There’s been some media reaction to the meeting yesterday.

Radio Suffolk and Town 102 both publicised the event.  Here is the Mark Murphy show that has me (24 minutes in) and Matthew Ling of the Environment Services (1 hour 37 minutes in)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p004kwht/Mark_Murphy_06_10_2009/

We also got a write up of the meeting from the Evening Star:

http://www.eveningstar.co.uk/content/eveningstar/news/story.aspx?brand=ESTOnline&category=News&tBrand=ESTOnline&tCategory=xDefault&itemid=IPED07%20Oct%202009%2006:18:54:530

They estimated about 100.  I’d say it was closer to  (actually slightly over) 150, having done church attendance counting almost every week for the last four years.  Still packed.

It’s such a shame that the Labour supporter Chris Ward had to put in such an ignorant response:

Just finished the noise meeting which was quite productive.  There were about 150 people there.

Some of the highlights:

• No one from Southern Cement wanted to speak or identify themselves, which was expected.  No one from the Port of Ipswich did either, which was disappointing.
• There are plenty of people outside the Noise Action Group who are very angry.  If Southern Cement and Uniland think that these people won’t cause problems if they’re snubbed, then Associated British Ports after the animal rights protests will have a different idea.  Dialogue with the Noise Action Group will keep hot heads cool.
• It was nice of Chris Mole to turn up, but he gave a poor speech.
• Phil Smart gave a better speech than Chris Mole, and had the germ of a good idea with getting residents to talk to the port in general.
• There were lots of ideas for quietening the operation, some better than others.
• Nadia Cenci, who suffers from the noise, gave a great speech, asking not why, but how, to sue Southern Cement and Associated British Ports to close them down.  Again this is another worse alternative than dialogue.
• There are people miles away who hear this.  We knew that, but we found more.
• The dust is an emerging issue which is angering a lot of
• Council officers sounded well and truly peeved with Southern Cement’s refusal to talk to residents.  After all at times they were being abused because Southern Cement won’t talk.
• Only one person refused to give their contact details at the end of the meeting.

So Southern Cement, I know that you read this blog, and I know you want a way out.  It’s d-i-a-l-o-g-u-e .  It’s better than being shut down.

I know it’s becoming old news for the regular readers, but the public meeting is coming up.  We’ve been saying that the council don’t listen to us, well they are now.  If you don’t turn up they’ll say that you’re not interested.

It’s rumoured that the BBC may have more listeners than this blog has readers, so I’m going to be on Radio Suffolk tomorrow at 6.50 AM to drum up more support.

Details again:

Date: Tuesday 6 October

Time: 6.00pm – 8.00pm

Venue: IP-City Centre, Bath Street (near Wherstead Road)

Just a quick reminder that there is a public meeting on the port noise:

Date: Tuesday 6 October

Time: 6.00pm – 8.00pm

Venue: IP-City Centre, Bath Street (near Wherstead Road)

“Nice idea, not enough pictures” has been a comment I’ve heard about Bridge Ward News.  Fair comment.  Until I get my digital camera working with this computer I’m going to have to show a few stock photos from around the area.

I quite like this one, which is the Three Angels, a sculpture which is on the Wherstead Road river bank.  I’m usually a fan of art produced before my Dad was born, but this fits in well with the docks.

(If you have any photos of the area that you would like to share please email them to james@bridgeward.org.uk