Community News – February and March 2023

What’s going on at Landguard in 2023? Come and have a look!

Come and join us on Saturday 18 March 2023 for our Landguard Open Day in Felixstowe. Enjoy a cuppa and a quick peek to see how you could get involved in everything that’s going on at Landguard Fort, Felixstowe Museum and Landguard Nature Reserve. The open day runs from 11am-3pm. There is no admission charge and complimentary tea, coffee and biscuits await.

Have a look around and chat with our great team of friendly volunteers. If you’d like to become a volunteer, there are so many things you might enjoy helping with. Whether it’s meeting and talking to members of the public or helping with admin, archives, research, marketing, events, retail, refreshments, maintenance, guiding and nature reserve tasks such as bramble control, grass cutting and access repair, there’s so much to choose from and all of them are very important.

No matter how much time you can spare, it all makes big difference and is valuable to us! No previous experience is required. It’s also worth noting that volunteering has benefits for your own wellbeing.

Volunteer Steve W says: “From day one I was made to feel very welcome. What a great bunch of people! This is such a rewarding environment to be in and everyone is so friendly. Being able to play a small part gives me a great sense of pleasure and achievement.”

Come down for a quick pre-season visit, a chat and a cuppa. There’s no pressure! We look forward to seeing you at Landguard – it’s a very special place.

For more information, please contact the Landguard Trust: 01394 444458, email: landguardenquiries@eastsuffolk.gov.uk or visit: https://www.discoverlandguard.org.uk

Felixstowe and Villages Carers Group

We are a group of unpaid family carers, looking after a loved one or friend. We meet once a month for an afternoon of social activities, friendship and a break from caring.

On Monday 13 February we had a lovely meeting. Mike from ActivLives brought some fun games along for us to play. New Age Kurling is just like the traditional game played on ice, but we played it in our hall using a plastic puck and target. This can be played from a standing or sitting position, so it can be enjoyed by all. It was great fun and brought out the competitive edge in everyone, plus loads of laughs. He also brought along the game of Boccia, which involves two teams trying to get as many beanie balls as close to the jack as possible. This was great fun. Thanks Mike!

This is a small, friendly group that welcomes new members, so why not come and join us? We meet once a month on a Monday, 1-3pm at Old Felixstowe Community Centre, Ferry Road, Felixstowe IP11 9NB. Please ring the doorbell marked ‘Margaret White Hall’ to gain entry. Admission costs £3 and includes tea, coffee and a free raffle.

Meeting dates

Monday 13 March: Chair Based Yoga

Monday 3 April: A visit from Suffolk Family Carers

You are welcome to just turn up, or for more information please contact Dennis Weston: 07712672289 / 01473 832591 / dennisweston.49@btinternet.com

March events at Two Sisters Arts Centre

We reopen for the new season on Friday 3 March at 7pm with a packed evening featuring jazz from The Phil Veacock Trio, a specially written song from Triangle and the unveiling of our specially commissioned art installation by special guest, Radio Caroline’s Stephen Foster.

On Saturday 11 March at 7.30pm, Stephen Amer (Rogue Shanty Bouys / The Testosta Tones) brings Song Sung Blue – a tribute to the life and music of Neil Diamond. 

On Friday 17 March at 7.30pm, there will be drama with Brother Wolf and James Hyland performing Silver and Gold – their take on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel, Treasure Island.

On Friday 24 March at 7.30pm, we have indie folk with Rosewood, where three members of the popular Hosepipe Band will bring originals and classics from their folk repertoire.

On Friday 31 March at 7.30pm, there will be jazz with the guitars of Stringfellows.

Tickets are available from the Box Office: 01394 279613 and https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/two-sisters-arts-centre

Adventure and learning opportunity with 1st Felixstowe Sea Scouts

Would you like your children to learn life skills, have great fun and find friendship along the way? The 1st Felixstowe Sea Scouts currently have some spaces left for this term. We would like to welcome any boys or girls who would like to join – please come and see us for a trial session. We are based in Bath Road, Felixstowe and have been going for over 100 years!

With Scouts, your child could enjoy camping, hikes, openfire cooking, sailing, power boating, and indoor and outdoor games. We have a unique partnership with Felixstowe Youth Sailing Club throughout summer. If your child is interested, they can learn to sail. We are very lucky to have a sailing club in this town! 

We’ve seen some of our children go into great jobs, having had a good start with our group. The top Scouting awards are great to add to a C.V. 

Scouts meet on Tuesday evenings, 6-7.30pm in Bath Road, Felixstowe. We have an association with Cubs and Beavers (6th Old Felixstowe), which meet on Mondays from 5-8.30pm. Just come along – we hope to see you soon.

For more information, phone Lee/Jason: 07377 150051 or email: first@felixstowescouts.uk

World Day of Prayer   

Each year several churches in Felixstowe get together to organise a service for World Day of Prayer. The services are prepared by Christians from around the world. The services reflect the culture and problems from the host country and are always thought provoking and well presented. In 2021 it was Vanuatu, in 2022 it was England, Wales and Northern Ireland and this year it is for the people of Taiwan.

This year the service for World Day of Prayer will be held on Friday 3 March, 2pm at the United Reformed Church, Orwell Road, Felixstowe, followed by tea and cake. Everyone is welcome to come.

Felixstowe Master Mariners Club

Felixstowe Master Mariners Club had a joyous Christmas lunch and were entertained by some top-class singing acts from club members. Chris King led the singing of sea shanties and Mike Meadows, doubling up as Father Christmas, accompanied Chris Versey in leading the carol singing.

At this lunch, club captain Timothy McGuire announced that the club were once again able to donate financial support to 11 chosen maritime charities: Care Ashore, RNLI Harwich, Ocean Youth Trust South, The Marine Society and Sea Cadets, ECST, The Shipwrecked Mariners Society, Felixstowe based TS Landguard Sea Cadet Corps, The Seafarers Charity, Felixstowe and Haven Ports Seafarers Centre, 1st Felixstowe Sea Scouts and the National Coastwatch Institution.

Felixstowe Master Mariners Club members meet on the third Tuesday of each month at Felixstowe Ferry Sailing Club for lunch provided by local caterer, KB Catering: kbcatering31@gmail.com, followed by a topical talk by an invited speaker. Talks are not necessarily marine related and have recently included an interesting presentation by member and old railwayman, Chris Ridgeon, about the development of railway signalling.

The object of the club is to foster professional comradeship among Master Mariners and those with nautical interests in the sea, and to continue to support maritime related charities with any excess funds generated, in an atmosphere of high standards, good manners, smart dress code, cordiality and friendship.

For membership details and further information, visit: https://www.mastermariners.uk

Music in Felixstowe

We are preparing for our spring and summer season and the new brochure will be out at the end of February. There are lots of exciting events coming up including a Brazilian Trio, a Come and Sing afternoon, a schools’ production and free music on the prom on August Bank Holiday Monday. You may also catch members of the Festival Orchestra pop up at Great Eastern Square. Watch out for further publicity, and do contact us if you’d like to join our mailing list.

Wednesday 15 March, midday at The Orwell Hotel Library: Beethoven Piano Trio 0p1 no.3 and solo sonata movements played byNicholas Ward (violin), Harriet Bennett (cello) and Tim Carey (piano).Tickets cost £12 and admission is children free.

Saturday 1 April, 7.30pm at Felixstowe Ferry Sailing Club: Old Time Music Hall featuring the chairman Phil Cory, Mike Henderson,singer Emily Bennett, a chorus of boozy ladies and musicians Bob and Hattie Bennett. Tickets cost £15 and admission is children free.

Wednesday 12 April, midday at The Orwell Hotel Library: The Roaring Twenties with Emily Bennett and Joe Leat singers. Tickets cost £12 and admission is children free.

All tickets are available from Stillwater Books and 01394 670633.

Email: musicinfelixstowe@hotmail.com / visit: http://www.felixstowemusic.com

Felixstowe Salvation Army

We are often amazed at where our help comes from. Recently, a local resident visited us at our centre one afternoon and presented us with a plastic tub containing a substantial cash donation. The resident raised the funds by adorning his house with Christmas illuminations, inviting those who viewed the superb display to donate money to a local charity. A few days later, members of ladies’ running club, I Can Run, presented us with a large amount of items for our food bank.

We don’t ask for donations, so we appreciate all gifts, large and small, from organisations, retail outlets and individuals. We would like to express our thanks and gratitude to everyone who supports us – giving us the chance to help others.

Rotary Club continues to grow 

Rotary Club of Felixstowe members and president Andrew Rowdon are pleased to welcome Roger Smith to the club. Roger is retired and spent the last 25 years of his working life as a staff development consultant to many local companies. He also worked with businesses in the USA, Europe and Philippines. Roger’s company, RST, operated in Felixstowe.

Roger is very pleased to have joined the Rotary Club of Felixstowe and looks forward to supporting our work with local, national and international charities.

St Felix RC Church

I love this time of the year, with the spring flowers and their bright colours, the gradually increasing hours of daylight and the (slightly) warmer days. Besides these, or maybe because of them, I feel more alive, enthusiastic and energetic than at any other time of the year. The winter hibernation feels like it’s over! Do you know what I mean? Do you maybe feel the same? It’s a time for getting things done and a time for adventure.

It so happens that this is also the time of the year when the church keeps the season of Lent. Do you imagine that Lent is gloomy, boring and negative? Not at all. For the Christian it is a time of eager anticipation – the time when we prepare ourselves to celebrate the dying and rising of Jesus at Easter. We want to be ready to recognise and appreciate the burning love of Jesus when he was ready to suffer and die for us, and we want to be ready to immerse ourselves in the joy and wonder of his glorious resurrection from the dead on the first Easter Day – his rising with new and endless life to share with his waiting people.

Preparing our hearts and minds for the Easter festival is always an adventure, and one which requires effort and determination, so it is a good thing that Lent comes just at the time of the year when we are feeling at our most energetic and enthusiastic!

Canon John Barnes

Felixstowe Quakers

We meet every Sunday morning at Trimley St Martin Memorial Hall (IP11 0SQ) and everyone is welcome. Worship starts at 10.30am and lasts for an hour, followed by refreshments. Our form of worship is based upon silence in which many find peace of mind. During the hour of worship, people share readings and prayers. 

If you would like to know more about Quakers in this area, visit our website: https://suffolkquakers.org.uk

Felixstowe Speakers Club

At our September meeting, we started our new educational year with a brand-new agenda. In addition to our normal speaking education, we will also be learning leadership skills. At our January meeting we focussed on Using Our Voice and ran our club competitions for prepared and impromptu speeches. At our February meeting we will be hosting the East Anglia Area competition and in March we will be focusing on Word Pictures and Storytelling.

At the time of writing, we have just had our January meeting. Due to the competitions taking place we started off with the education session focussing on Using Our Voice. We learnt about how your voice increases in pitch when you want to come across as happy and how the pitch lowers when you want to sound sad.

After the education session we jumped straight into the topics/impromptu speaking competition. The topic for the competition this year was: If you won the lottery, would you take a trip on the Virgin Galactic Shuttle? If you were asked to answer this question in two minutes, what would you say? Would you go, or would you stay on earth?

The final part of our meeting was the speech contest and we had three entrants this year. The first speaker talked about The Importance of Connection, detailing how, at times, it can be hard to connect to family and friends but if we can build those connections, you can help them accomplish their goals. The second speech was called On the Edge of Sedition. This speaker talked about how the country appears to be dividing more and more with each passing day, with the rich getting richer, the poor getting poorer and nurses who care for us at our time of need are using food banks. The final speech was called ‘Beep’ Social Media. This speaker talked about the strange world of technology, how it has taken over our lives and how it is changing the way we think.

Our meetings are held at the Brook Hotel, Orwell Road, Felixstowe IP11 7PF, 7.30-10pm. Whatever level of speaking skill and confidence you have, the club aims to help you to develop them, with both prepared and off-the-cuff speeches for entertaining or formal occasions. Please come along and see for yourself. The first session is free!

For more information and to contact us please visit: https://www.easc-speakers.co.uk/felixstowe

Harry Larkins

Felixstowe Garden Club

Felixstowe Garden Club hold their next meeting on Tuesday 14 March, 7-9pm at Old Felixstowe Community Centre, Ferry Road, Felixstowe IP11 9NB, where Susannah Sharman from Swann Nursery will discuss Enhancing Your Garden.

Visitors are welcome at the cost of £5 cash (payable at the door), there will be a garden related raffle (£1 per ticket), free refreshments and car paring is available.

On Tuesday 11 April, Ruth Goudy from Kiln Farm Nursery will present Flower Power.

More information, contact secretary Jayne Steele: 01394 211739 or visit our Facebook page and website: http://felixstowedistricths.onesuffolk.net/about-us

Deben Flower Club

The next Deben Flower Club meeting will be held on 14 March, 7.30pm at Kirton Church Hall, Church Lane, Kirton IP10 0PU, where Crystal Dyball from Aylsham will demonstrate Junk and Jumble. Crystal has become a well-known friend at the club over the years and it is always a pleasure to welcome her back. Crystal’s beautiful arrangements will be raffled at the end of the evening. Tea coffee and biscuits will be available after the demonstration. Visitors are assured of a warm welcome at the cost of £6.

For further information, phone Sandy: 07910 463158 or email: wa@sandlings.co.uk 

Flower arranging tip of the month: Spring is a great time to practise arranging flowers without using floral foam. Daffodils, tulips, irises, catkins and twigs lend themselves to being arranged on a pin-holder (usually a metal base with sharp pins protruding from it which hold the flowers in place). Add a few large leaves at the base of the arrangement to give it visual stability.

An evening with Henry Purcell

Gippeswyk Singers warmly invite you to their Spring Concert on Saturday 1 April, 7.30pm at St Michael and All Angels Church, Martlesham Heath IP5 3PL, where they will be singing the emotive opera, Dido & Aeneas, with soloists Beverley Heard (Dido), Gary Griffiths (Aeneas), Michelle Hazel (Belinda), Isky Roberts (Sorceress), Liz Elliott (witch one), Sara Viney (witch two), Penny Dawe (second woman) and Mick Morley (sailor). The programme will also include anthems by Purcell and will be conducted by their musical director, Janette Ruocco. The choir will be joined by the Dargason Ensemble who will also be playing Purcell’s majestic Chaconne in G minor.

Refreshments will be available at the end of the concert – do stay and have a drink and a chat. Tickets cost £15 or £12 in advance (20% discount) and are available by phoning: 01473 620353 or via email: a.m.dawe@btinternet.com

To find out more about the Gippeswyk Singers, visit: http://www.gippeswyksingers.co.uk

Music in Rushmere

This year’s spring season of afternoon concerts at St. Andrew’s Church, Rushmere, will be held in support of the local Air Ambulance Service. There is no charge for admission but we invite voluntary donations after each event.

The season kicks off on 5 March with guitarist James Woodrow. James studied at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and is one of the country’s leading contemporary classical and electric guitarists. 

On 12 March, local group, Essentially Swing, will be joining us for an afternoon of foot-tapping fun. As their website says, they offer music ‘from piccolo to trombone and from rags to rock and roll’.

Sadly, Phantom Wind Quintet’s visit to Rushmere last autumn had to be cancelled due to illness, but we are delighted to welcome them back on 19 March, hopefully fully recovered. They will be performing a couple of rare gems of the wind quintet repertoire as well as some more familiar music.

The 2023 Phyllis Dawson Memorial Organ Recital takes place on 26 March. Mrs Dawson was the organist at St. Andrew’s for over 50 years, so she probably played for your wedding if you were married there in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s or 90s! The recital is to be given by Christopher Moore, one of Suffolk’s best-known organists.

The series concludes on 2 April with a welcome return by the Ipswich Hospital Band. They have been entertaining people in the Ipswich area for more than forty years with a range of music for brass and concert bands.

All concerts begin at 3pm and are followed by refreshments (tea, coffee and homemade cake) in the hall. We look forward to welcoming you to any or all of them.

Find more community news in Spotlight on Felixstowe magazine: https://www.spotlightmagazine.co.uk/category/read-online