There and Back

2022 - A year of celebrations to mark 1,000 years since the founding of the Abbey of St Edmund in Bury St Edmunds by King Canute. Various events are being held this year and I took a brief visit to get a snapshot of the celebrations. Obviously, I have visited Bury many times before, so the first couple of images are from the beautiful gardens taken previously. The gardens really are worth a visit on their own. They are always kept in immaculate condition no matter what the time of year. The first Patron Saint of England and King of East Anglia, Saint Edmund was enshrined in the Abbey lending his name to the town. The shrine brought visits from across the UK and abroad including Royalty as the Abbey became one of the most famous and wealthy pilgrimage locations in England. Today, the extensive Abbey remains are surrounded by the Abbey Gardens, which are visited by some 1.3million people every year. So onto some images of the ruins of the original abbey.. The story of St Edmund, who rule...

The Ipswich Charter Wall Hangings were researched and designed by Isabel Clover. The panels were embroidered by City and Guilds students from Suffolk College at the turn of the Millennium. Each of the eight panels is a graphic representation of Ipswich in the centuries since the town was granted its charter in 1200AD. Embroidery is the embellishment of fabric with needlework; the panels demonstrate a wealth of techniques and applied materials to represent architectural styles, different forms of transport and Ipswich’s treasures. The panels were born out of an idea by Ferial Rogers of the Ipswich Arts Association who, when discussing ways to mark the Millennium, suggested some kind of tapestry. Such needle-works have long been used to mark important occasions and historical events, most notable among them no doubt the Bayeux Tapestry. A simple idea that, with Isabel’s experience in ecclesiastical designs and embroidery, became a major project. On a technicality, I am repeatedly remind...

A giant bronze statue of a man, the 26ft (7.9m) tall `Yoxman`, stands near the A12 at Cockfield Hall, in Yoxford. Quite a surprise when you see it for the first time. There is a layby just in the right place so you don`t neet to risk life or limb looking while driving! Sculptor Laurence Edwards says it is one of the largest bronze pieces to be cast in England in recent years and is "a Green Man for our age". "He is a lightning rod for loads of issues about ecology and what we are doing to this planet," he said. The eight-tonne statue was transported flat on a lorry from the foundry at Halesworth Industrial Estate to the grounds of the private estate of Cockfield Hall, where it was craned upright into its final position. Mr Edwards, who has been working on the project for four years, said he was delighted to see the statue in place.    Index of posts