Ipswich

Annoyingly the diversion for the closed Westerfield level crossing is NOT signed but we still made it to Ipswich Cardinals v Maidstone Pumas yesterday.  Surprisingly there were no refs and general manager Ralph said other games were also ... more here

Remember Hassan who opened the Pizza Grill in Bridge Street Framlingham?  These days he is the California Grill in Ipswich but today was on the Castle Meadow for the Gala Fest with his baby son Hassan Jnr.  The paella looked wonderful and judging by the queue probably was.  Lots of smiles and as always the Gala Princesses looked and were princessly.

In the past seven months 23 keyless entry Mercedes Sprinter vans have been stolen in Ipswich.

Saturday at White House Farm Great Glemham Maggi Hambling will open the Alde Valley Spring Festival and certainly she will be as entertaining as always.  In the evening and the Debenham St Mary's Ipswich G&S will present their concert Music for everyone! ♫

Like we said Tuesday in a further attempt to please Mr Google the gridiron UK section now has an Ipswich Cardinals page.

The St Elizabeth Hospice Bubble Rush in Christchurch Park Ipswich is terrific fun even when it rains.  Cheaper early bird tickets are available now (you click 'Register').

In an Ipswich B&Q yesterday we asked Where are the toilets? and got the reply To use or to buy?

It must be well over a decade since we saw an Eastern Angles Christmas show and we don't recall the now available free parking at the rear of the Ipswich theatre but it's still a small cast working their socks off.  Saturday it was five actors who had Fenland Screamers tightly polished prompting laughter and applause from the audience.  We got to be part of a rope bridge and had an actor sit on our lap ... unfortunately not one of the ladies.  The show continues this month including a run at the Seckford Theatre Woodbridge.

♫ Tonight at Ipswich Library Morganway (with the very excellent SJ Mortimer), Hanna Haas plus Helen and the Neighbourhood Dogs (resisting the the temptation to comment they can bury a bone ... oh, we haven't).

♫ Tonight Peppery Productions present (we think for possibly the second time) Hank Wangford and the Lost Cowboys (including BJ Cole and Spanner Robinson) at the Manor Ballroom Ipswich.

Lowestoft had a fishing village known as The Grit, and Poetry People are presently touring a words, music and film show about the lost village.  You've missed it in Halesworth but there are shows this week in Ipswich, Leiston and yes Lowestoft.

Despite miserable weather yesterday a very decent turn out for St Elizabeth Hospice's Bubble Rush in Ipswich.  For the first hour or so the weather flirted with raining but then got going along with a chilling wind but rushers kept rushing, the arch on the blue bubble station reenacted the flamme rouge collapse in the 2016 Tour de France and the stewards at the finish kept dancing and giving cheerful encouragement.

Last year the St Elizabeth Hospice Bubble Rush in Christchurch Park Ipswich was an absolute blast.  No doubt this year's rush on Sunday will be equally brilliant, registration from 11am.

It's going to be a busy Sunday tomorrow with the Dunwich Dynamo passing through near the coast in the early hours, open gardens in Double Street Framlingham, free step dancing at the Blaxhall Ship, classic car day at the Debach Airfield and St Lawrence's Brundish will be visited by The Right Reverend Martin Seeley Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, probably the first visit by the diocesan bishop in sixty years and there's a picnic as well.  We will be snapping the East Anglian american football derby of Norwich Devils at Ipswich Cardinals.

We weren't optimistic about yesterday's Ipswich Cardinals v London Blitz B because the Cards had lost 55-00 to the Blitz earlier this year.  In the event on a roastingly hot day (thankfully with a breeze) the Cards led 10-00 for most of the game.  Finally the Blitz offence broke out (they'd been threatening to do it all game) to score two ... more here