mo 12 my

1969  The voting age in the UK was lowered from 21 to 18

Even if you haven't read The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency perhaps you've at least heard of it?  Anyway we had our first cup of bush tea yesterday; it's pleasant, red but as it doesn't contain caffeine that "lift" was missing.

su 11 my

1812  Spencer Perceval became the only British Prime Minister to be assassinated

Here's a tweak we think useful for everyone.  Go Start/Control Panel/Accessibility Aids ... yes, Accessibility Aids, click the Use ToggleKeys check box to get a tick in the box and click OK to close the window and save your settings.  Now press the Caps Lock key on your keyboard, you'll hear a high pitched beep if you're turning caps lock on and a lower beep if you're turning it off.  We find the beeps useful not because we use the caps lock much (when caps lock is on all your typing is in CAPITALS) but it warns us when we accidently turn it on when an unattended finger misses the tab or shift keys ... and it shows you don't have to be disabled to use the Accessibility Aids.

sa 10 my

1937  The first frozen food went on sale in the UK - it was asparagus

Plant Sale in aid of Suffolk Wildlife Trust tomorrow in Melton.

fr 09 my

1926  Richard Byrd and Floyd Bennett made the first flight over the North Pole

John W Mills is a sculptor with an impressive cv, the new sculpture garden at Woodbridge School contains seven of his life size pieces.  The garden's formal opening last night was a pleasantly full monty affair with string quartet, many jugs of Pimms, Lady Tollemache cutting the ribbon and head teacher Stephen Cole telling us that the first years used to run to get their lunches but now they walk past the garden.  The sculpture in the garden will change and favour artists with a Suffolk connection.

Police officers found Holly Goodchild safe and well last night.

th 08 my

1988  Science fiction author Robert Heinlein died

When we first saw this early 50s pic of the Farnham George and Dragon we assumed it was the village not the pub sign but no, it's the pub sign and how unusual for a pub sign.  We think the G&D closed in 1995 but it was certainly our local when we first moved near the coast and it was serving Tolly's then.

14 year old Holly Goodchild from Holton near Halesworth has been missing since Tuesday.

we 07 my

1765  Nelson's flagship Victory was launched at Chatham

tu 06 my

1626  Peter Minuit bought Manhattan Island for $24

A gun (well sort of) stolen in Swilland and swords stolen in Melton.

The second lovely day in a row and the gritter lorries were out just three weeks ago.

mo 05 my

1646  Charles I surrendered to the Scots at Newark

Antiques Roadshower John Bly in Aldeburgh over the weekend and now Eric Knowles will be in Woodbridge this Sunday giving free valuations.

House sales in Earl Soham.

su 04 my

1829  The Earl of Surrey became the first Roman Catholic MP

Well that certainly made a bank holiday Sunday more interesting for visitors to Framlingham.  Eleven carts of variously sophisticated designs variously trundled and whizzed down the Market Hill with a mixed bunch of drivers including the quite young.

Racing noticeably got faster, and closer, as the day progressed which may have been due to more committed bobsleigh type starts, certainly some carts were having problems stopping at the other end; at least one mechanical failure and there's always the tedious business of having to pull the cart back to the top.  Great stuff and let's hope it happens again next year.

sa 03 my

1953  Dylan Thomas gave the first public reading of Under Milk Wood

The Jubilee Hall in Aldeburgh was crammed today with all sorts of crafty things for Top Crafts 2008 and television personality John Bly was taking an active interest in this lady working with glass.  The show continues all weekend including Monday and it's free to get in ...

... meanwhile up the road in the Aldeburgh Cinema Gallery John Bawtree told us that the first visitor at his Zanzibar exhibition was the widow of Zanzibar's last British resident.  From 1913 to 1963 Zanzibar was a British protectorate and had a resident rather than a governor.  Cinema manager Sue Harrison arrived and there had been returns for Daughter of the Regiment; the cinema expects to repeat the live New York Metropolitan Opera House link ups this autumn.  The Zanzibar exhibition continues until Thursday 8th May and it's free too.

fr 02 my

1519  Leonardo da Vinci died

Recognise John Bly off Antiques Roadshow?  He'll be holding his own mini Roadshow at Top Crafts 2008 in Aldeburgh this weekend. 

Us?  We can't even hit the bloody thing so we were particularly impressed by 12 year old Kristian Williman (on the left) scoring over a hundred in his debut for Brandeston Hall. 

th 01 my

1961  Betting shops legalised in the UK

Antiques Fair this weekend in Thorpeness ...

... last chance tonight to hear the Os on Radio Suffolk this week.

April's pics as prints, mugs and t-shirts at photoboxgallery.com/NearTheCoast (try the Slide Show)

we 30 ap

1980  Queen Juliana of the Netherlands abdicated in favour of her daughter Beatrix

The fish bandits strike again, this time in Little Glemham ...

April's pics as prints, mugs and t-shirts at photoboxgallery.com/NearTheCoast (try the Slide Show)

The historic Harwich Electric Palace Cinema is a bit of a trek but worth the effort and at the end of next month it's showing Peter Hall's Akenfield.  Made in 1974 the film was shot on location in villages west of Wickham Market and using local people as the cast.

Hopkins Homes have refused to release the document files associated with their planning application to build 140 houses in Framlingham.

... and cards from a handbag stolen in Earl Soham have been used to get cash.

mo 28 ap

1789  Fletcher Christian led the mutiny on the Bounty

Painter John Bawtree lives in Peasenhall.  Last year he visited Zanzibar (yes, there really is such a place) for the first time and the results can be seen at the Aldeburgh Cinema Gallery from this Saturday.

A thousand pounds worth of fish!

And yes they're digging up Fore Street in Framlingham again with an interesting knock on effect in Riverside.

sa 26 ap

1564  William Shakespeare was baptised

When we arrived a teensy bit late at Brundish Village hall last night it was already crammed with quizzers who had booked their tables but we were good humouredly squeezed into a corner.  An immaculately organised event with the most complete question papers we've ever seen, a separate fun quiz for the break when you eat your finger buffet, results projected on the wall, question master David soldiering on despite a croaking voice and some quick withdrawals for a coughing fit, and we particularly like the team who'd brought a flower arrangement to decorate their table ... our idea of a good time.

Even at £20 a pop opera tonight in Aldeburgh is sold out but you can still queue in hope of returns, the box office opens at 6:30pm.

Radio 4 will never be quite the same again.  Humph liked to claim that an ancestor hanged, drawn and quartered for his part in the Gunpowder Plot was buried in Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Buckinghamshire.

fr 25 ap

1792  Nicolas Pelletier became the first Frenchman to be executed by the guillotine

21 Market Hill in Framlingham changed earlier this year and no longer sells children's clothes but now deals in collectables and quirkynesses.  It's open Tuesday (market day), Friday and Saturday.  Definitely worth a peek, and not just because of the new proprietors' interesting dress sense.

Board mod Amanda Frost is on Weakest Link Monday night and yes, it was recorded weeks, if not months, ago.

Police are appealing again about the Roman duck brooch stolen from Orford Castle at the end of last month.  Can't help but think that if it was an opportunist crime then the brooch could still be near the coast?

th 24 ap

1961  Bob Dylan's recording debut playing harmonica on Harry Belafonte's Midnight Special

we 23 ap

1965  Long distance footpath The Pennine Way was opened

The Darsham garage was broken into Monday night and a load of cigarettes stolen, and a wallet pinched in the Martlesham Tescos turns up in Sudbury.

mo 21 ap

1980  Sony UK became the first Japanese owned firm to win a Queen's Award for Export

This was Lee on Solent yesterday afternoon ... you probably couldn't do this on Thorpeness mere.

Rinda is a Framlingham girl who now lives in Thailand but that didn't stop her making it to The Outlaws at The White Hoss Friday night.

fr 18 ap

1909  Joan of Arc was beatified

What was Vanilla on the mini roundabout in Framlingham is getting a face lift to become Charlie Bear's Children's Clothes, clothes for children older than those catered for at Ruby and Ted just down the road we're told.

In the early hours of this morning the April-March monthly digest went out by email, if you'd like to receive it click here.

... surely by now you know we do web design?

th 17 ap

1969  At 21 Bernadette Devlin became Britain's youngest ever woman MP

Principle of Melton Vets Brian Faulkner was recently awarded UK Veterinary Surgeon of the Year.  Melton Vets must be the dudes who had an humane killer pinched at the beginning of the month.

Apparently Paul Spencer the promoter of the Maverick Festival at Easton Farm Park is talking about an audience of 5,000 for the three days.

we 16 ap

1912  Harriet Quimby became the first woman to fly the English Channel

... but the same night back home from Thailand for a few weeks Haggis and Rinda will be at the Framlingham White Horse for The Outlaws (Oh no, that's the wrong Outlaws) gig ...

... Blythburgh Church was broken into over the weekend with substantial damage to stained glass and furniture was stolen including this rare 15th century chest table.

tu 15 ap

1986  Playing for the West Indies against England in Antigua Viv Richards scored 100 off 56 balls

April and the gritter lorry was out last night!

su 13 ap

1741  The Royal Military Academy was established at Woolwich ... it moved to Sandhurst later