Editorial

Firstly, and most importantly, on behalf of the Ipswich Society, a big thank you to all the volunteers and voluntary organisations involved in making the Heritage Open weekend 2014 such a great success. Such are the vicissitudes of the calendar that this issue of the Newsletter appears each year a few weeks after the event, rather than before it. Having joined a fascinating guided tour of buildings at risk by the Ipswich Building Preservation Trust's Margaret Hancock (including the privilege of a look inside parts of Curson Lodge), I was struck by how much we rely on our volunteers - and that includes the work of the Executive Committee, folks - as well as those who sit for hours keeping buildings available to those keen to find out about Ipswich and its past. A highlight for me was The Wheatsheaf in Fore Street with its oriel windows and creative use of space to provide offices for businesses. So I mustn't forget to thank the owners of the buildings for making them available. Every year the Society's learns a bit more and, I feel, the weekend gets better as we learn.

A huge amount of work goes into coordinating the venues and events and the production of a booklet which advertises the weekend and acts as a guide to the opportunities presented. This is the first full year the weekend has been organised without the help and guidance of the late Dianne Hosking. It is clear to those responsible for this year's event just how much work and effort she put in, almost single-handedly, over so many years.

As ever, a big thank you (this is beginning to sound like an Oscars acceptance speech) to all the contributors to this issue of the Newsletter.

Robin Gaylard

Natural History from Dale Rumbold: "Sitting outside reading the latest Ipswich Society newsletter, I was joined by a Red Admiral butterfly."