24 August 2021
On Saturday 24th July we were delighted to welcome the Woodbridge Choral Society to Whisstocks Place for a 'Flashmob' performance which was aimed to lift the spirits of the townsfolk and provide a showcase for Woodbridge Historic Riverside area.
The video below is a record of a fantastic afternoon by the river.
Read more on Woodbridge 'Flashmob' Performance
24 August 2021
Come and join Woodbridge Town Council at our Red Ensign flag raising ceremony at 2pm on Friday 3rd September 2021
Fly the Red Ensign for Merchant Navy Day, the day that the Country remembers the service of Merchant Navy seafarers, is celebrated on 3rd September 2021, with commemorations continuing all week. Red Ensigns will fly across the Country including in Woodbridge to mark the service of these brave men and women.
While the Red Ensign will fly all week at the flagpole at Tide Mill Quay, there will be formal flag raising ceremony at 2pm on Friday 3rd September 2021, to which the Town Council welcomes townspeople.
As the Imperial War Museum says: In wartime, Britain depended on civilian cargo ships to import food and raw materials, as well as to transport soldiers overseas and keep them supplied. The title ‘Merchant Navy’ was granted by King George V after the First World War to recognise the contribution made by merchant sailors.
Britain’s merchant fleet was the largest in the world during both world wars. In 1939, a third of the world’s merchant ships were British, and there were some 200,000 sailors. Many merchant seamen came from parts of the British Empire, such as India, Hong Kong and West African countries. Women also sometimes served at sea in the Merchant Navy.
During both world wars, Germany operated a policy of ‘unrestricted submarine warfare’, or sinking merchant vessels on sight. By the end of the First World War, more than 3,000 British flagged merchant and fishing vessels had been sunk and nearly 15,000 merchant seamen had died. During the Second World War, 4,700 British-flagged ships were sunk and more than 29,000 merchant seamen died.
Since the Second World War, the British Merchant Navy has become steadily smaller, but has continued to help in wartime, notably during the Falklands War.
Read more on Merchant Navy Day 2021
24 August 2021
Reducing food waste It is estimated that in the UK about a third of the food we buy is thrown away. This is not just a waste of food; it is a waste of our money. 30% of global greenhouse gases come from food production so wasting food is costing us the earth too. When we waste food, all the fuel and energy used for growing, harvesting, processing, packaging, transporting and selling that food is wasted as well. Go to www.lovefoodhatewaste.com for useful tips and advice on how to reduce the amount of food you throw away. Respect the food you buy – remember the resources, effort and time that it has cost to produce.
Read more on Local Food Project 2021
24 August 2021
Elmhurst Park Melon Pit redevelopment - Your Community needs you!
Do you remember the two-tier glasshouse hidden in the corner of Elmhurst Park?
Do you remember Roy Brundell planting up and growing on his seedlings which brightened up the park during those long, lazy days of summer?
Sadly, the old glasshouses were removed in 2009, however during the spring and summer of 2021 the walls surrounding the ‘Melon Pit’ area of Elmhurst Park have been secured and repainted, and now this area offers a great opportunity for a community project.
Woodbridge Town Council have therefore committed to developing this area into a high-level sensory garden and are looking to work in partnership with the local community and potential user groups to form a small project team to kickstart and drive this exciting project.
Whilst all offers of help will be greatly received, we would love to hear from individuals or organisations with a knowledge of landscape gardening and disability support through community projects and gardens, who are willing to offer advice and time to ensure we create a space suitable for everyone.
If you are interested in helping us develop this area into a beautiful space for everyone to enjoy please contact either Councillor Sharon Miller or the Acting Town Clerk;
Councillor Miller – councillormiller@woodbridge-suffolk.gov.uk
Mr G Diaper, Acting Town Clerk – deputytownclerk@woodbridge-suffolk.gov.uk
Read more on Your Community Needs You!
24 August 2021
Woodbridge Town Council and The Crown Estate are pleased to confirm they have today entered into a long lease enabling the effective management and preservation of an important part of the River Deben foreshore.
The area involved is bounded by Whisstocks Quay and its slipway, the Tide Mill Quay, and the Tide Mill and its Pond, and it extends out to the line of mean low water .
The signing of the lease is of both historic and current importance. The water frontage view of the Tide Mill and across the Deben to Sutton Hoo, is one of the most iconic views to be found within East Anglia and has been the subject of numerous and, in certain cases documented, paintings and prints certainly as far back as the early 19th Century.
The association of the Longshed, Tide Mill and Woodbridge Museum to this important stretch of the River Deben is self-evident to all who visit them. These attractions together form the cultural hub of Woodbridge, and collectively play a critical role in the telling of the River Deben's vivid history back to medieval times.
Woodbridge Town Council wish to acknowledge the generosity and assistance of the Kyson Fairway Committee and Whisstocks Development Company, both of whom have rescinded part of their existing foreshore lease. The Town Council will now manage the foreshore, ensuring that this sensitive area is preserved for the future benefit of Woodbridge residents and visitors to the town alike.
Woodbridge Town Council Mayor, Sue Bale, commented “I am delighted that the extension to the leased foreshore area allows the Town Council to manage and safeguard this important part of the Historic Woodbridge Riverside.”
On behalf of The Crown Estate, local managing agent, Peter Riches said: “This is a really special area for the local community. We’re delighted to have been able to work with Woodbridge Town Council, to ensure we can preserve and manage effectively an important part of the River Deben foreshore for the future".
Photo credit - Mr David Mortimer.
Read more on Woodbridge Historic Riverside
24 August 2021
Winners of the Potter Community Cup 2021
The Mayor of Woodbridge was delighted to present the Potter Community Cup to Yogi and Prity Patel, and the staff from the
Warwick Convenience, in recognition of their work supporting the local community during the Coronavirus pandemic. We were pleased to also have Margaret Potter, daughter-in-law of the Mr Potter in whose memory the cup was donated, with us on the day.
The winners and Mrs Potter also helped the Mayor raise a toast to a new agreement we have signed with the Crown Estates enabling us to manage the slipway and foreshore in the Tide Mill basin, more of which will follow in a detailed press release.
Photo credit - Charmian Berry/ Berryphotographics.
Read more on Potter Community Cup Winners 2021
