Issue 183 Newsletter Apr 2011
Contents:
• Editorial: To Despair, or not?
• New Members
• AGM & Simon Cairns' Lecture
• Ipswich Tourist Guide
• Town & Wolsey Lectures
• Planning News and Comment
• Transport fit for 21st Century
• Transition Ipswich
• Some Shorts
• Waterfront Developments
• Ipswich Maritime Trust
• Traffic Movement Improvements?
• Return of the Prefab?
• A Pleasant Surprise
• The Grand Old Duke of York
• Street Clutter Initiative
• More Shorts
• Do You Trust Science?
• Visitor Attractions
• Letters to the Editor
• Four Times Better?
• River Gipping Trust
• Saving the Walk
• Historic Lettering
• St Matthew's Baths
• Remember December?
• The Mayor's Parlour
• Peter Bruff, Great Engineer
Editorial: To Despair, or not?
Ipswich's problems are small compared with the contagious revolutions in the Middle East and the
destructive earthquakes in Japan and in Christchurch, New Zealand - a city probably visited by a
good many members of our Society. But problems here at home are not negligible, with the
financial and political threats to many publicly funded services which we have hitherto taken for
granted in a civilised town.
The possible closure of some branch libraries and the loss of funding for school crossing patrols
have hit the headlines in the local press. Whatever (one's political opinions, isn't it galling to know
that just one Big Banker's annual bonus would easily coyer a year's funding of these community
facilities? And we all know there will be worse to come.
On a happier note - at least for the time being - the town centre is reasonably vibrant. There are
fewer empty shops in Ipswich than is the case nationally on average. Vacancies are 11% in Ipswich
and nationally 14.5% (even in a place like Watford it is 20%). It is helpful to have this sense of
proportion and so avoid the pessimism or hyper-criticism which can contribute to a self fulfilling
prophecy of doom. Town centres as we know them will be under new and increasing pressures - not
least from internet shopping. But let us support what we've got now! Who wants to live in a town
where the centre has little more than mobile phone outlets, coffee shops and empty premises?
Perhaps we could take heart from a few more positives, mentioned here at random and some of
which are referred to in this Newsletter - IBC's retention of Ipswich Buses and willingness to
subsidise a few bus services abandoned by the County Council: better trains on the Bury and
Cambridge route; attractive new uses of the Art School in High Street; substantial investment to
come in traffic management in Ipswich: the nourishing Dance East and Ipswich Film Theatre. There
is also an ambitious new scheme being discussed by IBC and Ipswich Central to develop a new
'Merchant Quarter' of mixed uses and housing, linking the town centre and the Waterfront; this
would clearly involve consultation, and a lot of time and money! But the alternative to such vision
and energy is decline. However if nothing in that preceding list pleases you, don't forget what
should always inspire us all- nature has provided us with one of the finest settings for a town in the
whole of the UK!
I hope you will find plenty of things to read in this issue - articles light and weighty; subjects local
and national; topics of the past, the present and the future. Please let me have a good variety of
material for the next Newsletter by 20 May.
Neil Salmon
AGM & Simon Cairns' Lecture
University Campus Suffolk, Ground Floor Lecture Room
Wednesday, 20 April, 7.30 pm
Two years ago we held our AGM in this main university building on the Waterfront. That proved to
be a popular venue; for many members it was their first visit to this architecturally striking new
building. We are pleased that UCS is to welcome us again to its headquarters - not to be confused
with the new James Hehir university building further along the dock.
After the usual fairly brief business meeting we shall be able to hear a talk by Simon Cairns,
Director of the Suffolk Preservation Society. Coming from a planning background, he will have
much to say about the role of SPS and how its work relates to ours in The Ipswich Society. After Mr
Cairns' talk there will be opportunities to chat and to enjoy some wine, soft drinks and nibbles.
Members of your Executive Committee will be pleased to greet you.
Ipswich Tourist Guide
This year's guide book, simply headed 'Ipswich Suffolk 2011', is available from the TIC in St
Stephen's Church. Members of this Society aren't tourists but you may learn a number of valuable
things about our town nevertheless. Its 'Top Ten' subjects are The Waterfront, 'Discover Creative
Arts' , Townscapes, 'Unique Shopping Experience' (i.e.independent retailers). Christchurch
Mansion, Ipswich Museum, 'Tastes of the Town', 'Festival Fever', ‘Take in a Show', and 'On the
River'. It's a colourful publication in a convenient A5 format.
Town & Wolsey lectures
The Ipswich Arts Association's 12th series of lunchtime lectures will be held in Museum Street
Methodist Church from 1.00 pm to 1.50 pm. The remaining lectures are:
12 May, ‘Made in Ipswich', a survey of manufacturing industries in Ipswich, by Brian Dyes.
14 July, 'Films Made in Suffolk', illustrated with some film clips, by Professor Chris Green.
8 September, 'George Ewart Evans', the writer on rural crafts and traditions, by Anne Parry.
10 November, 'History of Speedway in Ipswich' by Chris Louis and Peter Thorpe.
Wolsey Lecture 2011- 'Henry VIII: The Wolsey Years'
This lecture will be given by Diarmaid MacCulloch, FBA, Professor of the History of the Church in
the University of Oxford, on Wednesday, 6 April, 7.00 pm. in the Great School at Ipswich School,
entrance from Ivry Street. Entrance £5.00 at the door; students free.
The lecture is given under the auspices of UCS and Suffolk New College.
Planning News
The total number of planning applications submitted to the Borough Council each year has
fluctuated considerably as can be seen in these figures:
In 2002 there were 1301 applications, followed by 2003, 1324/ in 2004, 1165/ in 2005, 1120/ in
2006, 1193/ in 2007, 1134/ in 2008, 985/ in 2009, 846/ in 2010, 1038.
The figures show that there has been some recovery in numbers but they do not reveal the much
more disproportionate fall in major applications which were such a feature before 2008. Further,
they don't show up the sites which have planning permission but never a sod turned!
Nos 7 to 11 Great Whip Street. This is the biggest recent application. It is the third proposal for
the redevelopment of the site facing Stoke Quay (New Cut West). Permission has been granted for
residential use (25 houses, 280 flats and 79 extra-care beds). Originally 35% 'affordable', this has
been negotiated down to 25% because of the agreed independent view of the marginal viability of
the scheme. There will be undercroft parking and 8 retail outlets facing the docks (flood plain
considerations). The design is of four separate blocks rising from the south to the northern end with
a 13 storey tower. There are a lot of good things about the external design-deep fenestration,
interesting use of colours, lots of balconies, etc. But it is a bit big and will over-power Stoke and its
Conservation Area considerably.
V A Marriott's Builders' site, Handford Road. Permission has been granted for a not dependent
care home. There have been some improvements in the Alderman Canal aspect. Otherwise the
design is perhaps a bit better than usual. Some members felt that the old red brick pub should be
kept. However I spoke to many who felt it was not worth conserving - it's not a Conservation Area
nor on any list.
Electric House. The new owner has commissioned plans for part-demolition of the existing
building retaining the former electricity showroom façade, and erecting a framed 3 storey building
with basement and roof terrace for retail, financial and professional services, restaurants and cafes.
Each elevation will include display windows. Permission has been granted subject to negotiation of
details and the Section 106 contribution (£20,000) to Tower Ramparts bus station.
Tacket Street car park. NCP proposed an 8 bay car wash at the entrance. We have, with the
Conservation Advisory Panel, objected to a similar application for a nearby car park on
Conservation Area grounds. The application was refused by IBC
Commercial Road car park - the Society is conducting an oversight of car park operators who are
ignoring their planning conditions by offering cheap all-day parking which encourages car
commuters.
94-96 Norwich Road. A fresh application to convert these two shops to houses has been made. The
Society does not think the developer has made sufficient effort to improve the shop units so that
users have not come forward. This road should be maintained as a vibrant multi cultural shopping
street. The previous reasons for refusal remain valid in our view.
2 Constitution Hill. The original plans have been considerably modified. The house will be 2½
storeys high and will clearly be more visible than the current structure.
Tesco, Grafton Way. Agreement on Section 106 has now been reached and planning approval
granted. The consent runs to 10 pages and includes these interesting points.
Development cannot start until "the details of public realm design of the Bridge Street/ St Peter's
Street/ Greyfriars Road/ Grafton Way junction are agreed by the Highway Authority (i.e. SCC) and
IBC." Note that this is not open to public consultation nor does it consider the effect it will have on
other junctions - and money is not mentioned!
"The operational management plan shall include car park management. ... and paid public short stay
use of the car park ... "
"The net retail trading area shall not exceed 7282m2. No more than 2913m2 shall be used for the
sale of comparison goods items"- i.e. non-food items.
John Lewis and Waitrose. The John Lewis Partnership's agents have made a pre-application
presentation about their current views on Ipswich. They propose two stores on the old Crane's site
(photo below) in Nacton Road: one a large Waitrose food store and the other a John Lewis At Home
store. These types of JL stores are smaller and do not have clothes but do have a range of electricals
and furnishings, as well as computer terminals where the full range can be easily browsed and
ordered for next day collection and delivery. They are sited to be near trunk routes and would
suggest fewer trips to Bluewater and other JL stores. The Society is making no response until we
see the Planning Application.
John Lewis Partnership is also negotiating with IBC for the insertion of a Waitrose Express into part
of the Corn Exchange, utilising Gatsby's and part of the Robert Cross Hall. There have been no
official announcements by the beginning of March.
Charging for informal advice from planning officers. It has been agreed by the Planning and
Development Committee and the Executive Committee of IBC that for a trial period of twelve
months a fee of 10% of the application fee should be charged for pre-application informal advice.
Consultation took place with seventeen of last year's largest agents who agreed, as they will merely
pass the fee on to their client. It will increase IBC's income by about £20,000 per annum. It will not
apply to householder applications. The Society hopes it will not reduce the amount of pre-
application consultation.
We shall be commenting on three planning briefs - Ravenswood, Yarmouth Road, Colchester Road
Fire Station. We have also agreed to speak at the Inquiry into Local Development Frameworks.
Stop Press: On 7 March the Planning Inspectorate told us they have confirmed the Orders for
Rights of Way along the Waterfront and from Dock Street along New Cut West to Griffin Wharf,
but refused to confirm the Order for a Right of Way from Foundry Lane along New Cut East across
the lock to Ship Launch Road. This route across the Island was the one the objectors were keenest
to see confirmed: the Society and the Ipswich Maritime Trust are most disappointed. The Inspector's
reasons were embedded in complex legal issues but he concludes that the access which we showed
to have been established was permissive by the owners rather than as of right. The only way
forward would be by Judicial Review which is difficult and expensive. I will give a further report in
the next Newsletter.
Mike Cook
70 Fore Street - alterations and extension to create a micro-brewery at Isaacs.
The Society is excited by the concept of creating a micro-brewery (visitor attraction) on the
Waterfront. We welcome the conversion of the former Lloyds Bank building (photo below) into
what could become an outstanding and iconic building amongst the merchants' houses of Fore
Street. And here we need to be careful. Fore Street (the fore-most street in Ipswich) retains, despite
many unfortunate demolitions, very many fine old buildings. Number 70 is not amongst them; it
offers no architectural merit and does little to improve the street scene.
It is because of the presence of the numerous Listed buildings that this conversion needs to work
and work well. Attention to detail, understanding of the architectural and construction requirements
and a flair for distinctiveness are essential requirements of the design team.
For example a clear decision should be taken on the appearance of the finished building and the
style ... and we believe the current designer is thinking towards one with a vertical emphasis. If this
is the intention we consider that well executed. It could sit comfortably alongside the merchant's
house adjacent providing that the vertical lines are prominent, notably in the faceted glass wall and
the two storey window fronting Fore Street. (This is not the case in the current proposals.)
The proposed curved 'brewhouse' that follows the line of Salthouse Street is an inspiration and will
become a leading feature of the building. As such it needs architectural quality design and
detailing ... The view down Fore Street (a major walking route to the Waterfront and University)
will be dominated by the front elevation of the proposed extension. In our opinion this has the
potential to make a major contribution (and improvement) to this street scene - but only if the
balance between glass wall and roof is correct, and only if the contractor understands the
significance of creating an iconic building on this prominent corner and only if the colour and
patina of the materials is in harmony ....
John Norman
Ipswich - Transport Fit for the 21st Century
The Department for Transport has given the green light to a raft of improvements in our two
councils' plans. The thinking has been to increase the use of public transport, cycling and walking.
There will be no new roads, only better signage and information on car park availability. A large
amount of money will be spent on integrating all the traffic signals in the town centre and building a
traffic control centre which will be manned full-time to smooth and speed traffic flow.
To enhance the bus use experience, improvements to the two bus stations will be carried out (more
bus stands, pedestrian crossings and less ingress for other traffic). The bus loop will be moved
eastwards from Upper Brook Street/ N Northgate Street to Upper Orwell Street; and a second
circular bus route is planned (railway station - Princes Street - Giles Circus - Old Cattle Market -
Suffolk New College - University Campus Suffolk - Stoke Bridge - railway station). A Real Time
Passenger Information (RTPI) system will be installed; information panels tell users what buses go
from where and when the next is coming.
For pedestrians a comprehensive and sophisticated location and sign posting scheme with
interactive information screens as well as more mundane finger-posting will encourage visitors to
explore the whole town and move from one part to another on foot or cycle rather than car. There
will be many other more minor improvements particularly to bus stops and cycle lanes. Members
with a taste for techno-governmental documents should read the 470 page document which is
available at:
www.suffolk.gov.uk/TransportAndStreets/Policies/IpswichTrnsportFitForThe21stCentury.htm
Mike Cook
Transition Ipswich
You don't need a science degree to be concerned about the future, and there is a grass-roots
movement whose intent is to increase community resilience to a range of anticipated shocks
including climate change, peak oil, and increasing scarcity of other essential resources including
food and water. The movement is called 'Transition Towns', and there is a local group called
'Transition Ipswich', which recently ran a two-day training course sponsored by the Suffolk Climate
Change Partnership. I was invited to attend on behalf of the Society by a colleague in the Borough
Council's Environment Panel. Re-building community, re-discovering skills and re-localising
supply are critical aims, alongside a managed decline in the consumption of fossil fuels and other
limited natural resources.
The first day was concerned with "the outer world", presenting material on climate change and peak
oil, the need for sustainability in other forms of natural resource such as water, food (particularly
unmanaged fish stocks), minerals, oil and gas, land, soil and so on. Our present "industrial growth"
model is based on a one-way flow of resources through consumption to waste at an exponentially
increasing rate. When these resources are exhausted, how will future generations provide for
themselves? Hence the need for sustainability, a radically different approach which follows natural
cycles - starting with resources, through to consumption and back to resources, i.e. based on
managing finite resources which can (and must) be renewed.
The second day covered "the inner world", considering how we have come to be in this situation,
why the industrial growth model is so powerful, and what is our personal motivation for engaging
instead with the transition model. Why are we so reluctant to recognise the impending catastrophes?
Perhaps because our life-style based on cheap energy and consumerism is so compellingly brilliant?
Why do we postpone any corrective action until the very last minute when serious failures begin to
occur? Might these include the failure of markets and the global credit crunch, the increasingly
hazardous exploitation of under-sea oil resources soon to be extended to the Arctic, the insecure
supply of energy and other resources, increasingly wayward global weather patterns creating
regional disasters, associated shortages of food and water, and ultimately mass migration from the
expanding desert regions of the world?
Is this the world which we want to bequeath to future generations?
If not, and if you or other family members value your stake in the future, then try Transition
Ipswich, which prefers an emphasis on family, community, celebration and fun. It is already
actively involved in local projects such as bulk-buying solar PV units, the Maidenhall Community
Orchard, the Oak Tree Community Supported Agriculture scheme and forest garden, and a Resilient
Livelihoods social enterprise theme, soon to be augmented by a new Education theme. They would
like to attract enthusiastic new participants to provide ideas, time and energy for initiatives to
increase local resilience in Ipswich. If this sounds like the Big Society and the Localism agenda,
that is almost certainly coincidental, but there may be benefits from synergy with current political
thinking.
The website can be found at: http://www.transitionipswich.org.uk. And if you don't find out what
you are looking for, maybe it is you who is missing!
Mike Brain
Some Shorts
'Decent Homes' was the programme to modernise all 8000+ Ipswich council houses. It's good this
has been completed under successive Borough Councils. The next step is for future house
improvements to a higher' Ipswich Standard' to be completed in 2015.
Good luck to Holywells Park in its first application for a national Green Flag award in June. The
criteria are effective use of green space, good facilities and safety and security measures. The
Friends of HP are hosting events to celebrate the park's 75th anniversary this year.
Ipswich Maritime Festival will take place on 20 and 21 August, organised by IBC, Waterfront
Action, Ipswich Maritime Trust and Associated British Ports. It will feature music, dancing, history,
stalls and fireworks.
Tesco Extra in Grafton Way beside the river will be started soon. The controversy is now a thing of
the past. But the company should see that the 129 flats are built as soon as possible and not be
deferred while the shop flourishes.
Tennis in Ipswich should benefit from a grant from the Lawn Tennis Association to re-build the
courts in Christchurch Park. Elena Baltacha, UK's No 1 woman player, Ipswich-based and daughter
of an ex - ITFC footballer, has promised to help with some coaching.
The Wolsey statue at Curson Plain (corner of St Peter's Street and Silent Street) should be unveiled
on 29 June. It will emphasise Wolsey's enlightened attitude to teaching. His fall from power led to
the dissolution of his great school which was being created nearby.
Australian opening batsman Shane Watson made a brilliant century in a one day game against
England in January but admitted that some of the time he was more worried about Ipswich. Can you
deduce why?
Waterfront Developments
I feel I should comment on the article that appeared in the EADT and the Evening Star in mid-
February where Mike Cook of this Society was quoted suggesting the completion of Waterfront
developments may take another ten to fifteen years.
Development on Ipswich Waterfront has come to a standstill and the shell of a partially completed
tower block stands forlorn. Elsewhere buildings appear finished but only from the outside; flats
within are awaiting fit-out, services and residents. So why has everything stopped? "It's the
economy, stupid." Well yes, but you may not realise that the developments at Regatta Quay and at
Cranfield's Mill are owned by the lrish banks (or what's left of them). Irish banks were also the
financial muscle behind other local developments including Broadmeadow (on the site of the
Ipswich sugar beet factory) and SnOasis at Great Blakenham.
The situation could be worse, not necessarily in terms of time but in the scale of the problem the
developers (now in administration) have left. There is discussion in the construction industry about
the deterioration of the skeleton that stands above Albion Quay (Regatta Quay) and this concern is
somewhat justified. The reinforced concrete floors of this building are designed as internal
elements, not to withstand the ravages of the weather and will deteriorate over time unless protected
by external walls and floor screeds. Any developer buying the shell off the receivers will need to
have the structural stability checked and it is unlikely engineers will put their reputations on the line
and suggest it is safe, so demolition is the most likely option.
The 23-storey tower block above Dance East is also empty but has the advantage of being clad and
therefore watertight. Attempts are being made to market the flats that have been fitted out (the 11,
13 and 17 storey blocks fronting Foundry Lane) at a somewhat more realistic price than was the
case in late 2007. However the Victorian buildings are left empty and dejected and it will be a long
time before the estimate value of the completed accommodation matches the cost of renovation.
The East of England Development Agency had a big part to play in ensuring the former mill moved
from redundancy to the scheme we see today. One of the conditions was that the renovation and
new building of the whole complex had to be completed within five years. Unfortunately with the
original developer no longer in existence it is impossible to invoke the clause, and with the demise
of EEDA there is no organisation left to do it.
Things will change and speculators are already trying to guess when.
John Norman, Vice-Chairman
Ipswich Maritime Trust
The Trust's 'window museum' on the Waterfront has featured in the International Congress of
Maritime Museums Newsletter which includes a photograph of it. It can be found at
www.icmmonline.org/pages Also included in that Newsletter is Des Pawson's Museum of Knots
and Sailors' Ropework, at 501 Wherstead Road, Ipswich, which is open to visitors by appointment.
[Editor: it is good to know that quite small but unique museums can be accorded international
recognition; and in the case of the former, we should take heart that both Dance East and the
'window museum' are alive and well at The Mill.]
Traffic Improvements
With reference to the request for more input for the Newsletter from members, I thought I would
add my "twopennorth" regarding the traffic chaos on routes into the town centre. The item from the
Vice-Chairman in the October 20 I 0 issue takes a positive attitude towards the Duke Street re-
organisation, but this scheme, and others, continues to overcome problems in isolation without
endeavouring to cure the overall problem.
The Duke Street 'improvements' have caused problems in St Helen's Street, as anticipated by many
readers of the local press. On a recent journey into town on the Martlesham Park & Ride we entered
the gridlock in Warwick Road - this was not a peak time journey but 1.30 on a Monday afternoon!
Also on more than one occasion I have got off a Route 66 service at the same place and walked into
town without seeing the bus again. This has been aggravated by the closure of Rope Walk and I am
surprised that the residents of St Helen's Street have not complained about the increase in traffic
fumes.
What is needed is a drastic overhaul of the whole idea, to get a system which would last for a
number of years.
Some twenty-five years ago when there was a request for the public to have an input into the traffic
problems, I put forward a suggestion which still, I think, has some merit. This would be for
Woodbridge Road up to Cauldwell Hall Road to be one-way out of town, with Spring Road being
the inward route, also one-way. There should be an 'inner ring' - Upper Orwell Street, Tacket Street,
Museum Street, Crown Street, etc being one-way in a clockwise direction with no traffic within the
circuit apart from car park access, deliveries and disabled. This route could have a continuous mini -
bus service with stops at appropriate places and with a nominal fare tariff. This would remove the
traffic from Upper Brook Street etc to the benefit of shoppers.
There might be a similar scheme on the western side of town, but a less expensive option could be
achieved by making most of Norwich Road a three-lane carriageway with two lanes used for
incoming traffic in the morning peak period and one lane transferable to accommodate the evening
peak time. (This has been achieved on a bottleneck in Vancouver.)
The £25million proposal to improve Princes Street would be better used in providing another river
crossing which would benefit the Duke Street area, and of course we need a Northern by-pass to
eradicate the problems arising from any closure of the Orwell Bridge.
Well there you have it, my "two pennies worth". I wonder if I will get any change!
Ken Brock
Return of the Prefab?
An independent report has identified the development of new style prefabricated houses with
"green" credentials as a potential major contribution to Britain's chronic housing shortage. But it is
said that prefabs, which were built and erected in large numbers to solve the post-war housing
crisis, got a bad name for shoddy design and poor construction.
Half a century on, the many Ipswich prefabs in Sidegate Lane West and Humber Doucy Lane look
as if they are still doing well! Food for thought here?
A Pleasant Surprise
On taking a casual look at a new booklet that had suddenly appeared with the puzzling title of
'artathon' and an even more baffling cover I was delighted to find that it was in fact a guide to
public sculpture and works of art in Ipswich. Although it is essentially very good - useful
descriptions, attractive illustrations and helpful maps - I have a few reservations.
I'm puzzled by the omissions. Just because the statuary on the Town Hall and the old Post Office are
out of reach is no reason to ignore them - they were after all intended to be viewed from ground
level. Bernard Reynolds' 'Pylons' in front of the former Civic College are still in place and will no
doubt soon have a better setting. The pleasant little mural at Sainsbury's in Dogs Head Street has
been damaged but its recognition might spur them to restore it. The carved tree trunk in
Christchurch Park is one of three pieces, near together, so why ignore the other two?
Why also examples mostly limited to outdoors when others have good public access? After all, the
ones in the parks have restricted access. It seems a shame to ignore Ceres in the Town Hall who is
much more easily viewed than are the dancers at the hospital. And what about Christchurch
Mansion? Does sculpture not count if it's in a museum? Some fairly 'Foundation Art Course' glass at
the Crown Court is lauded but the fine windows in the old library are scorned.
Are war memorials too holy? Even if our cenotaph evokes too-recent memories, surely the Boer
War memorial is acceptable as a work of art and it would of course be viewed with appropriate
solemnity. Then there are the carved medieval corner-posts .... but enough, enough!
It is also a pity that pale yellow was used for one of the routes as it's almost invisible on the pages
and a stronger colour could easily have been substituted.
My conclusion: a commendable effort but I look forward to the second edition.
Ken Wilson
The Grand Old Duke of York
He Had Ten Thousand Men, in Ipswich!
I am sure all of you are familiar with the nursery rhyme, 'The Grand Old Duke of York' and I
suspect some of you have wondered if there was a historical event that it was based on. There has
been great debate about this and quite a few places claim to be the location with, I suspect, an eye to
attracting tourists. So can Ipswich join in and put forward a claim to be the location? I think it can.
One of the best candidates for the identity of the Grand Old Duke of York is Frederick Augustus,
the second son of George III and brother to the Prince Regent. So, did Frederick ever come to
Ipswich? Well, yes he did on more than a few occasions. And on almost every occasion he was
involved with the military. Hardly surprising as Ipswich was full of soldiers during the wars with
France and Frederick was Commander in Chief of the army. Horatio Nelson had identified Suffolk
as the most likely place the French would choose to land an invading army. As a result Ipswich was
stuffed full of soldiers. There was also a very large army camp on the Woodbridge Road between
the present day Barclays Bank and Heath Road Hospital. There were also other army camps further
up the coast. Nelson must have thought this would provide a safe environment because in 1797 he
bought a house for his wife and children and father to live in, right next to the army camp, on the
site of what is now St John's Primary School in Victory Road.
Now let's get back to the Duke of York. He arrived in Ipswich in November 1797 with the British
army units which had been defeated in Holland and taken prisoner. They were allowed to return
under a prisoner exchange agreement. They were walking down the main road to London and were
in a very poor condition, so I doubt Frederick would have marched them up and down hills. Then in
August 1803 Frederick stayed in Ipswich for four days visiting troops in the area. He reviewed the
Ipswich militia on Pickers Hill (wherever that was). A possibility for the nursery rhyme but I don't
think there would have been a thousand soldiers. But in the years to come there were several large
reviews of troops by the Duke of York on Rushmere Heath including thousands of soldiers and
cavalry. In 1805 eight thousand troops were present. Again a large number were reviewed in 1806
and in 1807.
But in September 1811 we come to an occasion that stands out as a distinct possibility. The Duke of
York, who at this time was 48 years old, with the Prince Regent and the Dukes of Cumberland and
Cambridge came to review about ten thousand troops on Rushmere Heath. All the cavalry, artillery
and soldiers marched out from Ipswich up the Woodbridge Road followed by thousands of
spectators. A great military display took place. The foot soldiers paraded and manoeuvred, the
cavalry staged several charges and the artillery fired off their guns regularly, in a sort of mock
battle. Afterwards the Duke and his brothers rode on horseback with the troops as they marched
back to Ipswich along the Woodbridge Road. They then stayed for a meal at the cavalry barracks at
St Matthew’s.
And here we come to the nursery rhyme. Did the Duke stop off at the Duke of York pub for a swift
half? Is that why it is called the Duke of York? And if he did I suppose all the troops would have
had to wait for him on the flat bit of land between the Horse and Groom and the Duke of York pubs!
Halfway up the hill, neither up nor down. Is this the origin of our present version of the nursery
rhyme? I don't know for sure - but I like to think it might be so.
Louis Musgrove
Ipswich Street Clutter Initiative
We are all aware of the impact of traffic signs on the town. Many give essential information and
direction for the safe movement of people and vehicles, but over the years more and more schemes,
often with a single purpose - a cycle route, tourist directions, etc - are added to the existing signs.
The accretion of clutter is not only an eyesore but results in important information being lost
amongst the plethora of unnecessary signs.
The Government is encouraging local authorities to review signage in their areas and remove
unnecessary clutter. Ipswich Borough Council is ahead of the game and to date 256 signs and 65
posts have been consigned to the scrap yard.
If you have not noticed this initiative it is because those removed are a tiny number in comparison
to the signs still in place. The second phase is to concentrate on the town centre and Conservation
Areas, and the Borough is being assisted by members of the Ipswich Conservation Advisory Panel
who have carried out area audits of sign and other street clutter, such as redundant posts, lines and
barriers.
The budget is limited and only two officers from the Borough are assigned to the task, but we
applaud the initiative and look forward to a town centre free of unnecessary clutter.
Ruth Stokes
More Shorts
The fire station site in Colchester Road is proposed for housing in IBC's development brief. This
residential area is surely better for housing than for a supermarket with all its traffic.
The Cobbold Family History Trust will mount an exhibition in the Reg Driver Centre,
Christchurch Park, featuring the Cobbolds in Ipswich and the story of Margaret Catchpole. Its
opening on Friday, 8 April will also involve the dedication of the Society's Blue Plaque
commemorating Felix Thornley Cobbold (1841-1909), the town's greatest benefactor.
Three large wind turbines may be erected in the Belstead area. First mooted a few years ago, they
are now the subject of consultations by IBC with residents and a renewable energy developer. It is
to be hoped that the problems can be overcome.
Giles Circus, the town's newly created public space, is being kept clean, though it's a constant
battle against gum droppers and advertising A-boards. Whether traffic should still be allowed
through remains controversial.
Container ships at Felixstowe docks will soon be even bigger. Maersk has commissioned 10 new
ships to be built in Korea. Made for the China-Europe run, they will be so wide that only
Felixstowe, Rotterdam and Bremerhaven in Europe can take them.
'Ipswich Chord' - Network Rail will construct this new connection between the Inter-City line and
the E Suffolk and Felixstowe lines as a double track, costing over £40m. Called the 'bacon curve'
because it skirts the boundary of the old Harris bacon factory off Hadleigh Road, it will enable
freight trains to/from Felixstowe to go direct to the Midlands and North.
But Do You Trust Science?
While I thank Mr M L Chelk for his latest correspondence on "Climategate" in the January 2011
Newsletter, his argument remains predicated upon the prima facie headline-grabbing evidence
associated with the leaked e-mails that were hacked from the UEA site, whereas no less than four
inquiries have since examined all the evidence, have exonerated Prof J ones of any scientific
wrongdoing, and have resulted in improvements at the UEA in complying with the Freedom of
Information Act. The underlying climate science remains intact and undiminished, as does Prof
Jones's reputation as a scientist. And if Prof J ones appears suspiciously confident of the content of
his next contribution to the IPCC, he already has five years' more climate data following what was
presented in the 2007 Assessment Review, and the alarming trends continue.
Incidentally, anyone who heeded the original analogy with my combination condensing boiler last
April might now be feeling quite pleased to have had the warning and to have acted upon it, as
thousands more were reported to have failed in the coldest UK December in over a century. Or did
yours fail? If so, you might be kicking yourself. Whole populations of people both present and
future might have been similarly pleased if only the world's governments had heeded the IPCC's
warnings, and had cut greenhouse gas emissions in a timely and equitable manner, managing the
risk of climate catastrophe rather than putting their lives in jeopardy. The prima facie cause of2010's
extreme weather worldwide was La Nina, whose effects may well now subside until it next appears
in a few years' time, but the rapid warming trend of recent decades continues unabated and promises
much worse to follow. In spite of our cold winter in the UK, 2010 was the second warmest year on
record globally, and this is entirely consistent with climate science.
Nullum in Verba: "Don't trust my word alone or anybody else's, trust the science." Hubristically we
may value public opinion and our democratic rights, but Nature is oblivious and takes its inevitable
course, and people around the world are already paying the price. But am I wasting my time in
repeating this message? Four years ago, my first article for the Newsletter contained the following:
"Much about nature can be predicted, if it can be understood. That is what science, and hopefully
those 'bloody scientists' at the IPCC, attempts to do. But following from this, how do we know
anything? Who can understand the scientists? Can journalists? And are journalists to be believed? ...
And would you trust them in preference to your own instincts?”
These are indeed difficult questions, and Mr Chelk has shown how the issues of what we know and
whom we can trust have not diminished over those four years. Although the UK continues to press
for tougher EU emissions limits, the prospect of effective international action has receded even
further in 2010, and humanity perversely continues to fiddle while the planet smoulders. Big
Government claimed that it could not act ahead of public opinion; the Big Society remains to be
defined, let alone conjured into existence; Big Business continues to please itself; and individuals
are left feeling disempowered.
Recently in The Observer newspaper, writer Margaret Atwood drew a compelling analogy with
humanity's problems of exponential growth and depletion of resources, describing the
multiplication of single-celled creatures in a tube containing a fixed amount of food. Each creature
divides every minute, producing a doubling of the population until eventually the food runs out and
they all die. She asks, "At what moment in time is the tube half-full?" Answer: "Only one minute
before the food runs out; but they think, "We are fine. There's half a tube of food left." Whether we
are concerned with scarcity of resources or the dangerous level of greenhouse gas emissions, we
might have hoped that humanity would have been smarter than a tube of single-celled creatures.
Both Mr Chelk and I have had our say. Do other readers share my concerns, or am I wasting my
time? Either way drop me a line or write to the Editor. My subsequent articles will reflect your
replies
Mike Brain
Visitor Attractions as a Means of Regeneration
Visitor Attractions, Science Centres, Galleries and Museums are designed to contribute to the
greater good of society but are also used as catalysts for renewal. Some are designed to deliver a
return on investment, others are not for profit but with the bigger responsibility of regeneration. The
concept of using attractions to cause regeneration is not new, but equally not universally successful
and those who can remember the Millennium will recall that Lottery money brought generously
funded but often ill-conceived attempts to jump-start redevelopment. For every such attraction that
proved to be a success at least three failed to deliver on the aspirations that were envisaged at the
outset.
The mistakes made seem obvious now, but expecting an attraction like the Earth Centre in
Doncaster, which was developed in isolation from and ahead of other regeneration activity, to
survive and thrive and bring a wave of inward investment was clearly unrealistic. The Centre for
Popular Music in the middle of Sheffield should have stood a better chance but did not attract the
young fans that were envisaged and is now the Students' Union building for Sheffield Hallam
University. The National Garden Centre in Wales was in the middle of nowhere, with no resident
population to provide the daily footfall. But so is the Eden Centre and somehow Tom Smit got it
right.
The National Waterfront Museum in Swansea is possibly one of the best examples in the UK of a
holistic approach. The Museum was created as part of the grand vision to connect the city to its
waterfront, giving new life to old buildings, creating desirable public spaces, revitalising retail and
housing, and developing new physical links with the city centre. Within this whole package the
Museum's role was to ensure that the area became and remained a desirable place to live, work, visit
and enjoy, both during daylight hours and into the evening. It needed to add footfall to the night
time economy, the type of users that might not necessarily be on the waterfront after dark.
It is impossible to be specific about how much Swansea's success is down to the Museum or to
speculate about the precise impact it had on private investment. Without doubt however its
contribution has been widely recognised and without the Museum the waterfront would have been a
poorer place - both literally and metaphorically. One key factor in the success was the partnership
scheme of funding which was agreed between the National Museum of Wales, the City and County
Councils - a stable platform from the day the Museum opened. Swansea Council sees the
Waterfront Museum as an important catalyst in the regeneration of the city and for numerous
projects in the immediate environs.
A further scheme that really did kick-start multi-million pound investments back in 2000 was the
Lowry Centre on Salford Quays, immediately followed by the Imperial War Museum North, Daniel
Liebeskind's masterpiece of dark art. However it is the arrival of the BBC into Media City that has
really secured Salford as a classic example of urban regeneration. For it is here on the banks of the
former Ship Canal that residential tower blocks are occupied and commanding a premium.
If they can make it work in Manchester and South Wales, what is possible in Ipswich?
Read part two of this article in the July Newsletter.
John Norman
Letters to the Editor
Sad Loss of the Bury Road Park and Ride
From Ronald and Anita Harvey (Stowmarket)
We are very disappointed about the Bury Road Park & Ride site closing as we had used it since it
first opened when we paid to park and got on a bus - so much better to get into town and out. If we
travel to the Copdock site to get a P&R bus into Ipswich it will take us at least an extra half an hour
to get into town.
The younger generation are the ones who need it most to get to work, etc. How nice it would be to
see the Bury Road Park & Ride opened again - it's a much better car park! We always enjoy our
shopping trips to town since we retired.
Debatable style of Architecture
From Stephen Anderson
I wanted to support Bob Allen's comment about 53-55 Westerfield Road that won a Commendation
at the Society's 2010 Awards ceremony. When he used the term "debatable use of pastiche
Edwardian style" I think he was understating the case against them. To me, they represent an
approach to design which only design conservatives such as the Prince of Wales would like to see
more of-retro, pastiche, quasi, neo .... but not contemporary. The 1950s house they replaced had
greater integrity than this pair of semis which (and I'll admit my architectural history knowledge is
insufficient here to be certain) seem to follow a largely unmissed Edwardian style which itself had
elements of neo- Tudor detailing.
Run-down Look of Some Streets
From James Empson
I was 32 when I chose Ipswich to start my business, Anglia Cameras. Ipswich was then a very
pleasant town with a Tuesday cattle market and tweed clad farmers calling in to see me. One
brought fresh eggs each week at 2/6 per dozen! How very English. How this has changed with the
loss of many quality retailers from the town centre over the years ….
I closed the business in March 2008 after 44 years of successful trading - and sold the property three
months later. How sad to see the very run-down look of St Matthew's Street and Norwich Road
today, a main thoroughfare into the town. My heart sinks when I see my old property in St
Matthew's Street which I tried to keep spick and span when I owned it, but of course, having sold
the freehold, I no longer have jurisdiction as to how it looks. For this, I apologise to the people of
Ipswich.
A town, village or hamlet is more than bricks and mortar; paintwork colours and shades also attend
this effect. Whilst I applaud the efforts of the Society Elders, we need to press the Town Council to
clean up more than just the streets - (though their recent recognition is to be applauded!).
Imogen Stubbs at the Society's Dinner
From Dick Tuckey
Imogen may not be an "Ipswichian" - but the Wolsey gave her her first job straight from RADA and
she - touchingly - always acknowledges this in interviews ….
[Editor: I had praised Imogen Stubbs for persevering in her three-hour delayed and snow-bound
journey to join us and her husband Sir Trevor Nunn at the dinner, even though she "isn't an
Ipswichian”!
Dick Tuckey, as many will fondly remember, was Artistic Director of the Wolsey Theatre.]
Four Times Better
Tired of living in a cold house and spurred on by the prospect of' ‘Peak Oil' and the likelihood of
considerably higher energy bills in future years, I decided to take a look at how my house performs
thermally. It is a typical two bedroom brick built end of terrace Victorian house dating from 1893,
with single glazing and solid 9" brick walls.
Having already upgraded the loft insulation and with no cavity to even consider filling, it might be
thought that double glazing was the obvious answer. Indeed my calculations showed that double
glazing the 15m² of windows in the house (reducing the U-value from 5.6 to 2.8W/°C /m²) would
reduce the heat loss of that element of the building from 84W/ºC to 42W/°C, a reduction of42W/°C.
U-value is a measure of how much heat energy a particular form of construction will transmit, and
in the metric system it is expressed in W/°C /m². It thus measures how much energy a square metre
of the construction will lose when subjected to a degree difference in temperature across it.
Multiplying up by both the actual area concerned and the expected temperature difference tells you
how much energy that part of the construction is likely to lose. Grossing up the areas and adding
together the different elements of my house, the overall heat loss is about 400W/°C, this figure
representing the amount of power in Watts needed to maintain the temperature 1°C higher than the
temperature outside. Thus on a cold winter's day at -2° outside, if I want to maintain 18° inside, I
will need 8,000 Watts (8kW) burning!
The possible saving of 42W/°C with double glazing thus represents 10% of my total energy costs,
to be weighed up against a conservative estimate of around £4,000 to double glaze my eight
windows to achieve that. If my energy costs were £1,000 per annum, it would take me 40 years to
achieve payback!
Unconvinced of the economic case, I decided to take a closer look at the brickwork. Because it is an
end terrace house, there is a total of some 95m² of 9" brickwork with U-value of 2.45W/°C /m²
actively losing heat to the environment. An upgrade using external insulation could improve this U-
value to 0.34W/°C /m². One area where this could easily be applied is the 40m² of blank gable end
along the side of the house, where there are no windows, pipes or vents in the way. Just upgrading
this section of the brickwork would reduce the heat loss on this element of the building from 98W/
°C to 14W/°C, a reduction of 84W/°C. This represents a 20% possible saving in total energy costs,
twice that of the double glazing option. Lf this can be achieved for less than £2,000 then this option
of a 'gable warmer' is four times more cost effective than double glazing and will have a realistic 10
year payback period.
This all seemed good on paper, so I decided to proceed with a pilot project to construct such a gable
warmer, which I will present in the next issue.
Patrick Taylor, Conservation Architect
River Gipping Trust
Lewis Tyler is Secretary of the recently established River Gipping Trust which has taken on the
work of re-establishing the 18th century Ipswich to Stowmarket Navigation. In his lecture on 9
February, we were given a comprehensive survey of its background and of the current situation.
The Inland Waterways Association's Ipswich branch had taken on a very positive role over the many
years, but it was felt that a Trust with the specific aim of restoration of the historic Gipping
Navigation would have a better chance of success in attracting potential funders. Most of the
members of the new River Gipping Trust are also members of the local branch of the national
Inland Waterways Association. In Ipswich we already have the River Action Group established
some 10-15 years ago, of which The Ipswich Society is an active member. Its emphasis has been
more on improving access to, and usage of, the river and its towpath, as well as the creation of an
improved cycle route. It also operates only as far as Sproughton.
Lewis reminded us that, from the 16th century, the river had been navigable for certain craft as far
as Stowmarket and via the River Rattlesden a little further westwards. With industry developing in
Ipswich towards the end of the 18th century, a start had been made towards creating a proper
navigation with a series of locks. John Rennie had supervised the design of the original locks and
the initial barges were horse-drawn. The newly arrived railways rather interrupted progress, but
steam barges replaced horses in the 19th century and traffic between Ipswich and the Packard
fertiliser works at Bramford continued until the 1930s, with actual closure of the navigation in
1932.
The River Gipping Trust, like the IWA before it, is concentrating its efforts on the restoration of
locks in the Needham Market section of the river where sufficient remains of the original structures
have survived. Progress is inevitably slow, but several locks are now fully restored. This interesting
talk was plentifully illustrated with photographs old and new so we could see for ourselves what has
been achieved.
Tom Gondris
Saving the Walk
Bob Markham, a well known member of the Society who has carried out extensive research into the
history of public transport in Ipswich, was the speaker in our lecture on 12 January. The subject for
Bob's presentation was the development of new residential areas in Ipswich mainly from 1879 until
the present day, and the introduction of public transport to serve the residents of these new areas.
Until the fourth quarter of the 19th century the main residential areas were within a one mile radius
of the Cornhill, although new developments were taking place in California, the area between
Spring and Foxhall Roads. Residents made their journeys to work and leisure on foot, with the
exception of the small minority with their own horse drawn forms of transport.
The first public transport was introduced in 1880 in the form of horse trams, with routes from the
Cornhill along Norwich Road to Brooks Hall Road; to Derby Road station via Spring Road and St
John's Road; and to Ipswich railway station.
In 1903 Ipswich Corporation opened a new electricity power station in Constantine Road which
enabled an electric tram system to be introduced. The routes formerly operated by the horse trams
were extended to Whitton, Bourne Bridge, Felixstowe Road (Royal Oak). Spring Road (Lattice
Barn) and Bramford Road (Railway Bridge). In 1919 the Eastern Counties Road Car Company
introduced a network of motor bus routes to the surrounding rural areas and also within the town to
areas not covered by the trams, including Woodbridge Road and Hadleigh Road, where the first
council houses were built in Allenby Road in the early 19205.
In the mid 1920s a very large development of local authority housing took place in the east between
the Felixstowe and Nacton Roads. This was soon followed by a large development in the nearby
Gainsborough area. In 1926 the electric trams were replaced by trolley buses, which enabled a
network of routes to be introduced to serve these new residential areas in the east of the town and
also to serve Foxhall and London Road areas, and Bramford Road beyond the railway bridge. In
1945 another large local authority housing development was commenced at Rushmere Hall. A new
trolley bus route was introduced via Sidegate Lane.
In 1948 the Ipswich Corporation electricity undertaking was nationalised which resulted in a large
increase in the cost of the power for the trolley buses and also the cost of installing the
infrastructure of new routes. This resulted in the decision to replace trolley buses by motor buses.
The first new motor bus route was opened along Norwich Road in 1950 to serve the new
Whitehouse estate. Another council estate was developed at Maidenhall in the early 1950s, followed
by a private housing development in the adjoining Stoke Park. A bus service was introduced via
Wherstead Road to serve these areas.
During the 1950s and 1960s very large local authority housing developments took place at Chantry
between Belstead and London Roads, so bus services were introduced to serve these new residents.
In the north west of the town the first local authority housing development took place in the late
1930s. This was followed during the late 1940s until the 19705 by more developments of council
and private housing between Norwich Road and Henley Road, so bus routes were created to serve
these areas via Norwich Road. In the mid-1980s a network of new bus routes was introduced using
small vehicles to serve some areas of the town not covered by the main routes. Ipswich Airport was
closed by the Council in the early 1990s for the development of Ravenswood. A new bus service
was introduced via Landseer Road to serve the area, thus providing links between the town centre,
Ravenswood, Warren Heath and Ransomes Europark.
Bob showed a fascinating selection of slides illustrating the different types of architecture of the
housing in these newly created residential areas and also views of their local shopping areas. He
was supported by his wife, Caroline, who was responsible for the control of the technology used to
project his excellent material.
Russell Nunn
Historic Lettering
Think of a subject to explore on the Internet and there is often a surprise to be found. In this
particular case, 'Historic Lettering' led me to a website, Ipswich Historic Lettering and to a
fascinating collection of photographs, with explanatory historical information, of examples of old
lettering in Ipswich. It is available to view in specific 'galleries' such as street signs, trade signs, or
specific locations such as churches or the Wet Dock. The photographer, Borin Van Loon, a resident
of Ipswich, has been compiling his collection for a number of years. He includes a list of street
names and their historical derivations, and acknowledges the source as the list published in The
Ipswich Society Newsletter of April 2004. He also draws attention to the style of our Blue Plaques.
St Matthew's Baths
The baths hall has re-opened as The Gym Ipswich. BBC Radio Suffolk asked the Society for
information about the history of the baths. The original building cost around £22,770 in 1924 and it
consisted of a 75x30 ft pool with a balcony for 200 spectators and 21 slipper baths, useful for a time
when many houses had no bathrooms.
During the winter months a sprung maple floor would cover the pool for meetings and concerts, etc.
It was in heavy demand after the Public Hall (on the site now occupied by Primark) burned down in
1947. In the 1970s the Corn Exchange became the entertainment centre, so all year round
swimming took place at St Matthew's, but after the opening of Crown Pools it was sold to
developers and was last used as a social club.
Remember December?
It may seem long after the event but it is interesting to know about the policy pursued by IBC in
partnership with the County Council and the Highways Agency. IBC spreads salt on six Primary 1
routes in the Borough when the road surface goes below 1°C. These are all A and B roads with
more than 4,000 vehicles a day and all bus routes and access for emergency services and high
schools. Also six Primary 2 routes (those carrying more than 2,000 vehicles a day) are treated if the
temperature is still zero by 9 am. And 45 shopping areas and precincts and some footways are
treated in severe and prolonged weather.
Legal liability of householders who clear snow from pavements has caused confusion. The County
Council's position is that "sensible self-help is to be encouraged". The Government also takes this
view and has issued a "Snow Code" to advise people on what to do and what the position on legal
liability is. You might find this information useful next winter - but let's hope we don't have another
such December!
The Mayor's Parlour
On the afternoon of 8 February, twenty members of the Society assembled in the entrance of the
Town Hall, having been invited by the Mayor, Jane Chambers, to visit her Parlour and have a
'behind the scenes tour'. We were greeted by Andrew Beal, the Town Sergeant. He gave us a brief
reminder of the various buildings which have stood on this site, starting with St Mildred's Chapel in
Saxon times. The present Town Hall dates from 1868 and is built in the Venetian style. It is now in
the care of Colchester and Ipswich Museums Service.
He showed us the old courtroom with its fine dome and decorative plasterwork, and remarked that
the room is windowless - very useful in preventing prisoner escapes! We then ascended the main
staircase, pausing to look at the marble plaque which commemorates Borough Council employees
who died on active service during the First World War. Our next stop was the room previously used
as the town library, where we admired the fine decoration. From there we walked along a corridor
lined with photographs of every Mayor of Ipswich, except for Benjamin Brame in 1836, who was
too early for photography and is represented by a watercolour.
We were received in the Mayoress's Parlour by the Mayor. She explained that she has been elected
by the other councillors, her role is strictly non-political; she represents the Borough during her year
of office. We were shown various paintings of the town, gifts presented by visitors, and the Visitors'
Book itself, signed by a couple called Elizabeth and Philip! The walls of the next room are covered
with memorabilia and official declarations of .Freedom of the Borough.. One was awarded to Sir
'Robert' Robson; he didn't like the name change apparently! The most recent award was to HMS
Quorn.
In the Mayor's Parlour we viewed the Town Seals made in 1200, when the Charter was granted, and
putting on white cotton gloves I was able to hold them..the highlight of my visit. We also saw the
silver gilt mace presented to the town by Charles II, still used at council meetings today. Andrew
showed us the Mayor's official robes and headwear, which have to be worn whatever the weather
and are incredibly heavy.
We also heard the stories of Samuel Harvey and Arthur Frederick Saunders, both awarded the VC
for bravery at the Battle of Loos in 1915. They returned to Ipswich, having been severely wounded.
Samuel never fully recovered from a head wound; few people knew of the honour bestowed upon
him and he spent the rest of his life struggling to cope. In contrast Arthur was appointed a salaried
magistrate and became a respected figure in the town. [Editor: the Society installed a Blue Plaque
on his former house in Cauldwell Hall Road last year]
The group returned to the Mayoress's Parlour for refreshments and a farewell from the Mayor. It
was a very enjoyable visit which managed to be both relaxed and informative at the same time,
thanks to Andrew's interesting guided tour and the warm reception we were given by the Mayor.
Thanks are also due to Caroline Markham for organising this visit.
Evelyn Hewing
Peter Bruff, Great Victorian Engineer
Following up my article in the October Newsletter 2009 concerning Peter Bruff, an error has been
pointed out to me by Mr Hugh Moffat. He wrote what amounts to a biography of Bruff, 'East
Anglia's First Railways'. In the book Mr Moffat had stated that Bruff's home near Handford Road
was demolished soon after the death of the latter in 1900. Mr Moffat has since pointed out that
Handford Lodge was in fact only demolished in the 1920s and was the home of Mr D H Booth after
the death of Mrs Bruff. (Booth, as Mayor of Ipswich, had laid the foundation stone of the Corn
Exchange on 22 October 1880.)
I also include a photograph of Peter Bruff's grave in the Old Ipswich Cemetery. The stone looks
amazingly clean considering its age. On the subject of age, the birth date is recorded wrongly on the
stone as, according to the appropriate parish register in Portsmouth, he was born on 23 July 1812,
not 1811.
Another issue concerns the Perspex etching celebrating Bruff's building of Stoke Hill tunnel. This
was less than impressive but was nonetheless the only memorial to Bruff existing within the area of
the station building. It was situated above the booking windows but has now been removed or
covered up with an advertising hoarding featuring Ipswich Town Football Club.
I also note that one other memorial to Bruff does exist in Ipswich and that is as a road name, Bruff
Road. This is a new road situated off Croft Street near the site of the first Ipswich station. A number
of railway related road names now occur in the area, examples being Bromley Close, Adams Close
and Sinclair Close. The three latter gentlemen were all Locomotive Superintendents on the Great
Eastern Railway in the 19th century.
I would still recommend to the Society's Committee that we consider the installation of a Blue
Plaque in the Handford Road area or at the railway station in honour of this great Victorian engineer
who brought the railway to Ipswich and also designed much of the underground sewer system. He
could therefore be regarded as the Bazalgette of Ipswich as well as the Brunel.
Merv Russen