conception to postnatal. The benefits of pregnancy reflexology include reducing pain and promoting relaxation during labour and delivery. Reflexology can also support fertility issues by reducing stress, balancing hormones, and regulating the menstrual cycle. Tracey feels empowered by the feedback she receives, feeling honoured to have supported women through their pregnancy journeys: “I first discovered reflexology when we were struggling to conceive – and I found out that I was pregnant two weeks after my first session!”

OFFER: New clients receive £10 off their first treatment. Valid until 30th September 2023.

For workshop and treatment information visit:

Website: traceymacraewellbeingtherapies.com

Email: traceyjmacrae@gmail.com

Facebook: @Tracey MacRae Wellbeing Therapies

Instagram: @traceyjmacrae

FORGET-ME-NOT CAFÉ

According to NHS England, it is estimated that almost 900,000 people in the UK now suffer with dementia. Here in East Suffolk it’s good to know there is support locally for sufferers and carers ...

Sue West, who worked as a nurse for 40 years - the last 15 years of which she was a senior lecturer in nursing - is no stranger to dementia.

She says she experienced it first hand, in varying degrees, with her late father and her mother-in-law.

It was in 2018, when she was on the Patient Participatory Group (PPG) of her local doctor’s surgery, that she met Avtar Athwall and together they came up with the idea to set up the Dementia Café in Kesgrave.

Renaming it Forget-Me-Not Café after it reopened following the lockdowns, it now hosts around 30 people who meet every Wednesday at the Bowls Pavilion adjacent to Kesgrave Community Centre on Twelve Acre Approach. For the price of a cuppa, visitors can also enjoy cakes, biscuits and scones as well as get involved in a host of activities including arts and crafts.

Recently they helped the local scouts to paint poppies. They even have a resident ‘pat dog’ who is a calming influence on clients.

Sue, who tirelessly runs other elderly groups locally, says many of the volunteers who help out at the café are retired nurses though they are always on the lookout for more helpers.

She claims it’s been such a valuable support for local dementia sufferers,

offering a bit of light relief, and they have seen significant improvements among those who attend. “Some who had stopped talking at home have come along - the men particularly enjoy playing dominoes - and within a matter of weeks are talking and you can see they are enjoying themselves”, she says. “It’s important to reach out and let people know we are here”.

As the population ages and people live for longer, dementia has become one of the most important health and care challenges facing our community. It’s thanks to the kindness and hard work of people like Sue and Avtar that there is support out there. The café is also a sanctuary for those who are lonely or feel isolated, and Sue says if they can attract more volunteers and any much-needed funding, they might be able to further extend its offering and opening hours.

l Forget-Me-Not Café is open on Wednesdays, 9.30am-12.30pm.

l If you can help in any way, or you know someone who might like to attend, call or email Sue on, 01473 624044 or, peter.west@ic24.net or email Avtar on, avtar.athwall@btinternet.com

© Kerry McLaughlin Photography

By Carl Stickley

VINYL Distraction

Summer 2023. By the time you read this another Latitude festival will have blasted away the cobwebs of sleepy ol’ Suffolk. August bank holiday sees Maui Waui festival, if you still fancy bopping in a field, helped along by Dub Pistols and Henge (the latter being a truly deranged spectacle!) Woodbridge Festival of Music & Art sees UK reggae gods Aswad bringing shuddering basslines to the town’s Community Hall in late August and Jazzie B headlining in Elmhurst Park in September. Also, in September, the legendary Dexys play the Ipswich Regent. Too Rye Ay, anybody?

A RISING TIDE LIFTS ALL BOATS…

Maybe it’s the promotion of Ipswich Town, or people ‘discovering’ Suffolk post-lockdown, or something in the water, but there does seem to be a buzz about. I’ve lived here ten years and there certainly seems to be more musical action going on. The Brighten The Corners Festival in June saw scores of people descend on our county town. St Stephen’s Church is the latest addition to its live music scene and has some great acts coming up. Avalanche Kaito, there in August is described as ‘Burkina Faso-raised urban griot and two Belgian noise rockers’. If that doesn’t grab you then I’m afraid you’re reading the wrong article, my friend. Indie rock band Friendship, from Philadelphia, also perform. Or why not try some cosmofunk with Takeshi’s Cashew (pictured) here as part of an eight-country tour. They explore the boundaries of club culture, world music and 70s psychedelia. Peace out.

ALBUM REVIEW: The Soft Boys, ‘Underwater Moonlight’ 1980

Robyn Hitchcock was the main songwriter in this groovy little beat combo. By 1980, punk had been and gone, synths were taking over from guitars, vacuous Eighties pop (Spandau, Duran and the like) was taking over the charts. Who could save us? This lot got a few toes tapping within the alternative music universe back then.

The Softies were a mix of power-pop, mid-Sixties melodies, driving riffs, a tinge of Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, guitar freakouts, and a smidge of Dylan-esque wordplay. Whimsical, English psychedelia with a knowing edge and a tight rhythm section. Tunes like ‘I Wanna Destroy You’, ‘Kingdom of Love’, ‘Positive Vibrations’, ‘I Got The Hots’, ‘You’ll Have to Go Sideways’, ‘Old Pervert’ - all sound fresh and punchy, even now, (unlike most of what was ‘popular’ back then, ahem). The band XTC had the same influences but had ‘proper’ chart success. The Soft Boys never quite landed, but those who ‘got’ it loved them. Indeed, over decades, Hitchcock has played with members of REM and Led Zeppelin and carved his own idiosyncratic path, caring not a jot for the vagaries of ‘hip’ or ‘cool’. A true original.

Best of the bunch though IMHO is Robyn Hitchcock, coming in September. Why? Well, younger reader … Robyn is part of a dying breed. A man who’s been around the musical block, ploughed his own furrow for decades, made a living through music without ever really having hits. Hitchcock grew up in the 1960s and, although he liked the energy of punk, as he said himself, he couldn’t “pretend The Beatles hadn’t happened”. Thus, his music has bits of everything he absorbed over the years sprinkled liberally through his songs. He is English in a Syd Barret vein, but Bob Dylan has been his lodestar. He doesn’t sound anything like Dylan though and, armed with just a guitar, on paper he can ‘look’ like a folkie singer-songwriter. But, aha, he’s not! Twisted little vignettes, weird time signatures, an English voice by turns almost fey then snarling. Melancholy, dread, absurdist, laugh-out-loud silly, sometimes all in the same song. Go see him and witness a master storyteller.

Picture by Zoe Kursawe

THE WOODBRIDGE VETS: LEADING THE WAY

an in-house diagnosis and prompt treatment for your pet.

“We have added two extra consultation rooms and have extended the waiting area as well”, says Kyle as he shows us around their contemporary practice based in Riduna Park (behind Honey + Harvey).

“We never intended to extend so quickly after opening, it was only when we were taking initial registrations that we realised the full extent of the local demand. Luckily the space next door became available, and we realised we will soon need all of it”.

As well as that they have also just had to take on another vet at the practice to help them serve the needs of our community’s much-loved pets.

The facilities at the practice include spacious kennel rooms which are clean and modern, offering air conditioning, as well as heating when it’s cooler. They have kennel sizes to accommodate all sizes of pets, from rabbits right up to their custom walk-in kennels for the large breed dog patients.

But it is their brand new 32 Slice CT scanner which really sets them apart from the rest.

The team have spotted early cancers and complex hairline fractures and a whole host of other ailments, thanks to this incredible piece of equipment and their expertise.

“We’ve even been able to use it to locate and then remove small grass seeds from the lung”, says Kyle.

Only recently one of the practice nurses had brought her cat in which was generally unwell with a temperature. “The CT picked up a pyothorax, which is a build-up of pus in an abscess”, explains Kyle. “Without draining the cat’s chest and a week of intensive treatment this could easily have become quite serious, but we can happily report that the cat has since made a full recovery”.

The Woodbridge Vets also offers modern lab equipment so they can run blood tests in under 30 minutes, often giving a diagnosis while you wait.

l The Woodbridge Vets is now taking on more registrations. Pop in and see them at 19 Riduna Park, Melton. Visit, thewoodbridgevets.com

This cutting-edge practice, run by Dr Kyle Eadie and Dr Laurie Barrow on good old-fashioned principles, is leading the way in terms of getting

“CT capability is very rare in typical first opinion veterinary practices”, Kyle says, “this means you don’t have to drive hours away for diagnostic tests. We can see inside your pet down to extremely fine detail enabling us to provide a more accurate and timely diagnosis of both routine and potentially life-threatening conditions”.

WORKING IN NATURE …

As work patterns change and employment opportunities become more elusive, now is a good time to reappraise what exactly you’d like to be doing and maybe consider a new career path.

There is a whole range of career opportunities in the area of horticulture for school leavers and adults alike, including the retail sector, working in garden centres, plant nurseries, landscape materials suppliers and farm shops. You may not know that garden and landscape contractors are always looking

for employees and there is a long-standing skills shortage in the industry as a whole, which means there are excellent job opportunities available for qualified applicants with some work experience.

Garden and landscape design are expanding areas of the industry in which there is considerable scope for employment in small and larger companies and for the self-employed. More and more people are realising the benefits of working outside in a natural environment, including improved health, fitness and the job satisfaction of designing/creating landscapes which can enrich the lives of people and wildlife and play a part in restoring valuable habitat.

Suffolk Rural (Suffolk New College at Otley campus) are offering several fantastic courses for garden design, garden and landscaping and horticulture (including RHS courses), as well as arboriculture, agriculture and other land-based courses. So what are you waiting for? Go to, suffolk.ac.uk

l Visitors to Suffolk Rural are enjoying this brand new garden funded by the Cedric Morris Foundation, which was officially opened earlier in summer. Designed by lecturer Nick Nicholson and built and planted over two years by his talented students on the landscape, garden design and horticulture courses, it has completely transformed the look of the front of the college. An Eastern Redbud tree was planted and dedicated to the memory of much-loved late principal, Viv Gillespie, who was very supportive of horticulture at the college.

There is a whole range of career opportunities in the area of horticulture

The Woodbridge Vets has expanded its practice in Melton, offering state-of-theart facilities, including CT scanning …

DOGS ABOUT

I’m a three-year-old Cane Corso called Bagheera and just like my JungleBook namesake, I’m a faithful friend and protector of my family. They got me from Kent though my breed is actually from a place called Romania. They were on a waiting list for a year-and-a-half to get me and I like to think I was well worth the wait!

I cause a bit of a stir wherever I go - sometimes people cross to the other side of the street. Even police officers stop to meet me and ask all about what I’m like. I might look scary, but I’ve been trained so well that I’m very chilled and relaxed. I’m just a gentle giant who doesn’t like to be left on his own. I’m terrified of fireworks and

thunder which will keep me awake for hours.

I was brought to live in Suffolk by my owner Gurmeet (pictured left) to live with the family. They say I’m a Velcro-dog - I stick close to my loved ones. His father Bhupinder, my dear grandpa (pictured on the right), suffers from multiple sclerosis and is in a wheelchair and I am always faithfully at his side.

I’m at my happiest when all my family are around me and I’m lying right in the middle of the room. Utter bliss!

AND I’M EVEN MORE LAID BACK! My name is Bess and I’m a 10-year-old Bassett hound originally from Bradford but now a Woodbridge dog about town. I’m very timid and dad Richard (pictured) reckons that I’ve even tried to run away from chihuahuas! I love a leisurely walk, sunbathing in the garden and my favourite food is roast lamb leftovers on a Sunday. Life is good!

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

What’s new in your lively local arts scene?

Angela Hagan has the lowdown …

a performance of Donizetti’s The Love Potion (L’elisir d’amore) in September 2020 in Elmhurst Park”, he says, “the first live music event in Woodbridge after lockdown, which was very well received”. This followed in 2021 with Mozart’s The Magic Flute (DieZauberflöte), also in Elmhurst Park, but last year, for a variety of reasons, their performance of Strauss’s The Bat (Die Fledermaus) - pictured - took place in Woodbridge Community Hall.

OPERA FOR WOODBRIDGE

This year’s production will be Rossini’s Barber of Seville which, like last year, will be held indoors at Woodbridge Community Hall, on Saturday 7th October at 5pm. Co-producer Nick Fowler tells us, “Thanks to generous funding from Woodbridge Town Council and others we, the producers Nick Fowler and Caroline Blois, are delighted to again be able to offer the performance free of charge”.

Although free, Nick explains that the performance will be ticketed, and can be booked by emailing, tickets@ operaforwoodbridge.uk

“We started as Opera in the Park with

“This year our event is not until October and so we will be in the Community Hall again”, says Nick. “As always, we engage professional soloists from all over the country with an orchestra of local professional and semi-professional players led by well-known local conductor and pianist, Andrew Leach. The performance will incorporate a group of children drawn from the ranks of the children’s opera company, Jubilee Opera. Our operas are becoming part of the Woodbridge live music scene and we are keen for this to continue, either in the Community Hall or in the park”.

l Visit, operaforwoodbridge.uk

THE JANE AUSTEN FAN CLUB!

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen fans are desperate to get their hands on new books written about her world. Suffolk author Ruth Leigh has just published a collection of short stories around minor Pride and Prejudice characters. Mrs Philips (Mrs Bennet’s sister), Sally the maid, the teenage Harrington sisters, Mrs Annesley (Miss Darcy’s companion) - all of them now have their own story and through them, the eager reader can gain access to the elegant interiors of Pemberley, Rosings, Netherfield Park and Longbourn.

Ruth was rereading the novel during lockdown and realised that in around 1780, there would have been a lively teenage girl looking for a husband in a small Hertfordshire town. Her name was Miss Gardiner and under her married name, she is a major character. Ruth carried on, creating amongst others, a bitter blackmailing cook, an impoverished young woman who finds love in an unexpected place, a giggly teenage girl and a sensible matron with a romantic heart.

“People’s yearning for good Jane Austen fan fiction is endless,” explains Ruth. “I’m delighted to have published a collection of Pride and Prejudice short stories with Resolute Books, called A Great Deal of Ingenuity, which I hope my readers will enjoy”.

l You can get your copy via Ruth’s website at, ruthleighwrites.co.uk; on Amazon; and at Woodbridge Books in the town’s Thoroughfare.

WAVENEY & BLYTHBURGH ARTS

The work of 12 local and regional artists is on show with Waveney & Blyth Arts at Potton Hall, between Blythburgh and Westleton. It features a wide variety of sculpture, including 28 pieces of 3D construction and sculpture in stone, clay, wire, multimedia assemblages, glass and steel, ranging from abstract to expressionistic and figurative subjects. The exhibition has one foot in the formal garden but lies mainly in the wider landscape of Potton Hall’s beautiful wildflower meadow. Entry is free and everything is for sale. Artists taking part include Surinder Warboys, Cindy Lee Wright, Shaun Pickering and Tobias Ford - see his Goshawk, pictured. Ford is well known for his sculpture, Pakefield Man, which was commissioned for First Light Festival.

The trail is open every day from 10am until 4pm at Potton Hall, Blythburgh Road, Westleton, Saxmundham, IP17 3EF. l Check it out at, waveneyandblytharts.com

Picture by Simon Raven

Picture by Simply C Photography

RELISH

THE SUFFOLK SUR-MER: A review by Charity Crewe

If you’re wanting fish that tastes like it leapt straight onto your plate, via some wizardry in the kitchen, The Suffolk Sur-Mer, in Aldeburgh, is the place to go.

The Suffolk - which is also a boutique hotel with six bedrooms - is a cocklewarming Covid success story. Owner George Pell opened it in the summer of 2020 as L’Escargot Sur-Mer, a pop-up version of the legendary Greek Street restaurant. George, who was managing director of L’Escargot at the time, explains that while the other Soho restaurants were benefitting from the streets being pedestrianised during the pandemic, Greek Street became an ambulance run.

With no outdoor seating, L’Escargot had to close temporarily. “Survival instinct kicked in”, he remembers. When he heard that 152 High Street was looking for occupants, he took a punt and, along with six of the L’Escargot team, decamped to the seaside.

It was a triumph from the off, and when the building came up for sale, George had no problem finding local investors. He spent a year renovating it, and what began as a 17th century inn, has returned to its roots. Although he has now parted company with L’Escargot, much of what he learnt there, as well as his training in Home House in Marylebone and the Arts Club in Mayfair, has seeped into the essence of The Suffolk. He’s achieved his ambition to create the feel of a “club house without the membership fee”. As well as the bright and airy restaurant, there’s a bar area, and a roof terrace with magnificent views of the North Seaperfect for whiling away hours sipping cocktails.

Not only is the setting stylish and comfortable, the food is spectacular. George sources his produce carefully, with a focus on local and east coast fishmongers. It is all beautifully prepared by the new head chef, Tom Payne, who hails from Woodbridge. For starters, I went for the Half Dozen Butley Creek Oysters –which were subtle and plump and possibly the best I’ve ever tasted. My brother’s hand dived scallops came with a chimichurri sauce that was a perfect balance of garlic, chili and herbs. The turbot main, which was dripping with

HULLABALOO SCOOPS

BEST BREAKFAST ACCOLADE

Diners at Hullabaloo are clamouring to see why the Observer magazine recently placed this boho Ipswich eaterie in the number one slot for brilliant British breakfasts!

Based in St Peter’s Street, Ipswich, this lovely plant-based café (the first in the town) is even tempting in meat-eaters who want to try their legendary Capel mushrooms, tarragon and cobnuts on home-made sourdough with a mouthwatering Madeira cashew crème or better still, their gluten-free waffles with lemon cashew cream, rhubarb and toasted nuts. We particularly love their sweetcorn fritters with scrambled tofu, tamari seeds and house beans. This is SERIOUSLY good vegan food made with love by talented chef, Jen Debenham, at this friendly, artsy café she set up alongside husband Jon Halls.

Pick up a loaf of mouthwatering home-made sourdough or freshly made cakes while you’re there - in fact, a little bird tells us that they may soon be offering a home bread delivery straight to your

smoked mussel butter and samphire, went down a treat. My brother reluctantly shared a small mouthful of his lobster and chips – I can’t blame him, the lobster in garlic butter was fabulously succulent. It was hard to choose between the puddings, which include elderflower cheesecake and chocolate orange pot.

The Suffolk is ideal for a treat - the mains hover around £26. If that stretches the budget, head to the bar or the roof terrace to indulge in some of their seriously original bar snacks or legendary BBQ’s and enjoy the chic, yet warm and family friendly feel of the place.

l The Suffolk Sur-Mer, 152 High St, Aldeburgh. Open from Wednesday to Sunday, for lunch and dinner; bar 12pm until late.

door. We’re in … l Call, 07790 159669 or find them on Insta @hullabloosuffolk, or online at, hullabaloocafe.co.uk

DEBEN INNS TAKES OVER

THE KING’S HEAD

Deben Inns has added an eighth eaterie to its successful portfolio of award-winning pubs - the historic King’s Head in Woodbridge.

Director Sam Lomas, who runs the company along with parents Steven and Louise, says the King’s Head is a very special acquisition for the family-run firm. “It’s such a historic building, we feel very proud and excited to be here in such a great location overlooking the Market Hill in the town”.

With plans in to extend and renovate the kitchen, subject to consent, the menu is slightly reduced but the offering is very much the same as the other seven award-winning pubs in the group which includes the Maybush at Waldringfield, the Fox Inn at Newbourne and the Butt and Oyster at Pin Mill.

Each has its own unique personality, style and menu with all head chefs given creative autonomy whilst remaining true to the group’s ethos of providing great food with a friendly service, at good value.

Their customers like the fact that there is always offers for those on a budget. If you download their app on your phone you will receive up-to-date offers and can book a table. You will not be alone - they already have a staggering 40,000 app

users! And no wonder; their two-for-one roasts on a Sunday, for example, are hugely popular and you will need to book in advance.

For Sam, the endurance of his parentsand before them his pioneering grandparents, Michael and Anne, who came from a successful pub in London’s Holborn to set up their very first eaterie in Suffolk - has paid off.

“I grew up above the Maybush at Waldringfield and can remember from a

very young age how hard they all worked”, he smiles, “none of this just fell into their laps; it was 24 hours a day, non-stop hard work. But we are delighted to be able to extend our offering into Market Hill in Woodbridge, which is, as are all our restaurants, dog-friendly and open seven days a week. We are a champion for using local produce and where possible we source our ingredients from local Suffolk businesses, keeping our food fresh and ensuring quality. Our real ales are a feature, all being cask marque certified, and each pub has a different range to choose from, again supporting local brewers when we can”.

l To book a table at the King’s Head on Market Hill, go to, debeninns.co.uk/kingshead

Sam Lomas (at the end on the right) and the team at the King’s Head

ALEX AYLIFFE:

CONNECTIONS,

BOUNDARIES AND PLACE

Gallery East, 24 Church Street, Woodbridge

Opens Saturday 23rd September

The gallery is open

Wednesday, Thursday 11am-4pm, Friday, Saturday 10am-5pm

Alex Ayliffe’s new exhibition, which opens in the autumn, is an homage to Suffolk. After a career as a bestselling children’s book illustrator, Alex returned to developing her practice as a professional artist and draws inspiration from abstract artists Sean Scully and Mark Rothko.

l For further details go to, galleryeast.co.uk

AND ABOUT! OUT

Top tips for fun things to do in Suffolk …

by Charity Crewe

SOUTHWOLD MAIZE MAZE

Old Hall Southwold, Reydon, Southwold

The maze is open every day until Sunday 3rd September, 9.30am5.30pm (last entry 3pm), at weekends during the autumn Café and walks are open all year round, 9am-5pm

Stella Peskett Millenium Hall, Southwold Sunday 17th September, then every Sunday after that 10 Church Street, Framlingham

Every Monday during term time, 10am-12pm Artists Louisa Marcq and Erica Åkerlund have been running their weekly wellbeing art class in Framlingham for over a year, and are now starting a monthly class in Southwold. “No skill is needed to join”, explains Louisa. The classes are purely to get creative juices flowing, bring people together over a pot of paint and to lift the mood.

The classes are two hours with a 15 minute coffee/tea/ cake break. £15 in Southwold, £12 in Framlingham. l For further details and to book, artfeelgood.com or email, hello@artfeelgood.com

To ring the changes this summer why not challenge the family to the Southwold Maize Maze, which is has grown impressively tall this year? Set over ten acres, and redesigned annually by Mazescape and owner, Bella Hall, it takes about an hour to complete, depending on your map reading skills! There’s also a mini maze for younger people and plenty more on offer, including go karts, trampolines, zip wires, stunning trails along the River Blyth, and a stylish café. It’s no surprise that it was Winner of the Best Small Visitor Attraction in 2019!

l Tickets can be booked online at, southwoldmaizemaze.co.uk

Adult £8; Children £9.

WOODBRIDGE FILM SOCIETY

The Riverside Cinema, QuaySide, Woodbridge

From Monday 11th September at 7.45pm, then monthly

Why not expand your film knowledge by signing up to the Woodbridge Film Society, which is celebrating its 30 years at the Riverside this year? It was started in 1993 by Barbara Pynn, a former graphic designer, who still runs it today. The films are a mix of contemporary art house, foreign language and documentaries, with the odd classic thrown in. “It gives people a chance to see films that they wouldn’t normally get to see”, explains Barbara. By scouring reviews, and keeping an eye on film festivals, she compiles a list of films to screen. Annual membership is £40 (£35 if your subscription is paid by 31st August), and the films are usually shown on the first Monday of the month.

l For details, theriverside.co.uk/cinema/wfs/

To join, go early on any film society night or contact, admin@w-f-s.co.uk

ARTEAST 2023

Framsden Hall Barn, Framsden

Thursday 14th - Monday 18th September

There’s a good chance you’ll find something special for your wall at artEast’s next show, to be held in the lovely Framsden Hall Barn. artEast was set up in 2019 by two friends, artist Georgina Barclay and curator Henny PalmerTomkinson, to stage exhibitions across East Anglia. Their latest show will include paintings, sculpture, ceramics and prints by 20 established and up-and-coming artists. Of note is Suffolk artist, J R Chou, who at a mere 20, creates wonderfully delicate, papercut artwork inspired by coral reefs. There will also be work by ceramist Amelia Tuttiett, sculptor Tom Hiscocks and painter Jelly Green.

l For details, arteast.org.uk

© Mike Page aerial photography

Paul Newman in The Sting

Organisers Henny Palmer-Tomkinson and Georgina Barclay

Georgina Barclay painting exbitor JR Chou

Alex Ayliffe artwork

ART FEEL GOOD