I was going around getting posters up today and was amazed at firstly how many places I had to go around and secondly how many posters were already up. With the exception of the flats around Vernon Street and Maidenhall Approach (where the Labour candidate lives), the Tories are out-postering Labour in Bridge. Previously that’s unheard of firstly because Tories tend to be more shy and secondly because Bridge is a ward that was so safe for Labour they’ve treated it as a safe seat to parachute in absentee councillors with their eye on higher office than being a “mere” ward councillor.

And frankly that’s been an insult to Bridge.

Once again I’m getting a bit overwhelmed by the election, so I thought I’s showcase another Ipswich blog with its focus on the Old Stoke area of Bridge, formerly Ipswich.

The Bell Inn had the most Labour posters (3) of any building in Bridge Ward at the County Council elections.  That’s a sad fact that I suspect a lot of people don’t know.  A sadder fact is that we had as many Tory posters up.  Two of the ward’s Labour councillors have larger houses than I do, and I’m sure they’ve put up loads of posters but as they don’t live in the ward they can’t enter this rather nerdy competition.

I wondered why this soon to be derelict pub would do that.  I still don’t know.

However this ia a more interesting fact.  The Bell Inn will be gutted and is applying to become a Sports Bar.

Bridge has Labour councillor Phil Smart on the planning committee.  It will be interesting to see if he feels that he can vote on whether one of Labour’s biggest backers in Bridge should be able to gut the oldest pub in Ipswich to provide some godawful copy of the Drum & Monkey.

Neil Shadbolt has put in a report on what’s happened to the local food shops since the new ASDA has opened.  If anyone else wants to write a guest post then please email me on james@bridgeward.org.uk

It is some 6-8 weeks since the Stoke Park Asda store opened at Stoke Park, so I thought it time to look at its immediate effect.

Over to Neil:

Mcolls Newsagent & Off-Licence, Stoke Park:

The newly built store which replaced a demolished petrol station a few years ago has well served the local community.

The branch has suffered to a certain extent but is still being patronized by residents despite it being a few yards from ASDA.

East of England Co-op Food Store, Prince of Wales Drive:

Situated about a half mile from the ASDA store, it has turned changed from a profit to loss making centre.

Local Sub Post Office, Maidenhall Green:

I do not know of the general effect on this small store, which mainly provides confectionay and cigarettes as well as a bit of groceries and stationery, althogh I would think it marginal.

Premier Newsagents and Food Store:

This is one of my local stores about one mile from ASDA.

It is family owned and is one of about four branches situated in Ipswich.

I have noticed a few recent gaps in the shelves of basic products such as bread, eggs and milk recently.

This does not auger well for the future of the branch.

However the real sign will be if one notices a distinct shortage of cigarettes and tobacco on the shelves, which has not been the case thus far.

East of England Co-op Foodstore: – Austin/Vernon Street:

Being just around the corner from Premier, this is my local Co-op.

This was the first Ipswich Industrial Co-operative Society Food store to open, predominantly to serve the dockers and other workers, in the lated 1800s.

The branch received a much needed facelift a few years back from which has definitely benefitted.

Although having lost an average of £1500.00 turnover per week since the new ASDA opened, it stll continues to trade profitably.

I believe it will continue to do so when you consider it is the only decent foodstore within relatively easy reach of people living up to a mile away down the Wherstead Road as far a Bourne Bridge.

Turkish Shop, Austin Street/Vernon Street:

This store opened up in what used to be a Video Hire shop a few years ago and prdoiminently services some of the local ethnic communities.

The owner was in the process of opening a Pound Shop a few doors down, but has now given this up because of declining trade in the area.

He has recently told me that the shop is only just breaking even, whereas it was profitable before ASDA opened.

Happy Shopper Local Corner Shop, Station Street/Webb Street:

This store was opened about 12 years ago in what was a derelict bakers.

It has traded reasonably successfully over the years and seems to continue to do so.

Other information will be provided when available.

I was at the Maidenhall Residents Association yesterday and they have been a victim of typical bureaucratic heavy handed over-reaction.  Essentially due to out of area drug users sheltering in the flats in Station Street they’ve cut the trade access to all the flats across the ward.

This makes sense near the town, for example Station Street and Vernon Street, but the Maidenhall Estate is not in the same position.  It’s a decent walk from the town and there have been few complaints of drug users sheltering down there.  This means that there’s no post, no milkman, no visitors.  If you are out in Station Street you have around twenty neighbours to buzz you in, in Maidenhall Approach you only have three.

The solution – to petition separately for each group of flats – is not practical.  So Station Street has a genuine problem and the housing department did the right thing there.  But Maidenhall Estate was happy with the current set up.  Can’t they just get it back?

This sort of one size fits all knee jerk solution is what Labour specialises in.  A Conservative led administration should do better than this,

Yes it was back last night.  I wandered around to hear, it was quiet (although present) at the bottom of Rectory Road and I couldn’t hear it at all in Stoke Street.  However when I walked into Austin Street it was quite intrusive.  The same was the case at the top Wherstead Road (up to Purplett Street) and also down Tyler Street.  Vernon Street had it, but it was largely drowned out by the road traffic (it must get worse after abot 11) and it was clear and strong down Felaw Maltings, Great Whip Street and New Cut West.

The Noise Action Group would like to run a walkabout of the area the next time the cement ship comes, so please let me know if you would like to help.