Living in Suffolk Coastal - Issue 23

ISSUE SUMMER 20162020 ISSUE ONE… 23 ... April / mAy

LIVING IN

SUFFOLK Gap anyone?throw … how it their works Localyear, home owners… open doors Through the lens … old newthe Parent Pod! Child free zones?… meet themeets couple with Is grey just so last year?…

Jojolife Humes Brown on colours Down’s syndrome … ‘our is richer’

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ApR/mAy

IN SuffOlk COASTAl …

N

ow we’re officially in spring, here at Living In … we’re doing our best to put the doom and gloom behind us and are looking forward to enjoying everything coastal Suffolk has in prospect.

With VE Day celebrations taking place in early May, we met up with Gill Tzanoudakis to learn more about her late father, Jimmy Croskell, and his experiences as a pilot in WWII. It’s all on page 11.

On page 15, we’re delighted to catch up with Tina Powick, the very proud mum of Maggie, her baby daughter who has Down’s syndrome. With high profile actress and mum of a Downs Syndrome teenager, Sally Phillips, currently supporting calls to outlaw the termination of foetuses with the condition after 24 weeks, Tina eloquently shares her story and tells how her world is so much richer with Maggie in it.

With final year A-level students nearing the end of their further education, many youngsters are having to make big choices about going straight to university or deferring and taking a gap year. On pages 16–17 we share the views of a handful who decided to delay higher education.

A big thank you to Julia Bostock and her husband Ben Burdett, for inviting us to their Regency home near Saxmundham for our house feature (pages 20–21). Both highly successful in the world of photography, the couple share their story about what brought them to Suffolk and how they work well as a team bringing their creative visions to life.

At the start of May, swifts will be returning to coastal Suffolk to nest and raise their young.

On page 35, you can learn more about what we can all do encourage them to keep coming home to roost.

As always, we bring you regular favourites including our round-up of local business news, culture vulture updates, and Dog About Town.

Happy Easter and happy reading!

Angela & Lyn

ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

LIVING IN Editors: Angela Hagan (T: 07930 184773) and lyn peters (T: 07909 544496) Designers: Craig Drever and lewis Webb info@livinginsuffolk.com www.livinginsuffolk.com Due East Media Ltd: 39 Seckford Street, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 4LY 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. Living In … Suffolk Coastal 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.

Local home owners… throw open their doors Child free zones?… meet the couple with the Parent Pod! Is grey just so last year?… Jojo Humes Brown on colours

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5 gET INVOlVED If you’ve got a heart-warming story to tell, an inspiring home or a cultural event you’re planning, we’d love to hear from you.

Our copy deadline for our June/July issue is Monday, 11th May and copies are available to pick up and enjoy from Friday, 5th June. l for advertising info and to tell us your stories, email info@livinginsuffolk.com

11 ISSUE SUMMER 20162020 ISSUE ONE… 23 ... April / mAy

LIVING IN

SUFFOLK Gap anyone?throw … how it their works Localyear, home owners… open doors Through the lens … old newthe Parent Pod! Child free zones?… meet themeets couple with

YOUR BRAND NEW FREE HOMES & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

Is grey just so last year?…

Jojolife Humes Brown on colours Down’s syndrome … ‘our is richer’

WHAT’S INSIDE 5 11 16 20 24 35

Local News VE Day remembered Mind the Gap Blending Old With New Culture Vultures Flying High

ON THE COVER

Winter Reeds by Fred Ingrams.

During this year’s Aldeburgh Festival, The Maltings Gallery at Snape Maltings will be hosting Contemporary Landing (13th June – 12th July), an exhibition showcasing emerging contemporary artists, led by Fred Ingrams.

ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

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ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

LOcaL NEWS

HARE TODAy

I

picture by Sue Cross

t has to be one of the most iconic Suffolk sights to catch a hare or two tearing powerfully across a field. But the UK’s brown hare population has declined by 80% since the late 19th century, and their numbers continue to drop, warns the Hare Preservation Trust.

Sue Alderman from the voluntary organisation tells Living In … the shooting of hares, even in their breeding season, leaves young hares, known as leverets, to starve and die in fields.

“This is an unacceptable affront to modern animal welfare standards,” she says.

So are hare shoots causing the decline in their population?

“By definition, shooting is designed to decrease the population, so yes, it is a significant factor,” says Sue. “Although hares face many challenges, including a recent large scale die-off from disease, East Anglia has a healthy, relatively stable population of them. But it is in decline.

“An estimated 300,000 brown hares are shot in the UK per annum. many of these in East Anglia where the population is high and it can be asserted that they damage crops (even though hares are not classed as a significant crop pest).

“The main figures are obtained from the National Gamebag Census (NGC) which is run by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust. It obviously only includes the numbers of hares shot on land where the landowners are willing to participate in the census, so there must be a number of culls undertaken which aren’t represented in the Gamebag census.”

One Suffolk farming couple, who wish to remain anonymous, told Living In … the hare shoots they have witnessed were more of a “massacre” than a cull.

“It was barbaric,” they stormed.

Sue Alderman agrees: “I think it’s fair to say hare shoots are a messy affair. There have been photos and videos of hare shoots that would back this up, especially one infamous Suffolk cull a few years ago where witnesses saw many wounded hares being clumsily dispatched by people who weren’t good shots and who were clearly inexperienced, basically clubbing hares with the butt of their guns. It was shocking and clearly inappropriate;

I can’t honestly say what is ‘typical’ but the current situation evidently allows the opportunity for such incidents to occur.”

Hare coursing is illegal but what is the actual law regarding the shooting of hares? And should it be changed?

“There is a huge amount of emphasis on hare coursing – it suits landowners and legislators to draw focus to this wildlife crime and detract attention away from illegal hunting. There are over 70 registered UK harrier and beagle packs which traditionally hunted hares before the Hunting

Act 2004 and are still regularly witnessed causing hare deaths.

Sue says hares have very little protection in law.

“Legislation is archaic; they are classified as a game species under the Ground Game Act (1880), and the Hares Preservation Act (1892) prohibits the sale of hares and hare derivatives from March to July inclusive,” she explains. “The Hares Preservation Act is still current, and that means UK hares and hare meat cannot be sold from March to July, which is a travesty when most hare shoots take place in February, directly after the pheasant shooting season closes. So, UK hares shot in February are largely sold abroad where there is a greater appetite for it.”

Local home owners… throw open their doors Child free zones?… meet the couple with the Parent Pod! Is grey just so last year?… Jojo Humes Brown on colours

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Sue says the Trust, which campaigns for the welfare and preservation of hares, would like to see a functional closed season for brown hares from february to September in line with Scottish law.

“There is currently no closed season in England and Wales that provides adequate and enforceable protection during the breeding season – it is left to ‘voluntary restraint’ which we don’t feel is satisfactory when we know that most shoots are conducted in February when hares are known to be breeding. Landowners, gamekeepers and sporting organisations earn money running shoots for people, so hare shoots can be lucrative at a time when other game species are protected and unavailable.

“To be clear on the law, there is a closed season for brown hares which applies only to ‘moorland and unenclosed land’; hares can be shot between 11th December and 31st March, but this doesn’t include arable land or ‘detached portions of land less than 25 acres which adjoin arable land’. So that’s complicated, but essentially in East Anglia, which is mostly arable, this closed season is completely non-functional.”

Other UK and European countries which have introduced closed seasons for brown hare include Scotland, Northern Ireland, Belgium, France, Germany, Spain and Sweden.

Sue adds: “Hare coursing is technically a form of poaching and is both a wildlife crime and rural crime priority.” l for more details, go to www.hare-preservationtrust.com ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

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ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

LOcaL NEWS

TEEN’S WHEElCHAIR AppEAl

Local home owners… throw open their doors Child free zones?… meet the couple with the Parent Pod! Is grey just so last year?… Jojo Humes Brown on colours

A

Woodbridge teenager who has been stuck in bed since Christmas has appealed for help in regaining his independence.

Miles Alder, 19, who suffers from a genetic muscle wasting condition called Duchenne muscular dystrophy, needs £20,000 to pay for a new electric chair and has launched a crowdfunding campaign after his wheelchair broke.

“I try to live my life to the fullest,” he says. “But without a chair, I can’t go and see friends, walk my dog or even pop to the shops – tiny things that other people take for granted. “ His mum, Catherine Jacobs, says: “Miles is a bright, charming teenager who needs to use an electric wheelchair to go everywhere. His wonderful old wheelchair broke down on Christmas Eve after giving him many years of comfortable independence … the last two months he has been mostly confined to his bed. “ Miles has temporary access to an NHS wheelchair but because of its design, it does not allow him to complete basic daily functions unaided – such as using the toilet independently and feeding himself.

It also causes him extensive pain in his hips, pelvis and back, so he can only

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Local Miles Alder’s life has been hindered without his electric wheelchair, pictured

tolerate it for 15 minutes at a time.

Catherine says; “As you can imagine, it’s all very embarrassing and distressing for him because it’s the wheelchair restricting him right now rather than the muscle wasting condition. His previous chair gave him complete independence but the NHS one means he needs hoisting on to his bed, help undressing, washing and using the toilet – all things he could manage alone before Christmas.

“Without a chair, I can’t go and see friends, walk my dog or even pop to the shops – things other people take for granted” “He has also needed help with eating simply because the chair does not allow his hands to reach his mouth without a table to rest his elbows on, and yet often it won’t fit under the table to facilitate this.” l If you can help raise the vitally-needed funds for miles’ new chair, please dig deep and go to www.justgiving.com – search for ‘Catherine Jacobs’.

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SpeaKerS’ CORNER

Local home owners… throw open their doors Child free zones?… meet the couple with the Parent Pod! Is grey just so last year?… Jojo Humes Brown on colours

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DRIVINg mE mAD!

Coastal resident Susan Watson’s heartfelt appeal to parents on the school run …

“

L

iving near a school, you expect a certain amount of busy activity twice a day, during pick up and drop off –that’s part of the deal.

But in the last year or so things seem to have got drastically worse and it’s not just me that thinks this. Drivers have become so selfish; it seems there’s no sense of community spirit or respect.

It seems to have been replaced with this harsh new attitude of every man for himself when they’re behind a wheel.

I live near to a busy school in the coastal region and just lately we’ve had more incidences of parents blocking our cars in our drive and then refusing to move when we have politely asked them to do so. “I’ll just a be minute, for God’s sake,” yelled one angry dad recently, as we gesticulated that we needed to use our driveway. Actually, if he hadn’t been so busy yapping away on his mobile phone he would have seen the space which had become available just a few feet in front of him.

We’ve lived here for many years and,

mostly, parents are polite and courteous and some have even apologised for continually parking in the same spot in our road throughout term time. Someone once even bought us a lovely plant by way of apology, which really meant a lot!

But sadly, the few often ruin it for the rest. For example, we have one particular lady who we call Angry Mini Mum, so you can guess what car she drives! She once lost her temper with us when we arrived home and wanted to turn into our drive.

Her car was blocking it by a good couple of feet and we had to wait for her to turn her engine on and then move forward very, very slowly (inch by inch, it felt) in order to let us turn in to park – she was obviously making a point but all it did was cause a traffic snarl-up behind us.

Once we parked and got out, she opened her window and hurled abuse at us.

Eventually we threatened to report the incident to the school.

‘Go ahead!’ she shouted. ‘It won’t stop me parking here.’

She still glowers at us if she catches our eye, which makes me feel uncomfortable.

Sadly, she’s not alone.

Friends and neighbours have spoken of school run drivers actually pulling into their drive when they’re out and, when they get back, they have to wait to park.

No apologies, nothing.

Last week, one parent pulled in, blocked a neighbour’s car into their drive, then got out, walked halfway down the road to sit with a fellow parent in their car for a nice cosy 20-minute natter! Other drivers just

stop wherever they see their child walking – even if it’s the middle of the road – and cause instant traffic jams and misery for everyone. We have also seen car doors being swung open into the path of young cyclists who have to quickly swerve to avoid being knocked off. It’s not only selfish, it can be very dangerous too.

Forget the children; the school run seems to bring out the very worst in parents!

So if you’re reading this and you are the parent who does the school run, please have a bit of consideration for those living in that area. If not, we might just lose what’s left of our patience and decide to unite and insist on residents’ parking in our roads or, easier still, start parking our own cars on the road rather than in our drives, and take up valuable school run spaces … and then everyone will lose out.” l Do you have an issue that makes you hot under the collar? Write in and tell us all about it at info@livinginsuffolk.com

A SpOkESpERSON fROm EAST SuffOlk COuNCIl SAyS: “Consideration for others should always be taken when parking a vehicle, regardless of how busy it is. Double parking and blocking private driveways will not only block the roads for residents, motorists and emergency services, it can also make it dangerous for children crossing the street.”

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Pippa Murphy tells Living In … about her passion for achieving welldesigned rooms on realistic budgets

offering our in-house curtain making and fitting services ticks a huge box for me, especially as I love getting involved in all the nitty-gritty details that help ensure their projects are a success. I also really enjoy offering private clients a one-to-one consultation service that gives them the confidence to progress and manage their own interior projects.

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hIStOry

Local home owners… throw open their doors Child free zones?… meet the couple with the Parent Pod! Is grey just so last year?… Jojo Humes Brown on colours

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In loving memory …

With VE Day upon us next month (May), Living In … features the story of a brave WWII pilot who left a wonderful legacy …

I

t’s so hard for many of us to imagine what it meant to be in service during World War II – the sacrifices made for the good of the whole.

Coastal resident Gill Tzanoudakis grew up hearing about just a fraction of the courage shown by her late father, Jimmy Croskell. The trauma he suffered and horror he witnessed, he never spoke about.

Certainly not to her or her brother, Geoff.

“He often spoke of LMF, or lack of moral fibre,” says Gill. “People like him didn’t indulge anything that bothered them. They just got on with it back then. They rarely admitted to having problems, although I also remember my mum telling me he’d wake up screaming in the night …”

Flying Officer Croskell of 227 Squadron was just 23 when his Lancaster, carrying seven crew in all, was brought down in flames by the Luftwaffe during one of the many sky battles of 1944.

“He made sure all six of his crew got out first before parachuting out of the burning plane,” says Gill, a physiotherapist from

Top: Jimmy Croskell piloted a Lancaster bomber Top right: The WWII hero in uniform Above: Jimmy, middle, with his crew Right: His daughter, Gill Tzanoudakis, asked her father to chronicle his wartime exploits

Bealings. “I recall him saying he came down over the border of Germany and Holland, and he didn’t know where he was.”

In fact, Jimmy had landed in a place called Vaals, in a church graveyard on the Dutch side of the border near Aachen. His plane had been shot down by a Nazi fast bomber called a Ju 88.

“He told this story that he could have gone one of two ways,” she says. “One would have landed him in enemy territory, but thankfully he chose the right way to Holland. The choice between life and death was that stark.”

When she was 17, Gill encouraged her beloved dad, a “very loving, kind gentleman” to write down his memoirs.

“He was a very literate man and so he did it in his lunch hours (from his then job as a sales rep). Every day he would sit in his car and hand write it. I think it did him a lot of good.”

It resulted in a wonderful book, Through a Tempest Dropping Fire. Written in two volumes, it chronicles Jimmy’s astonishing wartime experiences as told through the eyes of a fictional RAF pilot and crew.

“He embellished some of it,” says Gill.

“But certainly everything that happened to Dad is in that book.”

For millions of wartime parents, like Jimmy’s mum, Eleanor (Gill’s grandmother), the war brought terrible heartache to their doorsteps.

“In the same week Dad went missing, his older brother Geoffrey, also a pilot in the RAF, vanished,” says Gill.

Indeed, Jimmy talks in his book about the horrors of the “wretched telegraph boy” arriving on the doorstep with a “beastly purple, yellow and red envelope”, the words inside reading: The Air Ministry regrets to inform you that your son has been reported missing as a result of air operations against enemy territory.

“My grandma received two such

telegrams in the same week in 1944, saying both her boys were missing,” says Gill. “Sadly Geoffrey never came back – his plane had gone down in the Mediterranean near North Africa. He’s mentioned on a war memorial in Malta.”

Thankfully Jimmy was rescued by the Dutch resistance. Unbelievably they’d also picked up his navigator, Ken East, and the resistance helped the pair over American lines around October 1944.

“He made sure all six of his crew got out first before parachuting out of the burning plane” Gill recalls a family holiday to Holland on which they visited the relatives of the people who had helped save Jimmy and his pal, so he could personally thank them.

“Dad was lucky. All his crew had survived too,” she says. “He kept in touch with Ken, who was best man at my dad’s wedding to my mum, Phyllis. He was a very good family friend.”

Sadly, Jimmy died from a heart condition, aged just 57. “I’m sure, in some way, the horrors of the war had taken a toll on his health,” she says. But his memoir lives on, and any time Gill or her family want to remind themselves about his remarkable courage, they can delve into the beautifully written book.

Gill says she plans, one day, to get it published and also to make a pilgrimage to the Imperial War Museum in London to donate his WWII memorabilia for safekeeping.

“The older I get, the more I respect the awful things people went through and yet didn’t make a big fuss about, which is why we should never forget,” says Gill. “I’ll never stop being so proud of him.”

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& Man about town in the 1980s, and much-loved presenter of his long-running radio show on BBC London 94.9, Robert Elms tells Living In … what he loves about his weekend escapes to Suffolk Renowned for your appreciation of all things urban, how did you end up with a weekend cottage here in coastal Suffolk?

My wife was on the lookout for somewhere after we sold our little cottage in Whitstable, and she had some friends in this part of the world. She fell in love with Covehithe and the unspoilt landscape.

winning at Ipswich is a sight I’ve often enjoyed.

you’ve been presenting your bbC show since 1994. What is it about radio that still appeals?

Live radio is the most immediate and intimate medium. You develop a really strong relationship with listeners, and you can only be yourself; I am not good at putting on an act. It enables me to share my love of music, art, architecture and cinema. Radio is all-encompassing.

As an avid cyclist, do you get the chance to explore the region?

Not too much, but I did a big ride with some friends who live in Dunwich and they knew every lane. You could do with a few more hills though.

Having made your name as a music journalist working on The face, and being credited with naming Spandau ballet, is music still a big part of your life?

A massive part. Going out to live gigs, especially jazz, is what I do. Late at night in Soho with a saxophone wailing and I am in heaven. I also like to think I’m fairly good at spotting new talent.

Taking inspiration from the 15 questions you ask your listed londoner radio show guests – what’s the best view in Suffolk?

Outside a pub in Walberswick, looking across the estuary is pretty good. QPR

And your favourite Suffolk building?

It’s not a county noted for its architecture, but Holy Trinity Church in Blythburgh is pretty special. I also like the Southwold Sailors’ reading room.

If you could take one thing you love about Suffolk and transplant it into your london life, what would it be?

The sea. Though I am not so sure they’d really want that in London. The fish and chips from Sole Bay would be good.

Top: BBC Radio presenter Robert enjoying our coastline Above: His book, subtitled A Memoir of a Shape-Shifting City below: The dapper Londoner has a getaway in Covehithe

“Holy Trinity Church in blythburgh is pretty special” Tell us a secret about yourself.

I’m a failed tango dancer! I tried for years to master it because I love Argentina, but I can’t do a step. l Robert’s book, london made us is now available in paperback. for details of his cottage, which is available to rent, go to www.limeblossomcottagesuffolk.com

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tOpIcaL ISSUE

“The most wonderful secret club” Local home owners… throw open their doors Child free zones?… meet the couple with the Parent Pod! Is grey just so last year?… Jojo Humes Brown on colours

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Millions have read how high-profile actress Sally Phillips, mum to a Down’s syndrome teen, has branded the screening out of the genetic disorder as ‘eugenic thinking.’ Here, coastal mum-of-four Tina powick talks about her own experience …

“

L

ike pretty much every parent, I think my baby is beautiful. This morning, I looked at Maggie’s little face, with her index finger in her mouth and her big brown eyes looking into the distance, and I wondered if I had seen anything quite as perfect before. Even our other three children think she is the prettiest baby of the family.

Her pregnancy was the best I’d experienced too – not because I was sick with any of them, but because I had no scans or blood tests with Maggie. I had begun to realise that the joy of being pregnant is somewhat lost on expectant mums now, with anxiety-inducing blood tests and scans to find out if anything is wrong and then the relief when they all come back fine. My tummy was getting bigger – that’s all I needed to know.

Her beautiful birth, at home in a birthing pool, surrounded by her soon-to-be family and a doula was the most incredible experience of all of our lives.

A few hours later we were in hospital.

I’d had no idea about it when she was born

but when the midwife came to see us (I’d had a free birth, which means no midwife is present) she noticed the baby was more than likely Down’s syndrome.

My world ground to a halt and I went into shock. Within an hour we found ourselves in the medical environment I had so desperately wanted to avoid.

I texted everyone I knew so I didn’t have to see their reactions of sympathy. I went on Facebook and joined groups for mums of Down’s syndrome children.

Even though I couldn’t yet vocalise how I was feeling, I was determined to breastfeed her – not an easy thing to do for a baby that slept so much. Through feeding her I began to heal; the heart is a powerful thing and my heart was showing me the way. A label is just a label – nothing more. She hadn’t changed.

A wave of love came back for her via texts, and there was such positivity from Facebook – mums in the know describing it as ‘the most wonderful secret club’. My perception began to alter.

I have come a long way since those three

© Endemol

Top: At first, Maggie’s condition was a shock to mum, Tina Above: Miranda star Sally Phillips with son Olly. She has talked publicly about the joys of having a child with Down’s syndrome

nights in hospital. Maggie has made me question so much.

Why do we feel the need to scan every single mother in this country? Is it to tell women they don’t need to have these babies – that there is another option? Is this what we define as ‘progress’?

“my world is richer because of Down’s syndrome” We used to shut these babies away, put them in homes. Have we changed that much by ensuring they aren’t even being born? Why are women given the diagnosis as bad news? It should just be news.

My shock lasted 24–36 hours. If I had known about her diagnosis, the rest of my pregnancy would have been racked with fear.

Our lives are filled with joy with Maggie in them. She is happy, funny, cuddly and utterly gorgeous. If I’d chosen not to have her, I would still be grieving for her. I’d have missed out on meeting this wonderful little person who brings so much joy to our lives, just as every baby does.

Now I have experience of Down’s syndrome, my world is richer because of it.

She has changed my perceptions, made me grow immeasurably as a person, and I have met some truly wonderful people because of her.

Ninety per cent of babies like Maggie are terminated, a figure that should shock every single one of us. Maggie may take longer to walk and talk than other babies but that means we get a baby for a little longer. They grow up so fast anyway.

Maggie loves her siblings, chats, giggles, bum-shuffles to get about and absolutely adores music. She is just the same as every other baby – this wonderful little person who our family would be poorer without.

When my mother-in-law mentioned me to a friend, whose daughter has Down’s syndrome and is now a writer, she said Maggie would be ‘the best thing that will ever happen to [me]’.

Before I’d had Maggie I would never have believed her, but now I can honestly say she was right.”

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p A g E H T D N I m

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Students: wondering whether to take a gap year, or thinking maybe university isn’t for you? Living In … discovers the benefits of having time out and seeing where it takes you

ccording to UCAS, approximately 30,000 students each year choose to defer the start of their university career. Making this decision for a host of different reasons, we found out about the experiences of four young people, who feel that not heading straight into higher education has been the making of them.

EllA pETERS

“I never considered it a conventional gap year but I knew I didn’t want to go straight to university.

It was tough not to follow the crowd, but I am so, so happy that I took the time to travel, work and experience life before furthering my studies.

I will be graduating next summer from my four-year bachelor’s in international development management (major in sustainable value chains), Ella Peters which I am studying in the Netherlands. Currently I’m doing an Erasmus term in the Czech Republic and studying textiles engineering.

“Not heading straight to university gave me the chance to really find out who I am, and not pressure myself into taking a course that my heart wasn’t set on (which was nearly the case!). It also enabled me to dodge a whole lot of unhappiness and debt!

During my gap years (I actually took two), I worked as a superyacht stewardess (having completed the necessary course), travelled in Asia, did a ski season (where I learnt how to cook for 18), and spent time ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

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in South Africa with my boyfriend. These experiences taught me so much more than I expected, from how to hold down a responsible, high pressured job and manage my money, to how to enjoy my own company – two months’ solo travel sorted that one out!

I now have a very clear understanding of the direction I want to head in and am really excited about what lays ahead (and that is definitely not moving back in with Mum and Dad).

If you’re not 100% sure that uni is for you, invest the time to explore other options, as there are so many alternatives out there. I like to live by: ‘You regret the things you don’t do more than the things you do’ and ‘Spend money on experiences over things’. These have both served me well so far.”

CAllum lOmAS

“I left secondary school without knowing what my true strengths and abilities were. I also had no idea what route to go down career-wise. My first fulltime job was working as a contract cleaner at the Tesco store in Saxmundham. Whilst here I realised that I made friendships very easily with new people and made good relationships with bosses and coworkers. As time went on, I did a host of jobs, from being a learning support assistant at my mum’s school for a short period before her retirement, to labouring nine hours a day over the summer. I ended

Callum Lomas

up moving to Derbyshire and I’m now working as an anti-social behaviour case worker for Derbyshire Victim Services. Skills that I learnt or implemented while working at a primary school gave me the confidence to apply for the job.

Leaving school at 16 with a Pass in History, PE and English language didn’t look too bright, but I wanted to learn things out in the real world, not in further education.”

INDIE DRISCOll

“Taking a gap year was an obvious decision for me, as I knew I needed to take a break after the final hectic year of school. This time has been vital for me, as I ended up changing my university and course, while gaining essential skills for uni such as independence and responsibility.

Originally, I had been so set on doing law & criminology at Sheffield that I hadn’t even considered alternative options. Two weeks into my trip to New Zealand I realised this course wasn’t for me, but during A-levels it had seemed like the easiest option.

My time in NZ has been unreal. I have had so many crazy experiences including hiking up a glacier and jumping off waterfalls in glowworm caves. I have met people from all over the world, giving me new perspectives and insights into a whole range of cultures and some great friends to visit.

Delaying uni is the best decision I have ever made.

I also feel my independence has grown and I’m now comfortable living alone, cooking for myself and maximising opportunities.

Taking a year out has made me look forward to going

back to learning. I am still in NZ and am super-excited to see what the future holds.”

ANDREA JONES

Coastal resident Andrea Jones’s daughter Sarah, 24, took a gap year at 19 and has never looked back.

“I must admit her father and I were a little bit dubious when she announced she was wrung out after A-levels and needed a break,” Andrea tells us. “We feared that she’d spend the year on her Xbox in her bedroom and just going out with her local friends, but she really surprised us.

“After getting a shop job, she saved up and she and a friend went travelling around Asia for eight months. Sarah kept emailing/messaging us the most wonderful descriptions of her trips. We thought it was funny because she’d always shied away from any form of writing and certainly school had never brought this talent out in her!

“When she got back she was a different person: really energised and full of plans. She was more confident – something she’d never been at school.

She’d often told us she felt the teachers thought she was just ‘average’ and wouldn’t amount to much as she wasn’t a straight-A-grade student. Once home, she applied for many jobs in London and landed up at a media company where she worked her way up and now writes for a living, running social media accounts. We no longer worry that she never pursued a degree. On the contrary, she could have ended up with lots of debt and no job to show for it. Sometimes you have to think outside the box.”

oll

Indie Drisc

former head teacher and educationalist, Jacqui frost, says: I never had a gap year! Since the age of five my life has been in education … as a pupil, a student, a teacher, a deputy headteacher and a headteacher, a total of 46 years has been spent in various educational settings in varying roles. When I was recruiting as a head teacher, there was often something a little extra you noticed about candidates who had seen a bit more of the wider world. It was often more about the life skills they had developed and expanded. I noticed that it wasn’t so much about where they had been or travelled to but more about the experiences and the people they had mixed with, the challenges they had overcome; candidates would seem more grounded and emphatic. I think life in the real world should be a nonnegotiable for anyone who wants to go into teaching.

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Something for everyone...

AT uffORD pARk

Putting the customer first sees this friendly hotel thrive

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ward-winning and proud of its independent hotel status, Ufford Park Hotel & Spa is set in 120 acres just outside Woodbridge.

Managing director, Tarnia Robertson, took over the management of the hotel from her parents five years ago this month (April).

She says: “Whilst I’d been involved in the business before, stepping up to run the hotel and golf course was a huge step for me. But I’m delighted to say that since then we’ve won awards, including most recently Suffolk’s Greenest Business at the Creating the Greenest County Awards, we’ve refurbished all 90 en-suite bedrooms as well as other parts of the hotel, and we’ve improved our profits year-on-year. We’ve also worked very hard at understanding our customers’ needs and how we can best serve them.

“I’m most proud of the culture we have here at the hotel – we’ve worked hard on supporting, coaching, training and employing the right staff – all of whom have a positive ‘can do’ attitude. And, whilst we may have seen changes in some departments over recent years, we’ve come through stronger and with a much more engaged and positive team. This is reinforced by the reviews we receive daily from happy customers. They always praise how helpful and lovely the staff are.”

CElEbRATIONS With function rooms able to accommodate up to 190 guests for a dinner-dance style setting and up to 300 for a finger buffet style reception, the hotel is the perfect choice if there’s a special occasion to celebrate. Events manager, Lily Griffiths, says: “From birthdays and anniversaries, to baby showers, renewal of vows, or wakes, we work with clients to ensure their every need is met.”

gOlf This 18-hole, par 71 award-winning course is perfect for all intermediate

and experienced players – and everyone in between. Set in 120 acres of parkland the course is playable all year round thanks to its excellent natural drainage and is open to members and nonmembers from 7am every day.

CONgO RApIDS A perfect escape for a couple of hours for young and old alike, Congo Rapids adventure golf takes you through an abandoned temple, riding a raft into the Lost World and being met by lifesized dinosaurs.

Make a day of it and enjoy the Congo Rapids, swimming and children’s meal package at £15 per head (4–12-year-olds) or £45 for one adult and two children (not including adult meal). gETTINg HITCHED Offering wedding packages from just £3,999, Ufford Park’s ability to host weddings on every day of the week provides greater flexibility when it comes to preferred dates. Civil ceremonies can also be undertaken at the hotel. Events manager, Grace Flynn, says: “Many of our clients are budget-conscious younger couples or those getting married for a second time. Always happy to share our contacts, our job is to ensure they have the wedding of their dreams.” fITNESS & SpA Boasting a thermal suite spa that offers a full range of body treatments using luxurious Temple Spa products; a fitness centre with equipment and classes (including the recently introduced and highly popular spin classes) and a swimming pool, the comfortable and friendly atmosphere is perfect to exercise, relax or unwind in. buSINESS mATTERS If you’re looking for a venue to host a business meeting or conference, the

chances are Ufford Park has a room to suit your needs. With facilities to accommodate four to 300 theatre-style, the hotel offers a day delegate rate of £39.00per person and can advise on team building activities and outside equipment hire. l for details of Easter events and the hotel’s year-round offerings, visit www.uffordpark.co.uk

from top to bottom: The hotel’s thermal spa suite – the perfect location for a celebration; one of the 90 refurbished ensuite bedrooms; managing director, Tarnia Robertson; Ufford Park’s 120-acre site

blENDINg

old with NEW

A Regency house with outbuildings proved to be love at first sight for creatives Julia Bostock and Ben Burdett

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ith a shared passion for photography, Julia Bostock and Ben Burdett’s 1840s regency home can be found a few miles drive off the A12.

Light and airy, every room is bursting with creativity and stunning imagery.

“We’re very lucky,” says Julia. “We found the house back in 2010 and it needed very little doing to it.”

Whilst both have strong working ties to London and travel extensively – Julia is a leading children’s fashion and lifestyle photographer, working for Liberty of London, Fendi and Harrods amongst others, and Ben is the owner of the much-respected Atlas photography and fine art gallery in Marylebone – a relaxed family home out of town was always what they imagined.

Ben explains: “Whilst London-based, our weekends were spent decamping to Osea Island on the Blackwater in Essex.

We rented a very unflashy white clapboard cottage that had no heating and was cut off by the tide. It was complete freedom until Sunday afternoons when we had to head back to our proper lives.”

With the owners selling the cottage in 2008, the couple, along with daughters Molly and Ella, decided to settle permanently in Suffolk. Ben takes up the story: “We took a risk moving just as the banking crisis was starting and moved to Stutton for two years before we came across this place.

“For me, the house was love at first sight. It gave us the chance to live in an architecturally unspoilt Regency house but the outbuildings at the back of the property satisfied our urge to do a very modern build.”

With both Julia and Ben sometimes able to work from home, it made sense to rework the house’s outbuildings and granny annexe to create a space that was multi-

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ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

at HOME

Local home owners… throw open their doors Child free zones?… meet the couple with the Parent Pod! Is grey just so last year?… Jojo Humes Brown on colours

functional. “Our initial plan was to take down most of what was existing and make a big open shed. But during discussions with our architect, the project evolved, and we decided to keep what was there but repurpose it to make an ultra-modern blank canvas perfect for location shoots and hosting workshops, whilst also doubling as a great Airbnb space.

“We installed large windows to bring in the natural light and used lots of concrete and other raw materials.

We also took inspiration from various interior shoots Julia had been involved with, and our travels. The courtyard between the house and the Skyroom is now one of our favourite spots. Working as an outside room, it’s a great place to enjoy a drink on a summer evening.”

Recent photographic shoots at the Skyroom include French Connection and Zara Home, and as Julia adds: “We’ve also had the White Company and Clarks shoes here.”

Always keen to progress personal projects alongside their commercial commitments, Julia is particularly pleased with her recent campaign for Liberty of London: “We visit Arles in the south of France every year, as it hosts a fabulous annual summer photographic festival. Close to the Camargue region – and its famous horses – men and more recently women, known as guardians, have been tending the herds of horses and bulls in the unfenced region for centuries. Often wearing floral shirts as part of their uniform, it reminded me of the traditional Liberty of London fabric prints. Biting the bullet, I approached them to pitch a photographic campaign showcasing these stunning guardians wearing Liberty patterned shirts. Much to my delight, they loved the idea and so I headed back to Arles to do the photoshoot, which can now be seen in Liberty’s fabric magazine and in-store shortly.”

Passionate travellers, the couple love nothing more than a family holiday with their daughters. “We’re a very close family and the girls love to come home from university, bringing their friends. United as a family, I sometimes wonder if this would have been the case if we’d remained in London and lived in a much smaller property.”

Both Julia and Ben agree they’re not big planners but they’re happy dreamers. Ben continues: “Six acres and a property like this enables us to be king-size dreamers.

Julia adds, smiling: “We’re always talking about our next little project.”

YOUR BRAND NEW FREE HOMES & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

Top: Mixing raw materials in the Skyroom: middle: Regency splendour bottom left: The courtyard featured in a recent photoshoot for French Connection below left top: Existing outbuildings are used to create the Skyroom; below left bottom: A blank canvas that doubles as an Airbnb below: Julia’s latest campaign for Liberty bottom right: Julia behind the lens Pictures by Julia Bostock

l To contact Julia, visit www.juliabostock.com To learn more about acquiring photography as an investment, contact ben at www.atlasgallery.com

“It gave us the chance to live in an architecturally unspoilt Regency house but the outbuildings at the back of the property satisfied our urge to do a very modern build”

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buSINESS AS USUAL

Latest success stories in the local area

fRESH & ClEAN Press Gang is a familyrun laundry business in Hadleigh offering door to door collection/delivery with vans operating throughout much of Suffolk, and its latest route covering the Woodbridge area on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Amelia Kelly says: “Our collection services for residential and commercial customers has proved very popular and enables those further afield to benefit from our high-quality standards.”

Proud of its environmental credentials, Press Gang has invested in a range of energyand wastesaving innovations over recent years. Amelia continues: “Our revolutionary eco-friendly Electrolux

Advanced Lagoon Wet Cleaning system is a modern, greener alternative for achieving fresher, brighter, softer clothes.

“The system is Woolmark approved and can clean most garments that have a dry clean label – banishing the use of harsh toxic chemicals, which can leave an unpleasant residue on clothing.” l for more information, see www.pressganglaundry.com or call 01473 558448 for collection and delivery routes and times.

THINk glObAl, SHOp lOCAl With latest worldwide developments, it’s easy to overlook our wonderful businesses and small producers all over Suffolk who might be in for some challenging times.

We’ve all witnessed how the surge in demand for goods has affected even the largest of supermarkets recently, but this gives us a fantastic opportunity to make sure we shop locally and support local jobs.

One company that prides itself on directly connecting us with producers is Big Barn.

Set up by Anthony Davison (pictured with his dog, Mango), this inspirational Community Interest Company is now the

country’s leading online food website featuring local produce.

Anthony explains: “We’ve been helping build the local food industry for 19 years and are constantly adding initiatives to reconnect us with real, local food. The more we use it the better, and more sustainable, our food will become.”

Big Barn’s mission is to reconnect consumers with nearby producers and encourage local trade. As it stands, farmers only earn 9p of every £1 spent on food in a supermarket, and by shopping locally we can reduce the middlemen and retailer margins and ensure more money stays where it should do – in our local economy. l you can find out more, look up recipes and place orders at www.bigbarn.co.uk

TRuSTEE AppOINTmENTS While we may be in uncertain times, things are moving forward with Jetty Lane, the proposed community hub for Woodbridge and the surrounding area.

The organisation is delighted to announce the appointment of two new trustees. Carl Stickley brings 20 years’ television and marketing experience to help promote the charity.

And with the appointment of Sue Gray, Jetty Lane benefits from a wealth of fundraising experience as Sue was instrumental in

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An artist’s impression of Jetty lane

Carl Stickley

Sue gray

raising £5 million for the building of Quay Place, Ipswich.

A series of videos are currently in production promoting different aspects of what Jetty Lane will do for the community.

The charity is also asking for suggestions for things that volunteers/fundraisers can do that don’t involve mass gatherings and being in public spaces. Please send your innovative ideas to info@jettylane.com or call 01394 383128. l www.jettylane.org

gOTElEE OpENS IN fRAmlINgHAm The team at Gotelee is us that we maintain this delighted to be extending approach for clients in and its legal services to around Framlingham.”

Framlingham.

Competitively priced and Based at the Framlingham offering fixed fees across Technology Centre on many areas of law, simply Station Road, the full range call 01728 727005 with an of services will be offered initial enquiry and one of to both business and private the Gotelee team will be on clients. hand to assist and arrange Managing partner, an appointment to meet at Andrew West, says: “Always the Technology Centre. looking at ways to improve our service, we know that l To find out more about gotelee Solicitors llp, visit convenience is a key factor for our clients, and so basing www.gotelee.co.uk/ keep-in-touch ourselves at the Technology Centre ensures an easy and Andrew West convenient of gotelee place to meet.

Solicitors “Clients across the region enjoy the personal service we’re able to offer and it’s important to

Christina Wilson

VERITAblE VANIl If you’re looking for inspiration this spring, look no further than Vanil on Church Street in Woodbridge.

Until Sunday, 19th April, photographer, artist and curator, Christina Wilson (wife of this edition’s Mover & Shaker, Robert Elms) will be curating a small selection of covetable wares and whatnots, alongside her own artworks.

With all pieces for sale, Christina says: “Always with an enquiring eye, I am drawn to anything and everything that displays finesse and a lightness of touch, and hope the collection resonates with everyone who comes to say hello.”

The owner of Scandi-inspired Vanil, Mandy Leeson, has a range of workshops and events planned during the coming months – from garden open days with Swedish landscape designer Mia Whitman on hand for advice and top tips, to ceramic workshops with potter Nadine Samson from Home Folk Ceramics.

Mandy says: “Our workshops are always hugely popular and are a great opportunity to take time out, to learn, to make and to enjoy the moment.” l Details of future workshops can be found on Instagram at _vanil_ or search for ‘Vanil Woodbridge’ on facebook.

Vanil in Woodbridge will host garden open days

Here’s a round-up of all our region has to offer this spring pOEmS TO NOuRISH A new collection of poetry, Enough to Love a Multitude, has been published by Suffolk poet, Peter Watkins. A former psychiatric nurse working in in-patient and community settings in Ipswich, Peter has written extensively and always with a compassionate understanding of mental health issues. A co-founder of the Ipswichbased arts in mental health charity, Inside Out Community, Peter is now enjoying his retirement and focusing his creative efforts on his love of poetry.

He says of the poems in his new collection: “I see them as a counterbalance to the many griefs in life which sometimes overburden us. They are poems for nourishing the heart and spirit.” l Enough to love a multitude is available from publishers Eye Wild books (based in Shotley). for further information, you can go to www.eyewildbooks.com or contact carol@green-lantern.co.uk THOmAS CHuRCHyARD ON SHOW A major exhibition of this Suffolk-born 19th-century landscape artist from brings together more than 80 of his works for display at Woodbridge Museum.

Self-taught, Churchyard seldom ventured much beyond Woodbridge and his native Melton for his subject matter, and his work View on the Deben, formerly The Barge at Melton Dock, can be seen at Tate Britain alongside the works of Constable and Gainsborough.

Dying in 1885, a bankrupt Churchyard divided his works among his seven daughters.

During the exhibition, there’s the chance to find out more about the artist’s life through talks by local historian and author Robert Blake. l It runs from friday, 10th April Sunday, 3rd may. full details are available by contacting martin Waller on 07768 701199 or by emailing martin.waller@sky.com ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

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OpEN STuDIOS Suffolk Open Studios returns again in June for a ninth successive year and with a record number of participants. For four consecutive weekends, from Saturday 6th June, artists across the county will be opening their studios and offering visitors a unique opportunity to see their work (including works from Leiston-based Patricia Lomax, like Long Lane, pictured), watch their creative process and discuss their practice.

This year sees nearly 140 artists and galleries involved.

All studios are open 11am – 5pm and entry is free. l www.suffolkopenstudios.org ORWEll AND RANSOmE Currently on tour is Eastern Angles’ latest play, Red Skies. Centring on a fictional meeting between two of Suffolk’s most famous sons, authors George Orwell and Arthur Ransome, the story opens in Southwold just before the outbreak of war and sees the two writers begin a friendship, until a mutual suspicion of spies causes sparks to fly.

Seventy years on from Orwell’s death, this comic, clever and at times deeply personal new play by Ivan Cutting, probes behind the facade of two famous authors to find the secrets that both inspired and haunted them. l The regional tour continues until Saturday, 30th may. further information, venue details and tickets are available from www.easternangles.co.uk

Southwold Harbour 1939 Two famous authors fish for hidden secrets

CREATIVE SpACE COmES TO SAxmuNDHAm A non-profit arts organisation, The Art Station is transforming 3,000sq ft of the vacant 1950s post office exchange building in Saxmundham High Street into an exciting new creative space for artists, makers, designers and tech developers in rural coastal Suffolk.

As well as offering work placements and internships, there will also be space for exhibitions and a base for an external art programme.

Jane Watt, artist and joint project lead, says: “Our plan is to unlock potential and effect real change, enabling people to come together and form communities around the creative industries and tech.”

As part of its funding programme, The Art Station has launched a crowdfunder that is running until Thursday, 9th April to help with renovations to the building. l For more information on how to donate, volunteer, or sign up to its mailing list, visit www.theartstation.uk

ART fOR CuRE 2020 CONVERTS TO ONlINE ExHIbITION Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, Art for Cure has taken the decision to postpone this year’s Glemham event scheduled to take place from Thursday, 7th to Sunday, 10th May. Exhibition founder, Belinda Gray, says: “We’re all very sad that we’ve had to postpone, but Art for Cure will be rescheduled and return in spring 2021.

But all is not lost. Our great team of volunteers will now convert glorious Glemham into a dynamic online art exhibition in the run-up to, and with a full launch over, the same weekend in May. “With an exciting mix of themed micro-galleries, auctions and online pop-ups, audiences and collectors will have the chance to view and purchase a cornucopia of art, carefully and creatively curated and drawn from the best across East Anglia and the nation.” l www.artforcure.org.uk

ON A TuRNINg WINg This year’s Alde Valley Spring Festival (Saturday, 25th April – Sunday, 24th May) is a celebration of wild birds and birdlife. New collections of work by selected artists explore the themes of biodiversity, behaviours, flight and habitat during this fabulous four-week exhibition, hosted on a working farm.

A major feature for this year is a new series of cormorant paintings by Maggi Hambling CBE. Works on display include Cormorant with Struggling Fish, and 14 smaller works on the same subject.

All displayed in a 19th century threshing barn in Great Glemham, Maggi says of the works: “These cormorants are the most recent in a series begun in 2002. I habitually scan the North Sea, or the Thames, in anticipation of a cormorant’s sudden presence.

These horizontal dive-bombers, scudding the waves at high speed, are an endless source of wonder.”

In addition to the festival’s exhibition, there’s open studios, writing residencies, farm suppers, the Hedge Quarters Tea Rooms, festival shop and farmland rebirding projects to enjoy.

Jason Gathorne-Hardy, festival director and curator, adds: It is a tremendous honour to be able to welcome these beautiful new works to the farm as a central part of this year’s festival. We’ve been doing this for over ten years, and this year is one of our best.” l White House farm, great glemham, Suffolk Ip17 1lS. for timings and more information, visit www.aldevalleyspringfestival.co.uk WE All STAND TOgETHER Save the date. The first Woodbridge Pride is taking place on Saturday, 29th August. Starting from Shire Hall on Market Hill, join the Rainbow Parade as it heads through Woodbridge celebrating togetherness, unity, love and tolerance. Organiser Sam Simpson says: “The parade will head through town and down to the river where there will be music, story-telling, stalls and a children’s area, and the chance for everyone to come together and have a great time.

“Currently we’re looking for volunteers to help and so if anyone is interested, please check out our website or our Facebook and Instagram pages.”

We’ll be bringing more news on Woodbridge Pride in our June/July edition. l www.woodbridgepride.org.uk facebook/Instagram: woodbridge pride2020 ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

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Oaklands House

Suffolk Haughgate House Foxgrove & Maynell House Mill Lane

Aldringham Court

Healthcare Homes Healthcare Homes provides care and support appropriate to the needs of each individual, in a friendly, warm and supportive atmosphere.

With twelve homes throughout Suffolk, we offer a unique choice for the elderly and would be delighted to welcome you for a viewing or informal chat.

Call us on 01206 987440

Foxgrove 01394 274037 Provides residential care

Maynell House 01394 272731 Provides residential care

Mill Lane 01394 279509 Provides residential care

use Haughgate Ho 01394 386249 and Provides nursing residential care

Aldringham Co urt 01728 832191 Provides nursing and residential care

Oaklands House 01502 724955 l care Provides residentia

ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

cOaStaL LIVES

Looking back at

Local home owners… throw open their doors Child free zones?… meet the couple with the Parent Pod! Is grey just so last year?… Jojo Humes Brown on colours

YOUR BRAND NEW FREE HOMES & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

Sudbourne Hall

Jennie golding of Sudbourne Printmakers offers a snapshot on the hall’s history

“

W

hen you swing through the gates at Sudbourne Park, near Orford, and down the impressive tree-lined avenue, you’ll see a pair of strange black urns at the end of the drive, sitting incongruously in the middle of an enormous lawn Seemingly out of proportion to the relatively modest house they stand in front of, you wonder what stood here before.

A mansion house, perhaps, delineated by these odd black urns? If so, who lived here, and why did the house disappear?

Sudbourne Hall was originally built in 1590 and underwent two complete redesigns over the centuries until it finally fell into disrepair and was demolished in 1951.

Famous guests including the Duke of Wellington, the Prince Regent (later George IV) and Edward VII were all invited to Sudbourne Hall.

In 1871, the hall was purchased by Sir

Top: Sudbourne Park Above: Coffee 2 by Jennie Golding Right: Work by printmaker Anita Cameron

Richard Wallace, who is perhaps most well known for his widow bequeathing the Wallace Collection of art to the nation in 1897. Instigating the hall’s second transformation, Wallace had it clad in red brick. Boasting 36 bedrooms, the refurbishment also included building a gashouse, an additional stable block (which is still standing) and new gardens to the south side of the house.

At the turn of the 20th century, Sudbourne Hall was owned by Sir Kenneth Mackenzie Clark, an industrialist who was known for his lavish shooting parties in the pre-war years, shooting as many as 6,000 pheasants in a day.

“famous guests included the Duke of Wellington, the prince Regent and Edward VII” His son, Kenneth, spent much of his time at Sudbourne and went on to become an art historian. Astonishingly, he was named director of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford at the age of 27 and went on to become director of the National Gallery in London from 1934.

Knighted and made a life peer in 1969, both the BBC and the Tate have described Clark as one of the most influential people in British art of the 20th century.

However, all of this may not have happened if the local doctor had not successfully performed an emergency appendectomy on Kenneth on the kitchen table of Sudbourne Hall. As it turns out, the doctor was the grandfather of one of my fellow printmakers, Michael Flint, who lives locally.

During the war years, Sudbourne Hall played a vital role in training soldiers for D-Day. Having been requisitioned by the government, the house was used as the officers’ mess while the men of the 79th Armoured Division and other units camped in the grounds.

With the war over, the expense of

repairing Sudbourne Hall was deemed too high and sadly the house was demolished in August 1951. Elaborate decorative ceilings, three Adam fireplaces and 250 carved pillars were among the fixtures and fittings that disappeared. In the 80s, the remaining wings of the house, courtyard and game larder were converted into residential properties, now known collectively as Sudbourne Park.

The current owner of the estate, Sir Edward Greenwell, has just completed a new development within the walled garden and restored some of the parkland.

Our collective, Sudbourne Printmakers, moved to the park in 2001 and we have our studio in Bothy yard, just behind the original hall’s walled garden.” l Sudbourne printmakers’ Easter Exhibition can be seen at the peter pears gallery, Aldeburgh from 10th – 15th April, and currently there are still vacancies on the group’s two-day etching or wood/ linocut workshops in July. find out more at www.sudbourneprintmakers.com

ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

l VE TENNIS!

It’s a good time to join Woodbridge Tennis Club, which is serving up some match-winning changes for the coming season for members new and old …

NEW lOOk As part of the wide-ranging development, the club has been fully rebranded with a striking new look and eye-catching colour palette, a newly designed logo, and a refreshed website all designed to reflect the club’s heritage while stating its ongoing ambitions. Steve Lemon, chairman of Woodridge Tennis Club, explains, “We want to hit home the message that we’re a really welcoming and inclusive tennis club, open to everyone in Woodbridge and the surrounding areas. Whatever your level of play – come down and try some tennis.” kITTED OuT This season, the club is also launching its own range of tennis-related sports kit for members in distinctive yellow, blue and white. Club Captain, Simon Evans, says, “The clothing is designed to make all members feel part of the club community, whether they are here for a social knockabout or representing Woodbridge in competitive match play in local leagues.” Available at competitive prices, a dedicated online club shop will let members click-and-buy various items, including personalised T-shirts, hoodies and tracksuits, to be worn all-year round.

“As a club that provides year-round tennis on six floodlit courts, members will be able to purchase different kit for all the seasons.”

COmmuNITy CARD Elsewhere, a new membership card will offer a range of added-value benefits to members that reach beyond the club. Steve explains, “We’re thrilled to be working with some great local businesses, from restaurants to sports therapists, who have agreed to offer our members some attractive savings when they shop or visit.” It means a small portion of the club’s membership fees can be off-set when members grab a coffee in town, enjoy a meal or use selected local services. “It’s about encouraging our members to be part of the community and support businesses in the area.”

from left to right: Tennis is great for fun, fitness and friendship; the club’s new logo; Head Coach, Jon Mansfield; an aerial view of the club’s six allweather courts; juniors enjoy some coaching.

ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

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plAy TImE Back on court, there’s a wide choice of playing and coaching opportunities for both adult and junior members. Members can come along to the club’s regular social sessions, which offer the chance to meet new people and play some games, or try-out for a place in the teams entered into the Ipswich and District Tennis League.

The club’s pool of experienced coaches can also help with improving any aspect of your game. “Whatever level you’re at, just picking up a racket or a more experienced player looking to return to the sport, you’ll find some tennis to suit and ways to enhance your game,” Steve says.

Similarly, younger players quickly develop their skills while making friends and getting fit with the help of Woodbridge’s coaching team. Head Coach, Jon Mansfield, said, “It’s great to see kids get on court and soon start to gain confidence in their game, while having some fun along the way. We have a programme of tailored coaching for all abilities designed to nurture each player, from toddlers to teenagers.”

This year, the club will once again be running its successful LTA-backed ‘Tennis for Kids’ initiative. Every child who takes part in the six-week course of hour-long lessons, also gets a racket, t-shirt and balls for only £30 – the perfect tennis starter kit.

At Easter, the club’s ‘Mad for Tennis Holiday Tennis Camps’ take place on April 6th, 7th and 8th, and 14th, 15th and 16th.

And later in the season, the annual ‘Great British Tennis Weekend’ will see the club throw open its doors and courts to anyone who wants to come and give tennis a try, whatever their age and playing level. Juniors can take part on Saturday, 16th May from 2–4pm and Sunday, 17th May from 1–3pm. Adults can join in on Sunday, 17th May from 10am to 12pm. l To find out more about your friendly, local tennis club and how you can get playing, see www.woodbridgetennis.org

LIVING IN … TRAVEL

With foreign travel limited, there’s plenty happening on our doorstep …

SplENDID ISOlATION

Here in coastal Suffolk, we have an abundance of fabulous holidays where you can quite literally get away from it all. Whether you want to avoid the crowds, plan to write that novel or just fancy submerging yourself in glorious nature, the hideaway pictured here is spectacularly located. And better still, it’s just a 15-minute walk from scenic Southwold.

The Watch Room is a unique, custom-built beach house located in a secluded and stunning Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Finished in July 2018 to an exacting standard, it’s built at the end of a private track on the site of a World War II watch station and is one of Suffolk Hideaways’ most peaceful properties. A contemporary holiday home designed to blend in with its natural surroundings, it looks out towards Southwold Pier in the distance.

Comfortably sleeping four in two double bedrooms, it also boasts spectacular views of a low-lying cliff edge and a near-private beach separating you from the sea. So you can lie in bed in the morning, listening to the waves and the skylarks while watching the fishing boats out at sea. Bliss!

A Suffolk Hideaways spokesperson says the property is a real hit with people on a quest for a stressbusting break: “Couples and small families enjoy how close Southwold is. They love the peace and quiet and panoramic views, and the styling of the property makes for a very comfortable and romantic place to stay.

“Family groups are also surprised by the quiet and sandy beach so there is the opportunity for a proper

beach-type holiday. We have also had lots of comments about the wildlife you can spot from the property, so visitors are keen to get out and see what’s there.”

Nearby Southwold has a number of pubs, restaurants and cafes that are definitely worth trying out, including the Two Magpies Bakery, with its delicious pastries and coffee, and The Crown, which serves wonderful, seasonally-produced food. The town prides itself on the number of independent shops selling lots of lovely things and these are worth exploring. l for more information, call Suffolk Hideaways on 01728 666300 or go to www.suffolkhideaways.co.uk

fAR fROm THE mADDINg CROWD …

Fancy waking up in the mornings on a floating beauty like this? The gorgeous 44ft cruiser boasts three double beds, two single beds, two showers and two toilets, so it’s ideal for all the family.

This modern dual-steering motor cruiser has a bow thruster for easy manoeuvring, to ensure you have time to drink in the views on the sun deck, which has plenty of seating room for dining and relaxing.

The Norfolk Broads are a unique destination offering over 125 miles

of gentle, lock-free cruising.

Spanning Suffolk and Norfolk, the Broads National Park is perfect for newbies to the water and the more experienced boaters alike. Moor up at one of the many waterside pubs for lunch, dinner or just a drink.

Family attractions include: the woodland adventure park, Bewilderwood; Wroxham Miniature Worlds; and the Bure Valley steam railway. l www.waterwaysholidays.com ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

lANDlORDS!

It’s all in the numbers according to bradley potter of Potter’s Estate Agents …

O

“

ver the last decade working as a letting agent in Woodbridge, I’ve noticed a significant increase in the private rented sector as the availability of council properties has declined.

‘Generation rent’ has grown to such an extent that the private rented sector (PRS) now forms around 20% of all UK households.

As first-time buyers struggle, and the older generation grows suspicious of both charges on investments and the kind of stock market fluctuation we have seen recently due to coronavirus, this is predicted to increase to 24% over the next four years.

The change will bring the UK housing market far closer to some European countries, with an astonishing one in four (nearly 5.79 million households) renting by 2024.

WHO ARE OuR lANDlORDS? Rightmove has categorised its data into four landlord profiles:

1. Investors (55% of all uk landlords) Those who use property lettings as a secondary source of income, as an alternative to investing with ‘wealth managers’. (Over half of these landlords have between two to four properties, with 80% of them using estate agents to manage their properties.)

2. first time landlords (20%) Those that ‘intentionally’ became landlords and are letting out their first property.

3. professional landlords (14%) Those where letting their portfolio is a full-time job and their primary source of income.

4. Accidental landlords (11%) Those that are letting out a property due

to a change in their circumstances, such as a new job or moving in with a partner.

When the Tenant Fees Act 2019 came into force on 1st June last year, estate agents were effectively banned from charging tenants. This has resulted in many agents trying to make up the loss of tenant fees by imposing extra fees on landlords.

In addition to the average agent’s percentage ‘management fee’, which can vary wildly (from 8.0% without VAT to 14.4% including VAT), some of the new fees we have seen since June 2019 are: 1. Tenant find fee (One month’s rent + VAT) 2. Rent collection and distribution fee (5.0% + VAT) 3. Deposit replacement insurance fees (£50 +VAT) 4. Landlord checking out fee (£100 + VAT) 5. Setting-up and arrangement fees (50% of one month’s rent + VAT) 6. Renewal of tenant fee (£100 + VAT) 7. Household compliance indemnity fee (£40 + VAT) Furthermore, we have witnessed letting agents asking contractors to add up to 20% to their fees and this 20% surcharge being passed back to the agents (what used to be called ‘backhanders’).

While some of the smaller independent agents have been able to absorb these costs because they have no debts or shareholders to pay, the banning of tenant fees has created a problem for some of the national chains who factored in the earnings from tenant fees when they borrowed vast sums to go on acquisition sprees.

Some of these companies now have multimillions of debt to service, head offices to run, and shareholders – all of whom seem to take priority over landlords.

And while they can cut costs by centralising

some of their services, this has taken away that personal service and left many landlords feeling like ‘just a number’.

Although most people will review the price of car insurance on its anniversary, and look for better deals for their utility bills, the idea of switching letting agent seems to have only just caught on.

“The private rented sector now forms around 20% of all uk households” Upgrading your letting agent is a simple, hassle-free process with us dealing with all necessary correspondence. Some of the less scrupulous agents will occasionally include a clause purporting to prevent a landlord from terminating the agency while a tenant or occupier remains at the property, but such provision is largely seen in legal circles as anti-competitive, as it purports to restrict a landlord’s choice of who they are able to instruct as their agent.” l for a hassle-free switch and up to three months with zero agent fees, call bradley on 01394 447487. It’s time to keep more of the income you generate!

ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

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Family run business with over 30 years’ experience

Woodbridge, town centre

guide price £525,000

A charming Grade ii listed period property which benefits from many original features, but has been tastefully modernised throughout. Entrance lobby, sitting room, inner hall with a sensible staircase to the first floor landing, shower room, modern kitchen/breakfast room with patio doors to the beautiful rear garden. On the first floor are two good sized double bedrooms and a modern shower room. Large garden with studio backing onto gardens and woodland. EPC: N/A

ufford guide price £375,000

A charming 3 bedroom period cottage with many original features, gas central heating, large garden and garage. EPC: D

Woodbridge Waterfront

Woodbridge guide price £795,000

A deceptively spacious modern four bedroom town house in the centre of woodbridge with carport, parking and garden. EPC: D

guide price £625,000

A beautiful two bedroom period cottage perched next to the famous tide Mill. the property benefits from superb views of the river Deben and comprises; Ent hall, guest room with en-suite, open plan living/dining area, modern kitchen, further master suite and family bathroom. internal viewing highly recommended. EPC: N/A.

Woodbridge

guide price £595,000

A superb opportunity to acquire this spacious three bedroom detached split level property. Ent hall, cloakroom, kitchen, utility, dining room, sitting room, conservatory, master bedroom with en-suite, 2 further bedrooms and family bathroom. beautiful gardens and double garage. EPC: D

Woodbridge guide price £535,000

A very spacious 3/4 bedroom detached bungalow with good sized garden and garage. Early viewing advised. EPC: D

grundisburgh

Woodbridge guide price £490,000

A charming period cottage which has been modernised and extended, 3 bedrooms, good size sitting room and kitchen breakfast room with bifold doors to the garden. EPC: D

guide price £350,000

A spacious three bedroom detached bungalow in the highly sought-after village of Grundisburgh. Ent hall, cloakroom, sitting room, dining room, kitchen, utility, master bedroom with en-suite, 2 further bedrooms and a shower room. gardens and a large garage. EPC: tBC.

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if you are thinking of moving our fee is 1% inc Vat of the sale price (minimum fee for properties below £200,000). there is no tie in period in our agreement. Qualified and licensed family business.

I

Ooh la la!

t’s the one year anniversary of Sam Bouton’s unique chocolate shop, Truffles Et Al – which also sells great cakes and coffee – opening in the heart of Saxmundham. We popped in to find out what all the fuss is about.

The place is bustling with customers as Sam pulls some fresh cheese scones out of the oven and starts grinding beans

for the next cup of coffee. “Or if you prefer, I’ve got some Mediterranean scones with feta and sundried tomatoes ready soon,” she tells one of her delighted regulars.

The place is a foodie’s haven, thanks to her years of experience living and working in France.

But it’s Sam’s legendary chocolate truffles that set her apart. With flavours such as prune Armagnac, raspberry prosecco, café creme and rum raisin to name but a few, it’s rare to find a chocolatemaker of such skill running a shop to boot.

Then there’s the lovely events she holds, like the popular French Conversation Club.

“It’s great fun,” she says as she mixes some ganache for a new batch of truffles.

“There’s certainly never a dull moment!”

Sam and husband Andy lived for many years in southern France, building a successful lettings company from scratch.

It was the wonderful French chocolates and cakes at the local markets that inspired her own love of baking.

“It was more of a hobby in France, but

after moving back to the UK I realised that I wanted to do this properly,” says Sam. “So I took a Level 2 catering course, read up on technique, and started experimenting with different chocolates and flavourings.

“I eventually decided on a high cocoa percentage Belgian chocolate because although it was different from the Swiss chocolate I’d been using in France, it seemed to give a better flavour – and how the product tastes is the most important thing.”

Her truffles literally melt in the mouth!

They also make for a wonderful present.

Now Sam and Andy are focusing on raffling their French farmhouse in an online auction, coming up soon. Tickets are £5 each and you can find out more by dropping into the shop. l Truffles Et Al, High Street, Saxmundham.

Or call 01728 603297.

A wealth of expertise on your doorstep Based in Woodbridge, I provide a comprehensive wealth management service, offering specialist face-to-face advice tailored to you. My services include: • Investment Planning • Retirement Planning • Inheritance Tax Planning • Long Term Care For further details please contact:

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Flying High O

ur skies will see the first swifts returning during the first week of May. While they only stay with us until August, these beautiful migratory birds are unfortunately making the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Jenny James of Woodbridge Swifts explains: “We’re faced with a national trend of declining numbers. We lost a further 32% of our swifts in the seven years from 2009 to 2016, with their numbers falling from 87,000 pairs to 59,000 pairs.

“Swifts pair for life, usually producing a single brood of two of three chicks each year” EDDIE BATHGATE, SOS SWIfTS

year and, if they survive their first year, can live to almost 20 years.”

Things we can do to help these most entertaining of summer visitors include: l Put up a nest box or several nest boxes. l Use a CD player or Bluetooth speaker to play their calls out of the nearest window.

Or buy a readymade swift call system with a speaker attached to the nest box. l Create groups of nest boxes around existing boxes and nesting sites so that a colony starts to build up.

Sadly, there are other problems for swifts. Eddie continues: “Insect numbers are generally in decline. In parts of East Anglia, with intense arable farming and use of herbicides and pesticides, there is less aerial plankton on which the swifts feed, so there’s fewer gnats, midges, small spiders and aphids, making these migratory birds more reliant on other, less nutritious insects such as hoverflies and lacewings to feed their young.”

Jenny adds: “Here in coastal Suffolk, we are lucky to have the estuaries of the Deben and the Alde, where there is more pasture and areas of uncultivated ground for insects to flourish.

“Like other migratory birds, swifts fly over many countries and climates. They need to synchronise their journeys with the seasonal cycles in southern Europe, the Mediterranean, and north, west and southern Africa. Climate change and human pressures are changing the environment in their winter homelands in ways we cannot predict and over which we have no control.”

The Suffolk Bird Group has set up a special project team: SOS Swifts. Working with Woodbridge Swifts, it is helping to raise awareness of the importance of encouraging these beautiful birds to return each summer..

Picture by Chris Courtney

l Details of nest boxes and swift call sound systems can be found at: www.rspb.org.uk/groups/woodbridge l SOS Swifts can advise on all aspects of finding, monitoring and creating swift nest sites. Also pass on details of any nesting birds you observe via woodbridge.swifts@gmail.com or Swifts@SuffolkBirdGroup.org l Woodbridge Swift Pint Walks. On Thursday, 2nd July and Saturday, 4th July, there’s an opportunity to walk around Woodbridge observing swifts in flight and entering their nest sites.

Meeting at 7pm on Market Hill, there will also be an opportunity to compare notes in the pub afterwards.

ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

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Main picture by Pawel Kuzniar

“This means that we need to make a huge effort to conserve the swift nest sites across our region and to provide nest boxes to expand existing colonies.”

Eddie Bathgate from SOS Swifts, which is part of the Suffolk Bird Group, says: “With their daring flying antics and lowlevel acrobatics, swifts feed, sleep and can even mate on the wing. Landing to fashion a minimal nest cup and breed, the adults taking turns to brood and feed their young.

“Research has shown that breeding adults are extremely faithful to their nest sites, returning to them in early May, and juveniles are believed to follow the adult birds back to where they fledged, identifying their own site in year three prior to nesting in year four.

It is in year three that available nest sites, coupled with the attraction of swift calls, can be decisive. The birds are curious and will investigate possible sites, while screaming around in tight flocks at low level. Swifts pair for life, usually producing a single brood of two or three chicks each

As swifts return to our gardens in May, we need to take special care of these long distance visitors

Whatever place you're into

“

“Learning skills for life.”

Learn to swim with us this year.

Give us a call for more information on our lessons.

suffolkcoastal.placesleisure.org Visit website for full terms and conditions.

Places for People Leisure Ltd. working in partnership with East Suffolk Council.

Deben Leisure Centre 01394 388991 Felixstowe Leisure Centre 01394 694600

Leiston Leisure Centre 01728 830364

ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

DOg

petS

AbOuT TOWN Local home owners… throw open their doors Child free zones?… meet the couple with the Parent Pod! Is grey just so last year?… Jojo Humes Brown on colours

YOUR BRAND NEW FREE HOMES & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

“I’m known in these parts as Hector the Sausage, a friendly and very cute two-year-old miniature dachshund who lives in Suffolk Coastal with my humans. You might already know about me, as I’m what you may call a bit of a ‘celeb’! I have a staggering 45,000 people following my Instagram page @hectorthesausage, with fans from all over the world who enjoy seeing photos of my walks around Southwold, Aldeburgh and Sizewell beaches. I love nothing more than running on the sand, though I’m not quite brave enough to venture into the sea. Mum Laura is forever posting photos of me and has been ever since I was a little pup; my fame has even spawned a whole new business called www.hectorshoundwear.co.uk I love being able to share my hometown of Southwold with hundreds of other sausage dogs when the fabulous Southwold Sausage Walk comes to the town, and I help promote that on my Instagram.

When I’m out and about, I regularly get spotted, which means I get lots of tickles from my adoring fans.

I would most definitely prefer a treat over a tickle though! One of my favourite pastimes is popping into Two Magpies Bakery for a treat from the staff while my humans enjoy their coffee and cakes! Life is good.” l Have you got a lovely dog and would like to give him/ her their 15 minutes of fame? Write to the team at info@livinginsuffolk.com and send us your best photos.

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WHERE DO yOuR mATERIAlS COmE fROm AND HOW lONg SHOulD A THATCHED ROOf lAST? We are lucky enough to have a good local supply of long straw which is grown in Parham near Framlingham. It’s grown and harvested in the traditional way specifically for thatching. There are also local suppliers of water reed, as well as imported reeds from Europe. I use a mixture of sawn ash and locally coppiced hazel for the ridge patterns.

A long straw roof should last around 35 years and a water reed at least 60- often more. However, the ridge will have to be replaced every 15 - 20 years.

THE DAy

DO yOu WORk WITH A TEAm? Yes, I work with another thatcher - Jim Cutting - and we have taken on a labourer this year, who we can hopefully pass our knowledge on to.

Living In … meets Waldringfield-based thatcher James Stock and finds out more about this ancient craft HOW DID yOu gET INTO THATCHINg? Originally, I studied art but found it hard to make a living. After my studies, I did a fair bit of travelling and working abroad where I became interested in natural building methods. I was really drawn to cob buildings. So, when I returned to Suffolk, I decided I wanted to learn a traditional craft or trade, and to start making stuff again - to be creative! I just thought of thatching one day and decided to give it a try. That was back in 2011.

WHAT IS A NORmAl DAy fOR A THATCHER? I don’t set an alarm because we have a baby and a toddler. Normally I get to site for 8am, and after that the day really does vary because there are so many different processes and materials involved and depends on whether we’re doing a long straw re-thatch to a ridge repair or a completely new water reed thatch. That’s the beauty of the trade, no job is ever the same. I normally finish up around 4.30pm.

DO yOu HAVE TO bE ACCREDITED? There is the East Anglian Master Thatches Association, which I am in the process of becoming a member.

ISSUE ONE… SUMMER 2016

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HOW mANy pROJECTS ARE yOu WORkINg ON AND HOW lONg IS AN AVERAgE JOb? It’s only one project at a time and the length of job really varies depending on what we’re doing – it could be two weeks or up to three months or more.

IS THATCHINg A DyINg CRAfT? There will always be a need for thatcher’s - but I do think more younger people need to be involved and should consider it as a career. There’s a lot of opportunity. bASED IN WAlDRINgfIElD, NEAR WOODbRIDgE, HOW fAR DO yOu TRAVEl fOR WORk? I like to keep work as local as possible, and certainly within Suffolk!

Top: The church at Butley left: James and his son, Sonny Above: Rethatched summer house at Butley Priory below: The Ship at Levington

WHAT DO yOu lOVE mOST AbOuT yOuR JOb? The best thing is looking back at the finished product, knowing that you hand crafted the roof and it will be there for a long time to come. I take a lot of pride in that. l you can contact James either by email: jamesdstock@yahoo.com or on his mobile, 07743 151841. Images of his work can be found on Instagram: jdstockthatching