Our two Ipswich walks planned for May celebrate Ipswich Society publications. On Thursday May 19th, Vice-Chairman Tony Marsden will lead a Maritime Trail themed walk. On Wednesday May 25th Tony Robson, our Blue Plaques Officer, will lead a Blue Plaques themed walk. Both walks start at 2pm and will last about 1½ hours. They are for members only, free of charge and limited to 25 participants. If you would like to book a place on one of them, please email me, Caroline Markham at clearly stating whether you wish to attend the Maritime Trail walk or the Blue Plaques walk. I look forward to hearing from you and joining you at these events.

On Thursday June 9th we have once again booked a Maritime Trust Cruise on the S.B. Victor for Ipswich Society members. This is the third season the Ipswich Society has organised a day trip on the historic 1895 sailing barge. Leaving from outside the Old Custom House at 9am and returning 4.30-5pm, ‘Victor’ will motor/sail to Harwich Ha’penny pier with mid-morning coffee, biscuits and bacon roll on the way. After a 90 minute tour of Harwich with guides from the Harwich Society, we return for drinks and a two course lunch with wine. Harwich has a remarkable collection of old buildings including the lighthouse, the newly-opened house of the captain of The Mayflower, one of the first ever electric cinemas and a medieval wooden treadwheel crane. Victor will leave Harwich to sail/motor back to the Old Custom House with a tea on the way. S.B. Victor was restored in 1974 and beautifully maintained since. The cost is £65 per head, including a donation to the Harwich Society. To book go to the Trusts website 

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