Summary

  • Updates for Friday, 13 January 2017

  • Despite severe flood warnings for areas along the Suffolk coast, most places avoid flooding

  • Environment Agency says a change in wind direction helped avert flooding

  • Some local flooding, including at The Harbour Inn, Southwold

  1. Three new bells increase number in ring at churchpublished at 17:21 British Summer Time 22 June 2020

    Patrick Byrne
    BBC News

    Eight old bells are being temporarily removed from a Suffolk church and a new set of three cast in The Netherlands will join them to create a ring of 10.

    Work has already started on the bells to be rehung in the tower of the church of St Peter and St Mary, external in Stowmarket this week.

    Bellhangers are overseeing the removal of the old eight and the first of the new bells were due to be taken down to the aisle today.

    New bellImage source, Stowmarket Bells Project

    "It will take two or three days before all eight are down and then they will be taken by lorry to Bridport, Dorset where work will begin to refurbish and establish a new ring of 10," Lynda Rochester of the Stowmarket Bells Project Team, said.

    "One of the old bells (the treble) is in poor condition and will not be kept. We anticipate the new ring of 10 bells to be brought to Stowmarket from Bridport in the summer and look forward to welcoming visitors as soon as safety regulations allow.”

    The new treble is in memory of the much loved doctor Peter Franks and his wife Sheila.

    The £179,000 project has been funded by grants and donations, including a £95,100 Heritage Lottery Fund, external windfall.

  2. Windrush faces beamed on to landmarkspublished at 13:22 British Summer Time 22 June 2020

    Immigrants from Caribbean islands came to work in Ipswich in the 1950s and 1960s.

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  3. From snapping surfers to stacking brickspublished at 00:27 British Summer Time 22 June 2020

    Surf photographer Si Crowther is stuck in his flat in Ipswich instead of touring the globe.

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  4. Government to 'bring forward proposals' on 2m rulepublished at 15:00 British Summer Time 21 June 2020

    Matt Hancock says he "very much hopes" to lower the social distancing measure in England.

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  5. 'We're about to see another step in the plan'published at 11:15 British Summer Time 21 June 2020

    Matt Hancock says the UK government will announce the next step of its plan to gradually ease the country's lockdown, within days.

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  6. Beautiful sunrises and rain as solstice celebratedpublished at 08:16 British Summer Time 21 June 2020

    The far east and west of England saw amazing sunrises while it was wet for other areas.

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  7. Racism is your auntie, equality campaigner sayspublished at 12:24 British Summer Time 20 June 2020

    It's not just "skinheads and swastikas", says a woman who has organised a demonstration in a Suffolk town.

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  8. Librarians record audiobook for 102-year-oldpublished at 09:16 British Summer Time 20 June 2020

    Staff track down a 1927 out-of-print novel for one of their regulars who has fond memories of it.

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  9. Illegally-harvested shellfish 'seized' on coastpublished at 09:13 British Summer Time 20 June 2020

    Police say illegal shellfish picking is an "emerging problem" after significant volumes were found.

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  10. Ed Sheeran kick-starts Suffolk Covid-19 appealpublished at 17:29 British Summer Time 19 June 2020

    Pop star Ed Sheeran has helped kick-start a new appeal to help communities in his home county recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

    Suffolk Community Foundation (SCF) wants to raise £2m as part of its Rebuilding Local Lives, external initiative.

    The BBC Radio Suffolk-backed campaign will get vital funds to community groups and charities helping those in need during the Covid-19 crisis and as the nation emerges from it.

    Ed SheeranImage source, PA Media

    SCF did not disclose the amount donated by the Framlingham singer.

    Tim Holder, SCF's head of public affairs, said they were "excited and grateful" to receive the support from the 29-year-old.

    He said: "Ed’s visibility as a supporter will really boost to our ability to raise awareness of the fund and this new appeal, and now we can inspire even more people to support Suffolk charities and community groups to get Suffolk lives back on track as we come out of lockdown."

  11. BAME community alarmed by city's Covid-19 surgepublished at 17:10 British Summer Time 19 June 2020

    A rise in reported coronavirus cases in "the most deprived areas" of Leicester is "worrying".

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  12. 'Secrecy' claims over factory coronavirus outbreakpublished at 16:09 British Summer Time 19 June 2020

    Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed on Thursday there had been a localised outbreak in Kirklees.

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  13. US fighter pilot killed in crash returned homepublished at 11:47 British Summer Time 19 June 2020

    Lt Kenneth "Kage" Allen died when his F-15C Eagle jet crashed on Monday during a training mission.

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  14. UEA's key worker sanitiser cleans 1.3m pairs of handspublished at 18:09 British Summer Time 18 June 2020

    The last batch of key worker hand sanitiser created on a university campus has been bottled.

    Technicians from the University of East Anglia have created nearly 4,000 litres of the Covid-19 sanitiser over the past 12 weeks, which they reckon has cleaned 1.3 million pairs of hands.

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    UEA opened up labs on its Norwich campus to make the product, supported with supplies from businesses, including Southwold brewers Adnams.

    The sanitiser was distributed to 15 local health and social care facilities, NHS trusts and community organisations in the East of England, but with demand reducing the university says the project has come to a natural conclusion.

  15. 'Bus-lover' treated to own private trippublished at 14:25 British Summer Time 18 June 2020

    Alasdair Messenger, who has special needs, was missing his weekly rides due to the pandemic.

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  16. Online kitchen disco raises £30,000 for charitypublished at 09:48 British Summer Time 18 June 2020

    The money from DJ Andy Palazon's live streams will go towards helping children with brain tumours.

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  17. Center Parcs to remain closed until 12 Julypublished at 09:11 British Summer Time 18 June 2020

    Holiday park operator Center Parcs, external said its leisure complexes in Elveden and Woburn Forests would remain closed until at least 12 July.

    "Whilst we do not have a confirmed date for re-opening yet, we’re busy working on our reopening plans and we are getting nearer to welcoming our guests back to the forest," it said.

    "We have taken a best-practice approach to our plans at this stage and are now very close to finalising things."

    Center Parcs WoburnImage source, Christine Johnson/Geograph
  18. Hospital visitors will help patient 'anxiety levels'published at 08:47 British Summer Time 18 June 2020

    A hospital ward sister has said patient recovery times will be helped with visitors being allowed back on site.

    Anyone wanting to visit a patient at Ipswich Hospital, external must wear a face mask, book their trip in advance, and can only stay for 45 minutes.

    Ipswich HospitalImage source, NHS East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

    Sister Naomi Gunton said: "Anxiety levels will reduce because we are able to have better conversations, and when you are ill you want your loved one there.

    "It's been a really tricky three months. It was the right thing to do, not to have visitors, but it will be great to get back to some more normal processes."

  19. Hancock social distancing slip-up caught on camerapublished at 17:32 British Summer Time 17 June 2020

    The health secretary slaps a colleague on the back in the House of Commons, despite the two-metre rule.

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  20. Did Matt Hancock forget the 2m rule in Parliament?published at 17:15 British Summer Time 17 June 2020

    The health secretary has been seen slapping a colleague on the back in the House of Commons.

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