WELL DONE IPSWICH BOROUGH COUNCIL. The wreck was moved really quickly. More pics here http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/ I was pleasantly surprised to see the wreck moved so swiftly. Now perhaps IBC will re-consider why that new gate is even there and make a turning point at the end of the lane it leads to so folks can drive up it and sit on the bench overlooking the A14. It is no more likely to be infested with burnt out cars than is the case at Bridgewood car park but as long as that gate is there it will remain a challenge just as the wooden gate Mr Little senior used many years ago. That was also destroyed many times until he gave up.
peterturtill@yahoo.com

More pics at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/ I saw this car being driven around in the early hours and expected something like this to happen. unfortunately I expect these lads got hurt as they hit the soil hard and stopped dead as can be seen in the other pics. I think it was intended to be a protest at the new gate on the left of the burnt out car. It would certainly be expensive if this happened to Mr Littles gates and probably wouldn't have hurt the lads so much. The front index number plate has not been removed probably because they set light to the car first and it was too hot to get near enough to remove. These lads will have to go to hospital at some time I reckon so they may get nicked. This could easily have had tragic consequences as the car did stop so quickly. I hope these rascals are ok.
peterturtill@yahoo.com

Well I bet Ye olde Worlde Rustic litter bins and the modern dog crap bin were overflowing within a hour of the council worker emptying them and the summer is not even here yet. I wonder where this lot will go once travellers take the place over:-)

peterturtill@yahoo.com

Click on the pic and then hover your mouse over the bottom right hand corner and when the symbol appears click to enlarge the pics. more pics here http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/

Now isn't that just typical. A chelsea tractor trying to turn right across two lanes of traffic instead of turning left and going right around the roundabout to the left. I wonder if it is in low range four wheel drive to get to the A14?
peterturtill@yahoo.com

Click here for more pics http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/

When Mr Little wanted to increase the numbers of dwellings on his land IBC complained that would mean more traffic on the lane leading to Bridgewood. IBC own the lane and Mr little has access rights which really is ironical considering he is denying others the right to use this lane once it reaches his border. In the past Mr Littles father has repeatedly tried to put a gate accross the lane and he even put up a scaffold barrier from his land down to the rivers low water mark completely ignoring a public right of way along the river bank. Anyhow Mr Little countered the IBC complaint by saying their marketing of Orwell Country Park was going to add tens of thousands to the numbers using the lane. The pictures rather show that Mr Little had a valid point and this was not at rush hour on Nacton road. Somebody is going to get killed here soon and this blog will remain as evidence of the fact that warning was given as IBC and Suffolk Coastal Council read this blog.
peterturtill@yahoo.com

Click here http://static.flickr.com/39/117841669_a2500b50ea_b.jpg and here http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/

Oh look. A caravan site springing up behind the Wardens house already and I bet he doesn't get a back hander of the owners either. I wonder who the residents of these caravans pay rent to. This land was left by George Ravenshear and Bernard Prettyman to be used by scouts at the time Baden Powell was running around in short trousers convinced he was raising an army of the furture trained to live rough and emulate later Bernard Montgomery. I am certain Ravenshear and Prettyman didn't envisage their donations being exploited this way. Who ever could have immagined a housing estate on the banks of the Orwell here and at Orwell Meadows, Priory Park and Priory Court.
peterturtill@yahoo.com

Click here http://static.flickr.com/35/117841668_c61125a982_b.jpg and here http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/ for more pics.

This is the Wardens house. Good substantial bricks and morter. No tent for him then. Still it will make a nice show house for when the place is developed. If Mr Little who has only been around for 40 years or so can build on his land surely some smart operator with friends at Suffolk Coastal Council can wrangle it rather than doing it the hard and honest way Mr Little did:-) Mr Little and Suffolk Coastal wouldn't do anything underhand.
peterturtill@yahoo.com

Click here http://static.flickr.com/39/117841669_a2500b50ea_b.jpg and here http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/ for more pics.

I suppose these substantial brick buildings cannot be out of place on a campsite these days as so many adults means loads of committees and they cannot be expected to meet in their local church hall. This is just the start and the next move will be a housing estate like Lego Land named Hallow Tree Wood. Once bricks and mortar are erected there is no stopping developers these days and I bet a few adult scouts have their eyes on the main prize here.

peterturtill@yahoo.com

Click here http://static.flickr.com/53/117827603_db776eb163_b.jpg and here http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/ for more pics.

This is the main scout hut on the other side of the locked gate. It is the replacement for Raven Hut that was burnt down by 'vandals'! Nothing ever got burnt down when Tom Laver farmed here as people had to get passed his dogs and geese without him knowing and that was impossible. We had a hut by the other entrance and we were more fierce than Tom Lavers animals. Of course once Raven Hut was 'vadalised' there was then a good excuse to build a house and have a Warden live on the site and of course once it was agreed a house was needed it was but a short step to needing a meeting hall etc built and commttees being formed to control the scout camp like a prison camp where adults became scouts and scout leaders or scout leaders helpers ad infinitum. More adults than kids now and of course they all have their chelsea tractors and the latest mod cons in the way of camping gear. That old luvvie Baden Powel would have been in his element playing with the kids with their parents approval or subservience.
peterturtill@yahoo.com

Click here http://static.flickr.com/35/118379094_3290b895db_b.jpg and here http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/ for more pics.

This is the entrance to Hallow Tree scout camp site now locked and forbidding whereas it used to be a place of absolute wonder and freedom when I was a kid. It was the place we escaped from parents and adults and it had two entrances that were always open. Here we could do just as we wanted and we would stay here for weeks on end during the summer and some lads even lived here in the winter too and still done a paper round. It was the formative place of many lads lives where we learned to look after ourselves and each other and never a police man being troubled either. Now when there is a camp there are more adults than children present. Count me out if I was a kid now.

peterturtill@yahoo.com

I was bemused by the number of hits this pic has received. It is taken from the car park at Bridgewood looking down at the garage and the Little Chef. I could see nothing significant that would cause this pic to be so popular until a received an e-mail from within the enemy camp that I cannot reveal the author of or his position. The garage shown in this pic and the truck park will become a roundabout that will take trucks to and from the A14 to the docks. The route of the road will obliterate Pond Hall farm and Pipers Vale and travel under the Orwell Bridge. This is totally unnecessary as there is very little traffic from the docks or Cliff Quay these days and most of the commercial vehicles that appear to have come from there have actually come from commercial premises in Landeer Road and Holy Wells Road. These commercial premises especially the truck testing station in Holbrook Road (probably where the trailer on Landseer Park came from) are the source of nearly all the HGV traffic along Landseer Road. Many thanks "S".

peterturtill@yahoo.com

Click here http://static.flickr.com/37/116916347_f9fae9a143_b.jpg and here for all pics so far. http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/

The map above is the proposed development of the area "B" which runs inside the fence opposite where the car parks for Bridgewood are. On the map above it is the line of green bushes running from the top of the picture towards the left of it. The orange marks are the proposed new dwellings. The overhead electric wires run over the middle part of this development and the map shows no dwellings near the wires. Mr Paul Coffey has told me he resents any implication I make that this was all done secretly and he says it was notifed by a notice in the newspapers and three notification were posted around the site. I only saw one and that was 10 metres away from this site above but of course because I didn't see the other ones and Mr Coffey cannot remember where he put them it doesn't mean they were not placed where I should have seen them and I failed to see them. Mr Coffey also notified 15 other organisations/near neighbours but not those living in Bridgewood as he didn't regard them as interested parties. I no not claim Mr Coffey has done anything underhand or intentionally secretive but just that I didn't see any other notifications. I think that is about as fair as I can be as far a Mr Coffey is concerned. I do not extend that qualification to Priory Park Ltd nor Suffolk Coastal Council or Ipswich Borough Council. In fact I regard both councils as being incompetant in their handling of developments south of the A14. Indeed Mr. Little claims in a letter in the planning application that IBC have been responsible for attracting "tens of thousands of people and their dogs" to visit Orwell Country Park through their marketing operation. He does have a point there. Maybe next time he makes an application to develop his Kingdom further IBC will remember that written comment in the planning application bundle.

peterturtill@yahoo.com

p.s. I have had e-mails from folks who wish to make comments but do not want to join Blogspot. In that case just send your comments to me and I will post them for you.

Click here http://static.flickr.com/36/116916350_370b779047_b.jpg and click on the symbol in the right bottom corner. Click here too http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/ for more pics that can be enlarged.

Everything within the blue line is Littles Kingdom and the planned devolopments are "A" at bottom right and "B" at top of the map. Is it significant that the single lane lane over the A14 is shown to be nearly as wide as a lane on the A14 four times as wide? Is this a sign of how reliable other information is. The matter is closed now due to incompetance by Ipswich Borough Council who failed to make sufficient representation and also Suffolk Coastal Council for allowing any of the developments over the A14 to have been built in the first place. Orwell Meadows caravan site is actually on farm land and Priory Park is in a recognised area of outstanding natural beauty and a special scientific interest as is pointed out very plainly in the letter from Mick Wright who obviously knows much more about this than I do. There are other maps on the flickr site linked to this blog and a letter from Sam Pollard who was responsible for Bridgewood but has now moved to another position with IBC just as this was being passed. There is also a letter in the file I saw today at Suffolk Coastal office in Woodbridge from IBC making it plain the lane leading to these caravan sites belongs to IBC although the caravan sites have access rights.

peterturtill@yahoo.com

Click here http://static.flickr.com/45/116039631_77e3145e0a_o.jpg

and here http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/ I can see the numbers of hits the individual pics get and I am extremely puzzled as the pic in the header is one of a set of seven and yet this has suddenly become the most popular pic on the site and it has only been up a couple of days? The other six in the series have not attracted so many hits and even the other half of this page has not attracted anywhere near as many hits. Please mail me and tell me why this is so popular because I cannot figure it out. Today I am going to Suffolk Coastal Planning dept in Melton to study the plans and try to figure out what is actually being proposed with our countryside.
peterturtill@yahoo.com

Ckick here http://static.flickr.com/53/114359868_ec980b0a1a_b.jpg
and here http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/

This notice should now say to Priory Park Village as planning permission has now been granted:-(

http://www.suffolkcoastal.gov.uk/
Click on Planning Applications then on Monitor planning applications online.type in c04/2345 and there is the application and result of it.

1) The development hereby permitted shall be begun not later than the expiration of five years from the date of this permission.Reason: This condition is imposed in accordance with Section 91 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended). 2) The caravan holiday homes (including log cabins) hereby permitted shall be caravans as defined by the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960, as modified by the Caravan Sites Act 1968.Reason: To ensure that the caravans and log cabins meet the definition of 'caravan' as set out in the Act. 3) The caravans/cabins hereby permitted shall be used only for holiday purposes.Reason: To ensure that the caravans are not used as permanent residential accommodation. 4) The caravans/cabins on Site A shall not be occupied between 31st October each year and 1st April /or the Sunday next before Easter in the following year unless otherwise agreed in writing by the local planning authority.Reason: To ensure that the caravans are not used as permanent residential accommodation. 5) The caravans/cabins on Site B shall not be occupied between 5th January and 16th February each year unless otherwise agreed in writing by the local planning authority. Reason: To ensure that the caravans are not used as permanent residential accommodation. 6) No development shall take place within the area of the application site, until the applicant has secured the implementation of a programme of archaeological work in accordance with a written scheme of investigation which shall have been submitted to the local planning authority for approval in writing.Reason: To ensure the proper recording of archaeological artefacts. 7) The finished floor levels of the caravans/cabins shall not be below 4.7m AOD.Reason: To protect occupiers of the caravans from the risks of flooding. 8) Unless otherwise agreed in writing by the local planning authority, the siting of the caravans/cabins hereby approved shall be as shown on approved drawings CHH/01 and SB/03. Reason: In order that the local planning authority shall be satisfied as to the details of the development. 9) None of the trees or hedges shown to be retained on the approved plan shall be lopped, topped, pruned, uprooted, felled, wilfully damaged or in any other way destroyed or removed without the prior written consent of the local planning authority. Any trees or hedges removed, dying, being severely damaged or becoming seriously diseased within five years of the completion of the development shall be replaced during the first available planting season, with trees or hedges of a size and species, which shall previously have been agreed in writing by the local planning authority.Reason: To safeguard the contribution to the character of the locality provided by the trees and hedgerow. 10) No development shall commence or any materials, plant or machinery be brought on to the site until, full details showing the position of fencing to protect all trees and hedgerow(s), shown to be retained on the approved plan, have been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. The protective fencing shall be 1.2m cleft chestnut, complying with BS.5837, and shown to be erected 1 metre beyond the canopy spread of the trees and hedgerow(s) unless otherwise agreed in writing by the local planning authority. Reason: To protect the trees/hedgerow during the course of development in the interest of visual amenity. 11) No development shall commence until precise details of a scheme of landscape works (which term shall include tree and shrub planting, grass, earthworks and other operations as appropriate) at a scale not less than 1:200 shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority.Reasons: To ensure that there is a well laid out landscaping scheme in the interest of visual amenity. 12) Unless otherwise agreed in writing by the local planning authority, the log cabins on Site A shall be stained dark brown or black.Reason: To minimise the visual impact of the cabins on the character of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. 13) No development shall commence until details of the roads and parking spaces for the development (including layout, surfacing and means of surface water drainage) have been submitted to and approved by the local planning authority.Reason: To ensure that roads/footways are constructed to an acceptable standard. Informative notes: Summary of reasons for approval: In determining this application the local planning authority had regard to the development plan policies set out below (together with relevant Supplementary Planning Guidance) and other material planning considerations. It concluded that the development proposed accorded with the provisions of the development plan and did not result in demonstrable harm to interests of acknowledged importance. AP8, AP12, AP14, AP15, AP17, AP44, AP111, AP112 and AP229 of the Suffolk Coastal Local Plan. ENV4, ENV7, ENV17 of the Suffolk Structure Plan. 1) We would recommend the site receive flood warnings from the Agency and have an active flood plan to respond effectively to any flood warnings subsequently issued. The Environment Agency's Flood Warning Team should be consulted to ensure that coverage of the flood warning service extends to the location of this site and to obtain the relevant application forms for the service. Please contact the Flood Warning team on 01473 706701. In addition, we make the following advisory comments: The applicant should ensure that the existing septic tank is in a good state of repair, regularly de-sludged and of sufficient capacity to deal with any potential increase in flow and loading which may occur as a result of this proposal. Under the terms of the Water Resources Act 1991 and the Land Drainage Byelaws, the prior written consent of the Agency is required for any proposed works or structures in, under, over or within 9 metres of the top of the bank of the main river (Orwell). 2) Recommended floodproofing measures are used in the design to a height of 4.60m AOD in the 5 cabins where the floor level is being raised. These measures should follow the guidance given in the publication "Preparing for Floods" where possible, available from http://www.odpm.gov.uk/ or by calling 0870 1226 236. 3) Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service requires a minimum carrying capacity for hard standing for pumping appliances of 15 tonnes, not 12.5 tonnes as detailed in the building Regulations 2000 (as amended). 4) Any application for relaxation of occupancy conditions, particularly in respect of Site A is likely to require Appropriate Assessment under the Habitats Regulations. 5) The application is the subject of a planning agreement dated 10th March 2006 under S106 of the Act.

peterturtill@yahoo.com

Click here http://static.flickr.com/54/116036221_0007b518bd_o.jpg

The rest of this application can be seen here http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/

I have had to produce these pages as screen shots in case they are taken off Suffolk Coastal Councils server. If you look at the application you will see that even today it is marked as "Decision: This case has not yet been decided." There are also no dates for a site visit or meeting yet alone a hearing when a decision may be made and yet today when I phoned up for a progress report I was told that planning permission was granted yesterday. Obviously this is a mistake or Suffolk Coastal Council are heading to a local government ombusdman hearing and a full investigation of how this happened and just how it is that houses called log cabins are being built and classed as transportable. In fact a full investigation of just how permission was ever granted for any building at all on the south side of the A14 over the single lane bridge. If you have ever tried to get planning permission for an extention you will know that no stone is left unturned and yet here in the middle of the country side a veritable village has grown. It doesn't smell right to me.

peterturtill@yahoo.com

The planning application pinned to the pole has been taken down now.
Click here http://static.flickr.com/34/113816229_b86d506d6b_b.jpg
I have checked on Suffolk Coastals web site and this application is below or you can check www.suffolkcoastal.gov.uk and go to planning and enter the number C04/2345 and you will get this but not so jumbled up.

You searched for: Application Number: 04/2345 Application Number: C/04/2345 Registration Date: 16 / 12 / 2004 Ward Name: Nacton Location: Site A Site B and Estate Roads Priory Park Nacton Proposal: Substitution of existing permission (Ref: C1399/7) for 120 touring caravans with 65 timber-clad caravan holiday homes (log cabins)(on site A) and 31 caravan holiday homes (on site B) and construction of ancillary roads and services. Case Officer: Paul Coffey
Details of Planning Application - C/04/2345 Application Details Documents Consultation Application Number: C/04/2345 Application Type: Full Planning Permission Date Received: 08 / 12 / 2004 Registration (Validation) Date: 16 / 12 / 2004 Consultation Start Date: 16 / 12 / 2004 Earliest Decision Date (Consultation Period Expires): No date Target Date for Decision: 02 / 02 / 2005 Location: Site A Site B and Estate Roads Priory Park Nacton Ward: Nacton Proposal: Substitution of existing permission (Ref: C1399/7) for 120 touring caravans with 65 timber-clad caravan holiday homes (log cabins)(on site A) and 31 caravan holiday homes (on site B) and construction of ancillary roads and services. Case Officer: Paul Coffey Case Officer Tel: 01394 444417 Status: Registered Agent: Mr James Little Priory Park Ltd Priory Park Nacton Ipswich Suffolk IP10 0JT Applicant: ?Priory Park Ltd Priory Park Nacton Ipswich Suffolk IP10 0JT Press Date: No date Site Notice Date: No date Neighbours Received: 0 and Representatives: In Favour: 0 Click here for a list Against: 0 Petitions: 0 Officer Site Visit Date: No date Committee Site Visit Date: No date Committee Meeting Date: No date Decision: This case has not yet been decided Appeal Received Date: This case has no appeals against it It is no longer appropriate to comment on this application On-Line. Please contact the council directly with any questions or comments you have.

Next page,
Application Details Documents Consultation Click for a list of neighbours consulted Application Number: C/04/2345 Consultee 1: Nacton Parish Council Letter sent:? 16 / 12 / 2004 Consultee 2: Dept. of Environment and Transport Letter sent:? 16 / 12 / 2004 Consultee 3: Environmental Health Letter sent:? 16 / 12 / 2004 Consultee 4: English Nature Letter sent:? 16 / 12 / 2004 Consultee 5: The Environment Agency Letter sent:? 16 / 12 / 2004 Consultee 6: Suffolk Wildlife Trust Letter sent:? 16 / 12 / 2004 Consultee 7: Archaeological Unit Letter sent:? 16 / 12 / 2004 Consultee 8: Engineers Section Letter sent:? 16 / 12 / 2004 Consultee 9: National Grid Co Plc Letter sent:? 16 / 12 / 2004 Consultee 10: Leisure and Tourism Letter sent:? 16 / 12 / 2004 Consultee 11: Design Section Letter sent:? 16 / 12 / 2004 Consultee 12: Suffolk Coasts and Heaths Project Letter sent:? 16 / 12 / 2004 Consultee 13: Rethink Disability South & North Letter sent:? 04 / 01 / 2005 Consultee 14: The County Fire Officer Letter sent:? 04 / 01 / 2005 Consultee 15: Ipswich Borough Council Letter sent:? 05 / 01 / 2005 In addition to consultations with the bodies listed, publicity of this application will be undertaken in accordance with national and local requirements. This publicity most usually takes the form of letters to individual nearby properties, the posting of site notices or the placing of a public notice in the local daily newspaper


This application has not been decided so it is not too late to oppose it and to ask IBC to oppose it too as they are one of the notified parties. Interestingly and possibly importantly the dwelling in Bridgewood is not listed as being notified nor is Pond Hall farm and the static mobile home that David Nichols used to live in next to Pond Hall farm. I think it is essential to oppose this application and I have mailed Mr James Little and told him that I intend to for many reasons. The main one being there is already too much traffic on the single lane bridge over the A14 and the lane leading to it is also unsuitable for the amount of traffic it already carries without adding to it. However and in my opinion most importantly, Mr Little is denying people access to the river across the route that has been used since time immemorial. Mail or phone me 01473 712672 mobile 07896795273 if you require more information or if you want to oppose the extra traffic or just want to annoy Mr Little for putting gates and fences up everywhere:-)
peterturtill@yahoo.com

Click here http://static.flickr.com/38/115427543_dfb323eb33_b.jpg

More pics here http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/

This is the other end of the 55+ year old chicken shed. I met Mr Miles the owner of Orwell Meadows Leisure Park (caravans and camping) and he is a regular guy but naturally as his land adjoins Littles Kingdom he would not tell me more than I already knew about Mr Little. Mr Miles has converted Tom Lavers farm into a camp site for caravans and tents and it is a very pretty and functional site and the only thing I dislike about the place is the new buildings and the fact it is not still a farm even if it was a disused one. The traffic from here still adds to the traffic using the single lane bridge over the A14 and the lane down to Nacton Road. The entrance we used to use to get to Hallow Tree scout camp site no longer runs down beside the chicken shed and is actuall diverted around this site and the entrance is now on the other side of Tom Lavers farm house. Incidentally Mr Miles tells me Tom is still alive (85) and living at Hadleigh with his wife.
Keep the emails and telephone calls coming and as long as I can stand up your story I will print it. 01473 712672 mobile 07896795273
peterturtill@yahoo.com

Click here http://static.flickr.com/38/115427538_14eb8f37db_b.jpg

More pics here http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/

Yes this is Orwell Country Park again but it is actually Pipers Vale at the end of Sandy Hill Lane/Raeburn Road and is actually Gainsborough Lane which leads down to Pond Hall farm and used to lead to Pipers Vale swimming pool. The only thing between this Orwell Country Park and Bridgewood Orwell Country Park on the other side of the A14 is Pond Hall farm. I bet Pond Hall farms day are numbered now. The only access to the farm is through IBC owned Pipers Vale and IBC owned Bridgewood. I wouldn't take bets on the farms survival. Thanks all those who are e-mailing me and yes I will look into everything you and others tell me by 'phone 01473 712672 mobile 07896795273 thanks.

peterturtill@yahoo.com

This is looking at Ravenswood estate from Maryon Road. If you want to drive into Ravenswood from here or even out of Ravenswood to here you are not allowed to. Only buses can use this and all other drivers must drive around to the Ransome Way roundabout way in and out of Ravenswood. This must be the only estate in Ipswich that only has one point of entry and exit. Further up Maryon Road behind the houses in Nacton Road there use to be a very well used path but that also has been blocked and further down Maryon Road leads into Braziers Wood Road, which used to be just a dirt track where Stan Bird used to repairs trucks, there was another entrance but now only the young and fit can access it because it is illegally obstructed http://static.flickr.com/43/114343466_41f26f91d0_b.jpg There are more pics here http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/.
As far as I can see all these gates IBC has erected merely stop old and disabled people because the motorcyclists just lift there bikes over. Tonight, Sunday 19th March) I spoke with some lads at Bridgewood who had motorcycles and they said some of the gates were so badly designed they could even get their motor cycles through them rather than lifting the bikes over the top. It seems to me these gates and fences are a complete waste of an awful lot of money and yet even now new ones are being made and erected to prevent people parking before Bridgewood and walking their dogs over Braziers Wood. Why do people suddenly get the urge to erect fences and gates as soon as they see open countryside. Forty odd years ago Peter Little tried many times to put a gate up to stop people driving to Bridgewood even though people live within Bridgewood. It must be an illness of some kind that his son Richard now has and IBC too. Maybe it is a way to build an Empire or Kingdom for whoever has the access to our money to do these stupid things. I wonder how much better off we all would be if the Dutchman, Mr Trip (sp) had not sold his land to the council and it had just stayed as it was.
peterturtill@yahoo.com

An old fridge and a couple of gas bottles on the side of the road leading to Bridgewood. In the background is an ancient hedge that as kids we would follow to the sandpit we called the bomb crater. It is now being worked again and where the trucks leave it to turn onto Nacton Road the road is often covered with mud brought onto the road by the trucks and these days nobody cleans up at the end of the day. You can see the picture better at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/ and you can enlarge it too. This picture was taken 18th March 2006 at mid afternoon. We drove around Ravenswood and took a few pics of stuff that interested me but in general much of what we saw was depressing and driving around Ravenswood with the silly traffic calming measures didn't help. We did see 4 lads on motor cycles again at 5-30pm just lift their bikes over the fence and ride off into Bridgewood:-) So much for the fence and gates. It has been bitterly cold so we took most of the pics from inside the car.
peterturtill@yahoo.com

This is an enlarged version of the boundary map. It can be seen better here

http://static.flickr.com/52/113906933_546ff7b728_b.jpg and it can be enlarged too. You can just see on the verticle line that goes right through where Ravenswood is now, that where is crosses the A14 there is a small 'c' and this can just be seen just below the bridge that crosses the A14 and leads up to Bridgewood. The road then runs along the side of the black line of the boundary and up to Bridgewood so it appears the car parks at Bridgewood are in the borough boundary but obviously Bridgewood is not. This used to be a lovely wood where we could drive down to the river but now hundreds of thousands of pounds later we cannot. I was watching a couple of lads on motor cycles on Tuesday 14th March about 4-50pm. They rode up to the fence and just lifted their motor cycles over it and disappeared down to the river. What earthly use is that fence other than to be a nuisance. I used to spend time over Holywells park as a kid and that now is in a terrible state to what it used to be and Landseer park is also still in need of draining and yet the council have taken on another park that is not even within the borough boundary. There has to be something seriously wrong here and I bet Mr Little has been aware of this when making planning applications. He probably banked upon IBC not challenging his plans for fear of their own behaviour being challenged so now another 200 dwelling are to be built on the Suffolk Coastal part. The single lane bridge over the A14 will now have to deal with over 5000 vehicle movements a day and any serious fire would cause the fire service very serious problems just accessing the site. Why have IBC done this? Has someone made a lot of money out of this? Who knows.

peterturtill@yahoo.com

The only way in or out of Littles Kingdom. Yes a single lane bridge over the A14 for 5000 vehicle movements a day minimum. Crazy or what? This pic and many others can be accessed at my picture site. Just click here http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/ and then click on the picture itself. At the top of the picture you will see a symbol which allows you to enlarge the picture. When you cross this small bridge you will see a sign to Bridgewood but if you go straight you will come to Littles Kingdom and if you look carefully, tucked away upon a telegraph pole you will see an application to Suffolk Coastal Council for planning permission for another 200 dwellings which is plain crazy considering they will also have to queue up to use the bridge. The whole road from Nacton Road is little more than a lane with passing bays along it in case two wide cars approach from opposite directions and now it is proposed to put up 200 more dwellings. I really do not understand why Ipswich Borough Council have not used their influence with Suffolk Coastal Council to stop not only this expansion but also cause the demolition of all dwellings on the south side of that bridge. Maybe Ipswich Council have some skeletons in their own cupboard they do not wish to be aired. OK well lets see. Ipswich Borough Council have spent literally hundreds of thousands of pounds of council money buying the land for Orwell Country Park off, I am informed by the council, a Dutchman! Why? The whole of the Orwell Country Park is owned and maintained by Ipswich Borough Council at great expense to council tax payers and the whole site is outside of the IBC boundary. It is in Suffolk Coastal Councils area and should be their responsibilty so why have Ipswich Council spent all this money. If you know anything then please e-mail me as I feel all is not all in the interests of IBC council tax payers.

peterturtill@yahoo.com

Littles Kingdom. You can no longer walk down to the ancient relics of Alnesbourne Priory or get to the river this way unless you know the combination of numbers to enter or follow a car through. This is Littles Kindom on google http://www.caravancampingsites.co.uk/suffolk/priorypark.htm

His own web site and e-mail etc are there too but it all seems to belong to Lisa Little and James Little now. I am certain a right of way has been established here over the last few hundred years. Some more pics are available here http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/ and shock horror I have seen a notice saying hundreds more dwellings are to be built here too.

peterturtill@yahoo.com

Stalag Luft Orwell Country Park.
All around the woods now are fences and gates with notices saying DON'T. This is plain silly if folks are to enjoy themselves. There actually are rules about no camping and no camp fires. The woods have only been under the jurisdiction of IBC for about 10 years as the Ipswich Boundary used to end at the playing fields boundary. Some shuffling of the pack took place and now IBC's jurisdiction has spread but what did they give in return? More about that another day. I am my mates used these woods to ride motor bikes in since we were school kids and much later too. I always had a few motor cycles around and the late big Frank Nightingale would load them into his van and Neville Lambert, Tony Godfrey, Duncan Smith, David Nichols and a few more of us would race around there instead of on the estates where kids have to race these days and of course down the double dee. My kids and their mates would camp up here for days at a time with my dog for protection and I heard of very little harm. Ok maybe a few lads fell off motorbikes and maybe a few got hit by a stone out of a catapault but mainly nothing as serious as happens now with youngsters always being told they cannot do anything so they turn to drugs etc. I only ever remember one really bad thing ever happening and unfortunately that was to one of Frank Nightingales lads. Him and his mate were jumping off a cliff and firing their 12 bores into the air as they did so and Franks lad was killed. That was really terrible but as nothing compared to what happens these days of restrictions. Many more pics posted today click below. http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/
pete

This is the caravan site opposite the original Alnesbournes Priory Caravan site. This one is now called Orwell Meadows. So we have the original Alnesbourne Priory Caravan Site is now called Priory Court. Alnesbourne Priory is now called Priory Park and new one behind the farm house is called Orwell Meadows so the actual name Alnesbourne seems to have been airbrushed out of existance. Incidentally all these gates are locked at night leaving a dead end after one passes the turning to Bridgewood. I think Lord Prettyman would now be turning in his grave if he saw all these gates and fences. Even Prettymans estate gates are never closed and rely on a sheep grill in the road to keep the livestock on the estate. Well done Suffolk County Council. Another freedom sold somehow as I am sure it wasn't given away by the locals. I once picked up Robbie Bennet around here when he had disturbed the local game keeper and we drove away in my XJ6 while the keeper scoured the bushes for Robbie:-)

pete

Alnesbourne Priory Caravan Site that was is now just a gentrified housing estate and it has more speed humps that caravans. Indeed as I was looking around I believe the last van was being removed. This is where many local couples started their married life whilest awaiting a council house or a house of their own. Literally thousands of couples passed this way on their way to something more permenant and now everything is a permenant structure which was always denied the previous residents. Babies were born here, marriages sometimes ended here too and of course people died here. One terrible case I remember was when a caravan caught fire and two people and two children died if my memory serves me correctly. Now it is an estate of single story houses some of which look terrific. Now how did the caravan park owner get planning permission for these. This place really was the pits for young couples starting out in life with a near mile walk to the nearest bus stop and pushing a tripper with a couple of children and the weeks shopping put a terrible strain on any marriage. I knew many of the chaps who lived here as we went to school together and I bet many of them would be outraged to know their rents went towards creating this haven for single rich folks. Heck there is not even a shop there now nor a telephone call box where people could receive calls as much as make them. This is an insult to all who parted with money to exist here many years ago.

pete

Alnesbourne Priory. More pics at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/

The little rascals. That gate is supposed to stop people seeing that the place is a mass of log cabins now and none of them have wheels either. This is in the jurisdiction of Suffolk Council so who is the councilor with responsibility for this area please? All e-mail to peterturtill@yahoo.co.uk will be gratefully received as I investigate how planning permission was granted for this lot and why are those bloody great gates blocking a right of way. Still I don't expect it will be long before the local loyal chavs fill the electronic entrance number pad with instant glue or more likely drive a stolen car into them and set it alight. Local lads are very much like their fathers and grandfathers when rights of way are blocked by newcomers.

pete

Alnesbourne Priory. More pics at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/

Well IBC have shown willing and are making changes but some how I think these buggers are rather challenging. Keep out and stay out they seem to be saying. I note they have also changed the name of the location which all who went to school with me will know to be Alnesbourne Priory which is beside Bridgewood and actually runs into it on the river from what I remember. Inside here is supposed to be nothing but the Priory and a few caravans. Nothing permenant such as buildings and of course the gates are not to stop people looking are they?

peterturtill@yahoo.co.uk

Spoke too soon again. The RADARLOCK gate hasn't got a RADARKEY lock. I still cannot get in. Well done IBC, you have completely won in the idiot stakes. What are you going to do for an encore?

photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/

pete

p.s. Bravo IBC. I e-mailed them this Monday afternoon about the lock and at 5pm we saw it had been changed so now all people with a RADAR key can get in. Those who are also disabled and do not have a RADAR key can take the council to the Disability Discrimination Act people. That would be IBC:-)

A RADARLOCK gate for people who cannot negotiate the turnstyle. I can get though here in my wheel chair:-)

photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/

pete

Then many more hundreds of pounds were spent putting up a new gate. Now nobody can get in at all except council workers poncing about in their 4x4's:-(

photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/

pete

Thousands of pounds worth of gates were then removed by a tracked mechanical digger costing many hundreds of pounds more. Now I can get in and have a look around this summer:-)

photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/

pete

These gates on the north side of the A14 will not allow wheel chair access. About 8-9 years ago my wife complained the could not get through with the grandchildrens pram. She was told she had the wrong sort of pram. With the Disability Discrimination Act it is illegal to allow access only to able bodied people. I am in a wheel chair so I flexed my muscles.

photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/

pete

Yea Brand New CCTV.

They are invisible, don't use electric because there is none and apparently they do not work either as I have to report HGV's parking overnight in the disability parking bays to the Parks Department. See below.

http://static.flickr.com/26/88566819_3ff9c76495_b.jpg

This happens all the time without these new cameras ever seeing them. Somebody is telling fibs I think:-)

pete

Yea modern crap collector.

Not rustic and probably about a tenth of the cost too. They are always full though and I have never seen a deer or fox use it. It is for the gentlefolk in their 4x4's who bring little plastic bags with them and collect their dogs crap. Now if they are going to pick it up in a plastic bag and tie a knot in it why on earth don't they take it home along with their dog/s? This Sunday 12/3/06 the car park was full and overflowing. You will notice the hundreds of bumber benders (tree trunks) strategically burried deep into the ground to bend the cars that park rearwards first. There appears to be something unpleasant about reversing into a parking bay because the penalty is severe. These bumber benders cannot be seen in a cars mirror and cars often reverse right into them resulting in many guffaws by those watching 'quietly'. There must be some lateral thinking at play here that escapes me for the moment but these bumber benders appear to be placed to stop people parking their cars on a car park. Yes, well maybe I will figure that one out later in life.

peterturtill@yahoo.co.uk

Ye Olde Worlde Rustic Litter bin.

There are a few of these around the car park as well as other stupid examples of how town folks think the countryside should look like. The Orwell Country Park has a very expensive wooden fence around it that probably took two park loads of wood to build. The chavs like them though and the police hate them. As visitors pass the first Olde World Rustic sign there is about 100 metres of tarmac road. This has no less than three speed humps and when the chavs are being chased by plod they use these speed humps as ramps to take off especially so if they are on stolen motorcycles. Of course plod has to slow down for the speed humps just as the chavs speed up. By the time plod has reached the fence the chavs have dumped whatever they have stolen and have jumped over the fence and are away while plod are stopped. I am surprised the Ipswich Town Council take such care of the chavs and hinder plod so. The speed humps are also useful when plod is not around as the chavs like to see how fast they can hit them and leap through the air.

peterturtill@yahoo.co.uk

These old chicken sheds have been there at least 55 years as that is when I first remember seeing them. Tom Laver the farmer used to have loads of chickens then. I do not know if these buildings are protected but I hope they are. The huge gate on the left of the picture is a new addition and an obscenity. The road in the picture used to be a dirt track and lead to Hallowtree scouts camp site. Now it just leads to the caravan site and the reception building. I had a look around there today but it was difficult to take many pics as it was snowing.

Ye olde rustic sign 

I have spent most of my life enjoying the River Orwell and the woods around the east bank of it. Unfortunately these woods have now been manicured and have fences and gates around them and are now called Orwell Country Park or Ravenswood housing estate and even Braziers Wood housing estate. The airport has gone and the caravan site and the old Priory now have gates and fences too and of course the A14 has been built right through the middle of it all. I hope to use this blog to encourage better use of the places my mates, I and my children and their mates all grew up using and I hope other will contribute to this as well by adding their memories and idea too. I remember being taken there by my mother just after the war with my brother. We would usually get there via the Lairs and only went as far as Mambrook which was a nice grassy area on the river bank. Mum would sit on the bank chatting to the other women there who were mostly also waiting for there husbands to return from the war. My brother and I with all the other kids would be allowed to paddle in the river even though it was full of sewage. The main sewer outlet discharged straight into the river near what is now Cliff Quay but nobody took any notice of it. Motor barges with sails assisting them would be on the river and some smoky old steamers would pass by. It was a totally tranquil place and ideal for us kids. As we grew older and started to roam and investigate without parents around we would go right along the river bank sometimes as far as Levington Creek where an old barge was slowly rotting away. All the land was our playground and even the odd problem with game keepers or landowners caused no restriction on our movements. The airport had a couple of big black shed on the Maryon Road side where at least one Auster was kept and I believe that belonged to a local doctor and he would fly it regularly. The main hanger was still being used by the RAF who stayed there until about 1958 and when we crossed the airport we just checked to make sure nothing was landing. Joe Wiggins had a few horses that he would rent out by the hour and they would be ridden down to the river and back usually by lads with no riding gear. Joe would sometimes ride too but he always dressed for the occasion and he always looked magnificent as he rode. Later in life I would hire a horse together with my mates and we would ride along the shore and everytime Joe would be angry because we had galloped the horses and made them sweat. Many of us joined the scouts as we saw that as a way of escaping our parents control and we often stayed at Hallowtree for days at a time. We would cycle down to my grandmothers newsagents in Duke Street and do a paper round in the morning and another at night and in general we ran wild most of the time. I joined the 21st sea scouts as did my mates while the 18th landscouts used to use Hallowtree too but not as often as we did as we had our own hut complete with heater and galley and we had a boat, the Typhoon which we would row across the river sometimes to Pin Mill.
Peter Turtill