Star of stage and screen Bernard Hill comes to HighTide to perform in the one-off reading of Jesse Weaver's Famine Diary. Bernard will battle it out with HighTide's very own Sam Hodges in a bitter clash over a woman they share and a history they don't.

Performed in a Secret Location, somewhere in Halesworth.

One Performance Only: Saturday 1st May. 17:00

Book now to avoid disappointment. Location to be revealed by post.




Leading actress Diana Quick comes to HighTide to star in a reading of Adam Brace's monologue Midnight Your Time. Diana plays the role of Sheila, a retired lawyer desperately trying to reach her peace-keeping daughter by Skype.

Performed in a Secret Location, somewhere in Halesworth.

Two New Performances Added By Popular Demand: Sunday 2nd May. 13:00, 17:00 (Sold Out), 19:30

Book now to avoid disappointment. Location will be revealed by post.





Clive Stafford Smith: A man who has spent the last 25 years defending death row convicts in the US and more recently inmates at Guantanamo. Awarded an OBE for 'humanitarian services' in 2000, Clive is the founder and director of Reprieve, where he works to achieve due process for prisoners worldwide.

Clive opens the festival, in conversation with HighTide's Sam Hodges. Friday 30th April at 11.30.

Book here to see this very special guest.




Steve Waters: author of the acclaimed double bill on climate change, The Contingency Plan.

Isabella Macpherson: founder and director of Arts Co and described by Wallpaper as 'the engine of London's art and design scene'.

Beth Steel: author of Ditch, soon to transfer into London in an unprecedented co-production with the Old Vic

Come and see these three guests speak to Judith Knight, who co-founded Artsadmin and has worked with artists including Mike Figgis, Forced Entertainment, DV8, Station House Opera and Bobby Baker.

Climate Change Art: Does it do any Good? Saturday 1st May. 11.30 am.

Click here to book tickets.




Owen Matthews: Moscow's chief correspondent at Newsweek and author of the much-acclaimed book Stalin's Children (nominated for Guardian First Book award), which documents the last 100 years of Russian history through the prism of his own family.

Owen flies over to England to speak to Suffolk audiences about his experiences as a journalist in Russia, and his thoughts on this fascinating, complex nation.

Russia versus the West. Sunday 2nd May. 11.30 am.

Click here to book.

There is a tiny white flower that is, this year a frequent coloniser of the roadside verges between Beccles and Lowestoft along the A146, Bury to Great Yarmouth A143 and Ipswich to Lowestoft A12 in our area. The flower is called Danish Scurvy Grass Cochlearia danica and is in botanical terms a Halophyte, meaning salt loving. The reason for its sudden and more prominent appearance is that the seeds of this annual plant are mixed with grit and salt that is spread along the roads by the local council during winter. Although on coastal strips the plant has been recorded in Suffolk since 1773.

The plants we now see in spring have arrived from Russia where the grit and salt has been imported for use on our roads and as we are all well aware the fierce winter has caused the roads to be gritted more regularly. The reason it only grows on the bare edges is that the seeds need exposed soil in which to grow. Our flowers are nearly always white but long lengths of verge have produced pink flowered forms and are rarely mixed with the white ones. Some people talk about a frosting along the roadside and of course it is much too dangerous to stop the car on busy roads to have a look but I can assure you it will be this plant. It has certainly caused much discussion at Naturalists gatherings this spring and many questions have been asked.

If the information was available it would be interesting to show the correlation between tons of salt applied and abundance of C. danica (and other halophytes) such as some goosefoots and other seaside plants.

We have also been interested in perhaps the more ecological aspects the plant's spread; why is it so abundant when it appears for example? It is undoubtedly spread around by traffic movement, but the seed has to be present in the first place. A search on the internet gives this site (in French) as one of the better ones for information on its spread www.wbrc.org.uk/WorcRecd/Issue12/useold. htm also the fact that the plant is self-pollinating and self-fertile gives some indication perhaps of its success. "Scientists (oh the way they use that word!) Warn that Britain's verges are under threat from a plant that thrives on road salt..." Etc complete un proven rubbish but it is pleasing to know the interest in such a tiny annual is increasing, just how?

Surely the Scurvy grass band will always be defined by the salt and the rest of our verges are under no threat at all? We have also discussed what else would we naturalists like to see in the salty band? I'm pretty sure that some other Halophytes such as Reflexed Salt Grass Puccinellia distans are spread along the UK's major roads but they are just to dodgy to inspect safely.

Colin Jacobs
naturenoteslowestoft@googlemail.com
becclesnaturalist.blogspot.com

The sun shone on the Halesworth and District Riding Club (HDRC) last weekend. Not only did Suffolk’s newest Riding Club hold its biggest dressage show to date but its hoof-perfect novice show jumping team also qualified for the national Riding Club finals.

The Club’s inaugural show of the 2010 season, held at Phoenix Equestrian Centre in Spexhall on Saturday 24 April, drew a total of 56 entries across seven classes, ranging from an introductory walk and trot test to Elementary level. The Club’s Junior members stole the day, with Liam Brinkley and Eleanor Morley taking 1st and 2nd in both Junior sections in a very close matched competition, and also gaining the highest % scores over the whole day.

The Intro class was well-supported with several young and inexperienced horses all behaving impeccably. Melissa Dougal and Nutmeg took 1st place, Roz Basey-Fisher, who was celebrating her birthday took 2nd on Molly and Liz Fosdike and Painted Lady finished 3rd.

Prelim 4 was won by Jasper ridden by Yvonne Proctor, while Prelim 10 was won by admirable veteran Lucy Lastik, ridden by Pauline Wilton, who was so pleased with her success that she gave someone else a chance in the Novice! Linda Reed riding Cor de Karma was a very close 2nd with only a collective point to split the two.

Stephanie Askew and Roison had an astounding day winning both Novice sections and going on to share the lead with Sophy Whatley and Imperious Spirit in Novice 20.To conclude, the Elementary test resulted in a win for Jackie Lambert and Golden Admiral.

The following day the Club put its first ever team forward for the Area 14 novice show jumping competition, held at Worlington Riding Club near Newmarket. Toni Allin, Mel Holloway, Margaret Guterres and Laura Mann pulled out all the stops to jump three double clears, clinching a well-deserved win and qualification for the national finals to be held in Lincolnshire this September. Margaret Guterres also had the accolade of winning the class.

HDRC’s chef d’equipe Karen Plant said: “The Club is only a year old and this is the first time we have put forward a show jumping team for an area competition. We had a good training session last week and thought we may possibly be in with a chance of being placed but we were totally bowled over and absolutely delighted to win!”

The HDRC is a friendly and welcoming Club that caters for all abilities from serious team players to those seeking some nurturing and fun. Membership costs just £18 for the year. For further information contact the membership secretary on 01986 873810, email hdrc09@tiscali.co.uk or visit www.horsedates.co.uk to download schedules.

2010 Show schedule

29 May - Show Jumping
26 June - Dressage
10 July - Showing show (includes plenty of fun classes)
24 July - Show Jumping
21 August - Dressage
18 September - Show Jumping

All shows will be held at Phoenix Equestrian Centre, Spexhall on a 60m x 60m all-weather manège.

One year ago a new business was born in the local town of Halesworth. At a time when the economy was suffering, businesses were closing and people were in doubt, Rachel Ducker continued bringing her new business to life.

Starting within the four the walls of her bedroom, 23-year-old Rachel has progressed considerably and recently won the 2010 ‘East of England young businesswoman of the year’ with her business called ‘Apparition Marketing and Design.’ Within a year she now has a studio in Halesworth and an office in Bury St Edmunds.

Apparition Marketing and Design, is a creative agency that helps businesses of all sizes with marketing, PR, website and design solutions. She has attracted clients from various different sectors, including the University College London.

As a celebration of her first year in business, Rachel is holding a charity event on Saturday 8th May from 10am -4pm in the courtyard of her studio grounds at Miles Ward Court, just off the Market Place in Halesworth.

Rachel explains, “ Apparition is also innovatively involved with the Halesworth Town Centre Group, who have been given the huge task of raising money for this years Halesworth Christmas Lights.”

Rachel adds, “If anyone is interested in supporting this local cause, then please come along to the event on Saturday at Miles Court, to discover more about the project.”

The event will also include a ‘mini market place’ with produce and services from local businesses, live entertainment, refreshments, plus her company Apparition are offering free health checks for any local businesses.

Please contact Rachel on 07590 123227 or
email info@apparitiondesigns.co.uk

The long-heralded General Election is due to take place on May 6th and whilst some of the political rhetoric of the last few weeks has been and will continue to be confusing and fanciful, it is clear that when the new government, from whichever party, is installed we will very rapidly have to face up to many issues.

It is important that the need to nurture the economy and support business and enterprise remains at the heart of any future government’s thinking. The period immediately before and after May 6th provides the best opportunity we have to influence the shape of the medium term future.

Suffolk Chamber is intent on doing its best to represent the views of our member companies and the county’s wider business community to politicians at both the local and national level over the crucial weeks ahead.

Please find attached a pdf leaflet that seeks to describe our manifesto for future economic success. We intend to circulate it widely amongst politicians, economic partners and, of course, amongst the business community of Suffolk.


We would be grateful if you would read it and discuss its messages with politicians and decision-makers in Suffolk, if and when the opportunity arises.

For more info please contact:

Poets with international and national reputations, young up and coming talent and local writers are heading for Wells-next-the-Sea from Friday May 7 to 9 for Poetry-next-the-Sea’s annual festival, Singing, Saying and the Spirit www.poetry-next-the-sea.com, including the first performance of this year’s Faber New Poets.

Ronald Blythe’s Desert Island Choice (Saturday 8th May) is a sell out, but tickets are still available for all other events.

Poetry-next-the-Sea has secured a real coup with the first performance of this year’s Faber New Poets Tour - Sunday 9th May at 1pm. Joe Dunthorne, Sam Riviere and Tom Warner Faber New Poets 2010 will be joined by one of last year’s winners Jack Underwood. The group has strong links with Norwich and Norfolk.

The Faber New Poets programme supports pre-first collection writers. It offers a package of financial assistance, mentorship and pamphlet publication. This year’s Faber New Poets Pamphlet will be published on 20th May.

Joe Dunthorne’s debut novel, Submarine (Penguin) has been translated into eight languages and is being made into a film by Warp Films. He is also a striker for the England Writers’ Football Team. Sam Riviere is currently working towards a PhD at UEA and Tom Warner is a graduate of UEA’s MA in Creative Writing. Jack Underwood is a graduate of Norwich University Collage of the Arts and is working on a PhD in Creative Writing at Goldsmith’s College.

The winners of Poetry-next-the-Sea’s annual Open Poetry competition will be revealed at 11am on Saturday 8 May, when they share the stage with Angus Sinclair, Laura Elliott and Julia Webb winners of the Norwich Café Writers Commission.

Full details of all events are below and are also listed at www.poetry-next-the-sea.com. Brochures can be picked up in local libraries. For further information and ticket bookings tel. 01328 711813, email suzy948@btinternet.com.

Festival season tickets, for all events except workshops are £36. Festival season tickets for Friends of Poetry-next-the-Sea are £30.

Poetry-next-the-Sea - Singing, Saying and the Spirit - Programme

Thursday 6th May

Pre-festival event 7pm The Granary, Alderman Peel Student’s Off by Heart Competition.

All other events take place at The Maltings

Friday 7th May

7.30pm, £10 - poetry reading with award-winning writer Pauline Stainer and Grey Gowrie, former Chairman of the Arts Council of England.

Saturday 8th May

9.30am Schools Off by Heart Competition, £2 or for family groups of up to four, £5. Students from primary schools in Blakeney, Burnham Market, Hindringham, Langham, Walsingham and Wells-next-the-Sea recite poems from memory following Coral Rumble’s workshops held earlier this year.

10.30am to 12noon, £12 - Exploring the Music in Words, Voice Workshop with Cecilia Evans.

The workshop is designed for anyone who wants to develop techniques for reading poetry to an audience. Participants should bring a short poem of their choice.

10.30am - 12.30pm, £15, Poetry Workshop with Jo Shapcott

11am, £5 - a morning of poetry with Angus Sinclair, Laura Elliott and Julia Webb winners of the Norwich Café Writers Commission, along with the winners of the 2010 Poetry-next-the-Sea Open Poetry Competition. Poetry-next-the-Sea competition sponsored by Norfolk Community Foundation.

1pm, £10 - novelist, essayist and literary critic Ronald Blythe discusses with Kevin Crossley-Holland the poems that he would take to console him on a desert island. Sold Out

2pm, free - fringe event. Explore the overlap between poetry and the visual in this event outside The Mermaid’s Purse, devised by local sculptor Polly Ionides.

5.30pm, £10 - Jo Shapcott, President of the Poetry Society and Professor of Poetry at Royal Holloway College reads with Jon Stallworthy former Professor of English Literature at Cornell and Oxford Universities.

8.30pm, £6 - Hugh Lupton, Psalms from the Horse’s Mouth, Singing and Storytelling. Since the earliest times there has been a strong, almost a magical connection between people and horses. When we are in the presence of horses an old memory is wakened in us. This programme of words and music explores and celebrates the ancient relationship between man and horse.

Sunday 9th May

11am, £6 - Jon Stallworthy, War Poetry after Auschwitz

1pm, £5, award-winning Faber Poets, Joe Dunthorne, Sam Riviere, Jack Underwood, Tom Warner introduced by Kevin Crossley Holland.

3pm, £3 - Open Floor event, hosted by Jenny Cunningham. Read your own work in a mutually supportive environment. All welcome, whatever your experience.

This week visitors to Weybread are being treated to many exhibits of scarecrows which are both innovative and brilliantly constructed.

The competition serves as a most effective precursor to the main Festival due to take place in the village over the Bank Holiday Weekend.

Winners of the scarecrow competition will be announced at the conclusion of the Festival on Monday 3rd May.

More information can be obtained either from Peter Stokes (01379 852511) or John Firth (01379 855382) or email the 2firths@btinternet.com.

Delving into the shadier corners of jazz, bluegrass, blues, cabaret and pop, Taboo-Be-Do! offers a shamelessly light-hearted celebration of the outrageous, the ill-considered and the downright inappropriate.

For this eye-opening, foot-tapping, laugh-out-loud journey through 100 years of politically incorrect music, Terence Blacker and Derek Hewitson of the guitar duo Something Happened are joined by the sensational Victoria Hart, recently described by the British Theatre Guide as ‘Monroe-esque in beauty and bursting with musical talent'. Victoria was discovered whilst a singing waitress in London and was invited to sing at a party for A-list celebrities including Brad Pitt and hosted by George Clooney.

Recent sell-out performances include London’s King’s Head Theatre and Aldeburgh Literary Festival.

‘Relaxed, funny and enjoyably provocative - I was delighted on all affronts.’
- Neil Innes

‘I enjoyed it hugely... This is a show whose time has come.’
- Libby Purves
www.myspace.com/somethinghappened2

Lowestoft station stands in Station Square, quite centrally in the town and in a difficult position to reach the countryside.


This walk is therefore a town trail exploring the old north part of the town as distinct from the later Victorian part to the south. There are a number of leaflets about the town available at the Tourist Information Centre, a place visited on the first part of the walk. The Station was probably designed by John Thomas to resemble the original Norwich Thorpe station and erected in 1854. Today it forms the terminal junction for the East Suffolk Railway and the Wherry Line linking with Norwich and Great Yarmouth.

Lowestoft was established by the Danes, is Britain's most easterly town and is often known as the 'Town of the Rising Sun'. It has a sea-faring tradition based on fishing, its port and more recently the oil and gas industry, as well as being a holiday resort. The town is divided by the river and Lake Lothing that serve as an inner harbour, providing access to Oulton Broad and acting as a gateway to the inland waterways.

Walk Route
From the station turn right over Lowestoft Bridge, the third bridge to be built at this point. The first was opened in 1830 when a cut was made from Lake Lothing to the sea, the second was opened in 1897 and called Victoria Bridge and the present structure was opened in 1972. Follow London Road South as far as the first pedestrian crossing and turn left, using other pedestrian crossings to reach the East Point Pavilion, housing the Tourist Information Centre. The south side of the town was developed by Sir Samuel Morton Peto in the 19th century as a holiday resort to rival Brighton and a leaflet describing the Peto Trail is available inside.


Return back across the bridge, at the other side, on the corner of Waveney Road, stands the former Tuttles department store with its ornate front. Walk through the centre of the town along London Road North, now partly pedestrianised, to The Prairie, a narrow arcade on the left next to WH Smiths. This is so called because it is thought to have once been part of a private estate where deer roamed and is now part of the Britten Centre. At the junction with Gordon Road stands St. Margaret's Villa, built in the Italian style for the Rev. Charles Herbert, who was Rector of Lowestoft from 1860 to 1870. It later became the residence of Colonel Seppings JP, the first provisional Mayor of the town.

After passing the United Reform Church built in 1852 we come to the Wheatsheaf pub on the corner of Herring Fishery Score. The pub was once known as the Herring fishery and was owned by the Old Company of Beachmen. This section of the town is built on the cliffs and access to the shore was through the many Scores or alleyways that lead down the beach area. A leaflet describing the Lowestoft Score Trail is also available from the Tourist Information Centre.


Triangle Plain Market was once the main shopping centre and marks the start of the High Street. The Old Blue Anchor Stores pub stands on the corner of Dukes Head Street, formerly Blue Anchor Lane, and has the longest pub name in Lowestoft. On the right is Martin's Score where an information board is displayed describing the Armada Post, put down to mark the defeat of the Spanish Armada 100 years after the event.

The Town Hall dates from 1860 and is built on the site of the old Chapel of Ease, a curfew bell tolls out every night at 8 o'clock on a bell made from brasses taken from the parish church in 1644. The Royal Falcon is looking a little less royal these days but was formerly North Flint House, said to have been built about 1551. It was once the home of Sir Thomas Allin, the Lowestoft Admiral, who on retirement bought Somerleyton House.


Walk on to reach the lighthouse known as High Light, given this name to distinguish it from the Low Light, the light that was on the beach until 1925. The lighthouse was opened in 1874 and became fully automatic in 1975. Coal was used to power the lights until 1788, then oil was used until 1938 when electricity was installed.

Cross Cart Score and enter Belle Vue Park, walking past the thatched lodge to the War Memorial. The park was the site of a battery of cannon, later becoming a communal drying ground until opening as a park 1874 when it was laid out as an arboretum. The war memorial was erected after World War II and stands on the site of a former band stand, the three cannons probably represent the three batteries that once protected the town.

Turn left at the war memorial and then right across the Ravine Bridge, erected in 1887 to Commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. Turn right along North Parade to the corner and right down a set of steps to the Ravine at the junction with Cart Score. To the left is Denes Oval, the home of Lowestoft Cricket Club and once the town's allotments. Enter the Sparrow's Nest Park, where there is the opportunity for refreshments, and walk down past the Armada Beacon to the exit on Whapload Road.


Turn right to the Lowestoft and East Suffolk Maritime Museum, housed in the bowling green cottage, formerly a house provided by the church for a church warden.

Continuing south, on the other side of the road are The Denes, an area marked with unique posts and rails used for hanging nets, ropes and fishing gear to dry. On the right are the old net stores and fish houses, now used for a variety of commercial purposes. Walk past the modern Birds Eye Walls frozen food factory, the modern way to deal with the products of the sea, and turn left along Wilde's Street. At the junction of Newcombe Road you will find JT Cole, the last fish smoke house in the beach area.


Return to Whapload Road and turn left to Christ Church, built in 1869 for the beachmen and fishermen as a monument to the Rev. Francis Cunningham MA, a former vicar of Lowestoft. Continue on to Hamilton Road and turn left to view the Hamilton Dock, the last dock to be built and opened by Lord Claude Hamilton in 1903. Return to the roundabout and turn left along Battery Green Road, the site of the South Battery where, in 1782, about 300 men manned a fort with 13 pieces of cannon.

Walk on past the Bethel fisherman's church built in 1899 to Waveney Road with a good view of the Trawl Basin through the railings. The Trawl basin was opened in 1865, to the north of it lies the Waveney Dock, opened in 1883 by Lord Waveney. At the junction with Station Square return to the start of the walk at the station.

Thank you for taking the time to explore this walk. We would love to hear your comments about this site and about your day out.

Please email us at nxea.customerrelations@nationalexpress.com

Source and credits: www.nationalexpresseastanglia.com
Lowestoft Railway Station is the terminus of two routes; the Wherry Line from Norwich and the East Suffolk Line from Ipswich. The station is served by National Express East Anglia (Train Operating Company).

Successful clothing designer maker, Marian Williams, will be running a rare workshop in Bungay from 11am to 3.30pm on Saturday 8th May as part of Black Dog Arts 2010 gardens project.

The workshop is open to complete beginners and experienced artists alike and costs £20 full price and £15 concessions, including silk. (Concessions apply to students, people over 50 and people in receipt of benefits.)

Places are strictly limited so, to book a place, or find out more, ring Jan now at Black Dog Arts on 01986 895227.


If you would like to learn about making dyes using plants, berries and other natural materials, and you would like to create your own sumptuous silk scarf, this is the workshop for you!

Marian did her textile training at the art school in Norwich.

Five years on, Marian is now Secretary of the Norfolk Contemporary Craft Society (www.norfolkcraft.co.uk) and she sells her stunning, natural, silk dresses, summer coats and other beautiful clothes in the shop, “Ethika”, in Timber Hill in Norwich.

She also shows her work with the Norfolk Contemporary Crafts Society in the Assembly House in Norwich, in her own studio as part of the Norfolk Open Studios, and she has exhibited in the Mall Galleries in London, in their 2008 Designer Craft exhibition.


People who take part in the silk scarf making workshop will also have the chance to show, and sell, their work in “The Silk Garden”, one of the six gardens taking part in Black Dog Arts 2010 Gardens Art Trail which is on from 11am to 3pm on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th July.

So, you may do the workshop and sell your scarf for a profit!

Marian Williams workshop is the third of six fantastic, garden inspired, workshops Black Dog Arts has organised as part of this year’s gardens project.

The second workshop, run by Mary Walker, on making art books, was a huge success and the art books participants made (see photo below) will also be on show as part of the Gardens Art Trail.


To find out more about the Gardens Art Trail, Black Dog Arts, or the other three garden inspired workshops on making bird and beast wire sculptures, making felt, and making knitted wire jewellery, ring Jan on 01986 895227 or email her on jan@ollandstreet.co.uk

A Major Tyre safety group are alarmed at the number of drivers who are replacing the RUN FLAT tyres fitted to their vehicles, with standard type tyres...

Many motorists are finding it hard to reduce their maintenance costs, and are tempted to use this idea.

Run flat tyres have a special technology so by changing, drivers risk a big change in the handling of their vehicle, which leads to being involved in accidents.

It is recommended at all times to replace run flat with run flat, as they have much stiffer sidewalls and this is taken into account when manufacturers design suspensions and steering systems.

Changing to standard tyres away from run flat systems is very dangerous, plus run flat give drivers the ability to continue their journey for a limited time when there is no pressure in the tyre.

Standard tyres cannot do this and must be changed straight away when there is any sign of loss of pressure

Run flat tyres fitted as original equipment do not have a spare tyre, so to change to standard will create big problems as drivers become stranded without a spare wheel.

Safe Driving