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With 2025 just around the corner it’s time to pick up your Sudbury 2025 calendar, this time with a touch of the past!   Thanks to Sudbury Photo Archive and The Museum Trust we have been given photos of Sudbury in the past, from the meadows, the Mill Hotel, Vue House to aerial views of Ballingdon, and an Edwardian view of Friars Street. More of these photos and more can be seen by visiting the Heritage Centre, open Monday to Friday, 9.45am - 4.30pm and Saturdays 9am - 2pm for free! Using local photographers who submitted their photos, 12 have been selected to show how our town has changed, with some of the views almost identical to the ‘then’ photos. Photos were provided by Sue Longhurst, Andy Longhurst, Rachel Price, Robert Henry, and Haydn Taylor. Looking through the images you can see how vastly Sudbury has changed, which demonstrates the hard work of so many organisations, including River Stour Trust, Sudbury Common Lands Charity and The Sudbury Society to name a few. Available for purchase from the Tourist Information Centre at the lower price of £6, more affordable than ever! In this year’s calendar are classic Sudbury Town Council events, including our market days, Farmers markets, Moving Cinema and Guided Tours.   On sale from tomorrow, Wednesday 25th September 2024.

Heritage Open Days - Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th September 2024.   Heritage Open Days is England’s largest community led festival of history and culture, involving thousands of local volunteers and organisations. Every year in September it brings people together to celebrate their heritage, community and history.   Sudbury Town Council with our event partners, coordinated a host of free open house events, guided tours, talks, and hands-on creative workshops, all to showcase Sudbury’s fascinating heritage spanning many centuries.   On Saturday 14th, Market hill, with its busy Market, saw the meeting spot for 3 guided tours, ‘From Wool to Silk’, ‘Step into Sudbury’ and ‘Tales of the Talbot Trail’. With lots of interest and bookings, our tour experts where able to share their knowledge of all things Sudbury. 'Step into Sudbury' guided tours are held each month, starting in the Tourist information Centre. The next Tour is on Saturday 19th October, where you pay on the day. Book your place by contacting the Sudbury Tourist Information Centre.   Gainsborough House opened their doors free of charge over Heritage Open weekend to explore all they have to offer in the traditional House and New Galleries. A chance for all to come and see the fantastic work of Gainsborough himself, as well as exhibitions including Revealing Nature: The Art of Cedric Morris & Lett-Haines, and The Iris Florilegium of Sir Cedric Morris. The top floor boasts a special viewing window in the Landscape Studio with spectacular views. Visitors were then able to enjoy the weather and take a break in The Watering Place cafe and the beautiful gardens.   Hosted within Sudbury Arts Centre, Sudbury Museum Trust hosted an unmissable local history book sale to raise funds for the Heritage Centre. With many rare titles and some out of print the sales went fast all from the collection of the late Lord Phillips of Sudbury.   Sudbury Library had fun activities for all the family the weekend, centered around Sudbury's connections with the wider world over time - including making Silk hangings, looking at the routes that Silk took to get here, and bringing it up to date looking at American airfields in Suffolk - including the making of silk parachutes.  They had colouring, activities, junk box modelling, maps, quizzes and more!  They also had their usual Lego club and had their train set out for children to enjoy. With visitors from Sudbury, Halstead, Braintree and Hadleigh, the Mill Tye Gallery, allowed people to discover the history behind the former Cornard Mill building, which was once a medieval water mill. Exploring the fascinating past of this unique space, from its industrial roots to its transformation into the thriving gallery you see today. With an increased footfall, people visited the gallery who had not previously attended were very happy with the discovery. Plan your visit today: https://www.milltyegallery.co.uk/ On Sunday 15th Market Hill was host to Green Sundays Eco Market with a crafty twist, showcasing local businesses, charities and community groups making strides for sustainability, encouraging all to make small changes towards sustainable living. Activities included making owls and frogs on logs using tree bark, acorns, log slices and imagination. Children and adults alike were able to join the fun and have a go. The next Green Sunday Market is Sunday 20th October. Joining them, Gainsborough House bought along their Camera Obscura, free for all to have a go, allowing a 360-degree view of Sudbury and the landscapes that inspired Thomas Gainsborough. A predecessor to modern photography proved its popularity on Sunday with all ages taking turn to see Sudbury in a new way. Not to be missed, the permanent Camera Obscura is situated at Gainsborough house, one of only 74 in the world, 21 of which are in UK. Book your visit below: https://gainsborough.org/your-visit/camera-obscura/ The highlight of the weekend was a free talk ‘Roads, River, Rails of Sudbury’ and Q&A with local history experts of the routes in and out of Sudbury over the centuries that have enabled our industries, cultures and communities to stay connected and thrive.  Speaking about the roads in and out of Sudbury, Ashley Cooper engaged with artwork by Ben Perkins and showcased the changes that make Sudbury what it is today. Jim Lunn from The River Stour Trust presented how the River Stour shaped Sudbury, from defensive decisions to the present-day uses of the river. Closing with rail, local railway expert and enthusiast Gavin Moulton spoke on the coming of the railway to Sudbury, later Beeching cuts to the present-day terminus station on The Gainsborough Line. With over 100 people attending, the talks were a huge success, with a captivating Q and A afterwards with the experts left the crowd wanting more. The Heritage Open Days 2024 for Sudbury were a great success, from the well attended talks, activities for all ages, guided tours and free open houses, we are proud to be part of the Heritage Open Days organisation. For more information and to learn more about Heritage Open Days, visit their website: https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/

TOWN OF SUDBURY NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a casual vacancy has arisen in the Office of Councillor for Sudbury Town Council. Candidates must submit their applications to the Town Clerk by Monday 30th September 2024.   The candidates will be invited to appear before the Full Council meeting on 8th October at 7pm and will be given a maximum of 3 minutes each to explain why they would make a good town councillor. The current members will then select their preferred candidate by voting. Anyone eligible to be a councillor may apply. Candidates must apply in writing or by email, certifying that they meet the criteria for eligibility set out in section 79 of the Local Government Act 1972 (see below) and are not disqualified under section 80 of the Local Government Act 1972. Dated 10 September 2024 Proper Officer: Ciaran Griffin, Town Clerk, Sudbury Town Council, Town Hall, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 1TL ciaran.griffin@sudbury-tc.gov.uk Section 79(1) of the Local Government Act 1972 (“the 1972 Act”) provides, unless disqualified, a person is qualified to be elected and to be a councillor if he is a qualifying Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland or a qualifying EU citizen or an EU citizen with retained rights and on the day of co-option he is 18 years of age or over and: a) on that day he is and thereafter he continues to be a local government elector for the area of the authority; or b) he has during the whole of the 12 months preceding that day occupied as owner or tenant any land or other premises in that area; or c) his principal or only place of work during that 12 months has been in that area; or d) he has during the whole of those 12 months resided in that area; or e) in the case of a member of a town council he has during the whole of those 12 months resided either in the town or within three miles of it.

This bank holiday Sunday Sudbury Town Council partnered with Sudbury Arts Centre and hosted it’s first (hopefully of many) Street Food Festival. A massive achievement for Sudbury, My Thai Chef was proud to have been a part of this amazing day." - My Thai Chef Melford Market Hill was filled to the brim with street food vendors, including some of our regular market traders, offering Sudbury a variety of foods to try from 11am until 7pm. People could enjoy lunch, afternoon bite and an evening meal all in one place. With seating inside the Arts Centre, they also provided a bar to quench the first in-between the mouth-watering food. The Mayor of Sudbury, Councillor Alison Owen presented a short speech from the Gainsborough Statue before officially opening the event, however by 11am the hill was already buzzing with no end of people wanting to try their favourite foods. Every stall had its fair share of queues and happy customers, some even selling out before 3 o’clock.   "Thank you for this opportunity, we sold out and it was amazing!" - Karachi Kitchen During the afternoon it became apparent that we had underestimated the power of Sudbury, as traders were selling out left right and centre, we made the decision to close the Festival at 5pm instead of 7pm. The few that still had a small amount of stock kept going until they served all the customers they could. "We loved seeing the local town come together to support the food trading community, everyone was buzzing and there was a real cohesive atmosphere!" - Wagyu Burgers & Street Foods   From Facebook, praise had been coming in all day, including “ the food was amazing”, “so much fun”, “it was so good to see the town so busy. More things like this need to happen”, “it was amazing – such lovely food and a fantastic atmosphere!”  among many more.   Exceeded all our expectations, fantastic event, can't wait until next year!" - The Little Pizza Oven Even with St Peters providing seating inside and Sudbury Town Council putting some tables outside, there were so many people they had taken to eating standing up or going on the curb. Some feedback mentioned about additional seating both for the event and in the Summer, especially Sundays, something that will be taken into account for future events. One of the best food festivals we have attended, Jaclyn and Rachel were fun to work with and checked in with us many times to make sure everything was running well. Definitely looking forward to next time!" - iShakeit Catering We'd love to hear how you found out about the festival and how you felt about it, to leave feedback on your experience visit Sudbury Town Council's website and find the Street Food Festival page. Sunday was proof that the good folk of Sudbury will support their town if the opportunity is there. A brilliant day was had by everyone! - Bites and Delights We would like to thank Sudbury Arts Centre who worked with Nethergate Brewery and The Barista Shed who provided quality local drinks, to all the people of Sudbury and the surrounding areas who made the event such a success and our amazing vendors, we couldn't have done without you! Our amazing Vendors: Authentic homemade Pakistani food from newly established Karachi Kitchen , Mac and cheese varieties from Mac Street Kitchen  trading from their distinctive ’77 Bedford ambulance, Classic whippy ice cream and other creative desserts from Mikey and Jordy’s Ice Cream  van, Shika Shack Ltd best known for its takeaway,   served hand rolled fresh pizza and home-made sausage rolls, Market regular Bites and Delights, wowed the crowd with their signature bubble waffles treats, Brand new to Sudbury, S&K Tasty Treats treated with their classic German sausages, Delights Catering and its sister stall provided fully loaded hot dogs and for dessert, fully loaded donuts, From Long Melford, My Thai Chef Melford, served delicious authentic Thai cuisine created from personal experiences in Thailand, Another familiar face, Chilli Brothers served their favourite Latin American soul food, burritos, quesadillas and rice dishes, Needed another pizza option, The Little Pizza Oven brought fresh Neapolitan pizza for all to enjoy, When you needed a fix of loaded chips, The Bucket List Chips served buckets of loaded chips, To cool down, Tornado Ices, a one-woman operation, provided small batch locally made ice creams and sorbets, From Hadleigh, Wagyu Burgers & Street Foods served their classic Wagyu patty’s, pulled smoked brisket and triple cooked chips, Another favourite from Sudbury Market Jo’s Traditional Sweet Treats brought along their classic sweets for those with a sweet tooth, iShakeit Catering served locally sourced fresh tortilla wraps shaped in large cones filled with fresh salad and fillings, And last but not least, The Raclette Truck served mouth watering Swiss/French cheese melted over the top of your choice of foods.

With schools all coming to the end of term and summer weather being so sporadic, some Sudbury residents look further afield to enjoy their summer. But why not look a little bit closer to home to experience a fun summer for all. From enjoying the River Stour, having a drink at a local café or trying to escape an escape room, there are activities for all.   If the weather looks good, why not enjoy the River Stours new designated bathing water status and go for a dip? With weekly updates on their results of testing the waters, you can view online and decide for yourself. Not feeling that brave just yet? There are still plenty of ways to enjoy the river. Sudbury Rowing Club will be holing their international regatta on the 3rd August for all to come and watch. Or if you fancy going down the river yourself you can hire from Stour Kayak by the Henny Swan, the Stour Valley Adventure Club or the Paddle Company. If you just want to enjoy the scenery whilst taking a trip down the river look at booking a boat trip with the River Stour Trust. Take advantage of the weather and follow one of the stunning Gainsborough trails around our beautiful meadows or book a guided walk with experts from Blue Badge guides to learn about Sudbury’s rich history.   When the weathers not so nice and you’re looking for an indoor activity, Sudbury Escape Room, the largest escape room in Suffolk, located by the bus station, is a unique experience to be enjoyed for all different ages.   Don’t forget to check out some of our local cafés and restaurants in Sudbury including Twenteaone, Painters, Cradle, Bishops Coffee, Miramba and so many more, check on our website to find a list that just keeps going. This August will see Sudbury hosting our first Street Food Festival. With some of our regular traders taking part and lots of new faces we can’t wait to share the event with all of Sudbury.   There are so many activities being hosted in Sudbury by the Library, Sudbury Arts Centre, The Christohper Centre, Gainsborough House and the Wine Boutique to name a few! Every month in the Tourist Information Centre find our What’s On magazine showcasing classes, courses, clubs and concerts for in and around Sudbury. If you are looking to learn a fun new skill and love music, why not take a go at a free DJ workshop, for ages 10 – 19 in the Sudbury Arts Centre, Wednesday 14th August. "Explore the world of DJing and create your own mixes. Experiment with remixing tunes, performing live and creating new music with professional DJ equipment. No previous experience required."  - https://sudburyartscentre.com/event/free-youth-music-workshops-how-to-dj-ages-15-19/ For those sport fans, Sudbury have a wide range of clubs to cheer on, with cricket on all summer, football season staring soon, tennis tournaments and many more, there’s a sport for everybody. AFC Sudbury will also be hosting HAF summer camps in August, book your place online. ‘All activities will help to develop new skills or knowledge, try new experiences and have fun and socialise by stimulating their creativity, physical activity and education. The skills and knowledge they'll gain will be beneficial to communication and collaboration skills as well as their individual mental and physical wellbeing.’- https://eequ.org/experience/9459   With so much available in Sudbury, no matter the weather, there should be something for everyone to enjoy this summer!

Open from 6th July - 3rd November 2024 Sudbury Town Council had the honour of visiting Gainsborough House and seeing their exciting new exhibit – Revealing Nature: Morris and Lett-Haines. Met by Charlie Dixon, the events & marketing manager, and one of their many amazing volunteers, Jane, we were given a guided tour of the new exhibit as well as Gainsborough’s old house.   Gainsborough’s House society was formed in 1958 to purchase Gainsborough’s house and re establish it as a centre for Thomas Gainsborough, which opened publicly in 1961, and has operated as an independent charitable trust. The redevelopment and refurbishment commenced in 2019 making it more accessible and expanding on the rich history of Sudbury and Gainsborough, reopening to the public 21 November 2022.   Currently Gainsborough House has around 200 volunteers hard at work in all different areas of the museum and all equally passionate about what they do. Whilst showing us around Jane showed immense knowledge in Cedric Morris’ work and you could tell by how she spoke it is something she is truly proud of.   We were taken to the top floor and shown by another volunteer, Tim, their Camera Obscura. A truly amazing experience of seeing Sudbury from one of only 74 Camera Obsrura’s in the world. ‘Gainsborough was clearly interested in experimenting with light— creating the Showbox (considered a ‘cousin’ to the camera obscura) which can now be seen at the V&A.’ https://gainsborough.org/your-visit/camera-obscura/ Gainsborough House is looking at working with the local schools helping to promote arts and holds regular art classes and printing workshops. With major loans from Tate and the National Portrait Gallery the exhibit is fulfilled with loans private lenders, descendants of pupils of the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing or friends of Morris and Lett. Showcasing over 90 works the new exhibit is spaced out throughout the museum giving all a chance to enjoy the other wonders the museum has to offer.   “As the new Director of Gainsborough’s House, I can think of very few exhibitions that give me greater pleasure in presenting than The Art of Cedric Morris and Lett-Haines. This is the first opportunity for many years to examine the oeuvre of two artists side by side and whose legacy lives through their life and art. The East Anglian School of Painting is an important chapter in the story of twentieth- century British art which deserves to be better known and understood.”   - Calvin Winner, New executive director.    Going around the new exhibitions, the new layout and Gainsborough house you truly feel you are part of something much bigger, enjoying the secluded garden and café, volunteers describes the museum as their little piece of paradise.

North Street has welcomed a new charity shop, MIND. Opened at 11am today with Sudbury's Mayor, Councillor Alison Owen, cutting the ribbon to let in the long waiting crowd. Offering all things big and small, the charity shop is packed for all to browse through. Jon Neal, the Chief Executive says 'The Sudbury Mind store is the fourth in Suffolk that we’ve opened jointly with the national charity – meaning a third of the profits will go directly to benefiting local people through Suffolk Mind support and services. “But it’s not just about raising vital funds. The stores also provide much needed volunteering opportunities. People who volunteer are twice as likely to be meeting their emotional needs, and therefore avoiding stress and having good mental health. And it’s also an opportunity for people to find another life for their pre-loved items. “We’re really pleased to be in Sudbury through this wonderful store, and we hope it will be busy for many months to come.” MIND is a charity making mental health an everyday priority. Find out how you can get involved by visiting the shop today!

On Thursday 4th July, the Mayor of Sudbury, Councillor Alison Owen, joined Rev. Andrew Doarks, members from the Royal British Legion and members of the RAF Association on behalf of the 486th Bombardment Group Association to lay wreaths at the American War Memorial outside St Gregory’s Church. A small gathering paid their respects as Rev. Doarks led with Prayers. Tricia Drawbridge, the Town Piper, played the bagpipes whilst wreaths were laid by The Mayor, a member of RAF Association on behalf of the 486th Bombardment Group Association and a member of Sudbury & District Royal British Legion. The Mayor then proceeded to lay a wreath on the British War Memorial before returning to the American memorial for closing prayers by Rev. Doarks.

TOWN OF SUDBURY NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a casual vacancy has arisen in the Office of Councillor for Sudbury Town Council. Candidates must submit their applications to the Town Clerk by Thursday 4th July 2024. The candidates will be invited to appear before the Full Council meeting on 9th July at 7pm and will be given a maximum of 3 minutes each to explain why they would make a good town councillor. The current members will then select their preferred candidate by voting. Anyone eligible to be a councillor may apply. Candidates must apply in writing or by email, certifying that they meet the criteria for eligibility set out in section 79 of the Local Government Act 1972 (see below) and are not disqualified under section 80 of the Local Government Act 1972. Dated 25th June 2024 Proper Officer: Ciaran Griffin, Town Clerk, Sudbury Town Council, Town Hall, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 1TL ciaran.griffin@sudbury-tc.gov.uk Section 79(1) of the Local Government Act 1972 (“the 1972 Act”) provides, unless disqualified, a person is qualified to be elected and to be a councillor if he is a qualifying Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland or a qualifying EU citizen or an EU citizen with retained rights and on the day of co-option he is 18 years of age or over and: a) on that day he is and thereafter he continues to be a local government elector for the area of the authority; or b) he has during the whole of the 12 months preceding that day occupied as owner or tenant any land or other premises in that area; or c) his principal or only place of work during that 12 months has been in that area; or d) he has during the whole of those 12 months resided in that area; or e) in the case of a member of a town council he has during the whole of those 12 months resided either in the town or within three miles of it.

In October 2022, our Grounds Maintenance and Floral contractor left their post a year before their contract was due to end. The sudden departure required our Warden team to step in and take on these duties in addition to their regular workload. Below we hope to have answered the questions you have surrounding the upkeep of the Cemetery. Q: Who is now responsible for the Floral Supply and Maintenance in Sudbury? A: We are pleased to have entered into a new Floral Supply and Maintenance contract with The Garden Nursery at Constitution Hill. They bring fresh energy and expertise to our floral displays, ensuring that our town remains bright and beautiful. Q: How are the grounds maintenance duties being handled? A: Grounds maintenance, including The Cemetery, The Croft, Millacre, and the closed churchyards at All Saints and St. Gregory’s, is now managed in-house by our dedicated Community Warden team. This allows us to maintain high standards and ensure these important areas are well cared for by people who know and love our community. Q: What projects have been undertaken at The Cemetery in 2023? A: Several substantial projects have been completed at The Cemetery to restore and enhance this sacred space. These include: - Bringing the hedge line back to the correct level to restore the pavement around the cemetery’s perimeter and improve hedge health. - Removing dead and diseased hedging and planting new native saplings. A fence has been installed to protect these young plants as they establish. - Restoring and re-installing the heritage Victorian gates on Newton Road and Constitution Hill, beautifully done by local iron-worker Geoff Lock. - Replacing all bins with more attractive and durable models made from 100% recycled plastic. Q: Why was it important to bring the hedge line back to the correct level at The Cemetery? A: Bringing the hedge line back to the correct level restored the pavement around the cemetery’s perimeter and improved the health of the hedges by allowing more light in, which encourages healthy new growth. Q: What is the purpose of planting new native saplings and installing a fence at The Cemetery? A: The new native saplings replace dead and diseased hedging, ensuring that our cemetery remains green and vibrant. The fence is installed to protect these young plants as they establish. Q: Can you tell me more about the restoration of the Victorian gates at The Cemetery? A: The heritage Victorian gates on Newton Road and Constitution Hill have been lovingly restored and re-installed by local ironworker Geoff Lock. These gates are a cherished part of our town’s heritage, and their restoration adds a touch of historic elegance to The Cemetery. Q: What improvements have been made regarding waste management at The Cemetery? A: All bins in The Cemetery have been replaced with more attractive and durable models. These bins are made from 100% recycled plastic, making them both eco-friendly and resilient, helping us keep the area clean and tidy in a sustainable way. Q: How has the Warden team managed the additional responsibilities? A: Our Warden team has shown incredible strength and resilience, adapting and excelling in their new roles. Their hard work and dedication have ensured that Sudbury remains a beautiful and welcoming place. Q: What is the mowing schedule for The Cemetery?A: The mowing for The Cemetery takes place bi-weekly between March-September, weather dependant. When it is too wet to mow the grass other tasks are carried out around the cemetery. We also make sure that the bins are emptied every Monday and Friday. This ensures that the cemetery remains neat and well-kept throughout the growing season. Q: What are the future plans for Sudbury’s green spaces? A: We remain committed to maintaining and enhancing our green spaces. These areas are the heart of our community, where residents and visitors can enjoy the beauty and tranquility of nature. We look forward to continuing our efforts to keep Sudbury blooming and thriving for generations to come. Q: How can the community support these efforts? A: Your continued support and appreciation are invaluable. Together, we can ensure that Sudbury remains a vibrant and beautiful place to live and visit. Thank you for being a part of our community’s green revival. If you have any further questions, please contact info@sudbury-tc.gov.uk