Letters to the Editor

The History of Manufacturing in Ipswich

from Shirley Sadler

In the last Newsletter, the Editor referred to the town's great engineering past. He regretted that the industry had not necessarily been noticeable, even when it was thriving, to people who lived and worked in other parts of the town. Certainly a tourist visiting now would be able to see paintings by Constable, the Millennium tapestries and some of our lovely buildings but would have no understanding of the importance of industry to the town's prosperity. We don't have the fine old warehouses which might have survived in a former wool town and there is now almost nothing left of the engineering industry's buildings, much of the land having been redeveloped. While there are references to the town's industries in the history of the town at Ipswich Museum in High Street they give little idea of the scale of industrial production and how innovative much of it was.

The good work done at Ipswich Transport and Engineering Museum in displaying some of the artefacts is little known. The museum has no paid staff, relying on a dedicated team of volunteers and, situated out at the old trolley bus depot in Cobham Road, it is not on the route of most tourists. We have some wonderful displays at Ipswich Museum. Could not space be devoted, either there or in Gallery 3 at the Town Hall, for an exhibition of the history of manufacturing in Ipswich? Quite apart from tourists, so many people now living in Ipswich must have either worked in the engineering industry or have relatives who did and would welcome such a display.

The Northern Fringe

from Douglas Seaton

How sad that The Ipswich Society supports the development of the Northern Fringe, albeit conditionally. Does this stance reflect the general view of the membership?

Building on this land will destroy a valuable public amenity. It is the only agricultural land within easy walking distance of the centre of our town. A stroll along Fonnereau Way beyond Valley Road soon becomes surprisingly rewarding with almost unbroken views across cultivated land in all directions. The fringes of the fields provide an excellent habitat for wildlife and almost all the land is cultivated. The public path is well walked and the farmers tolerate a number of other 'permissive' paths around the fields. The vision of this good land being submerged by a tide of concrete and brick is frankly Orwellian.

A Damp Control System

from Glory Annette Chenery

I read with some interest the item 'Four Times Better? (Part I)' by Patrick Taylor and his proposal for external insulation to his house. My property has similarities. I too am tired of living in a cold house, and needed a solution to an additional problem.

My home is a two bedroom brick built mid-Victorian semi-detached cottage with solid brick walls. The original frames of single glazed Georgian windows were rotting when I took possession twenty years ago, and replaced with double glazed Georgian style windows. But the cottage has constantly suffered from damp problems, and following severe winters in 2009 and 2010 mould was discovered on walls. Upon noting an advertisement in the local press with a claim to solve the damp, I approached the Dutch company, and monitored tests confirmed rising damp. In December of last year a damp control system was installed by the firm's own workforce. All work was carried out on the external walls. Damp is pulled from the centre of the house to the outside walls where it evaporates with the natural air flow outside, and over time clears damp. The system comes with a life-time guarantee and also claims to be a permanent solution. After twelve months an inspection is to be carried out, and if there is no improvement guarantees a full refund.

The Insulation of Houses

from Ken Wilson

Patrick Taylor's second article on house insulation and Ann Petherick's letter on the same subject raise an interesting question since they both refer to the improved temperature inside a house following extra insulation. Surely most of us will heat our houses to a comfortable level and if we then improve the insulation the result is not more warmth - which we don't need - but lower fuel costs that help to pay for the insulation.

If we hadn't been able to keep warm in the first place then we certainly couldn't afford the insulation either. The interesting exception to this rule is of course double-glazing - referred to in an earlier letter - which was specifically excluded from the examples given.