Summary

  • Updates for Wednesday, 21 June 2017

  • The first ever Suffolk Day is here!

  • Kids in wigs: Students mark Suffolk Day by dressing as Ed Sheeran

  • More than 6,000 people take part in Bury St Edmunds plan consultation

  • An Ipswich woman is fined £200 for discarded fag end

  1. 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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  2. 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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  3. 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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  4. 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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  5. 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."

  6. 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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  7. 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.

  8. '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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  9. 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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  10. 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
  11. 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."

  12. By-election for 'racist posts' councillor delayedpublished at 16:42 British Summer Time 17 June 2020

    Jason Noble
    Suffolk Local Democracy Reporter

    A by-election to replace a councillor who resigned amid allegations of sharing racist posts on social media cannot take place until May next year.

    Conservative Frank Warby resigned from West Suffolk Council on Monday, after his party started an investigation into posts the 79-year-old shared on his Facebook account.

    Frank WarbyImage source, West Suffolk Council

    The posts shared were asking questions as to why no riots took place in the UK following the death of fusilier Lee Rigby, who was killed near the Royal Artillery Baracks in Woolwich, London, in 2013.

    Mr Warby also shared posts about the removal of statues with links to slavery and Britain’s colonial history.

    It means that a by-election will now need to be held for his Moreton Hall seat in Bury St Edmunds, but current social distancing restrictions means the election has been postponed until May 2021, although that could be moved forward if the government deems it safe.

    Mr Warby said he was deleting his Facebook account and that he has "had enough" of people "picking on him".

    He added: "I’m not a racist. I have never been a racist. I am not a racist person. I did not post these images, I shared someone else’s posts."

  13. 'Time for change' as BLM supported in Woodbridgepublished at 15:30 British Summer Time 17 June 2020

    The Guildhall in Woodbridge has become a focal point for a Black Lives Matter campaign.

    Young people from the town have put up anti-racism signs outside the building.

    Organiser Harry Raithatha said: "The global outcry shows it's time for change now."

    He said there was "a lot of racism" in the area that just went unnoticed because it was "considered the norm".

    BLM signs have been put up outside the Guildhall in Woodbridge
    Image caption,

    Signs have been put up outside the Guildhall in Woodbridge

  14. Cyclists urged to forego full moon bike eventpublished at 15:09 British Summer Time 17 June 2020

    The Dunwich Dynamo has been running for 28 years but is not officially organised.

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  15. Lifeguards to resume patrols at Lowestoft Southpublished at 13:59 British Summer Time 17 June 2020

    Lifeguards will return to Lowestoft South beach this weekend following the easing of lockdown restrictions.

    The RNLI has already resumed patrols at nearby Gorleston.

    New measures to deal with the coronavirus pandemic mean the lifeguards will wear personal protective equipment like ambulance crews in some situations.

    LifeguardsImage source, RNLI

    New protocols for all first responders mean the lifeguards may not deal with some minor first aid cases, but will support people to treat themselves.

    The charity is also continuing to urge to everyone to follow beach safety advice:

    • Have a plan - check the weather forecast, tide times and read local hazard signage
    • Keep a close eye on your family – on the beach and in the water
    • Do not allow your family to swim alone
    • Do not use inflatables
    • If you fall into the water unexpectedly, fight your instinct to thrash around and instead lean back, extend your arms and legs, and float
    • In an emergency dial 999, and ask for the coastguard

  16. What the papers say in Suffolkpublished at 11:56 British Summer Time 17 June 2020

  17. Lockdown netball challenge raises funds for hospicepublished at 08:33 British Summer Time 17 June 2020

    A sports team is keeping fit, and brushing up on their skills, by raising money for the local hospice while maintaining social distancing.

    Ipswich Ladies Netball Club, external players are trying to make a million passes by 17 July, in aid of the town's St Elizabeth Hospice, external.

    The club's committee said the hospice's income had been hit by the pandemic "so we wanted to see if Ipswich Ladies Netball Club could play a small part in helping one of our local charities".

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  18. Speedway teen aims for track return after crashpublished at 00:06 British Summer Time 17 June 2020

    Sam Norris, 16, sustained a serious brain injury a year ago and spent months in rehabilitation.

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  19. US fighter pilot killed in North Sea crash namedpublished at 17:55 British Summer Time 16 June 2020

    Colleagues of Lt Kenneth Allen are "deeply saddened" after his jet crashed off the Yorkshire coast.

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  20. Man denies attempted murder of three pedestrianspublished at 17:36 British Summer Time 16 June 2020

    Thomas Broughton is remanded in custody after appearing at Ipswich Crown Court earlier.

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