Issue 187 Newsletter Apr 2012
Contents:
• Editorial: The Society & the Future
• AGM, Lectures & Events
• New Members
• The Chairman's Letter
• Geology In Ipswich
• The Mary Portas Report
• Planning Issues
• Planning Applications & Results
• Colchester Road Fire Station
• Bikes Worldwide
• Resignation of Jack Chapman
• Democracy or Demi-cracy
• Shorts of All Sorts
• Willis is VERY Special
• Beacon Town Conference
• Fonnereau Way
• The Question Mark
• Getting Wolsey in Place
• Miscellaneous News
• Park Road Reservoir Update
• I Love Ipswich
• Sir Charles Sherrington
• Producing Electricity
• New Hotels in Ipswich
• Letters to the Editor
• Ipswich Umbrella Trust
• The Treehouse
• Committee & Members' Events
Editorial: The Society & the Future
At our January Executive Committee meeting Jack Chapman announced that he was resigning as
Chairman owing to continuing ill health. A well deserved tribute to Jack's contribution to the
Society is on page 9. John Norman, equally well known to members, steps up from Vice-Chairman
to Acting Chairman until the AGM.
The Ipswich Star is leading a welcome campaign to boost the future and the reputation of the town.
The Society was represented at the Beacon Town inaugural conference which John Norman writes
about on page 14. One of the greatest needs for the town's prospects is for the town centre to be
linked by sensitive and varied development to the Waterfront. This has long been advocated by the
Society and it is an aspiration clearly shared by IBC, Ipswich Central and the local press. The more
the general public is made aware of this vision - and the reasons for it - the better. But success will
depend largely on those with the money to invest in such developments. And thinking of
investments, the best recent news for Ipswich is that University Campus Suffolk has bought the land
between Neptune Marina flats and the University's new James Hehir Building. Various private
proposals for building on this site have come and gone because of the recession but it is a natural
site for the University's enlargement in due course and should contribute to its being one of the most
attractive Higher Education campuses in the country.
Hold fast to the town centre!
You might think it is obsessive to focus again on the town centre when there are so many other
matters which interest The Ipswich Society. However for me, and I hope many others, the town
centre is in a way the town. We say "I'm going to town" or "into town" or "down town". We don't
need to say "I'm going down to the town centre." Doesn't this habitual speech indicate how we
gravitate to the centre? (Especially so in Ipswich where our location at the head of the estuary
means that almost all roads naturally lead downhill to the centre.)
At least, that's how it's been so far. But will it last? In most parts of the country, out-of-town
superstores and business parks pull in other directions. And now there is the growing popularity of
internet shopping. I wonder whether town centres in the day time will have to be kept going by
Senior Citizens using their bus passes, and women (of all ages!) doing their 'comparative
shopping' (i.e. mostly for clothes) in a largely man-free zone!
Thankfully there seems to be some realisation of what could be lost. The Mary Portas review
achieved some publicity in December and her recommendations (see page 5) may have some
influence - although without legislation they'll be easy to ignore or forget. In Ipswich, the Master
Plan drawn up by IBC and Ipswich Central (Pages 6-7) shows awareness of what's needed, although
its emphasis is heavily on retailing rather than a holistic vision of how a town centre could be an
attraction. Perhaps the biggest boost would come from more people living in or close to the town
centre. The Master Plan does indicate residential uses for the eastern half of the 'Mint Quarter' and
parts of the proposed 'Merchant Quarter'. Living in a town centre has long been unfashionable, but
human beings are capable of reversing trends over time - in this case, if the right kinds of housing
are built, and if motoring becomes more expensive and, above all, if the town centre is attractive in
a variety of ways.
Neil Salmon
AGM, Lectures & Events
Annual General Meeting and Lecture
University Campus Suffolk, Wednesday, 25 April, 7.30 pm
We are pleased to be able hold our AGM again in the Ground Floor Lecture Room at DCS. We aim
to make the business part of the evening efficient but less rushed than last year's, when some
members who wanted to speak felt that there was insufficient opportunity to do so. We shall then
hear a talk by Mr Alistair Lang who, after a distinguished career in banking, is now Chief Executive
of Birketts Solicitors. He is a member of the CBI Eastern Regional Council and was actively
involved in the successful renewal campaign for the Ipswich Business Improvement District.
Following the talk, The Future of Ipswich, there will be opportunities for a chat over wine, soft
drinks and nibbles.
Advance notice of a Winter Lecture on Friday, 12 October 2012
Griff Rhys-Jones is the President of Civic Voice, the national organisation which our Society
belongs to. We are pleased to report that he has agreed to talk to us about the importance of Civic
Voice and our support for it. He is well known as an informative and entertaining speaker on this
subject which has become close to his heart. The talk will probably take place in the atrium of
Suffolk New College and there will be wine and food, and possibly a charge for admission. The
date is fixed but these other arrangements remain to be confirmed.
Birkin Haward (1912-2002): architect, artist and antiquary
Town Lecture by Martin Harrison, 10 May, 1.00-1.50 pm, Museum Street Methodist Church.
Birkin's career as an architect was mostly devoted to his work in and around Ipswich. His buildings
often showed an imaginative use of technical innovations. Sadly, some have been lost or are under
threat but many still remain in excellent use. He was also a talented painter and draughtsman as can
be seen in his thoroughly researched books on Suffolk churches and stained glass. This lecture
should be a welcome reappraisal of a fine artist in the widest sense. He was also a founder member
and a good friend of The Ipswich Society.
Ipswich in Bloom
You are invited to enter your garden in the 2012 Ipswich in Bloom Competition. The entry
brochures can be obtained from the Entry Secretary email info@ipswichinbloom.org The closing
date is Friday, 25 May. There will also be a barbeque event for entrants on 25 May at Castle Hill
allotments, with a chance to meet other gardeners. Prizes and certificates will be awarded on 26
September, 6 pm, at Museum Street Church.
Elm Street and Museum Street
This extraordinary juxtaposition of architectural shapes and styles is typically British. (The City of
Bath is wonderful but it's not typical!) When each building is good of its kind, the resulting mixture
can be stimulating for anyone interested in aesthetic appearances. All the more so if one has any
awareness of historical characteristics. Here we have buildings of the 17th century, second half of
the 20th century, early 20th century and 18th century (Mrs Smith's almshouses of 1760 glimpsed on
the right).
The Chairman's Letter
This will be the last time I will write to you as your Chairman. At the January meeting of the
Executive Committee I stood down as Chairman for health reasons but I intend to remain as a
member of the Committee. Until the AGM, your Vice-Chairman, John Norman, will act as
Chairman. At the AGM John will stand for election as Chairman and a new Vice-Chairman will
then need to be appointed.
I have been Chairman for eleven years and have enjoyed the experience immensely. During that
period John Norman has been a very supportive Vice-Chairman and I wish to thank him for this.
The current committee is perhaps the strongest we have had for some time with several new
members.
This is no bad time to have a change of Chairman. Little Waitrose has opened in the Corn Exchange
and plans are proceeding for a bigger Waitrose and a John Lewis at Home on the old Crane's site in
Nacton Road. So shopping will be well taken care of. These developments and the Tesco on Grafton
Way show Ipswich is bucking the trend nationally. And although we do have failing businesses and
boarded up shops we also have new businesses and developments in the town and more in the
pipeline.
When I came to Ipswich in 1970 it was a very different place. Above all, the Wet Dock was an
industrial wasteland which had long been depressed. At the north end, Paul's and Cranfield's were
still operating but elsewhere old neglected buildings were slowly crumbling into the water. When
there was first talk of regeneration of the area, there was set up a group to support and champion
this. Bellway flats were the very first development, soon followed by others. The Waterfront Group
(later Partnership) was set up, consisting of the local authorities, developers and owners. Ipswich
Borough Council was represented by Sue Arnold, a senior planner, who was very enthusiastic. All
developments since then have been monitored by this Group. As the only organisation without
vested interests, The Ipswich Society was asked to chair the Partnership and I did so until its closure
in 2011. The Waterfront today with its university, cafes and restaurants is a very different place and
attracts many visitors. It has been a privilege to be involved in this transformation.
More recently we have celebrated our fiftieth birthday with a number of special events which were
appreciated by many members. And after many years in the planning, the history of the Society is
nearly ready for publication and should be available soon.
The Society is in good shape and I wish it well in the future.
Jack Chapman
Geology In Ipswich
In May, GeoSuffolk, led by Ipswich Society member Bob Markham, will have a display based
around 'Geology in Ipswich' at the Reg Driver Centre in Christchurch Park. Themes will include:
• the Stoke Tunnel excavations into an interglacial bone bed
• Coprolite Street and the 'coprolite' industry
• former Ipswich brick yards
• Ipswich building stones
• and of course the geology of our parks
Visit www.geosuffolk.co.uk for more details of this event.
The Mary Portas Report
This seven-month investigation was published in December. At the time, the Government seemed
pleased but what, if anything, will they do? The proposed National Planning Policy Framework
might weaken 'town centre first' approaches. And steep cuts in funding to local authorities will
make it harder for them to help. However, the problems facing the High Street are at least being
made more public. Here is a summary of some of the recommendations in the Report which
members might like to think about.
• Town teams to run centres like a business with a management team comprising shopkeepers,
landlords, council representatives and residents.
• An out-town veto giving Government ministers an "exceptional sign-off' on new out-of-
town developments.
• Penalise landlords for leaving shops empty. And if shop premises really are defunct, some
suggested alternative uses are for conversions to gyms, creches, bingo halls.
• A National Market Day to publicise markets and reduce regulations so more people can
become market traders.
• Business rate concessions - offering the same discounts given to charity shops for retail
start-ups and small businesses.
• Free controlled parking to be set up by local authorities, with a league table to make charges
transparent.
• Major retailers should report on their support for local high streets in their annual reports.
In Ipswich, the idea of 'town teams' seems partly covered already by Ipswich Central. Penalising
landlords for empty shops might seem a good idea - because a great many are owned by investment
companies more interested in the potential capital gain rather than the urgency to obtain rental
income. Otherwise why don't they more readily reduce rents? Members' comments on all of this
would be welcomed by the Newsletter.
Planning Issues
Ipswich Town Centre Master Plan Consultation Draft
The Society's Executive Committee has discussed this document at length and would like to make
the following comments on behalf of its 1300 members. Our members' most frequent criticism is
that they rarely go there because "there are not enough decent shops" and because of "their
perceptions as to its attractions, cleanliness and general state of safety". This is particularly
noticeable from those who live on the outskirts or in the wider county. Ultimately their unease can
all be traced back to the current lack of a top class shopping offer in the town centre. This state of
affairs is not limited to or controllable by Ipswich. It is obviously in part an outward sign of the
economic problems that beset the developed world and partly due to the different ways the new
technological world shops - by car in shopping centres or by internet. Thus it is heartening to read
this blueprint to revive our town centre which is so optimistic in tone. It points out that:
• The shopping offer is of low quality.
• National chains find the empty shops to be incompatible with modern trading.
• There are two empty sites zoned for retail that will probably never be developed for that.
• A third site, Archant's print works (i.e. EADT, Turret Lane) is available for development.
• The connection between the town centre and the Waterfront is tenuous.
• Thus the current east-west axis should change.
With this we largely agree.
The time has come to re-zone the whole of the so called Mint Quarter for housing. The Society has
long favoured a town square of 3-4 storey town houses with parking beneath a new central public
square. There could be some small specialist shops in streets leading to this development. However,
we think the Civic Centre site should still be encouraged. If enlarged by the addition of the sites of
the police station, the disused courts and the Paul's almshouses, it would be a very attractive site
adjacent to the business area and main shopping streets. Already in place are a controlled car park
and reasonable access from outside the centre. If this were to happen, the development of the north-
south axis would be less logical.
We do support the concentration of all the bus services into one bus station, but at Tower Ramparts,
not the Mint Quarter. Extending the Tower Ramparts shopping centre northwards over the bus
station will only take place if a developer is prepared to invest. We would much prefer to see
investment in the modernisation of the Buttermarket shopping centre and extending the retail offer
southward, replacing the Old Cattle Market bus station with an avenue of arcaded shops with
residential accommodation above towards the Archant site. We do not feel that there would be
demand for shops on the Archant site, though flood avoidance plans may necessitate it. The Queen
Street-St Nicholas Street- St Peter's Street axis has turned into a veritable engine room of successful
food and specialist retailers and developing another street 200 metres to the east may be unwise.
Obviously we completely support a crossing of the Star Lane gyratory. Even at this stage it would
be good to put forward the essential parameters for the crossing and some ideas on how they might
be met.
Whilst Ipswich has many fine parks, it is noticeable there are none within the medieval centre. Thus
we very strongly support the establishment of green public spaces in the town centre. If, as seems
sensible, more people will live in the middle green spaces will be vital.
The Society is dismayed at the quality of the design and architecture of recent renovation and new
builds. It is vital that we achieve better in the future than we have in the last twenty years. We must
all work together to ensure that poor buildings are not allowed in Ipswich!
In summary, we admire this forward thinking document and hope which such a plan brings, even if
we may disagree on some of the details. Ultimately, however, it will depend on the financial state of
the UK and the economic activity of Ipswich and East Suffolk. The land is largely privately owned
and hence the major decisions are out of our hands. We can improve our chances by planning
positively in every way and increasing footfall by the development of entertainment, cultural and
other attractions which so far Ipswich has not yet achieved.
Planning Applications & Results
John Lewis at Home on Cranes site. It was granted permission but there are a number of tight
conditions on trading. Pharmacy, post office, opticians, takeaway food outlets, banks and building
societies are not permitted. The goods sold and displayed shall not include clothing, footwear,
jewellery and watches. Beauty and toiletry items may not be displayed and sold in more than 75 sq
m of the floor space. [Editor: i.e. it's not intended to be a department store.] £750,000 is to be spent
on non-A14 traffic remediation, but nothing to ameliorate Junction 57 of the A14. Public art to
include reference to previous industrial use.
Yarmouth Road/London Road. Marston's will build a Road House - for more food than drink.
Despite objections from the Waterfront Group and the Society as to design and the importance of
having an impressive building at the main western entrance to the town, and the total lack of use of
the proximity to the canal, the Planning Committee were only concerned with exit and entrance into
the traffic, particularly by drays. The concern was not to interfere with a commercial application for
an undeveloped site. An opportunity missed!
19 St Margaret's Green. A retrospective application to demolish Kwikfit buildings has been
postponed twice for legal considerations. The buildings had not been declared unsafe but the
permission for demolition and new student accommodation expired in April 2010. The Planning
Committee agreed to the retrospective application because they can't enforce a rebuild, they can't
enforce a build and the maximum fine is £1000. The Society supports the concept of keeping it as
an improved green space to improve the townscape and to allow the air quality to improve. But
there are many financial, legal and practical difficulties on the road to completion. The Society will
object strongly to its proposed use for hand car wash.
Derby Road Station. Re-application for a 45 bed care home. The previous application was
withdrawn because of local objections. The trees and sleeper embankment to be retained to Stanley
Avenue. Better noise attenuation. [Don't forget care homes are one of the best sources of
employment for the unskilled.]
Ipswich School, Music Centre. The modified second application has been approved by mc, subject
to acoustic tests. A transport plan and an event management plan are to be presented. All events
including practice to finish by 9.30 pm.
The People's Hall, Stoke Street. An application to build 4 flats behind the wall separating the Hall
from the next building to the east has been granted with no changes to the roof.
Telecommunications mast, Stoke Drive. 117 objections to a slim 12.5m pole on a street corner.
Dangerous radiation to a school 50m away. No thought given to mobile internet connections -
important economically. We need a proper policy, not ad hoc decisions.
Golden Key, Woodbridge Road. Revised and improved plans to convert to a 400 sq m food store.
Widely presumed to be Tesco's.
Mike Cook
Colchester Road Fire Station
Re-development of Colchester Road fire station site
Hopkins Homes is currently working on proposals to introduce a sensitive residential development,
recreational open space and contributions (£230,000) to support local services and facilities and that
respect the architecture and amenities of the local area. Hopkins Homes have previously been
amongst the award winners for their development on the site of the School of Jesus and Mary in
Woodbridge Road.
There had been some discussion about the fire station site becoming a supermarket but mc issued a
Planning Brief in June 2011 suggesting the site was best suited for housing. Hopkins propose 59
homes in a mix of two, three and four bed properties (which includes fifteen affordable homes built
to the same high standards), 112 parking spaces and a central public open space with a pedestrian
route through to a further green space facing Colchester Road. Our planning monitors will need to
review the application in detail, but it looks promising.
John Norman
Bikes Worldwide
Hands up if you've recently taken up cycling. Wow - one million hands go up! I started an article
with this opening line in the last Newsletter so why do so again? Well, if the number of people
cycling is increasing then so must the production of bicycles. In 1965 the number of bicycles and
the number of cars produced worldwide was the same, some 20 million. Since then both have risen
substantially. Car production is now up to 40 million units whereas bicycle production exceeds 120
million. For a world population of 7 billion that's one new bicycle for every 58 people, including
those too old or too young to ride! There are probably more than one billion bicycles in the world;
over half have been manufactured in China (where use is declining rapidly) and most of the rest are
from India, Taiwan and Japan. Top of the range machines are still made in Europe.
[Source: worldometers.com]
John Norman
Resignation of Jack Chapman
Many members will already know that our Chairman, Jack Chapman, has now found it necessary to
resign, and the Editor has asked me to comment briefly on his stint of almost twelve years in the
Chair, prior to a more formal review at the Society's forthcoming AGM.
Jack took over from Peter Odell in the summer of 2000 and quickly made his mark on the Executive
Committee. He established good relations with the Chief Executive of the Borough Council, firstly
with Jim Hehir and recently with Russell Williams. The Society has always avoided political
posturing while ensuring that it can work well with the Officers of the Council and with whoever
has been in political control.
As Chairman, Jack has always taken a keen interest in the work of the Executive Committee
members who had accepted responsibilities for specific activities. He took particular interest in the
many Society visits and tours and frequently participated in these. He chaired most of the Winter
Lectures and was a regular contributor to the quarterly Newsletter, being very supportive and
appreciative of the Editor.
He also continued to represent the Society on the Waterfront Steering Group, an advisory body
comprising representatives of organisations involved with the development of the whole Waterfront,
which he chaired successfully until its demise - due to the current recession. His views were
particularly valued as he did not represent any commercial interest.
Peter Odell's period of office culminated with the Society's fortieth year anniversary celebrations
and conference: perhaps the highpoint of Jack's chairmanship will have been the fiftieth anniversary
in 2010, in the planning of which he had been deeply involved.
So what has he achieved during his time of office these last dozen years? He has encouraged the
growth of the Society's membership (now in excess of 1200) and has personally raised the profile of
the Society which continues to have a good and respected name in the town. We all owe him a great
debt of gratitude and appreciation for his leadership over these years, the more so as he has
unfortunately had to cope with ill-health for most of the time, which he has borne with much
fortitude.
Tom Gondris
Democracy or Demi-cracy
Rule by the people, or the subjugation of one half by the other half?
The Society's long-standing invitation to its members is to consider "Ipswich: it's our town .... do
you care how it develops?" which in turn invites democratic challenges "How do we decide what
we want?" and "How do we go about getting it?”
But how do we make changes democratically? After years of investigation I have reached the
conclusion that, at its worst, it is like trying to nail a blancmange to a fence with a rubber nail, with
one arm tied behind your back and someone trying their best to distract you. If you are lucky,
someone will come along with something more substantial than a blancmange, offer you a proper
nail, free both your arms and encourage you to get on with the job. This was thankfully so with
street prostitution in Ipswich. The local community was acutely aware of an intolerable problem for
which there was no local solution; the media sowed untold confusion "in the interests of balance"
by asserting a woman's right to choose her career even though the street prostitutes' plight affords
them no such freedom of choice. Fortunately the Home Office produced a well researched national
strategy, clarifying several fundamental problems which demanded separate solutions. But it still
took many years of multi-agency effort and ultimately five murders to stimulate the necessary
concerted action.
So achieving democratic change is not simply a matter of doing what obviously needs to be done,
but rather one of surmounting all the obstacles that lie in your path; and it requires a lot of timely
co-operation from a lot of interested parties. And with good reason; power is a notoriously
corrupting influence which should be diffused. Democracy for all its flaws is infinitely preferable to
tyranny, but it does slow things down. This is unhelpful when urgent change is imperative but
whose need is not yet obvious to all- as with the debt crisis which led to the credit crunch, and in a
variety of impending crises in pensions, healthcare, climate change, and so on. Some of these
problems are indeed associated with an over-concentration of power, for instance relying too
heavily on the financial services sector for economic prosperity, or the use of fossil fuels for energy,
which in turn call for the added precautions of appropriate monitoring and regulation. But such
measures in turn divide the democratic community, between those who value individual and
corporate freedom, and those who value security and order in society. How do we accommodate
such contradictory values?
I suspect that most ordinary people simply take this in their stride. Of course we value personal
freedom, but we also recognise that civilised society involves mutual responsibilities towards other
people. We work to earn money to spend for ourselves and our families, and accept that valuable
public services and infrastructure have to be paid for through taxes. Above all, we want equitable
systems of reward and taxation, and good value for both disposable income and taxes. But the
question of where to draw the dividing lines is then taken up in party politics and debate in the
media, with proponents of market forces arguing that privatisation is the way to get value from the
public sector (but for whom?), while their opponents argue that private greed has been the downfall
of the Western economies. Does our "common sense" have to be subverted by these extreme
ideological distractions? Does the "squeezed middle" have the power to clip the political wings and
keep both public and private sectors in proper balance, or is "common sense" not common at all?
I have recently argued that our first-past-the-post voting system is artificially divisive where
division need not exist. It might be better named "demi-cracy" since the outcome is selectively to
ignore the arguments and concerns of as much as one half of the electorate in favour of the other
half. But there is, after all, more than one form of democracy.
Representative democracy
Casting a vote every few years for a local councillor or MP is a crude means of addressing the
growing complexities and manifold choices of modern life, but the appeal of this simple system
should not be under-estimated for those who have no wish for any greater engagement in public
affairs. At a public meeting some years ago, a portfolio holder for the Borough Council was berated
for troubling the public with her consultation when she had already been elected to get on and do
her job. She retorted that she would dearly like to do just that, but consultation was required by the
national Government of the day. Even this simple question on the duty of participation illustrates
how "government by the people" belies the scope or passionate disagreement among the people.
Consultations: "What do we want?"
Consultations have nonetheless become a significant means of engaging public opinion and insight
into current issues. But do they live up to the expectation of producing more popular solutions?
Consider two prominent examples among many from recent years. The consultation on Unitary
Local Government (ULG) in Suffolk failed because, in spite of a clearly expressed appetite for
ULG, the people of Suffolk put parochial aspiration above practicality and collectively rejected the
only two solutions that could be financially viable. And the consultation on the Local Development
Framework (LDF) took years to progress, while in the meantime the Borough approved the Grafton
Way (Tesco) development in spite of the draft provisions of the LDF regarding out-of-town retail
and traffic congestion. By the narrowest of margins, the fruits of direct consultation were trumped
by representative democracy! We must now wait and see how well it benefits the town - along with
the parallel out-of-town development on the Cranes site - and, by implication, who really holds the
keys to the town's future.
Localism and ministerial intervention
Whatever we might have wanted from the LDF or ULG, their consultations would ultimately be
overruled by yet another servant of democracy, the newly-elected Secretary of State for
Communities and Local Government, who intervened to suspend firstly all progress towards ULG,
and secondly the Regional Spatial Strategy upon which the LDF depended. Given that this was
making way for Localism, whereby local communities will be empowered to deliver the solutions
they deem most appropriate, would it be unreasonable to conclude that this empowerment will
consist of "You will do as I say!"? For Localism does indeed appear perversely to be driven very
strongly from the centre, regardless of explicit local wishes, even down to saying prayers before
council meetings!
Area Forums and Area Committees
An early manifestation of Localism will be to replace the underperforming Local Area Forums with
Area Committees. These will still comprise regular public meetings, which will now be run by local
councillors with decision-making powers and with local budgets. Hopefully these will be better
attended and supported by the communities they are intended to serve.
Where next?
The immediate focus for local democracy must surely be the Localism Bill, dictated by the Central
Government as part of the Big Society, itself a problem re-packaged as a solution, not unlike the
financial liabilities re-packaged as assets whose toxicity caused the credit crunch. So is it crunch
time for democracy?
"Men at some time are masters of their fates: the fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in
ourselves, that we are underlings." On the evidence of the recent past, little has changed in four
hundred years. The opportunity to operate the levers of power is ultimately all that matters, and
consultations and strategies which lack the will and resources to deliver their objectives are merely
well intentioned distractions. Where is the spark that will change this? Do local communities really
have pent-up reserves of energy waiting to be unleashed by the liberating power of Localism, or
would the Politics-to-English phrasebook translate "We're all in this together" as "You're on your
own”?
Our inter-dependence makes the strategic issues of the day increasingly matters of political will,
empowerment, and co-operation . not division . at all levels. The democratic .common good. or
demi-cratic divide and rule? It may well be our town, but how much choice do we really have?
Mike Brain
Shorts of All Sorts
Ipswich Maritime Festival attracted 55,000 visitors last year. Another similar festival will be held
on the Waterfront 18-19 August. There will be stalls, music, dancing, historical re-enactments and
fireworks.
IBC's proposed £1.5m jobs and skills investment fund is to support businesses creating private
sector jobs. Ipswich has been quite dependent on public sector jobs which are now being reduced.
Any attempts to boost growth should surely be welcomed.
Chantry Park now has a Friends group. We hope they'll attract plenty of good helpers. Similar
groups at the other big Ipswich parks provide active support for arguably the town's greatest assets.
Dickens Walks organised by the Town Guides have been popular in this anniversary year. The great
novelist visited Ipswich a few times as a young reporter and he put up his Mr Pickwick at the Great
White Horse - where he didn't have a trouble-free time!
The Evening Star became Ipswich Star on Monday, 23 January. since it couldn't become the
Morning Star! It is thus in direct competition with the EADT and appears to make the latter less
Ipswich-centred.
Shared Space in Exhibition Road, S Kensington should be worth a look, where visitors to the great
museums are meant to co-exist with the traffic. Our own example, Handford Road, was so badly
chosen that the concept is sullied or unrecognised in Ipswich.
Abellio, the Dutch owned railway company. took over the Greater Anglia franchise on 1 February
in a snow-affected week. (National Express had run our trains from 2004 till then.) Abellio's
franchise is short and our infrastructure and rolling stock elderly. What hopes?
The Byles Fountain in Alexandra Park has been restored, thanks partly to a grant from the
Community Spaces Big Lottery Fund. It's good that the 21st century can find some money for our
so valuable Victorian heritage.
Development of St Peter's Port, i.e. the big vacant space between St Peter's and St Mary at Quay
churches on Star Lane, is said to be starting later this year. We shall see. The revised plan is to
include flats rather than offices, plus the two hotels, retail units, etc.
Tower Ramparts shopping centre has a new owner, LaSalle Investment Management, who aim to
modernise it. It ought to be ideally situated, being between the Cornhill, the main bus station and
what was the biggest car park - although the reduction of the latter hasn't helped.
IBC's intention to build some council houses seems to be made possible by greater flexibility in
Central Government policy in the face of the chronic shortage of affordable family homes. The
numbers will inevitably be small at first but it could be a valuable precedent.
John Lewis and Waitrose at Crane's are not in the best place, the Society has argued. But better
there than not at all. It has been surmised that they might encourage newcomers to buy the more
expensive houses and flats in Ipswich.
Willis is VERY Special
English Heritage has recently Listed as Grade I the Lloyd's Building in London. This is the striking
building in Leadenhall Street/ Lime Street which has its lifts on the outside. At the time, a number
of newspapers recognised the achievement by placing this distinction in context. It was surprising to
see that the Listing of post-war buildings only began in 1987 and the Grade I list is still remarkably
small- only nine in fact, of which Willis is one.
The Willis Building (originally Willis Faber) was a highly controversial addition to the Ipswich
street scene in the early 1970s, as anything so new and different was bound to be. Today it seems to
have been generally accepted - certainly by most Ipswich Society members who have enjoyed the
occasional functions the Society has held there. But if we merely take it for granted now, that is to
overlook its very special place in the architectural heritage of our country. So here is a reminder of
this roll of honour of constructions officially considered by English Heritage to be "exceptionally
important". Ipswich should be proud of ours.
• The Severn Bridge, 1961-66, by Freeman, Fox and Partners
• The Royal Festival Hall, London, 1949-51, by Sir Leslie Martin
• The Lovell Telescope, Jodrell Bank, Cheshire, 1957
• St Catherine's College, Oxford, 1960-62, by Arne Jacobsen
• Coventry Cathedral, 1956-62, by Sir Basil Spence
• The Royal College of Physicians, London, 1960-64, by Sir Denys Lasdun
• Kingsgate Bridge, Durham, 1966, by Arup Associates
• Willis Faber Building, Ipswich, 1972-75, by Norman Foster (Lord Foster)
• The Lloyd's Building, City of London, 1978-86, by Richard Rogers Partnership
Beacon Town Conference
University Campus Suffolk, Friday 24 February 2012
A blatant attempt to sell more newspapers or a real effort at moving Ipswich forward? Although
there was some of the former, probably created by the fact that the conference was organised by the
Ipswich Star and led by its editor Nigel Pickover, it was much more about the future of Ipswich and
what the 100+ key decision makers in the audience could collectively do about it.
Ben Gummer led the way by bemoaning the constant criticism he has to endure from sceptics who
suggest Ipswich isn't up to it. Terry Hunt, editor of the EADT, gave a lively and compelling address
on the perceptions of Ipswich as held by the good folk of rural Suffolk, suggesting Ipswich's
problems started when it became the County Town of the whole of Suffolk (upstaging Bury) in
1974. The acrimony between Bury and Ipswich is only one way. The people of Ipswich love going
shopping in Bury (and the other major towns of East Anglia). Terry suggested that if he asked the
question of the good folk of Suffolk why they never visit Ipswich the most likely answer is why
should they? Thus it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Ipswich's shopping offer is poor, but will
not get better until it can attract customers from a wider catchment, who won't come whilst the offer
remains weak.
Perception is always the reality and the perception of Ipswich amongst the people from the market
towns and villages is low, so low that Ipswich does not exist on their radar. For those from the coast
north of the Alde, from the towns in the north of the county, and from a very short distance up the
Al40, Norwich is their town of choice. Is Ipswich part of Suffolk? Yes, for the football, Yes for the
Theatre, but otherwise No, and a very resounding No from a two-thirds majority.
Mark Bee (Leader of Suffolk County Council), David Ellesmere (Leader of Ipswich Borough
Council), Ben Gummer and Nigel Pickover also spoke. We broke out into workshops, made pledges
as to how we individually would contribute to improvements (in the perceptions) of Ipswich and
generally ended the day feeling much more positive about the future. Thus the Ipswich Star had
delivered the first round of improvement. We look forward to part two in mid-summer when some
of the pledges should have come to fruition.
John Norman (I really do love Ipswich)
Fonnereau Way
It is quite some time since members of The Ipswich Society were asked if they could provide
evidence of pedestrian use for the Fonnereau Way. (The Society had given strong support when the
newly named route was established, particularly to protect it from the possibility of being lost in
any future development.) This path from Christchurch Park northwards to Lower Road Westerfield
is one of the few that allow walkers to reach open countryside from the centre of town, avoiding
almost all roads. It's been marked as a path on the OS maps since 1880 and on Wilfred George's
map for about 30 years - no one objected. I've walked it for 30 years and others, still living, have
done so for 37 years before that.
To legally protect the Fonnereau Way path it was claimed as a Public Right of Way, and on 11
January 2010 Suffolk County Council's Rights of Way Committee formally authorised its inclusion
on the Ipswich Definitive Map. However Network Rail objected to the path being public where it
crosses the line west of the station at Westerfield. Subsequently the planning Inspector accepted the
argument that the crossing was private footpath at this point and that public use of it had been
trespass. This part was therefore deleted with its continuation to Lower Road, Westerfield. An
appeal was lodged against this interim judgment and a Public Inquiry held in December 2011. At
the Inquiry more evidence was provided to support the case that the route had been used by the
public both before and after the railway's construction in the late 1850s. This evidence was gathered
from Suffolk Public Record Office and from some 24 members of the public who recalled using the
path as far back as the mid-1930s. The Ramblers Headquarters supported the appeal by providing
legal argument against Network Rail's position regarding trespass.
We therefore received with great pleasure the Planning Inspector's final decision (9 January of this
year) which accepted the path in its entirety. The Inspector's judgment was that "on the balance of
evidence, a path had existed before railway work began in c.1856." This decision was based mainly
on submitted evidence of use. Network Rail may still appeal against this decision to the High Court.
In the meantime a celebratory walk was enjoyed by local ramblers on 14 January using the restored
part of the route. The Fonnereau Way is an enjoyable walk and is highly recommended. The route is
described in East Suffolk Line Walks booklet and also in a Greenways leaflet available from
Ipswich TIC. You could also follow the distinctive shields that line the route, now "recalled to life"
as a visitor to the Great White Horse once wrote.
Geoff Knight
The Question Mark
John Norman's article in the last Newsletter pointed out that there was more to the new sculpture at
UCS than is first thought. The inevitable flurry of hostile letters to the local press failed to convey
that the sculpture itself is aligned with the tall concrete chimney on the College site on the other
side of Fore Street and on the chimney is an LED light display. The further connection is that this
LED display spells out the letters Q U E S T I O N ?
If sceptics don't find this appealing and relevant to a Higher Education institution, perhaps they
might be persuaded to have a close look and enjoy the elegance of the sculpture and feel the
smoothness and shape of the white marble side or the black granite side.
Getting Wolsey in Place
A lecture by John Blatchly is always delivered with a natural ease. There are some facts which you
didn't know and some amusing anecdotes, and at the end you realise it's all added up to much more
than the sum of its delightful parts. On this occasion, I thought I knew most of what Dr Blatchly
would have to say about Wolsey and the creation of the statue but it turned out to be only a fraction
of what I enjoyed on the evening of 14 December.
The need for a Wolsey statue first occurred to him about twelve years ago but the final push came
from James Hehir, IBC's then Chief Executive, at the unveiling of the Prince Obolensky statue. So
it was all the more sad and problematic when James suddenly died, because he had said, "You deal
with the history, John, and I'll look after the fundraising." Despite that major setback the campaign
turned out to be quite short, with the launch (and first cheque) at St Peter's in October 2009, the
interview of the seven short-listed sculptors (out of 57 applicants) in December 2009, the
proceeding work by the chosen artist, David Annand, the second publicity launch in St Lawrence's
Church, ongoing fundraising and the unveiling of the finished Wolsey on Ipswich Charter Day, 29
June 2011.
Most of the applicants had proposed a Wolsey standing up blessing the populace. But what we see
now is Wolsey seated and, as it were, teaching children. Dr Blatchly's explanation was that "the
average Ipswichian wasn't looking for a blessing" and having Wolsey seated on Curson Plain, near
the site of Curson House which he wanted to retire to, meant that he could be under the trees, one or
two of which would have had to be removed if he' d been a standing figure. That would have got
him off to an unpopular start!
For those critics of the statue who question the length of Wolsey's robes, we learnt that a cardinal's
Cappa Magna is some 16 feet long and needs two or four train bearers. And the cat on the statue is
authentic in that Wolsey allowed his cat to sit on a stool on his right side even when presiding in the
Star Chamber. It will of course help to attract children to the statue and, after all, as it says around
the base, "Pleasure should mingle with study so that the child may think learning an amusement
rather than a toil."
Fascinating snippets also came out of the talk. Sculptors re-use their clay and David Annand used
the clay of Wolsey's head to model Alex Salmond's! We learnt that there are nursery rhymes
relevant to our great man - apparently Old Mother Hubbard is Wolsey. The huge black marble tomb
intended by Wolsey for his own corpse was left around royal circles unused until Nelson's body was
inserted and placed in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral.
Most important to Dr Blatchly is the legacy aspect apart from the statue itself. Two more Wolsey
heads were made by David Annand, one of which serves as an 'advertisement' in the Tourist
Information Centre for the statue and the other will be unveiled at DCS, where the 200-seater
lecture room will be the venue for the Annual Wolsey Lecture, to be given on 24 April (7 for 7.30
pm) by Phillip Lindley, author of Cardinal Wolsey, Church, State and Art. He will describe Wolsey's
role as patron of the arts and architecture in Renaissance England.
We were told that, at the unveiling of the statue, a bystander was heard to say, "Yes, Wolsey. I know
about him. He built the theatre." Dr Blatchly is keen that we should all keep learning so that we
know better than that.
Neil Salmon
Miscellaneous News
Suffolk Country Homes and their Estates, c.1750-1850
This course at Belstead House. 4-6 May, is possibly the last of the popular weekend courses
organised by the Suffolk Local History Council, owing to the proposed closure of the House by
Suffolk County Council. The course explores the building and re-building of some Suffolk estate
houses, the making of their parks and gardens and management of their estates, A coach trip visiting
gardens of the period is included. For booking information contact Belstead House, Sprites Lane,
Ipswich, IP8 3NA. Tel: 01473 686321. e-mail belstead.house@suffolk.gov.uk Their website is
Ipswich Record Office, Free Open Day, Saturday, 14 April, 9am-5pm.
This special day will be hosted by Ipswich Record Office and Ipswich Building Society. Three
guided walks for adults and children will be led by Margaret Hancock. She will explain how
Ipswich Building Society helped working people to get a stake in property in the Bramford and
Norwich Road areas and show how you can learn more about their lives from the census and
Record Office archives. In this way you can learn how to begin your family and local history
research using the county archives. There will also be strongroom tours, a second hand book sale
and activities for children. Although the day is free of charge, booking is essential via Ipswich
Record Office, Gatacre Road, Ipswich, IP1 2LQ, tel: 584541 Ipswich.ro@suffolk.gov.uk
Road Maintenance and Libraries
Ipswich Borough Council has been responsible for maintaining most of the roads in the town on
behalf of the County Council. This responsibility will be taken over by SCC and then transferred to
a private company in April 2013. At the same time the county's 44 libraries will be transferred to a
new body, an Industrial and Providential Society. Whatever one thinks of the reasons for these
moves, maintaining the resulting quality for us as users is surely a demand we can all share.
A Little Known Ipswich Product?
Most members are likely to know something about the engineering and other manufacturing activity
which used to take place in Ipswich. But sewing machines? It has been brought to our attention that
high quality machines were made here in the late 19th century by Whight & Mann at their Gipping
Factory, New Station Road and sold from 39 Buttermarket (and in Holborn). Their Prima Donna is
a collectors' item now. But they also imported German and North American models. Apparently re-
badging and competition led to closure in 1884.
A Critic's Parting Words
Jonathan Glancey who gave us a memorable talk in our anniversary year, 2010, has left The
Guardian where he has been architectural critic for 15 years. Amongst his last words in his final
article he wrote what could be the key criteria for societies like ours. "But what really matters today
is the creation of good homes for millions of people, and the nurturing of towns and cities that are
lovable yet distinct from one another."
Language changes - for good or ill!
The English language has always been remarkably fluid, but sometimes it's hard for older people to
accept changes. The Newsletter has previously been prickly about "train station" replacing "railway
station" which is said to have started in 1960. But what about today's "it's down to you" instead of
"up to you" or a person feeling "good" instead of “well"?
Park Road Reservoir Update
On 23 February I was fortunate enough to join a visit by the Institute of Civil Engineers to the Park
Road reservoir. The visit commenced with a presentation at the Reg Driver Centre in Christchurch
Park. It provided an insight into the challenges presented by a project of this nature. Then off to
Park Road where site manager Neil Davidson was our host.
The project commenced on site in the autumn of 2011 with a planned duration of about six months.
Not unusually one or two issues arose which will now see work continue till June this year. Firstly
the removal of 6,000 tons of topsoil from the concrete roof of the reservoir took longer. Surveys
identified that the risk of deploying heavy equipment on the roof was not an option. Much of the
work had to be carried out by hand with shovels and wheelbarrows, with final removal via a
vacuum pump. Secondly, a decision has been taken to build a new internal partition wall effectively
dividing the reservoir in two, an additional investment that will ensure future planned maintenance
will be possible without the need to drain the entire reservoir. That has added £900k to the capital
costs which will now total about £2.4 million!
As John Norman explained in last October's Newsletter. the reservoir was built in 1902 and has a
capacity of 21 million litres of fresh water to serve the north of Ipswich with water pumped into the
reservoir from a borehole in nearby Whitton. It is a credit to the original engineers that the internal
cast iron support columns and steel beams have survived in good condition and remain suitable for
shot blast cleaning and epoxy coating. The concrete floor and roof are being checked carefully for
damage and any cracking identified is being over-banded with a flexible product. All products used
inside the reservoir have to be certified as suitable to come into contact with drinking water. Pipe-
work has been modified to improve the flow of water into and through the reservoir.
This is a significant project and the site is subject to stringent safety management procedures. On
the day of our visit 45 people were signed in to work on the site. Like everyone on site we were
expected to arrive with suitable personal protective equipment including safety boots, gloves,
helmets, goggles and fluorescent jacket. We were fortunate enough to be allowed, under careful
supervision, to descend on to the reservoir floor. Full access was not possible as some areas are
designated as confined spaces with all the safety controls in place that necessitates. It is an amazing
space down there and it was a privilege to observe the skilful and labour intensive work being
carried out - grateful thanks to our busy hosts.
All those working on the site consider themselves fortunate to be involved with this unique project
but they are also acutely aware that there is inevitably some disruption to local residents from traffic
movements (500 12-tonne lorry movements for the removed topsoil alone) and site noise. The site
operates between 8 am and 5.30 pm each weekday with the noisiest element now complete
(removal of topsoil). Hopefully the project will complete on time and ensure it is another 100 years
before this level of refurbishment is necessary.
Once the work is complete the reservoir will be deep cleaned and disinfected before refilling and
water testing commences. The roof will receive a waterproof membrane and be protected with a
layer of stone chippings rather than reinstating the topsoil.
Graham Smith
I Love Ipswich
After living in a village for 33 years, I moved to Ipswich almost eight years ago and find plenty of
things to love about the town. Here are just some of them.
• The numerous parks and libraries, so that wherever you live in the town you have free
access to green space and a library. Exercise for body and mind.
• The rich cultural and historic heritage of the town with its wealth of medieval churches,
many of which have been converted to modern use.
• The great arts scene which Ipswich has, with the ever improving Pulse Fringe and lp-Art
festivals, as well as the wide ranging and varied programme provided by the New Wolsey
and Regent Theatres, and Eastern Angles and Red Rose Chain theatre companies,
complemented by the excellent Film Theatre.
•On the minus side, Debenhams is just a pale shadow of its former self, so Ipswich really needs a
large department store in the centre of town, and more shops that cater for the mature woman with a
fuller figure. Can we also have a proper tea shop on the lines of Betty's of Harrogate. I'm sure it
would be popular with the tourist trade as well as locals. I like a cappuccino as much as anyone but
aren't there just too many coffee chains in the town now?
I would also like to see more appreciation of the 1930s buildings we have in the town and feel they
are overlooked in favour of earlier periods. The demolition of the garage at the bottom of Bolton
Lane was a travesty in my opinion. The growth in the popularity of motoring is an important part of
our social history and garages are a part of that history. The wonderful sweeping facade, with the
iconic glass bricks, was built to disguise the basic utilitarian structure of the garage and was a joy to
behold. Now we are left with an ugly gash in the skyline. To argue that it opens up the view of the
buildings on the opposite side of Bolton Lane is a bit like saying there'd be a better view of St
Stephen's Church if the Ancient House was demolished.
The development of Ipswich didn't stop at the turn of the last century so action should be taken to
protect some of its 20th century buildings before it is too late.
Linda Erith
[Editor: The garage was demolished without planning permission (see page 7). Those who, like me,
enjoy the view of the Manor House now revealed didn't advocate the demolition, but now it's
done ... ]
Sir Charles Sherrington
Since retiring, Mike Cook has devoted a lot of his energy and time to The Ipswich Society. Before
that, he was a Consultant Anaesthetist at Ipswich Hospital where his work required, amongst other
things, an intimate knowledge of how the human nervous system functions. One of the greatest
pioneers in studying and understanding the nervous system of animals and humans was Sir Charles
Sherrington. So for Mike to speak about Sherrington on 11 January was a marriage made in.....
Ipswich.
Sherrington must have been fond of Ipswich. Although born in Islington, he came to live in the
town with his parents at Edgehill House, Anglesea Road and entered Ipswich School in 1871, aged
fourteen. And then after a long and pre-eminent career he chose in 1935 to retire to Ipswich, living
briefly in Graham Road and then at 73 Valley Road when that house was ready. [Compare another
man who also reached the very peak of his profession, Sir Alf Ramsey - he also lived in Valley
Road and stayed there in retirement. Would this make an unusual quiz question?] Sherrington lived
there for a few years but after his wife died and then in his middle 80s he moved to Cambridge and
then to Eastbourne.
Sherrington did indeed reach the very peak of his profession. It's not a lightly used expression when
you consider that he became President of the Royal Society, was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1924
(jointly with Lord Adrian), received 21 honorary doctorates and was appointed to the Order of
Merit, the highest civil honour in the UK. The career that led to all those honours took place at St
Thomas's Hospital, Cambridge University. Liverpool University (Holst Professor of Physiology)
and Oxford University (Waynflete Professor of Physiology). His microscopic studies of dogs' and
humans' brains led him to deduce how the nervous system works. The composition of the brain and
the nature of the spinal cord were not much understood till then. He was able to map areas of the
brain responsible for different functions of the body and he made these discoveries known through
220-300 scientific papers and a book which became the classic text of neurology for the first half of
the last century. This knowledge proved indispensable for physiologists and clinicians.
Together with these extraordinary professional achievements. Sherrington' s range of interests
extended to writing on philosophy, composing poetry and travelling widely in Europe, the USA and
Canada. In Ipswich he officially opened the Northgate Street central library in 1924 and was
President of Ipswich Museum, 1944-52.
Long an admirer of Sherrington's work, Mike Cook did originally bill his lecture as being about
"Ipswich's most eminent son". Having had the case for Thomas Wolsey put to him, he did tone it
down a little in his lecture to "second most eminent"! However, it's not a simple matter and wouldn't
it be a fascinating debate on whose influence is greater and of more duration - Wolsey's or
Sherrington's?
Neil Salmon
Producing Electricity
Dr Michael Coleman presented "a scientist's view" of generating and transmitting electricity in his
lecture to the Society on 15 February. He worked in the management team at Sizewell and then
Bradwell nuclear power stations before retiring. He has also been Chairman of Suffolk Preservation
Society. He described the history of generating electricity from the 19th century and then explained
the nationalisation of the industry, when there was a legal requirement for the Central Electricity
Generating Board to supply electricity continuously. This obligation was removed when the
industry was privatised in 1989; now, maintaining supply is "a matter for the market”.
Concerns about climate change in the 1990s have led to such developments as the extensive use of
gas rather than coal in power stations. Dr Coleman then went on to speak about the various options
for using renewable sources of power - wind, hydro, solar, wave, tidal, wood, biomass and nuclear.
Of these he strongly favoured tidal power, because of its predictability and its proven technology (a
Severn barrage could supply 15% of the country's needs) and, not surprisingly, nuclear generation
which he argued is safe as long as there is an adequate water supply and if the spent radioactive
material is vitrified and stored safely. On the controversial subject of transmission he explained why
burying cables is so much more expensive than using pylons.
Postscript: Dr Coleman has subsequently written to thank the Society and to put his argument for
nuclear power even more strongly. "I am not convinced by the effectiveness for power generation of
any of the range of renewables on offer since almost without exception the normally accepted ones
are not capable of uninterrupted generation which is a basic requirement of any stable electricity
supply system. For the £100 billion subsidy that will have gone to wind by 2020, I could have built
upwards of 15 Sizewell Bs and ensured we had guaranteed clean power for the next 60 years.
Furthermore, although the grid needs updating and expanding to meet oncoming needs, it would not
have needed the massive expansion now necessary. In other words I could have seen a cost effective
way of meeting our international obligations on C02 emissions and meeting our energy needs.”
New Hotels in Ipswich
A Travelodge is being built by Barnes Construction in Duke Street on the former Kennings Car Hire
site. With an exciting and colourful external appearance this 87 bedroom hotel will provide
accommodation for parents visiting students in the adjacent university, visitors to the Marina and an
affordable stay for the increasing weekenders choosing Ipswich as a base.
On the site of Cranfield's lorry wash (the triangular plot between Star Lane, Slade Street and Key
Street) Premier Inn are promising a 81 bed hotel. This site, immediately to the rear of the Custom
House, enjoys a location closer to the town centre whilst still being within a stone's throw of the
water. Car parking will be on the adjacent triangular site, the former Cranfield's garage next to St
Mary Quay. Both sites are owned by Investec Bank plc, receivers of the assets of the two previous
developers now in administration. In the case of Cranfield's, the hotel was originally granted
planning permission in 2004 alongside the 23 storey Mill but was never started, with subsequent
planning applications for residential and then student accommodation floundering in the recession.
John Norman
Shipping in the Haven Ports
6,800 ships sailed into Harwich Haven in 2011- that's 500 each month or an average of 18 every
day. They were heading for Felixstowe, Harwich (Parkeston) and Ipswich.
Firearms in Suffolk
Suffolk, population 668,000. Firearms held under licence: 41,600 shot guns, 12,500 firearms =
54,100 guns held by 21,500 people.
Letters to the Editor
Disagreeing with the Society's 2011 Awards
From James Empson
I have not seen all of the 2011 Ipswich Society Awards on foot I admit, but judging by the
Newsletter photographs of them I wonder still where Council planners derive their training.
Admittedly they may be functional constructions but with the exception of Handford House,
Cumberland Street, which should stand the test of time, the rest add no aesthetic merit to our
environment whatsoever. (In my opinion!)
Tydeman Close, Woodbridge Road, is harking back to "1960s brutalism". "Some bravery in design"
is an overstatement, I think. I must go and see the garden sheds in little gardens, as mentioned
though! I hesitate to criticise the Treehouse, but your photograph of it reminds me of a Fina filling
station. Wolsey's statue reminds me of Canute at the Wash. Sorry, John! Coe's is so out of place in a
Victorian street that words fail me. Sorry, David and William! The James Hehir Building is
reminiscent of those awful painted flats which adorn Northern France and the outskirts of Moscow
or Warsaw.
And the comments which attend your list of Awards in the January 2012 Newsletter brightened up a
dull day in the way the writer tried not to offend!
Peter Bruff, the great civil engineer
From Dr Peter Boyden
During recent visits to the Record Office in Ipswich I have noticed with interest a number of articles
in the Ipswich Society Newsletter about Peter Bruff. Having for more than thirty years researched
and written about aspects of his life, chiefly with regard to railways and resort development at
Walton-on-the-Naze and Frinton-on-Sea, I have now embarked on a more ambitious project to write
a full biography of him.
I am encouraged that there are people in Ipswich who wish to see Peter Bruff commemorated in the
town where he resided for much of his life. However, I was sorry to notice that the engraved glass
panel in the station booking office, that since 2001 has celebrated him, appears to have been
replaced with images of Ipswich Town footballers!
[Editor: The Society is planning to install one of our Blue Plaques, reminding people of the man
who designed the railway tunnel, some of the railway route and our Victorian sewers.]
Ipswich Umbrella Trust
I've enjoyed catching up with some journal reading during the (Christmas) holiday period and came
across an article by Francesca Smith in the July edition, 'Down and Out by the Orwell'. As well as
the soup kitchen to which Francesca refers, the Ipswich town centre churches have also been
running a night shelter from December through to mid-February.
The Ipswich Umbrella Trust has been very pleased to work in collaboration with the churches over
this provision. A partnership of Ipswich Housing Action Group, Genesis Housing & Ipswich
Umbrella Trust has secured significant funding to establish longer term overnight provision for
homeless and chaotic people in Ipswich. We are always very grateful to receive donations of parcels
of food and other personal items such as tinned food,( especially meat and fish). packets of soup, tea
bags, small jars of instant coffee, small boxes of cereals, small packets of biscuits, small tablets of
soap, towels (especially bath size) and men's new socks. The Umbrella Trust works in association
with the Community Resource Centre, which runs a cafe open from 10 am until 2.30 pm on
weekdays. Each day a volunteer helps in cooking a main meal for about fifteen people or serving
snacks or washing up.
Please help the Umbrella Trust either by delivering contributions to the Community Resource
Centre, 1 Black House Lane, Ipswich, IP1 2EF, Monday-Friday, 9.30 am - 3 pm, or telephone
01473 685077 and we will arrange to collect.
Roger Fern
The Treehouse
Members might like to know more about the East Anglian Children's Hospice Treehouse, which the
Society's judges decided was well worthy of our only Award of Distinction in 2011. The following
information is culled from Footprints, the magazine from EACH.
Architect Roger Gilles led the Barefoot and Gilles team who designed the building. He has written
about the project as follows: "My experience of the other EACH hospices is that they make the
most of life and are colourful and full of light. To do this we have strategically placed windows
around the hospice which allow both light to stream in and to provide views of the woodland. This
has been the same for the corridors which lead to the bedrooms. There are large windows with
window seats incorporated, so children and their families can enjoy views of the courtyard garden
outside. Whilst feeling very lively and open, the building also has to be a safe private environment
for vulnerable children .... where people can be together and have fun, yet be safe and intimate and
even alone when they need to.”
The Bauder green roof system is made up of thousands of sedum plants, which insulate the building
and collect rainwater. 'No dig' construction was used in the car parking areas to protect tree roots.
(Postscript: BBC Look East said the Duchess of Cambridge would visit The Treehouse in Suffolk
near Ipswich!)
Committee & Members' Events
Events:
• 25 April — Annual General Meeting at University Campus Suffolk, 7.30 pm
• 23 June — Civic Day - the Society in town, and photographic competition via local press
Forthcoming Outings:
• 14 April — The Wimpole Estate
• 30 May — Bob Markham's Christchurch Mansion (see enclosure)
• 11 July — Stanford Military Training Ground (see enclosure)
• 21 August — The Buckinghamshire Chilterns
• 12 September — A Day Out in the Fens - Prickwillow and Wisbech
Advance Notice of Lecture:
• 12 October — Griff Rhys-Jones will speak about Civic Voice (details to follow in July)