Bridge Ward News » Photographs of Bridge

Good Friday at St Mary Stoke

James Spencer — Tue, 10 May 2011 16:35:13 +0000

I have some pictures of St Mary Stoke on Good Friday that are on my phone that I never got on to this blog. There’s a lot of symbolism here so I thought I’d share them, even if we are in the Easter octave.

Three crosses make up a plain calvary scene that appears towards the end of Lent every yearThe cross of St George which flies at half mast between Good Friday and Easter Sunday every year

The cross of St George which flies at half mast between Good Friday and Easter Sunday every year

More on the Stoke Hall Cellar

James Spencer — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 05:40:47 +0000

Further to my interest in the Stoke Hall Vaults, I found this picture of an air raid poster among the Stoke Hall Vaults pictures. There’s also some pictures of some of the wine bottles that were there when it was a cellar.

Well maybe I do have a big head

James Spencer — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 20:37:43 +0000

A Labour councillor in Bridge Ward called me “more than a little bit arrogant” and a Labour councillor outside Bridge called me a “big head”. Perhaps they weren’t talking about my speaking out of turn after all.

All I can say is that if I can make Ben Gummer photogenic, I must have some talent.

(No road signs got broken in the making of this photograph.)

Photos of Bridge – Saint Mary Stoke Church

James Spencer — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:42:46 +0000

If the Reformation had never happened this would be my parish church. However it is still a handsome building. I give you Saint Mary Stoke church:

In my opinion this church looks good in any season and at any time of the day:

Night time shot:

(Taken from http://www.panoramio.com/photo/18512733)

Also see Simon Knott’s entry on Saint Mary Stoke

The Dovecote, Bourne Park

James Spencer — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:44:17 +0000

This photograph is of the Dovecote from the boundary of the ward, at the Wherstead Road entrance to Bourne Park.

The Ipswich Underground Railway in Bridge Ward

James Spencer — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:16:20 +0000

Right at the beginning of April 2007, intrepid local historian Simon Knott (of the Suffolk Churches website) decided to build a site devoted to the Ipswich Railway Station.

There are pictures of Halifax Quay, which is near the Bourne Bridge on Wherstead Road:

I do think Simon made one mistake, which was to ascribe the following to St Matthew’s underground station rather than the EUR public house in Croft Street, which closed a couple of years ago:

If you are wondering why it no longer exists, indeed why so few people talk about it the answer is in this link:

Simon Knott we salute you!

Pictures of Bridge: The Steamboat Tavern

James Spencer — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:52:19 +0000

The is a local treasure in Bridge, great atmosphere, plenty of local bands play there and a good beer garden.

So here’s a pircture

ipswich2006.com

James Spencer — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:33:06 +0000

This website covers the whole of Ipswich but is based on Old Stoke:

http://www.ipswich2006.com/

It has done an immense job of putting old photographs from the Stoke Park area. It is definately worth browsing, but be warned, it is addictive.

Rectory Road and Seymour Road on the box

James Spencer — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:33:46 +0000

As a Rectory Road resident I’ve always heard about the day that Del and Rodney Trotter where down my street. So I thought I’d do some detective work.

The episode of Only Fools and Horses that got to Ipswich was a Christmas special known as The Frog’s Legacy when Rodney is conned by Del into becoming a chief mourner. Instead of Peckham the BBC filmed on the corner of Rectory and Seymour roads, setting up market stalls on Seymour Road with the funeral courtege coming from Belstead Road (you can see Stoke Hall Road at the beginning of the clip if you look carefully enough).

You will also see some unfamilliar one way signs on the corner of Rectory Road and Phillip Road, luckily the Ipswich one way system does not reach here usually.

My house can be seen if you look carefully enough (I had to go through the clip about three times) and look for the bicycle.

http://www.ofah.net/images/frogs2.jpg

Although in my opinion not the best episode of Only Fools and Horses- apart from the wise choice of location – it’s still funny.

The funeral scene starts 7 minutes into this clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tuknqqMyrA

And it continues into this part (which actually starts in Seymour Road) :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vumW3-Fy74k

If you want to see the whole episode it’s in six parts here:

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=682827B6C8532ED4&search_query=the+frog%27s+legacy

Ipswich Station Smited by Lightening

James Spencer — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 22:24:52 +0000

So our MP is put in charge of the roads and railways and within days Ipswich station is struck by lightening and the A14 is flooded and blocked by a crash. Next we’ll be having plagues of frogs and locusts. Either the Almighty is displeased or Chris Mole is cursed with terrible luck.

Like many people who live in Bridge I was held up in the drama today. For once I’m not going to moan about the railway company, who did the best they could under extraordinary circumstances – and if a chimney being struck by lightening is not extraordinary then I don’t what is. In the end we were held up for one and a half hours – although the flow of information was constant and reassuring, and the staff pulled together.

Ipswich station was also well run considering that it had been evacuated just twenty minutes before we got there, with even delay-repay forms being handed to us as we got out of the station. It is a stark contrast to the times when much smaller incidents seem to have given the railway a nervous breakdown.

Anyway here are the stories from the BBC and the Evening Star.

Any way here are a couple of photos that have appeared on the BBC and in the Evening Star, if anyones got other pictures, particularly in Bridge, let me know on james@bridgeward.org.uk