Hello I'v put a few of these Tit Bits on just to make things a bit more interesting, they are items I have come across while reading the books on Ipswich there are loads more I know and I will add more when I can. Many thanks to the people who wrote the books and a big thankyou to you for looking in. ATB for now.
The Hippodrome opened 28 March 1905 as a music hall, films were shown during the 30's, became a revue theatre in 1941, bacame the Savoy Ballroom in 1957 & ended up as a Bingo Hall. It was demolished in 1985.
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The Empress Skating Rink opened in Portman Road in July 1919 the building was demolished in the 1960's.
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Queen Elizabeth II visited Ipswich on the 21 July 1961 to open the new Civic College.
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The chimneys on Cliff Quay Power Station were demolished on 27 November 1994.
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The Central Cinema in Princes Street was burnt down on 22 February 1950.
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Ransomes made it's first lawn mower in 1832.
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The Lyceum Theatre in Carr Street opened in 1891 & closed in 1936 10 of it's 45 year life was as a cinema.
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Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show came to Ipswich in 1903 & was staged at Bramford Road Showground it had 4 special trains, 500 horses & 800 performers.
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The Ipswich Bypass from London Road to Woodbridge Road was opened on 3 August 1929.
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General William Booth of the Salvation Army came to town on 8 September 1905 his first call was the workhouse.
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Lord Kitchener who had been appointed High Steward of Ipswich in 1909 came to a Scout Rally on 31 May 1911 which was held at Portman Road.
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A new Drill Hall at the bottom of Woodbridge Road was opened on the 13 May 1911, the first occupents were men of the 6th (cyclist) Battalion of The Suffolk Regiment.
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The story of how Silent Street got it's name is that all of the inhabitants of the street died of the same outbreak of the plague, after which the street became silent.
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Queen Elizabeth II came to town on 12 July 1977 as part of her Silver Jubilee.
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Barnum & Bailey's Circus came to town in 1898 and again in 1899, 13,000 people packed into the tent for every performance.
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King John granted the town its first charter in 1200, and in the next four centuries it made most of its wealth trading Suffolk cloth with the Continent. Five large religious houses, including two Augustinian Priories, and the Greyfriars, Whitefriars and Blackfriars, stood in mediaeval Ipswich---------------
During the Middle Ages the
Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Grace was a famous pilgrimage destination, and attracted a number of royal pilgrims.It was positioned just outside the west gate of the town wall & is now marked by a plaque. At the Reformation the statue was taken away to Chelsea to be burned, there are no records to say it arrived although it is now believed to have survived and still to exist in Nettuno, Italy. A replica of the statue now stands in Lady Lane in the centre of Ipswich.--------------
Katherine of Aragon first wife of Henry VIII came to The Shrine of Our Lady of Grace in 1517 to pray for a son, she had no success as it turned out.
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Around
1380, Geoffrey Chaucer satirised the merchants of Ipswich in the Canterbury Tales (I think he was taking the mick really).--------------
Cardinal Thomas Wolsey 1475. One of Henry VIII's closest political allies, he founded a college in the town in 1528, which is now known as Ipswich School. He remains one of the town's most famed figures--------------
From
1611 to 1634 Ipswich was a major centre for emigration to New England. This was encouraged by the Town Lecturer, Samuel Ward. His brother Nathaniel Ward was first minister of Ipswich, Massachusetts.-------------
Ipswich had a
racecourse which ran a mix of flat and National Hunt races from 1710 to 1911. Admittance to the public stand on the 4 mile course between the Felixstowe and Nacton Roads was sixpence and to the Gentleman's Stand half a crown.Some big races were The King's Plate was worth 100 guineas (£105) The Town Cup £70 and the Town Purse £40.-------------
The Ipswich Gas and light Company was formed in 1821
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In
1835, Charles Dickens stayed in Ipswich and used it as a setting for scenes in his novel The Pickwick Papers. The hotel where he resided first opened in 1518. it was then known as The Tavern and is now known as the Great White Horse Hotel. Dickens made the hotel famous in chapter XXI of The Pickwick Papers, vividly describing the hotel's meandering corridors and stairs.-------------
In 1797 Lord and Lady Nelson moved to Ipswich, and in 1800
Lord Nelson was appointed High Steward of Ipswich-------------
93 Viking dragon ships carrying approximately 3,000 men sailed up the river to sack & pillage Ipswich in AD991, the force was led by the Norwegian commander Olaf Tryggvasson.
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Margaret Catchpole (1762 - 1819)
Female Convict & Midwife
Born in Ipswich, England, Margaret grew up a country girl. Margaret showed courage and daring when she rode bareback to fetch a doctor for a sick neighbour. In her mid-20s, Margaret linked up with a smuggler and stole a horse to meet him in London. She was sentenced to death for horse-stealing. However, Margaret was reprieved and gaoled for 7 years. After 2 years in prison, Margaret's lover arranged for her escape but he was killed in the attempt and she was re-arrested. Again sentenced to death, Margaret was again reprieved - this time she was transported to Australia for life.Margaret arrived in Sydney in 1801 aged 39. She was assigned as a servant to a govermnent official. Two years later, Margaret proved so hardworking and resourceful that she was sent to Richmond Hill to act as midwife to a Mrs Rouse, farmer's wife. The farmer was so impressed by her that he made Margaret farm overseer.Margaret later opened a general store and acted as local midwife. She died, probabaly from pneumonia, after making a midwifery call in bad weather.
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The railway came to Ipswich in 1846, a tunnel was cut through Stoke Hill in 1860 enabling the line to be continued to Bury St. Edmunds & Norwich.
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The first trolly-buses began running in Ipswich 1923 & kept running until 1963.
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Christchurch Mansion was built on the site of Holy Trinity Priory in 1548-50 by Edmund Withypoll. In 1895 the house & park were offered for sale. The house was purchased & given to the town by Felix Cobbold on condition the Corporation bought the park. The house became a museum, & the park & arboretum a pleasure ground.
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On 27 October 1936 Wallis Simpson gained her divorce from Mr. Simpson at the Ipswich Assizes in St. Helens Street. Edward VIII abdicated his throne to marry her & they lived the rest of their lives in exile abroad, as the Duke & Duchess of Windsor
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The Town Hall was built in 1867, the four figures below the clock represent Commerce, Agriculture, Learning & Justice.
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The painters
John Constable and Thomas Gainsborough lived and worked in Ipswich. The art gallery next to Christchurch Mansion has a fine collection by both artists.---------------
When Daniel Defoe visited Ipswich in 1722 commented on how many people used Christchurch Park likening it's popularity to Kensington Gardens.
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The town operated a
Mint under royal licence from King Edgar of England in the 970s, which continued right through the Norman Conquest until the time of King John, c1215, under each successive ruler. The name 'Gipeswic' appears on the coins.----------------
In the time of Queen Mary the
Ipswich Martyrs were burnt at the stake on the Cornhill for their Protestant beliefs. A monument commemorating this event now stands in Christchurch Park.---------------
Tolly Cobbold Brewery, built in the 19th century and rebuilt 1894–1896, is one of the finest Victorian breweries in the United Kingdom. There was a Cobbold Brewery in the town from 1746 until 2002 when Ridley's Breweries took Tolly Cobbold over.--------------
Fore Street swimming pool was opened on 10 March 1894 which comprises of a single 25 x 7-yard traditional swimming pool.
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Hidden beneath Clifford Rd. school playground is the Clifford Road Air Raid Shelter Museum, the air raid shelter was sealed up after the Second World War and forgotten, but was discovered when workmen in 1989 found the entrance.
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The designer of Nelson's ship Victory Thomas Slade is buried in the graveyard of St. Clements,otherwise known as the Sailors church.
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Great Whip Street Workhouse known as St Peter's workhouse, it was erected in 1836-7 at a cost of £6,585 and was intended to accommodate up to 400 inmates. Workhouse meals consisted of bread and cheese everyday for lunch and meat, gravy and suet pudding for supper, hot for three days and cold for three days. On Mondays supper like lunch was bread and cheese. Beer was provided. The cost was reckoned to average up to three shillings per pauper.
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The Ragged School for Girls at the top end of Bond Street was founded in 1849.
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The Ipswich Ragged School for boys in Waterworks Street opened in November 1849 trying to give some sort of education for the children who were too poor, too ragged, too filthy and too ignorant for ordinary instruction. The first Master was Joshua George Newman born 1821 died 1881.
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Reformatory School for Girls at 8, Black Horse Lane Founded in 1857 as an Industrial School and Probationary Home for Penitent Orphan Females possibly in Gothic Place. Certified 18th June 1858 for 45 girls. Moved to Black Horse Lane and re-certified 1915 for 60 girls. Intermittently called St Matthew's Home, in Old Goal Lane. Closed 1920.
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The Custom House on the dock cost £4,250 to build in 1845. Zeppelin bombs blew out the clock face in 1916.
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The first Ipswich Museum was founded in 1847 & was then in Museum Street.
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The Museum in the High Street was opened in 1881.
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Anglesea Road Hospital opened in 1836 at a cost of £4,148 & catered for 50 people, an extra storey & wing were later added.
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The CO-OP building in Carr Street was built in 1885-86 & stands on the site of Bett's Stables.
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The Cattle Market established in the town centre in 1810 was moved in 1856 to a new site on Portman Road Marshes alongside Princes Street.
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Churchman's Tobacconists was on Hyde Park Corner from 1790 until it moved to larger premises in Portman Road in 1898.
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The Ipswich Journal had offices on the corner of Princes Street & Museum Street from 1866-1890.
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Cornhill the archway leading through to Lloyds Avenue was cut in 1929.
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At one time Ipswich had a grass runway Airport with regular flights to Holland it has now been redevolped into a residential district called Ravenswood.
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In 1614 Ipswich was quoted as having more shipwrights than any port in England.
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Queen Mary visited the the town on 29 June 1938.
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On 7 January 1297, Princess Elizabeth, Edward I's 14 year old daughter, got married in Ipswich.The marriage service took place in the little chapel of Our Lady of Grace otherwise known as Our Lady of Ipswich. It was situated at the north-east corner of Lady Lane facing the Westgate.
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Queen Elizabeth visited Ipswich July 1561: two weeks later her cousin Catherine Seymour eight months pregnant was sent to the Tower of London.
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George II stayed at the The Great White Horse, Louis XVIII had a meal there, and Nelson spent a night there with Lady Hamilton and her husband.Young Charles Dickens was it's guest for three weeks while he reported the election in 1835 just before starting to write The Pickwick Papers.
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The Ritz cinema was next to the Ancient House in the Buttermarket was opened by Dame Anna Neagle on 4th January 1937 the first film shown was The Three Maxims. It closed in 1986 and was demolished to make way for the new British Home Stores.
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The Town Hall was built in 1866-7 and was built by Ipswich builder Edward Gibbons who's tender was £11,749 and was opened January 1868. In 1879 a heavy piece of stone fell from the Town Hall killing a young man Robert Davey who was on his way to work, the repairs cost more than £3,000, and the corporation paid Robert's father £5 to provide a headstone and a footstone for his grave.
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The Wet Dock was opened in February 1842 it took four years to build and cost over £100,000.
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Fonnereau Road was once called Dairy Lane.
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Piper's Vale the open air swimming pool at the back of the Gainsborough Estate was built in 1937 and demolished in 1979 to make way for a road for the Orwell Bridge construction traffic.
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The Picture House Cinema was in Tavern Street it closed in 1958 it was demolished and Boots the chemist shop stands there now.
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The Beatles came to Ipswich twice, first time in May 1963 and again in October 1964.
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