Our cover image – showing the junction of King, Arcade, Elm and Lion Streets – was taken by the late Peter Underwood, past Chairman of the Society; it can be found on our Image Archive. Our special feature on this growing aspect of the Society’s activities starts on page 4.

I should also draw your attention to a couple of linked articles relating to the Buttermarket Centre (opened in October 1992) and the disastrous fire in the shops fronting Butter Market which in August of the same year destroyed some fine timber-framed buildings. On page 17 John Norman’s article goes into some detail about the events and this relates to a letter to the editor from a reader which follows shortly afterwards. One can only imagine the consternation of Borough staff, the developers and clients (not to mention Ipswich residents) when, with completion of the shopping centre only months away, this destruction occurred ‘on their doorstep’. Your editor, as I’m sure other residents, can remember smelling the burning and finding stray bits of ash, which dispersed far and wide, in the back garden.

Many thanks to all the contributors to this issue, without whom…

Robin Gaylard


STOP PRESS from the BBC (16.6.2020):

‘A £5m heritage and wellbeing centre in a medieval church will not reopen after lockdown restrictions are lifted.

Suffolk Mind opened Quay Place in 2016 after an eight-year project with the Churches Conservation Trust to restore St Mary at the Quay Church in Ipswich. The project was funded mainly by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

But the mental health charity said the building has been costly to run and the coronavirus pandemic has set it back. Chief executive Jon Neal said: "Nobody is more disappointed than we are that we haven't been able to make it pay for itself."

He said most of the original lottery money was spent on saving the building from collapse.

Mr Neal said while the centre had increased income at more than 20% each year it was not enough to cover the building's high running costs and Suffolk Mind was about to start subsidising it.

[The future of St Mary-at-the-Quay? QED – Editor]


New members

Mrs Mary Camplin

Mrs Jan and Mr Alan Charlton

Mr David and Mrs Janet Haddock

Mr Ryan Jones

Mrs Priscilla and Mr Nigel Steed

C Stone

 

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