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October 2015                      Issue 201 


Contents 


Editorial 

Eltham Palace & the Museum Friends

New members

Letter to the Editor 

Chairman’s remarks  

The Society’s Awards Evening  

Early computing in Ipswich    

Two Society outings  

Planning matters      

Travel Ipswich: what’s happening?   

Holywells Park guided walk    

Our sponsored Witch Hazel  

New Cobbold family book    

How do Copenhageners commute? 

Ipswich Building Pres. Trust AGM 

Snippets 2     

Snippets 1   

Dr John Blatchly    

Suffolk Local History Council    

Parking charges are killing Ipswich   

Deliferate mistale    

Executive Committee members 

Suffolk place names    11 Diary dates    

Fore Street Facelift 1961 website 

Aerial view of Civic College 1970  


The Social Settlement drawn in 1961 by Johns Slater Haward, which would have stood across Fore 

Street from today’s UCS Waterfront Building where this and other drawings are currently on display.


Editorial 

This issue of the Newsletter is due to reach you shortly after the official opening by the Mayor, 

Glen Chisolm, of the Society’s long-awaited ‘Fore Street Facelift 1961’ exhibition at the UCS 

Waterfront building. Such are the exigencies of writing, publishing and distributing our 

Newsletter, that one has to indulge in a little crystal-ball gazing when composing an Editorial 

such as this, to assume that all will have gone well and that the exhibits have been a great 

success and attendances exceeded our expectations. So… well done all round. If you haven’t 

had a chance to see the exhibition yet, do try to view it before the last day, Friday 16 October. 

We will include some images from the show’s launch in the next Newsletter, no doubt. 


The Heritage Open weekend (12-13 September) organised by the Ipswich Society has once 

again shown the historical gems to be found in our town. Our Treasurer, Graham Smith, has 

done a great job with organisation and publication of an attractive booklet and, as ever, huge 

thanks must go to the volunteers who helped to distribute publicity, attend at venues and make 

the weekend such a success. It is not acknowledged often enough that the Ipswich Society is an 

entirely voluntary organisation – and a very active one, to boot – which thrives because of the 

enthusiasm, passion and dedication of a large number of ‘ordinary people’ (that is, 

extraordinary people, of course) for the past, present and future of Ipswich.  


This town wears its history and heritage very lightly; some would say too lightly. We see very 

little around our famous Wet Dock, or on Stoke Bridge to acknowledge that this was the first 

crossing-point which could be established on the Orwell and the place to establish the first 

Anglo-Saxon town, arguably the crucible of the English language. Merv Russen’s found article 

on page 12 about Suffolk place names reminds us of the source of ‘Ipswich’ – at least, one of 

them – and brings to mind the late Peter Underwood’s still-unrealised dream of a Gippeswyc 

Centre to celebrate the town’s origins and rich history. It didn’t happen during the so-called 

‘good times’ of the 1980s, 1990s or the 2000s  when money was, allegedly, more plentiful. 

Perhaps this post-2007 recession/austerity period is the time to establish this much needed 

resource at a site adjacent to the Wet Dock which would act as a major draw to residents and 

visitors alike. There are suitable buildings sitting empty for a number of years which would 

make an excellent heritage centre. Despite those whose default setting seems to be to deride 

Ipswich, our town is a major draw to visitors of all sorts, many of whom are delighted to 

discover the open secrets of its history. This is a major contributor to the Ipswich economy, too. 

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see the Anglo-Saxon kiln which Keith Wade literally unearthed on 

the site now occupied by the Buttermarket Shopping Centre? Come on Ipswich, let everyone in 

on the secret. 

Robin Gaylard 


New members 


Chairman’s remarks 

Firstly I am indebted to the volunteers, building owners, local authority officers and fellow 

members of your Executive Committee for their time and effort expended making Heritage 

Open Days work.  It was an undoubted success, and a fair number of the popular venues 

reported a record number of visitors, including 1,200 on the roof of Willis, I’ll hasten to add - 

not all at once!  


We received help from a number of diverse outside organisations, Sarah Holloway, National 

Organiser of Heritage Open Days (a sub-division of the National Trust), David Stainer who 

ensured all of our ‘open’ buildings were on the website and key members of Ipswich Building 

Preservation Trust who staged a re-enactment of the Archdeacon’s Court in the Gatehouse.  A 

big thank you to each and all, especially those I’ve failed to mention individually. 


There were a mere five planning applications to consider at the September meeting of the 

Planning and Development Committee in Grafton House; you will not be surprised to hear that 

discussions extended to fill the time available.  With respect to the applicants who individually 

want to know that their application has received due consideration the Committee seem to 

spend longer on small domestic applications than on major buildings.  Possibly because the big 

schemes are so complex, with so many drawings, specifications and design statements that it is 

difficult for those with little experience of the industry to fully appreciate the overall scheme. 


On Wednesday morning there was little by way of discussion on the important aspects of scale, 

height, massing and design.  The talk instead was about obscure glazing, extraction flues and 

relative ground levels, none of which are of great importance to the future of the town.  I 

mention this because present were twelve local councillors, a chairman, a minutes secretary, a 

representative from the Borough’s legal team and two planning officers. Not only was justice 

done: it was seen to be done. 


The Victorian Society produced their annual list of Buildings at Risk in mid-September and 

included in the top ten was the former Tolly Cobbold brewery on Cliff Quay.  You might recall 

that last year the former County Hall was featured.  I was asked to comment on Radio Suffolk 

and surprised the presenter and some Society members by suggesting that if we are to promote 

movement in the rebuilding of Ipswich the Brewery is not amongst the leading contenders.  I 

mentioned the gateway sites to the Waterfront (the former R&W Paul’s maltings, the silo and 

the Burton, Son & Sanders building), the St Peter’s Port site between St Peter’s and St Mary Quay and the 

former R&W Paul’s offices at 47 Key Street).  All of these and more are in desperate need of a scheme, a 

future use and some serious investment.   


The good news is that a scheme has been submitted for the former Civic Centre site – a new restaurant and 

‘theatre square’, a public open space in front of the New Wolsey Theatre.  Let’s hope it’s the start of further and greater investment in the town. 

John Norman 


Early Computing Experiences in Ipswich 

Recently at work I was asked by one of our apprentices, who was doing some research for an 

article, for my first experiences of using computers. This got me researching into my first 

involvement in computing. I would hope that someone somewhere might find this of interest. I 

am over 50 now, so I grew up as a teenager in the late 1970s, and computers were still  

very rare.  


When I first started studying at High School there were no computers in schools. My first 

involvement in any programming language was CESIL. This was a simple computer 

programming language developed in the UK and taught in British schools as part of the old  

O-Level Computer Science syllabus, until around the mid-1980s.  


CESIL stood for 'Computer Education in Schools Instructional Language'. It was a simplified 

assembler language where we, as students, had to write out special coding sheets which were 

sent off to a local educational computing centre once a week. In our case this was to the 

Suffolk College building in Ipswich. About a week later we would get back the results.  


Sometimes it would be several weeks before our program would be complete; at other times, if 

you were very precise and careful, it might work at the first attempt.  


The first computer I used directly at school was a Commodore Pet and although we continued 

to use CESIL for our course work at High School; we were then able to gradually learn 

*BASIC on the Commodore Pet. Our school received two Commodore Pet computers, no one 

knew much about them or how to use and program them. As a result our tutor, like us, was 

learning how to use them for the first time. 


I expanded my own knowledge when I was about 15 when I purchased a second hand Sharp 

MZ-80K with money I had earned from my part-time jobs. This allowed me to teach myself 

assembler language, as well as improving my knowledge of the BASIC language, which came 

with the computer.   


From those early days, whilst I was still at school and then when I was at college, this led to 

my writing a number of programs, mostly games. I had several computer programs published 

by a Computer magazine at the time. These games were making the best use of the features of 

the computers at that time but, looking back now, were far away from the games of today! 


In around 1980 or 1981 the, I believe, first Computer user group in Ipswich was started by a 

number of enthusiasts. This was called the Suffolk Micro-Computer User Group (or SMUG for 

short). For three years I was secretary and I have recently found some old newsletters, minutes 

and membership details from that time.  


I hope that this is of interest, and am happy to share further details as well as more information 

with regards the CESIL programming language. I would also be interested to hear from anyone 

who may have an interest in the above.  

Adrian Theobald 

[*An acronym for Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code.] 


Planning matters 

A further application has been received to build houses on the car park of the Railway public 

house.  The proposal is for seven small semi’s, four along the building line of Cauldwell Hall 

Road and a terrace of three in a small close further back.  The design of the houses leaves a lot to 

be desired but our real concern is the loss of a community asset, a car park for any future use of 

the original building. 


Our use of electricity is increasing, particularly on cold winter days, so much so that the capacity 

to generate is potentially short of the peak requirements.  To meet this ‘over demand’ a private 

company has applied for planning permission to build two diesel generators on the site of the 

former Cliff Quay power station.  The Society has no issues with the location of the generators; 

they will not be noticeable in the mêlée of the cranes, buildings and plant of Cliff Quay.  We 

simply question the lack of forward planning that gets us into a situation were we have to buy 

very expensive electricity. 


Sohal Healthcare of Essex has applied for minor alterations to the home in Crabbe Street which 

if approved will ensure the continued use of that facility.  Sohal, as well as their Essex Care 

Homes, have one in Elton Park, Hadleigh Road. 


The forty-four acre business park where John Lewis is situated has attracted the attention of three 

car dealerships, Jaguar, Land Rover and Audi.  The site is scheduled for employment but Audi 

argue that when they moved into Bath Street they sold 200 vehicles per year and employed 

twelve people.  They now sell 1000 new Audi’s every year and employ 52 staff. 


A listed building at 39 St Margaret’s Street, opposite the end of Bolton Lane – once used as a 

restaurant but empty for a considerable time – is to be converted into a private house.  There 

need to be minor alterations to the historic fabric but mainly the building work is to remove 

inappropriate 1970s poor quality construction.  We welcome more town centre housing. 


We are still not sure what the actual plans are for the Rosehill Centre; the latest minor 

amendment is to render the existing Aldi store white (over the existing brickwork).  We are 

always sad to see brickwork (which is reasonably maintenance free) painted or rendered but 

assume this is to clearly mark a change of occupant. 


The most exciting development received by the Planners this month is the proposal to build a 

restaurant in a revamped Theatre Square, outside the New Wolsey (and on top of the Spiral Car 

Park).  Changes include re-cladding the ventilation tower and a new bridge from the Theatre 

across to Lady Lane.  This could be the first development in the re-use of the Civic Centre site; 

we await further proposals with interest. 


You might have noticed Gipping Construction are rebuilding some flats above the St Matthew’s 

Street shops (Morrison’s to British Heart Foundation): more residential units in the town centre.  

The latest application is for a Restaurant / Take Away hot food shop two doors to the right of 

Morrison’s (next door to the Funeral Directors).    


Elmy’s Cycles (of St Helen’s Street) are planning to use the disused electricity sub-station on 

Orwell Quay for a Bicycle Hire facility.  We support the reuse of this ugly building and wish the 

facility every success.  It is difficult to foresee the demand for cycle hire on wet winter weekdays 

and hope that summer sunshine brings sufficient income to cover costs.                  John Norman 


Holywells Park: An Ipswich Society Guided Walk, 18 August 2015 

After a very wet day: twenty-three of our members were given a guided tour of one of the great 

gems of our town. Holywells Park and its buildings have been lovingly renovated over the past 

two years by Park Manager; Nick Wilcox and his team. Nick himself was our guide and it was 

clear from the man’s enthusiasm that the project was in good hands. 


The rejuvenated interior of the orangery

Early owners of the land were the Cobbold family and they originally had their brewery at 

Harwich but moved to Ipswich because of the excellent quality of the Holywells spring water. 

They built a mansion in the parkland close to their new premises in 1812 as a development of 

the old Pitt’s farmhouse and Cobbold family members lived there until 1929. It was gifted to 

the people of Ipswich in 1935. The main house was unfortunately demolished in 1962. Luckily 

the stables, clock tower and orangery remained intact. It became clear in recent years that a 

considerable amount of work was needed to restore all the buildings and indeed give the whole 

park a facelift. 


A National Lottery grant supplied money for the project which eventually cost £3.2 million. 

£400,000 worth of the work came from volunteer labour – a huge proportion and a tribute to 

the people of Ipswich. Nick first treated us to a 25 minute film showing the history of the 

project covering the period from 2013 to 2015. The film was shown in the newly renovated 

café section of the old stable block. 


The first stage of the project was to remove all the silt from the pond network. Much of the 

work on the ponds was undertaken by Otley College students. The silt removed from the ponds 

was laid down to dry after which metal detectors were used to examine it. Examples of finds 

from the silt included a George III coin and a Ransomes, Sims and Jefferies token. 


After the film Nick took us on a tour commencing with the stable complex which has now been 

converted to a reception area, café, toilet and workshop. One section is occupied by the Green 

Bike Project which renovates old, unwanted bicycles. I noted that certain artefacts still 

remained in the stables such as the disconnected gas lighting points, the gas being supplied by 

the nearby Town Gasworks in days gone by. 


New paths led us to the new events area which is the location of the original mansion alongside 

the orangery. The latter had been located next to the ballroom of the mansion and was 

constructed at the end of the nineteenth century. The events area is used for outdoor activities 

and a Tai Chi class meets there each Saturday. 


The orangery had been badly vandalised during the seventies and had been clad with 

corrugated iron for many years to protect it from further damage. The cladding was removed 

and work began to renovate the windows and woodwork. Much of this work was expertly 

carried out by Dorothea Restoration Ltd of Bristol. The beautiful tiled floor was renovated and 

under floor heating installed. The internal pond was restored as a planter and all the Victorian 

cogs and levers which operate the window opening mechanisms work as they should now. It is 

interesting that each window has a totally unique set of dimensions making them a glazier’s 

nightmare. 


The renovation of the orangery cost close to half a million mainly because of the specialist 

expertise required. It is an ideal venue for wedding ceremonies and christenings although it is 

thought that the numbers of these will need to be restricted. The gardens around the orangery 

have been replanted including a sensory walk – all planted by volunteers. 


Nick then took us through to the terraced area which was once the stepped entrance to the 

mansion. The balustrade around this has been completely re-instated and the view from the 

terrace is a revelation taking in as it does the rejuvenated ponds and the beautiful woods around 

them. The ground required piling before the new toilet block could be constructed alongside 

the impressive, modernised children’s play area. 


The wooded areas of the park required considerable effort; for example, the bluebell wood had 

a vast sycamore canopy which was removed to allow more diverse woodland species to grow 

there. Other new installations included a story telling circle, a new walking trail round the 

perimeter of the park and an i.play area. i.play represents a breakthrough in play opportunities 

for youngsters, combining interactive electronics with conventional play area equipment. It 

encourages “stealth fitness”, where people exercise without realising it. 


One of the most interesting discoveries in the park was the finding of the remains of an ice 

house near the car park, close to the old cottages. This has been rebuilt by students from 


Suffolk New College – an interesting exercise for them because it incorporates a unique brick domed and arched roof. 


Our tour ended back at the stable block and we all agreed that Nick had given us an excellent insight into the problems encountered and the rewards enjoyed from this project, especially when so much of the effort comes from 


The Holywells Park ice house voluntary groups. 

Mervyn Russen 


… and this is undoubtedly the place for …. 


Holywells: home of the Cobbolds by Clive Hodges Hot on the heels of Cobbold & kin (reviewed in our Oct. 2014 

issue), the next in a planned sequence of volumes from The Cobbold Family History Trust is now available. The Cobbold family lived at Holywells from 1814 to 1929 and today the surrounding parkland is one of the most notable parks in Ipswich. The book has 128 pages and is available for £10.79 (including p&p) from The Cobbold Family History Trust,  14 Moorfields, Moorhaven, Ivybridge, Devon PL21 0XQ,  or via the Trust’s website (http://cobboldfht.com). 


Ipswich Building Preservation Trust


Photograph: 

John Field


Brief IBPT Annual General Meeting followed by a talk by John Field: 

“Ipswich Wet Dock – Riches to Rags and Back Again” 


on the planning and architectural treatment of the Wet Dock. The evening is free and open to all; it includes a light buffet and finishes by 9pm. Our friends in the Ipswich Society are very welcome to attend and the AGM is short. Please book a place by contacting 

njacob@njarchitects.co.uk 

7pm, Wednesday 28 October, 2015 

at Isaacs Crossways Room. Wherry Quay. 

Refreshments.

All welcome (please book).


Snippets 1 

Bids for two major projects 

Those of us who have been concerned that High Street Museum is an under-appreciated 

treasure in town and that Suffolk Record Office in Gatacre Road is running out of space will be 

delighted to hear that our local authorities have vision and initiative even though their 

Government funding is being increasingly squeezed.  IBC has committed up to £6.25m for the 

enlargement and linking up of the Museum with the High Street Gallery, former Art School and 

Wolsey Studio.  Similarly SCC is prepared to put in £5m and UCS £1m plus the land to create 

a new heritage centre alongside the University.  Both projects will depend on even bigger sums 

coming from the Heritage Lottery Fund and other national bodies.  But there is a good deal of 

political, economic and arts consensus which is essential for such serious bids.  Success will 

enhance the status and appeal of our town and county. 

  

Keeping it going 

Those of us who walk through Tower Ramparts Shopping Centre frequently see the changes 

every time as the re-building work progresses.  Locally based firm Barnes Construction and 

their sub-contractors deserve great credit for difficult working on such a scale while most of 

the shops stay trading.  

  

Park restoration 

The official re-opening and celebration of the restoration of Holywells Park took place on a hot 

day, Saturday 18 July.  The new visitor centre, café and ‘orangery’ were very popular.  This 

Parks for People project was funded by a £2.8m Lottery grant and financial support from IBC 

and the Friends of Holywells Park.  Once again, we were reminded that the major parks of 

Ipswich are an outstanding part of our heritage.  Does any comparably sized town have more in 

size or number? 


Buttermarket Shopping Centre 

The conversion is well under way.  It is a hugely more expensive job even than that at Tower 

Ramparts because most of the complex will be completely re-modelled to create a 16-screen 

cinema.  Existing shops, New Look and TK Maxx, will move into reconstructed premises on 

the ground floor. 

  

17 Tower Street 

The former County Council offices have been bought by St Mary le Tower Church to be used 

as a community centre (church music school, parish hall, cycle café, etc). This is surely an 

appropriate local connection.  Ipswich Education Authority was originally based here before 

the County Council took over responsibility for education in 1974. 


Public Houses 

We all know that pubs are closing at an unprecedented rate, and have been doing for a number 

of years.  What came as a bit of a shock is that the Real Ale pubs which have been staging a bit 

of a revival of late have been hit by the same downturn in customers as the fizz houses did 

previously.  Pubs as we used to know them are surely disappearing; the only ones likely to 

remain are those that are food-led, particularly those that fall over themselves to offer cheap 

meals.  (Note: I’m crying into my beer as I write…) 


Suffolk Local History Council 


The SLHC is an umbrella group for all types of historical societies and individuals in the county, and my portfolio is ‘Recorders Secretary’, a role that I share with my husband.  I also represent the Ipswich Society on the SLHC Committee. The purpose of the Local Recorders Scheme is to find a suitable person in each parish to collect and record what is happening ‘today’ as that will become ‘tomorrow’s history’.  My particular responsibility is to recruit Recorders for those areas without a representative. 


Ipswich is too big for one person to cope with, and has been divided using the local 

government boundaries – which equates to 16 areas.  When I wrote last time (May 2014) only 

5 areas had a Recorder but that has now increased, thanks to this Newsletter, to eight areas.  I 

continue to appeal for a volunteer in: Alexandra, Bixley, Gainsborough, Gipping, Holywells, 

Sprites, St. John and St. Margaret.  There are also a number of vacant parishes throughout the 

county for anyone interested who lives outside Ipswich, and they are all now listed on the 

SLHC website . 


Being a Recorder does not involve research into the history of the parish or family histories; it 

just focuses on the contemporary. We have only two requirements, that the Recorder is on-line 

and that they submit a short annual report.  Several Recorders have submitted reports for many 

years so you can imagine the variety of changes over a period of time.  We do ask that an 

initial report is provided to describe the area to set it in context for comparison against future 

reports.  A Starters Pack is available to describe the role in more detail, and support if required. 


If you would like to find out more about becoming the Recorder for your area, please e-mail 

me on:  janette1407@hotmail.co.uk

Janette Robinson 


Deliferate Mistale 


The perspicacious amongst our readership will have noticed a deliferate mistale on the front of our much-

trumpeted 200th issue, published this summer.  


Apparently, it was actually published in July 2014 – a feat of time-travel which puzzles and astonishes the current editor. We hope that you all enjoyed this challenge to your observational acuity and that it wasn’t too confusing. [–Ed.] 


Our thanks to Mervyn Russen who found this piece in an old Fisons Journal from July 1933. 

This was a Roneo’d in-house magazine for the fertiliser and compost company. 

  

The writer (A.B.C.) mentions Skeat. This refers to Walter William Skeat (1835-1912), a 

philologist, whose book entitled Place-names in Suffolk was published posthumously in 1913. 

This was the last of a series of books on the same subject covering various counties. 


The Our back pages colum n will return next month.


Don’t forget…   www.forestreetipswich1961.co.uk … that our current exhibition on the Fore Street Facelift 1961 will live on and develop as a stand-alone website, linked from the Society’s own website, of course. The small sub-

committee who worked on the exhibition decided that two weeks at UCS wasn’t really enough to reflect the size and importance of the 1961 project and the drawings, photographs, films and audio which have been gathered together.  


Launched on September 1 2015, we hope that corrections andcontributions will continue to 

enhance the website and that this small corner of Ipswich history will find its place on the internet and in many  

 awareness. 


Eltham Palace and The Friends of the Ipswich Museums 

This was prompted by the article about the Ipswich Society’s outing to Eltham Palace in the 

July Newsletter. 


The Friends of the Ipswich Museums (FOIM) visited Eltham Palace in 2004. I organised the 

trip and remember that a week or so before the day I received a phone call from English 

Heritage saying that the booking was cancelled. I asked to speak to a manager who said that 

there was a reason he could not disclose. This was as not acceptable: a coach full of members 

would all have to be told and have their money refunded. Come on another day was also not 

acceptable so the manager would investigate further. 


A day or so later he phoned to say that they were having a private visit by HRH Prince Charles 

and that Clarence House had said that FOIM could be the only group that morning. The café 

would be closed but it was too late to tell everyone to bring a packed lunch so it was agreed 

that EH would provide sandwiches, cakes and beverages at a modest cost. 


On the journey I asked if the group wanted the good or bad news: some members were upset 

that if they had known they were to meet HRH they might have dressed more formally. When 

we arrived we were told to be in the Orangery at a particular time for our lunch – which was 

excellent. We would all be presented to HRH at 11.30 prompt. By this time the weather had 

worsened and it became very windy; branches were falling off trees on the lawn. Staff busied 

themselves clearing up lest the Prince might see an untidy lawn! 


HRH, with perfect hair, meets a windswept Alan Swerdlow; Paul Bruce on the right.


At the correct time we all went out on to the lawn and presentations were made. Prince Charles 

asked me where we had come from. 'Ipswich, Sir' to which the Prince said that we must have 

set off rather early. I then presented other FOIM officers before HRH mingled informally with 

the group. We all walked to the royal car and waved him off. The afternoon was spent less 

eventfully at the Red House in Bexleyheath, home of William Morris. 

Alan Swerdlow 


Letter to the Editor 

Anglia Cameras and the town of Ipswich from Jim Empson 

When I started my business, Anglian Cameras, in St Matthews Street, Ipswich in 1964  

I was told by several that I had chosen the wrong site. They also pointed out that a 

murder had taken placein the Rainbow pub, opposite. However, this had been pulled 

down and, as we know, the whole area was rebuilt. Not a good time to establish a new 

business. However, I could see the potential of the area after visiting the Borough 

Council when it was based in the Town Hall, opposite the Barclays Bank entrance in Princes Street, and viewed the maps of proposed development in the Civic Drive, Elm Street area. With so many offices around me, how could I go wrong? 


I paid the key money to Oxborrow, Son & Morgan of £1,500. I later learned that 

the shop had been empty for two years and that I could, no doubt, have negotiated a better price – but working from a distance, Reading, I had wanted to make sure of the place. It had a car park for six cars accessed via Blackhorse Lane, which I saw as a great asset. 


Before leaving Reading, where I had managed University Cameras whose H.Q. was in my home city of Cambridge, I made the necessary shop fittings in my workshop (which I also built!) to be brought up with the house furnishings. I was a sub-tenant of Great Universal Stores who had the two floors above as offices, with the ground floor as a separate lock-up. 


Ipswich, then, was a very pleasant county town with a farmers’ market every Tuesday, which brought in shoppers too. One farmer always brought me a dozen fresh eggs every week to buy. Ladies with their headscarves would do their weekly shop at Sainsbury’s and the International Stores in Westgate Street; fresh fish was also available at MacFisheries. Footman Pretty was still extant, though soon to be Debenhams in a rebuilt store. This was the heyday of Ipswich in recent times.  


Now, unfortunately, the demographic has changed –and not for the better. Two years ago I was about to enter HSBC bank in Tavern Street when a young thirty-something fellow fell across my feet, unconscious after a blow to the head. His assailant was led away whilst an ambulance collected the vanquished. Quite an unnerving experience. And now we learn that Barclays Bank had to be closed recently because of a fight! This is a change in town centre personnel which no one can do anything about. I, like others, avoid Ipswich for this reason. Whereas I would enjoy a 

coffee with fellow traders and office workers in Ridley’s basement, it would still carry on at another venue, I’m sure.  


It seems that all of those who are in a position of authority regarding the future layout of Ipswich are threshing about like fish out of water. I’m sorry, but I am still wondering what Terry Baxter said which was excellent – but then, I’ll give him his due, I could not hear all that was said because of the microphone fiasco (yet another one!). 


The idea of LARGE department stores on the east side of Upper Brook Street isludicrous, dividing the town even more than the Waterfront ever will, unless a motorised footway is installed between Barrack Corner and Major’s Corner (now there’s an idea, the kids would love it!). 


And why raise the level of the Cornhill? Who dreams up these multi-million pound ideas which will produce NO result? The design I saw would form the basis of a goodly collection point for the tons of rubbish discarded in the town and a good fire hazard. 


Ipswich Society Awards 2015 

Members of the Society will be pleased to hear that this year’s annual awards will take place on Wednesday 18 November; we'll be back  at St Peter’s by the Waterfront. 


You may remember last year that we had insufficient entries to hold an award scheme; however, including those small number from last year and the several new and renovation building projects during the past last year we are hoping for a good evening.  


Schemes will have been visible from the public highway, including footpaths, and have met our criteria for judging. These include architectural quality: works which are in character with the surroundings or form a focal point and have impact. We may have seen improvement to an original building or its setting, bearing in mind the scale, detailing, colour and sympathetic, well-considered and appropriate materials. Crucially, we will have seen good quality workmanship and standard of finish, whilst setting a good standard for others to follow. 


Our panel of adjudicators will spend a busy October viewing the nominations before deliberating lengthily over the final choices. 


We are grateful for the participation of members in the nomination of buildings and  projects. 

Tony Marsden 


William Morris and the Olympic Park: an Ipswich Society outing, 25 June 2015

From the Eagle Inn, Snaresbrook we travelled to the William Morris Gallery, Walthamstow: 

Water House (Listed Grade II*) is ‘one of the best examples of Georgian domestic architecture in 

Greater London’. Recently a brick, dated 1744, was discovered during repairs. A blue plaque 

commemorates Morris’ dates of residence: 1846-56.  


The gallery is the only public museum dedicated to his life, work and influence. The collections 

reflect his prodigious range of activities – no wonder he died of overwork. Examples by his 

friends and followers are also on display. 


Onward to what is now called Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. As everyone knows, the 560 acre 

site used to be a very run-down area, with old factories and slum dwellings.Transformed, at 

enormous cost, into the venue for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games it has now 

transformed again and in April 2014 was opened to the public 24/7 and free of charge. There is a 

thirty year development programme: 8,000 new houses/flats, an International Quarter, a 

University of the Arts are all on the cards. 


Over the River Lea we could see the Aquatics Centre. I was impressed by the extensive plantings 

of wild flowers and plants from all over the world (to make every athlete at the Games feel ‘at 

home’). Off the coach near the Velodrome, we walked past an inventive play area for children – 

they’re actually encouraged to take risks. Through the park flows a much cleaned-up River Lea 

complete with barges and even a floating cinema. Our thanks to Barbara Barker for a  

marvellous outing. 


The Museum of Fenland Drainage and Ely: an Ipswich Society outing, 15 July

By coach through flat-as-a-pancake Cambridgeshire to the Prickwillow Fen Drainage Engine 

Museum, near Ely, opened in 1982 to preserve diesel engines and provide an explanation of the 

need to drain the Fens. Millions of years ago this area had been swept clear by glaciation and 

formed a freshwater swamp, fed by many rivers. Over time peat accumulated to a depth of over 

six metres. 


In 1630 the 4th Earl of Bedford and his group of investors, ‘The Adventurers’, planned to drain 

the Fens for permanent agricultural use and appointed Dutch engineer, Cornelius Vermuyden, to 

take charge. He cut many new drains and channels. However, once the land had been drained, the 

peat shrank ‘the height of a man in his lifetime’ and the land in the Southern Fens was soon below 

river and sea level making natural drainage impossible. Hence the need for wind-powered pumps 

– the only form of energy at the time – to get excess water into the rivers and down to the sea. A 

steam-powered scoopwheel was installed at Prickwillow in 1832, to be replaced by a Mirrlees 

diesel engine in 1932. 


A short journey to Ely and I went to admire the Cathedral’s fine Norman nave and the marvellous 

Octagon, the jewel in its crown. Then to Oliver Cromwell’s House (now the Tourist Information 

Centre) where Cromwell and family lived from 1636-46. The house is mostly 17th century, half-

timbered with interior panelling of the time and a wall painting of 1572. The house, previously a 

pub, was renovated in 1905 in the Arts & Crafts style. Our guide showed us examples of 18th and 

19th century brickwork and also of the local soft 

sandstone on which Ely stands.  


A fascinating tour of local buildings, some of them dating from the 15th century, followed: a 

real insight into the history of the medieval city. Our thanks to Jessica Webster for an  excellent outing. 

Richard Worman 


Travel Ipswich: what on earth is going on? 


For many months, as editor of the Ipswich Society Newsletter, I have been anxious to cover in 

its pages the subject of Travel Ipswich. Many people are bewildered by the reasoning behind 

some of the changes to our road junctions and, after a number of years, the question in the 

above title is being asked. Our Chairman has had extensive talks with SCC Highways 

engineers (more of this soon, I hope) and we are still unable to fully explain and examine the 

outcomes of the scheme on behalf of Society members. Given that Travel Ipswich was last 

reported in the Newsletter long before I took over the editorship, I felt that members would 

appreciate an update. 


However, as each issue’s deadline came and went, it was decided to wait until project 

completion before covering the scheme. This major project is intended to tackle the problems 

caused by traffic flows in relation to pedestrians, public transport vehicles and cycles in our 

town. The initial Government funding for the scheme was secured in 2010 and the work started 

in the following year. The Travel Ipswich website (www.travelipswich.co.uk) currently states 

that the whole scheme will be completed by autumn 2015. Er… 


Spring 2016 is apparently now intended to be the deadline for the work on the two crucial, 

remaining junctions as part of Travel Ipswich: the Major’s Corner interchange and Woodbridge 

Road/Argyle Street, one of our busiest junctions during rush hours. 


Travel Ipswich has the potential to ease traffic flow through the town, but we are unable to 

assess its impact until all the component improvements are in place. What tends to happen at 

the moment is that, at busy times, all the traffic tends to come towards the centre resulting in 

gridlock. The whole point of ‘signalising’ all our major junctions in a co-ordinated way is to 

enable traffic to come in gradually so that our walkers, buses and cyclists, as well as cars and 

other traffic, can move freely through the town centre.  


This scheme is seriously delayed in its completion – something which will require examination 

and explanation by Suffolk County Council, the highways authority which is managing it. 

Ipswich residents should be, on the one hand, very pleased to have secured major funding from 

central Government (£18m of the total £21.5 million) to improve our over-burdened 

infrastructure but, on the other hand, important questions do need to be asked.  R.G. 


The Society’s Witch Hazel 

The Ipswich Society sponsored a tree earlier this year, one of forty-four added to the 

Arboretum in Christchurch Park. The Friends of the Park decided which species to purchase 

(from each of the contributors) and ‘our tree’ is a 

Flowering Witch Hazel. 


The wow factor in this story is that the Witch Hazel is now in bud and is likely to flower (in January – Witch 

Hazel is a winter flowering plant). For its own protection the tree isn’t named or its location marked but it can be found (if you know what you are looking for). Enter the top of the Upper Arboretum from the Bridal Path and it’s a few yards down the path on the left. Expect a multitude of red flowers. 


This information comes to me from David Miller who wrote the excellent book; Ipswich Arboretum, A History and Celebration (reviewed in the Newsletter) and has just published a Supplement; New Trees 2014/15.             

J.N. 


How do people get to work in Copenhagen? 

5% walk,  23% arrive in a car,  27% use public transport, 45% bicycle 


Why is the percentage cycling so high?  Because using a car is simply a pain in the backside.  

Copenhagen has just overtaken Amsterdam as the number one cycling city in the world 

(Copenhagenize.eu).  How come?  Copenhagen is building a massive extension to the 

underground (Metro) which includes the construction of 17 new stations.  At ground level it is 

causing a major disruption to traffic flows, (but not to the progress of bicycles).  There has 

been a serious and noticeable modal shift from car to bike since the work started (36% - 45% 

of the number of people arriving at work or education, together with a drop (27% - 23%) of 

people using cars. 


The average bicycle journey rose from 2 miles to just over 2½ miles, (in Ipswich virtually 

every house inside the Borough Boundary is within 2½ miles of the town centre).   What’s 

more, as far as Copenhagen goes, this rise in the use of bicycles is almost all new.  Since 1990 

the number of journeys by bicycle has risen by 70%, and the number of car commutes has 

fallen from 350,000 to 250,000 (the latter figure is close to the target the city set itself, the 

number of cars that could comfortably be accommodated on the existing road infrastructure). 


Importantly the figures quoted above include all arrivals at a place of employment or education, including people who have travelled in from the surrounding districts.  If we only count the number who started their journey inside the city boundary the numbers change dramatically: 63% cycle and only 10% use their car.                

J.N. 


Snippets 2 

‘Healthy High Street’ programme 

Ipswich has been chosen as a town to benefit from a package of support in the form of access 

to skills and expertise.  Working with Ipswich Central, this should help to enhance the appeal 

and variety of our town centre. 

  

Maritime Festival 

The festival in August once again attracted crowds to the Waterfront.  News that it won’t take 

place next year has been greeted with dismay in some quarters.  But we await with interest to 

discover what alternative(s) may be created. 

  

Downsizing 

Demolition of the 1960s police station in Elm Street leaves the town centre police presence to 

the small office in Museum Street but opens up the former Civic Centre site giving the 

opportunity for a major development. 

  

‘Tiger’ in town 

Not a cause for alarm but celebration for those who have enjoyed the benefits of this shop 

elsewhere.  The owners have confidently chosen a prime location in Tavern Street.  For those 

of you who haven't been into town recently Tiger has been described as an up-market  

pound shop. 


Isaac’s 

As members will know, the ‘Isaac Lord’ buildings are unique and very important as a rare 

example of a complete historical site from the merchant’s house on Fore Street, to sale room 

and warehouses right down to the quayside.  To fit in a new 3-storey building in such a 

precious location was a difficult challenge.  Now it’s completed and will have a viewing 

gallery on the first floor. [See the photograph on page 8.] 


Top Trumps 

Bragging rights to the title of the biggest ship in the world isn’t straight forward.  Do we 

measure length, displacement or the number of containers carried? Three very similar ships 

have called at Felixstowe this year all claiming the title and by their own measure they’re right: 

CSCL Globe at 400 metres is the longest, MSC Oscar at 19,224 teu* carries the most containers, 

Magleby Maersk at 194,849 gross tonnes is the heaviest. 

Every day in 2015 a ship carrying in excess of 13,000 teu (*twenty foot equivalent units) called 

at Felixstowe. There are currently over 100 ships of similar size to those above on order and 

being built for delivery before the decade is out. 


Cruise Ships 

Whilst we’re on about ships and shipping have you noticed the steady increase in the number 

of cruise liners calling at Harwich lately, and not only calling?  Fred Olsen’s Braemar has 

started cruises from the Essex Port.   Ipswich’s attempts to become a cruise port a couple of 

years ago didn’t come to anything but we were limited by the size of vessel that could transit 

the Orwell. 


Dr John Blatchly, MBE, MA, PhD, HonLittD, FSA 


It would be remiss of me to let this edition of the Newsletter pass without a mention of Dr John 

Blatchly.  John died at the age of 82 on 3 September 2015 after a short illness. 


If you happen to be reading this on 7 October and you can hear the bells of St Lawrence 

Church then you are enjoying but one of a multitude of projects that John championed, 

following his retirement from Ipswich School in 1993.  The bells will be rung on the date of 

John’s birth in celebration of his life and contributions to the town. 


The fact that the bells are ringing is because of John’s persistence whilst caring for the 

churches that came into the care of Ipswich Historic Churches Trust in 1981.  Six churches 

came to the Trust; all were redundant, unloved and deteriorating.  Five have been found new 

uses and the sixth, St Clement,  is likely to become an Arts Centre in the not too distant future.  

Through perseverance, persuasion and sheer audacity John brought each back into a suitable 

community use and Ipswich is a better place for his, and his fellow trustees’, efforts. 


I will never cease to be amazed by how he persuaded Tesco to contribute a substantial sum 

towards the statue of Cardinal Wolsey in Curson Place before they had built their store in 

Grafton Way.  It is even more surprising given that they didn’t ever build the shop. 


John was a scientist; he read Natural Sciences at Cambridge and taught Chemistry, progressing 

as Head of Science in three different schools.  When he applied for the headship at Ipswich School he was one of over 100 candidates but the Governors’ choice served them well for 21 years.  One of the tasks of the Headmaster is to be custodian of the Town Library, the legacy of William Smart in 1598, a task John relished and one which enabled him to contribute so much to the knowledge of the history of the town. John was Headmaster at Ipswich School from 1972 to 1993. 


Dr John Blatchly photographed by Tony Marsden at the unveiling of the statue 

of Cardinal Wolsey in St Peters Street, Ipswich in July 2011. 


He wrote articles for a number of publications, not least the East Anglian Daily Times ‘It 

Happened When….’ which ran to well over 400 editions (each on a different subject).  What 

you may not know is that he contributed 56 articles on notable East Anglians to the Oxford 

Dictionary of National Biography for which he was made a Research Associate of the project.  


John Blatchly was an occasional contributor to programmes on BBC television, Radio 4 and 

Radio Suffolk and was the champion of history courses at University Campus Suffolk regularly 

contributing his time, expertise and advice to staff and students alike. 


He was a Paul Harris fellow of Ipswich Rotary Club, was made Honorary Wolsey Professor at 

UCS and in 1993 received LittD honoris causa (Honorary Doctor of Letters) from the 

University of East Anglia. 


Above all he was a friend: a friend to many, to his fellow trustees, committee members and 

colleagues on numerous bodies from the University of East Anglia, the Heritage Lottery Fund 

and the more local Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History (to name but three).  He will 

be sorely missed.                 

John Norman 

 

Ipswich parking charges are killing business in the town! 


See our January 2016 issue for more on the, er… exorbitant parking charges in Ipswich.


The Ipswich Society 

www.ipswichsociety.org.uk 


email: secretary@ipswichsociety.org.uk 

Registered Charity no. 263322 


This Newsletter is the magazine of Ipswich’s civic amenity society established in 1960 

(views expressed in the Newsletter are not necessarily those of the Society). 


Executive Committee 


Dates for your diary 

October 3 to 16, 2015: Fore Street Facelift 1961 Exhibition of architect drawings, 

photographs, short films of the works done to refurbish Fore Street for the Queen’s visit to 

open the Civic College in July 1961. Venue: UCS Waterfront Building, open to all (free event). 

Wednesday October 21, 7.30pm: Winter Illustrated Talk at Museum Street Methodist Church 

– James Bettley, ‘An update of the Suffolk Pevsner’. See the review in the July,’15 Newsletter. 

Wednesday November 18, 7.30pm:  The Society’s Annual Awards Presentations at St Peter’s 

by the Waterfront. Refreshments will be available. Awards to projects in Ipswich completed in 

the last two years for design, vision and architectural merit. 

Wednesday December 16, 7.30pm: Winter Illustrated Talk at the Museum Street Methodist 

Church – Gail Broom, ‘The work of an Ipswich Conservation Officer’. 

Saturday April 23, 2016: Chartwell outing. 

Saturday May 14, 2016: Great Yarmouth, Time & Tide Museum plus guided coach tour. 

Wednesday June 8, 2016: King’s Lynn tour. 

Tuesday July 19, 2016: Creeks, Cockles & Cockneys Essex tour. 


Newsletter deadlines & publication dates (the latter may vary by a few days) 

Deadline for material: 1 December;     Publication date: 22 January; 

            1 March;                 2 April;  

            1 June;                   17 July; 

            1 September;                9 October.


Image from the Ipswich Society’s Fore St Facelift 1961exhibition


Ipswich Civic College, later Suffolk College, photographed around 1970. The detail focuses on the college buildings framed by Grimwade and Fore Streets, Back Hamlet and Rope Walk. St Edmund House on the corner of Rope Walk and Grimwade Street would occupy the car park shown here. The Ready-Mix Concrete plant can be seen at the lower left, behind the remaining 14-foot high wall of the former Meux maltings. Duke Street roundabout, now no more, is at the bottom-centre of the photograph.

Issue 201 October 2015

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