Ips Misc - Miscellaneous References to Ipswich from Around the World - part 1
- Luke Pantelidou
- Jul 4
- 45 min read
Order of contents on this page: (Click on the links below)
Music:
Hotels & Hostelries:
The Ipswich Song Book
This came to light in August 1864 at a meeting of the British Archaeological Association held in Ipswich, Suffolk. Thomas Wright FSA (Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries) gave a presentation entitled “The Song Book of an Ipswich Minstrel”.
Apparently a manuscript of songs and carols collected during the reign of King Henry VI (1422-1461) was found among the municipal records of the Borough of Ipswich during a “clearing-out session”. Unaware of its historical merit, the manuscript was to be destroyed, but a Mr. Fitch (presumably an employee of the borough) took it home. He later offered it to Thomas Wright who, being an antiquarian, immediately recognised its value, but declined to purchase it since he knew Mr. Fitch could gain far more than he could afford in an open auction.
It was soon realised that it was a stock-in-trade of a professional minstrel of the 15th century who would have carried it on his person when singing at festivals or private entertainments. A manuscript collection of songs so early is extremely rare and the only other collection was held at the British Museum as part of the Sloane Collection.
A few of the Sloane pieces were also in the ‘Ipswich Song Book’, but the latter had by far the larger number of songs, most of which were unique, and also complete copies of songs already partly known. The manuscript was originally purchased for a private collection, but it is now also owned by the nation and is in The British Library along with the Sloane Collection. Although a great proportion of its content consists of carols and religious songs, the ‘Ipswich Song Book’ shows how minstrels catered for the public taste in that it is rich in drinking songs, and a number of satirical songs against the female of the human species.
Ipswich Volunteers Funeral March - S. Ball
In 1808 The Ipswich Volunteers, Slow & Quick Marches, with Funeral March for a Military Band was published by Broderick & Wilkinson (London). The composer was S. Ball, the bandmaster of the Ipswich Volunteers (see The Loyal Ipswich Volunteer Corps on the Ipswich, England page). The Funeral March was specifically written for the Ipswich Volunteers, whereas the other pieces were regular marching tunes.
S. Ball lived in Ipswich, Suffolk, and is known from about 1797. In 1808 he was also the organist of St Lawrence Church in Ipswich. He is reported as performing his songs at Ranelagh Gardens in Norwich. In 1840 he ran a music publishing company known as “Ball & Sons” in Ipswich.
(See also East Suffolk Quadrilles - S. Ball on the Misc. Page of www.planetsuffolk.com)
Ipswich Début – Concert piece by Attila Jurth
Ipswich Début is a flexible concert piece for beginner string ensembles from piano trio to string orchestra with obligate piano. The piano part should be played by a teacher or advanced student. It has a duration of four minutes.
Attila Jurth was born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1945 and wrote his first composition in 1956. From 1961 to 1962 he attended the Academy of Music in Budapest, studying piano and theory. Jurth moved to Russia in 1963 where he gave piano recitals and won the first prize in composition in the City of Leningrad Music Competition. He continued to study composition and economics in Russia and Hungary before moving to Austria in 1969 to continue further studies at the University of Vienna in translating/interpreting, political science, international law and economics. In 1975, Jurth married Réka Kocsárdi, an Hungarian-born Australian language teacher and interpreter. In 1982 his young family moved to Australia. Following his arrival in Brisbane, he increasingly turned his attention to various aspects of music and became a member of the Music Teachers’ Association of Queensland. The Jurth family settled down in Ipswich, Queensland.
In response to the musical development of his four children, Jurth specialised in writing arrangements and original compositions for ‘uneven string ensembles’, where the cello has the most advanced part while one of the violins is assigned the least demanding role. In 1985 he composed a piece for his children called First for Kinga and Levente. This was renamed Ipswich Début after the good reception it received at its first performance.
Which Switch is the Switch, Miss, for Ipswich?
Which Switch is the Switch, Miss, for Ipswich? is a song from the play Rosy Rapture. Written by Worton David, J Barnett & Herman Darewski & sung by Billy Murray, with orchestra conducted by Walter B Rogers, this tongue twister of a song tells of a man’s frustration with a telephone operator who keeps getting his request to be put through to Ipswich wrong; putting him through to Northwich by mistake!! (see lyrics, below) It was released in December 1915 as an ‘Edison Diamond Disc’. MP3 downloads & ringtones of the song are available from several websites.
Rosy Rapture, the Pride of the Beauty Chorus, was a play written by J M Barrie & is described as a ‘burlesque in seven scenes’. A silent film of the play came out in 1914, starring Gaby Deslys in the title role, supported by Biddy de Burgh & John East, with minor parts for G K Chesterton & George Bernard Shaw. The stage show opened in London’s Duke of York Theatre on 22nd March 1915, again with French actress Gaby Deslys playing the lead, alongside Jack Norworth.
Which Switch is the Switch, Miss, for Ipswich?
Hello?....Hello?......HEL-LO? Aah, she won’t answer me
I’ve just had a row with a telephone girl,
A telephone girl, my brain’s in a whirl
I asked her for Ipswich, but she lost her head
And somehow she switched me on Northwich instead
She got so mixed up with the switches, it’s true
That I got annoyed and I cried ‘tell me do...’
(Chorus)
Which switch is the switch, Miss, for Ipswich?
It’s the Ipswich switch which I require
Which switch switches Ipswich with this switch?
You switched my switch on the wrong wire
You’ve switched me on Northwich...... not Ipswich
So now to prevent further hitch
If you’ll tell me which switch is Northwich and which switch is Ipswich,
I’ll know which switch is which
I begged the young lady to please put me through
I cried ‘switch me do, on Ipswich two two’
I waited an hour, then the ‘sweet little thing’
Came back from her lunch and exclaimed ‘did you ring?’
Then just as I fancied at last I was through
She cried ‘have you finished?’ I said ‘what the..? er..who?’
(Repeat Chorus)
I got through at last and I thought all was well
Rang up my hotel, but more trouble fell
I said ‘can you fix me a table for two?’
A voice said ‘(huh) we can Sir, but this (huh) is the zoo!’
I murmured a prayer then I fainted away
And when I came round I was trying to say...
(Repeat Chorus)
Long Drive Through Ipswich - Song by Steve Towson
Long Drive Through Ipswich is a song by Brisbane based singer/songwriter/guitarist Steve Towson. Towson’s music is often categorised as folk-punk. The song first appeared on The Venom In My Veins, an EP Towson made with his band The Conscripts in 2005; subsequently also appearing on the band’s 2006 album Shah Mat. Another version appears on Towson’s untitled solo album dating from 2009.
Cause it’s a long drive through Ipswich
Long drive through town
Long drive through Ipswich as the sun is setting down
On meI can see the look of anguish
Written across your face
As I lay down your weary hand
I can see you’ve reached the end of your race
For the poison it lies within your blood
The poison’s in your belly
I can hear the banshee as she howls
Moving through the corridor
For all of your life you vested your trust
In the hands of those driven by lust
For convenience
Financial reward
Until at last you severed the cord
From Auschwitz to Ipswich - Song by Jarvis Cocker
From Auschwitz to Ipswich is a song written & performed by Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker. It appears on his first solo album Jarvis, released in November 2006 on Rough Trade Records. When asked about the song, Cocker replied that he had come up with the phrase “Auschwitz to Ipswich” after hearing of someone whose relative had been kept in a prisoner of war camp near Ipswich during the Second World War. He admitted that the title was “slightly inappropriate” & went on to comment that the piece was “muscially quite pretty actually; it’s a pity I had to spoil it by writing such dark lyrics”.
From Auschwitz to Ipswich
“They want our way of life”
Well, they can take mine any time they like’
Cos God knows - I know I ain’t living right:
I’m wrong
Oh, I know I'm so wrong
So like the Roman Empire fell away
Let me tell you; we are going the same way
Ah, behold the Decline and Fall
All hold hands with our backs to the wall
It’s the end:
Why don’t you admit it?
It’s the same from Auschwitz to Ipswich
Evil comesI know from not where
But if you take a look inside yourself -
maybe you’ll find some in there
Not one single soul was saved
I was ordering an Indian takeaway
I was spared whilst others went to an early grave
Oh, got stoned
Yeah, went out and got stoned
Well if your ancestors could see you standing there
They would gaze in wonder at your Frigidaire
They had to fight just to survive
So can't you do something with your life?
It’s the end:
Why don’t you admit it?
It’s the same from Auschwitz to Ipswich
Evil comes
I know from not whereBut if you take a look inside yourself -
maybe you'll find some in there
Here it comes, why don’t you embrace it?
You lack the guts needed to face it
Say goodbye to the way you’ve been living
You never realised you were on the wrong side
And nobody’s going to win
“They want our way of life”
Well, they can take mine any time they like
Ipswich - Song by Georgi Kay
Born in 1993 in Ascot, England, Georgina Kingsley, better known as Georgi Kay, is a singer/songwriter who grew up in Perth, Western Australia, where she began playing lead guitar for the rock group, The Vains, at the age of fourteen. She was based in Australia until 2018, but has now moved to Los Angeles. She released her debut EP, Strange Things in March 2010, & followed this with her first album Backwardsforwards in May 2011. Kay’s first appearance on a major international label was with the single In My Mind, released in January 2012.
In April 2013, Kay released the double A side single Ipswich/In My Mind on limited edition 7” vinyl. The song Ipswich is inspired by the Salem Witch Trials (see The Salem Witch Trials - the Ipswich Connection on the Ipswich, Massachusetts page), together with Kay’s love of horror films and the supernatural.
Ipswich
Drag me down to the water
And hold me down until I’m full
Until I struggle no longer
Until I’ve drowned in my sinful will
Bound my hands to the stake
And set fire to the ground below
Watch my skin bubble and burn
Beneath the rising smoke
And you may kill me now
And you may hurt me so
But I will haunt you til the end is nigh
And you may hunt me down
And you may turn me cold
But I will haunt you til the day you die
The day you die
Chase me down through the fields
You got your hooves and I got my bare heels
Chop off my head to show the world
That I am no ordinary girl
And you may kill me now
And you may hurt me so
But I will haunt you til the end is nigh
And you may hunt me down
And you may turn me cold
But I will haunt you til the day you die
The day you die
Hunting for witches
Hunting for witches
Hunting for witches
Hunting down those bitches
And you may kill me now
And you may hurt me so
But I will haunt you til the end is nigh
And you may hunt me down
And you may turn me cold
But I will haunt you til the day you die
The day you die
The day you die
The day you die
The day you die
Ipswich – Song by Finnish Rock Band Absoluuttinen Nollapiste
On their sixth album, Nimi muutettu (see cover, right), which was released in 2002, the Finnish progressive rock band Absoluuttinen Nollapiste recorded a song entitled Ipswich. Written by band members Tommi Liimatta (vocals) & Aki Lääkkölä (guitars & keyboards), the group’s line up on this album is completed by Aake Otsala on bass guitar & drummer Tomi Krutsin.
Absoluuttinen Nollapiste (which translates as Absolute Zero), were formed in June 1991 in the city of Rovaniemi, approximately 3 miles (5 km) south of the Arctic Circle. The band underwent a few changes of personnel early in its existence, although the core line up as on the Nimi muutettu album has remained relatively constant since 1992. The band’s first album was Neulainen Jerkunen (1994), & they have since released many singles & albums, mainly for the Finnish market.
For anybody that’s interested, below are the lyrics; firstly in Finnish, then with an English (?) translation. All the band’s other songs have titles in Finnish, so why the name “Ipswich” has been used remains unclear. Even with the English version, I’m still not sure what the song is about. I think something may have been lost in translation!!
Ipswich
Jos oletetaan tilanne, kuvitellaan niitty ja niitylle
Niin monta jänistä, ettei niiden määrää käsitä,
Ja laukauksen hetkenä ei jokainen jäniksistä mahdu
Juoksemaan eri suuntaan
Kun sen kaikki näkevät,
Konttaan maantietä nisunpala suussa.
Kun sen kaikki näkevät,
Annan lampaalle tekohengitystä
Ipswichissä kuvittelemallasi niityllä.
Jos kuvitellaan rinne, siihen polku,
Jota laskeudut ja samaa polkua laskeutuu
Joku tuntematon, ei samaa polkua laskeutuva
Tuntematon sinua seuraa, ei tule paha
Mielessään, se olen minä.
Kun sen kaikki näkevät,
Konttaan maantietä nisunpala suussa.
Kun sen kaikki näkevät,
Annan lampaalle tekohengitystä
Ipswichissä kuvittelemallasi niityllä.
Annoin lampaalle tekohengitystä Ipswichissä.
Annoin lampaalle tekohengitystä Ipswichissä.
Ipswich
Assuming the situation, imagine a meadow and meadow
So many hares, that they understand the amount,
And he thinks a moment, not every rabbits fit
Run in a different direction
When its all to see,
Crawl to the road nisunpala mouth.
When its all to see, I
'll give artificial respiration with lamb
Ipswich imagine a meadow.
If one assumes a slope, the path
And the land on which the same path descends
Someone unknown, is not the same path descending
Unknown on you, not bad
In his mind, it's me.
When its all to see,
Crawl to the road nisunpala mouth.
When its all to see,
I'll give artificial respiration with lamb
Ipswich imagine a meadow.
I gave the sheep artificial respiration Ipswich.
I gave the sheep artificial respiration Ipswich.
More Songs & Music with "Ipswich" in the Title
Listed in this section are as many songs & pieces of music with “Ipswich” in the title that I have been able to find. There are undoubtedly others out there that have been missed. If anyone knows of any not included below, please email details to info@planetipswich.com
The Ipswich Prisoners - Paul Buck: Released in 2012, The Ipswich Prisoners is one of five songs on Paul Buck’s The Ipswich Prisoners EP (the other songs being Jet Black Sunset/Purple Slurpee/The Fountain/Great Elation). Buck sings & plays all the instruments on the EP, which falls into the electronic/synth pop genre.
Buck is from Branford, Connecticut, which presumably means that the Ipswich in question is Ipswich, Massachusetts.
Exactly who the ‘Ipswich Prisoners’ refers to is uncertain and the lyrics do not make this clear. However, it seems likely that it relates to 10 women from Ipswich who were accused of witchcraft in 1692. They were known as “the Ipswich prisoners”. The conditions in prison were so bad and most of them had been there for over six months and were in a poor state. They wrote a petition to the Governor, Council & General Assembly of Massachusetts requesting bail so that they would be alive to stand trial the next Spring. This petition still survives (an image can be seen on the Internet). (Refer also to the Ipswich - Song by Georgi Kay, above).
Ipswich Dozen - Dead ‘Til Friday: Formed in 2007, Dead ‘Til Friday are a metal / hardcore band from the Newcastle/Kilkeel area of County Down, Northern Ireland. Having released their first EP Through the Motions in 2008, they brought out the follow-up Ipswich Dozen E.P in March 2010. As well as the title track, the EP also features two other songs: She’s the Ideas Man’s Daughter & Silence is Golden.
Who or what the ‘Ipswich Dozen’ refers to is not clear at present.
Ipswich is a Good English Place - The Guy Who Sings Songs About Cities & Towns: Ipswich is a Good English Place is a strange, wacky 1 minute 17 seconds rap song by someone calling himself ‘The Guy Who Sings Songs About Cities & Towns’. The song is taken from the 2012 album English England, British Britain, Uk, Great Song!, which features more than 90 short tracks, each of which ‘pays tribute’ to an English town or city. Titles include: An Attempt to Celebrate Darlington in Song; A Mildly Enjoyable Song About Coventry & Farnborough Deserves Its Own Song, so Here We Go!.
Ipswich is a Good English Place namechecks the Ancient House, the Willis Building & Neptune Marina, amongst other local landmarks.
The Guy Who Sings Songs About Cities & Towns has released a number of albums in similar vein, all consisting, as his name suggests, of short, rather strange songs about towns & cities in Great Britain, Canada, Australia & various US states. These include These Songs Are About Canada Places; New York State Nice Places Ny Song Yes! & Texas City & Town Song Fun, Tx.
Ipswich, Queensland - The Guy Who Sings Songs About Cities & Towns: Another offering from the above mentioned The Guy Who Sings Songs About Cities & Towns, is the two minutes fourteen seconds long Ipswich, Queensland. Taken from the January 2014 album These Australia Places Deserve These Nice Songs.
According to the lyrics of the song, Ipswich, Queensland has “got a lot of cool stuff in it”, & is a “fabulous community”. In fact “everything good in the world comes from Ipswich”. Riverlink Shopping Centre gets a mention (“you can go & shop in there”), as does Ipswich Railway Station.
And just for the sake of completeness, I suppose we should mention Poop Song for Ipswich, Massachusetts by The Odd Man Who Sings About Poop, Puke and Pee, taken from his 2017 City Poop Songs album. With song titles such as Poop Song for San Francisco and Buenos Aires Poop Song plus forty six other titles in similar vein, all of which (mercifully) are no more than around a minute or so in length, you’ve probably guessed that there’s a theme running through this album. Best avoided.
In real life, The Guy Who Sings Songs About Cities & Towns and The Odd Man Who Sings About Poop, Puke and Pee are one and the same. This is Matt Farley, a Massachusetts-based comedy musician. In 2008, Farley started writing songs about every topic imaginable and he has carved out a strange (and successful) career in recent years, releasing hundreds of novelty albums and songs on Spotify and iTunes. He is said to have written 18,300 songs. Most of them are released under various band names, some of which can be found on the Internet site Matt Farley Discography at Discogs.
Honeymoon in Ipswich - Andrew Green: The instrumental track Honeymoon in Ipswich is featured on jazz guitarist Andrew Green’s 2008 album Narrow Margin. Based in New York, Green is the author of several books including Jazz Guitar Structures & Jazz Guitar Technique. Honeymoon in Ipswich was composed by Green & runs for nearly nine minutes. The reason for the name is unclear, unless Green did actually spend his honeymoon in one of the Ipswiches of the world (Massachusetts, maybe?).
Ipswich - Grannykart: Ipswich, by Grannykart clocks in at just 1 minute 17 seconds long. It is basically a weird & wacky version of Which Switch is the Switch, Miss, for Ipswich, which samples the opening “Hello?......HEL-LO?” from the 1915 Billy Murray recording (see above). The song features on the electronic/experimental album Grannykart’s Own Thing, which was released in 2010. The leading figure in the Studio City, Los Angeles based Grannykart is Jody Beth Rosen, with occasional help from Andre LaFosse.
Into Ipswich - Nick Wyard: Into Ipswich features on Nick Wyard’s 2011 album An Acquired Taste. Wyard is originally from Chelmsford, England but is now resident in Toronto, Canada. The album was put together over many years, beginning in the early 2000s, & the songs include references to several places in the Essex/Suffolk region of England. Wyard’s diverse influences range from medieval, renaissance & baroque music, through Andrew Lloyd Webber & the Beatles, to progressive rock acts such as Genesis, Jethro Tull & Pink Floyd. At just under four minutes long, the instrumental track Into Ipswich has a medieval feel to it.
Where’s the Sea In Ipswich - Exit 13: Where’s the Sea in Ipswich is a track from the 2009 re-issue of the album Celia’s Last Wednesday Plus Singles by Exit 13. Formed in Ipswich, Suffolk, in 1980, the band Exit 13 were at first known as Emergency Exit, but had to change their name the same year as a Scottish punk band had already acquired that title. Their music is best described as psychedelic folk. Their first single Fields of Joy was released in 1985, with the debut album Celia’s Last Wednesday first appearing in 1989. The band has released singles & albums sporadically over the years, & were still in existence up until at least December 2018. The band’s line-up has undergone many changes over the years, revolving around the ever-present guitarist, vocalist & main songwriter Steve Mann, who was born at Hollesley, near Ipswich. It should also be noted that Exit 13 was also the name of an American group from Pennsylvania, active from 1989 to 1997.
Where’s the Sea in Ipswich is a folky song about sailing, although Ipswich doesn’t actually feature in the lyrics.All the Fish in Ipswich - Underwater Airport: The 2011 digital only album The Sea Sides by Underwater Airport includes the short experimental instrumental track All the Fish in Ipswich.
According to the Boston, Massachusetts based band’s website: “Underwater Airport is an improvising and recording multimedia ensemble combining music and projected visuals for the purpose of creating spontaneous portals into alternate space-time dimensions” Their music is described as “ambient folk jazz for the sonically adventurous”
The name of the group was adopted to reflect both the underwater and the aerial realms which are strange, beautiful, and somewhat dangerous places, inhabited by curious and fantastic creatures, affording extraordinary visions. Underwater Airport represents a kind of mythical alternative universe and that is a pretty good description of what it feels like to play and listen to this music.
When founded in 2008 the line up comprised:
Peter Spellman - Drums, Percussion, Guitar & Keyboard
Russell Lane – Drums & Percussion (retired in 2015)
Jim Whisenant - Bass, Stick, Percussion & Laptop
Lynda Stephens – Saxes & Electronic Wind Instrument
Marc Lisle - Electronic Wind Instrument, Percussion, Video Projection & Laptop
Ed Blomquist - Guitar, Bass, Synthesisers
Goin’ Down to Ipswich Mass. - Robby Roadsteamer: The acoustic guitar accompanied song Goin’ Down to Ipswich Mass. by Robbie Roadsteamer is from the 2008 album New England Weathered Friends. As the title suggests, this song is about Ipswich, Massachusetts, with Crane Beach getting a mention in the lyrics.
Musician,comedian & performance artist Roadsteamer (AKA Louis Robert Potylo) hails from Boston, Massachusetts. His other albums include Postcards From the Den Of Failure & The Heart of a Rhino.
Ipswich - Ben Walker: The four minutes seven seconds long jazz/folk song Ipswich features on Ben Walker’s 2013 album Gorgeous. London born Walker lived in Suffolk during the 1980s, before heading across the Atlantic. He studied jazz in New Jersey in 1992, then moved to Toronto, Canada. He later returned to London, where he gained a first class degree in Performance Arts from Middlesex University. He is now based in the north of England. His first CD Bahaudin was released in 2001. The album Gorgeous is a reworking of 12 of his early compositions. In the past, Walker has worked with members of such bands as Lindisfarne, 10cc, New Model Army & Jools Holland’s Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. The song Ipswich includes the line “down the Norwich Road, take the A14 to Stow” & suggests “getting up & getting down to Ipswich town”.
Ipswich - Faspitch: Featuring Trick Berganos (guitars), Trevor Bicknell (bass), Henry Allen (vocals), O.J. Anonas (drums) and Russell Manaloto (guitars and vocals), Faspitch are a five piece alternative metal/post-hardcore band from Cebu City in the Philippines, formed in 2000. The song Ipswich appears on the band’s self titled second album, released in August 2014. The lyrics, written by vocalist Henry Allen, give no clue as to why this song is called Ipswich. Why a band from the Philippines should use the name remains a mystery at present.
Fish and Chip Bitch from Ipswich - Escape From Toytown: Fish and Chip Bitch from Ipswich is a country-influenced song by Brisbane based punk band Escape From Toytown. The song title refers to Pauline Hanson, co-founder and leader of One Nation, a far right Australian political party, who, before entering politics, owned a fish and chip shop in Ipswich, Queensland.
The original version of the song appeared on a cassette called Junk Food and More Toys. A re-recorded version then appeared on Behind The Banana Curtain, a various artists compilation album from 1996 which was released by Brisbane independent community radio station 4ZZZ. The song went on to win the station’s Hot 100 poll for that year.
The song has since been released on the band’s Pockets of Resistance “home made” compilation CD, first issued in 2003. A compilation of the same name, also featuring Fish and Chip Bitch from Ipswich, was released in April 2016.
Escape From Toytown were formed in 1995, and initially comprised Cal Crilly on guitar, vocals and keyboards, Chris Bell on guitar and Doug Mohr on drums. After several personnel changes, and various independent releases (including the 1999 album Escapegoat on Oracle Records), they seem to have disbanded in the early 2000s.
Ipswich - Po!: Po! Were an indie band from Rutland in England, who formed in 1987 and whose last recordings date from 1998. The line up changed several times over the years, with Ruth Miller (vocals and guitar) being the hub around which the band revolved. The track Ipswich first appeared on their final album Horse Blanket Weather which dates from 1998. It also features on a 2017 compilation album called Saturday Boots & Sundae Spoons, released on Rutland Records. Other albums by Po! include Little Stones (1989), Ducks And Drakes (1993) and Not Marked On The Ordnance Map (1996).
Ipswich - Paul Zarv: The atmospheric instrumental track Ipswich features on the 2016 electronic/dance album HPL by Paul Zarv. Not much more is known about this artist, but the fact that another of the tracks on this album is called Dunwich Rites, suggests a possible Suffolk connection.
Ipswich Stand Up - Brotherhood (feat. Gman, Lewis, Rye Shabby & Relly Crise): Taken from their 2017 studio debut album Flvd, this rap song, with explicit lyrics, is by Brotherhood. Formed in their hometown of Ipswich, Suffolk in 2006, Brotherhood consists of two brothers Blaze (Jerome), the eldest, and Menace (Byron Ingham). On Ipswich Stand Up they are joined by featured guests Gman, Lewis, Rye Shabby & Relly Crise.
Girl From Ipswich (Anema) - Paul Rippengal and Peter Bennie: Taken from their 2016 debut album Into the Clown’s Barrel, the title of this improvised instrumental is a play on The Girl from Ipanema, the Brazilian bossa nova jazz song that was an international hit for Astrud Gilberto and Stan Getz in 1964.
The album, which features these British musicians Paul on guitars and Peter on bass and electronics, is described as “A collection of tracks inspired by a free improvisation on acoustic guitar and electronics”. At just over six minutes long Girl From Ipswich (Anema) is a laid back, percussion dominated, atmospheric piece.
Girl From Ipswich - Sacha Collisson, Owen Parker, Dominic Marsh: This track is taken from the 2015 various artists album Comedy, released on the SATV label (which stands for Seriously Addictive Tunes and Vibes). Girl From Ipswich is basically a jazz tinged instrumental with wordless vocals, which weighs in at just two minutes eighteen seconds.
Ipswich - Matt Booth & Palindromes: This jazz instrumental can be found on the quartet’s eponymous 2018 album, available on Breakfast For Dinner Records. The band consists of the New Orleans jazz musicians Matt Booth on bass, Brad Walker on saxophones, Chris Alford on guitar and Doug Garrison on drums. The seven minutes eighteen seconds long piece Ipswich, written by Booth, is the first track on the album, which was recorded in New Orleans in 2016.
Why the name Ipswich was chosen for this piece is not known. Matt Booth & Palindromes has been performing in New Orleans since 2016, and this album, which represents a small portion of the group’s repertoire, explores a variety of moods and textures, from the meditative to the wildly bombastic, with an emphasis on deep listening and collective play.
(Tr)Ipswich - Muckaniks: This track features on a hip-hop compilation album called Brapp Beat Tape, Vol. 3 (Continuous DJ Mix), released in April 2018. The track is listed as being by Muckaniks, whose real name is Ryan Gallant, a Hip Hop producer/musician from Ipswich, England. His Production credits include:Brotherhood (see Ipswich Stand Up, above), Rye Shabby, Verb T, Lunar C, Scorcher, Kid Bookie, Richard Osborne, Torch, and Piers James amongst others.
Ipswich - DJ Ushuaia: Ipswich is taken from the album Rooster House Techno Edm Electro Music. As the album title suggests, this instrumental track is in the house/techno genre. The album, released in December 2018, consists of 30 tracks by various DJs, each one named after a British town, city or area, including Ayr, Cardiff, Grimsby, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Merseyside and East Coast. As well as Ipswich, two other tracks boast names of Suffolk towns: Felixstowe and Lowestoft. The name Ushuaia is taken from the Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel, where, according to theushuaiaexperience blog, the world’s best DJs perform.
Ipswich - Anjimile: The track Ipswich features on the 2018 album Colors by Anjimile. Anjimile is a self-styled “queer and trans songmaker/lover boy with a heart of gold based in Boston, MA.” His music is described as “spiritual and melodic indie-pop characterized by a smooth, highly expressive croon backed by guitar and synthesizer”.
Ipswich Lanes - Le Matos: Le Matos are a Montreal based duo comprising Jean-Nicolas Leupi and Jean-Philippe Bernie. Formed in 2007, their music is synthesiser/electronic orientated. Ipswich Lanes is a 1 minute 27 seconds long instrumental piece taken from the soundtrack album to the film Summer of ’84, for which the band provide all the music.
The movie Summer of ’84, which was released in 2018, is a Canadian horror/mystery film set in the fictional town of Ipswich in Cape May, Oregon, USA. See Fictional town of Ipswich, Oregon, USA in the film Summer of ’84 in the TV & Film section for more details.
Girl from Ipswich - Beds and Beats: Described as the “Ultimate Lift Musak Track”, Girl from Ipswich is a jazz-tinged instrumental piece clocking in at two minutes and composed by Dave Bethell. It appears on the 2019 album Lounge and Kitschen (sic), published by Beds and Beats Ltd, a London based music library service, specialising in production music and promos for radio and television. Beds and Beats Ltd was founded by Dave Bethell in 2008 and was bought by the Berlin-based BMG in 2015. Dave Bethell is an accomplished producer and voice over artist originally based in the UK. Dave moved to Los Angeles in 2015 to promote BMG’s activities in the American market and in 2018 he joined TM Productions as its Creative & Business Development Director. In 2020 he became a co-owner of this company in a management buy-out from its parent company.
Girls of Ipswich Town - Sedbuskers: Taken their debut 2016 album The Lady in the Lake, Girls of Ipswich Town is a song about the murders of five women in Ipswich in 2006 (see The Ipswich Murders 2006 on the Ipswich, England page). English folk band Sedbuskers are singer/songwriter duo Ian and Sue Bembridge, who are also members of the ceilidh and barn dance Bullenbush Band. Ian and Sue had long accompanied other folk groups. They set out on their own in 2007. Most of their work is self-penned and based on true stories from which they hope to provide entertainment and also a message from the story. (This same topic has also been covered by the folk group The Simon Hopper Band - see The Ballad of the Suffolk Five on the Suffolk Misc. page on www.planetsuffolk.com page).
Ipswich, MA. - Grant Wallace Band: Released in December 2017, Ipswich, MA is a 3 minutes 42 seconds track taken from the album By This Time Tomorrow by the Grant Wallace Band. Originating in Chicago, Illinois in 2011, the Grant Wallace Band are actually the trio of composers/performers Ben Hjertmann (voice/pedal steel guitar), Chris Fisher-Lochhead (viola/banjo), and Luke Gullickson (piano/guitar), whose influences include modern jazz and old-time folk.
Seeing drawings made by the grandfather of a fellow-composer, the group decided to name itself after him. Grant Wallace (1867-1954) was an eccentric Californian artist who practised interstellar communication in an isolated cabin, and drew structural diagrams of the universe based on professed telepathic communications with beings from other star systems. This suggested a fresh, diaphanous sound that the Grant Wallace Band was creating from a mélange of indie rock, experimental jazz, folk and bluegrass. We have no idea why the name Ipswich, MA was chosen.
Petrichor: An Open Letter, Ipswich River - Ethan Lally: Ethan Lally is a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist from Gloucester, Massachusetts. Petrichor: An Open Letter, Ipswich River is a six minute song taken from his 2016 self-produced album People, Places, Things.
(In case you were wondering, the definition of the word petrichor is: a pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather)
18:18 to Ipswich - Matt Cade: 18:18 to Ipswich is a song on the 2018 album Childhood by Matt Cade. According to Matt, “ ‘Childhood’ is a collection of songs and memories from growing up.” The spoken-word-over-music track recreates a train journey from London Liverpool Street station to Ipswich, using both real and fake rail announcements.
Ipswich - Sherman and Field: This duo from Ipswich, Queensland describe themselves as explorers of soundscapes, and use effects-drenched guitar, found/environmental sound, objects, devices, and acoustic/electronic beats to create their music. At nearly eight minutes long, the short film soundtrack Ipswich was released in August 2018 and is, in the band’s own words “improvised guitar and electronic drums accompaniment to a video filmed via mobile phone.” and was recorded as “a visual and sound representation of Brisbane and Limestone Streets in Ipswich Queensland - the heart of our town, submitted in a skateboard deck art exhibition as part of the 2018 Ipswich Fused Festival.” The film is available to view on YouTube.
It’s Always Raining in Ipswich - Booda French: Produced by Muckaniks and released in May 2019, this track is by Ipswich, Suffolk born Booda French, who describes himself as an “occasional unpopular rapper”. Other releases by the same artist include Fortune Cookies, Club 27 Reservations and Awesome is Everyday. All we know about Booda French is that he could not wait to leave the place of his birth, although he still expresses a fondness for it, hence the title of this track which apparently sums up his feelings of the Chantry Estate in Ipswich. Maybe this reflects his earlier stage-name which was Truth.
Ipswich - Chronologist: Ipswich appears on Solstice II, a four track EP released on the 21st December 2019 (the winter solstice) by the instrumental progressive rock band Chronologist. The band formed at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts in 2013, but are now based in Austin, Texas. Comprising of Julian Gargiulo, Nick Broomhall and Zach Sacco, the band have also released the EPs Equinox I, Equinox II and Solstice I, plus the 2016 album Cartographer.
Are You Telling Me Ipswich Has No Fun Points? - Haest: At just one minute seventeen seconds long, Are You Telling Me Ipswich Has No Fun Points? appears on the January 2020 album Anomie by the hardcore band Haest, who formed in early 2018 and hail from Hastings in East Sussex, England. They no doubt take their name from the old spelling of their home town - Haestingas. Why Ipswich has been referenced in this title is unknown.
Ipswich Cathedral Choral - Andrei Krylov: Taken from the 2018 album 50 Medieval Gothic & Celtic Fantasies for Folk Lute and Classical Guitar, the one minute thirty three second piece Ipswich Cathedral Choral is written and played by Russian born guitarist, composer and poet Andrei Krylov. Now based in Canada, Krylov has released numerous albums since his 1992 debut Nostalgy. Russian guitar songs and romances. As far as we know, Krylov has had no connection with Ipswich, nor does the place have a cathedral, so we are at a loss to explain this title. Maybe wishful thinking?
Straight Outta Ipswich - Oliver John Cameron & The Original Cast of the Colour Orange: Straight Outta Ipswich is a six minute long song taken from The Colour Orange: The Pauline Hanson Musical.
The stage show is written by Sophia Roberts and Oliver John Cameron with original music composed by Oliver John Cameron. Having won the Critics’ Pick award at the 2017 Sydney Fringe Festival, the show was subsequently performed in 2018 at the Adelaide Fringe Festival, Sydney Comedy Festival and Sideshow Festival. The Original Cast album was released in 2020.
As with the song Fish and Chip Bitch from Ipswich by Escape From Toytown (see above), the musical is based on the life and career of Pauline Hanson, co-founder of the far right One Nation Party, who, prior to entering politics, owned a fish and chip shop in Ipswich, Queensland. The Colour Orange is a theatrical caricature of her political career.
Sydney born composer, arranger and conductor Oliver John Cameron completed a Bachelor of Music (Composition) with Honours in 2015 at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, before becoming composer in residence and composition teacher at Meriden School. His other works include Sketches of the Moonflower for soprano and piano, Iuxta Modum for brass ensemble, Ortus for symphony orchestra, Cool Trepidation for bassoon and electronics, and Earth 10 for flute, French horn, cello and piano.
***Beware of the songs Merry Christmas Ipswich & Happy New Year Ipswich with Countdown and Auld Lang Syne, credited to Personalisongs & available to download. These songs are not unique to Ipswich, but are available for a whole host of different towns throughout Great Britain, with just the name of the town or city being changed on each recording.***
Ipswich Town FC Songs: Starting in the 1970s, several songs have bee n released about Ipswich Town Football Club with “Ipswich” in the title. The first of these was Ipswich Football Calypso, credited to Johnny Cobnut (a play on the name of the then club chairman John Cobbold, together with Tolly Cobbold’s Cobnut Ale, which dates from that period). Ipswich Football Calypso was the b-side of the club’s first ever 7” single from the early 70s, the a-side of which was Come on the Town (see single & original cover, right).
There have been several versions of Ipswich, Ipswich (Get that Goal) released over the years. The first appeared in the mid 70s, with a special edition, with adapted lyrics, coming out during the FA Cup winning run of 1977/78. Three different versions of this song can be found on the 2000 album Singing the Blues: The Songs of Ipswich Town FC, one of which is listed as The Ipswich Song, with another being a punk version by Elmerhassel. Other songs on the album include Blitzkreig Bop (For The Ipswich Lot) by Blue Flag ‘78 (which is based on the Ramones song Blitzkreig Bop), & Pride in Ipswich by Psychodelia.
Beware, however, of a track called Go Get the Goal (Ipswich Town). This track, by Don’t Kick the Baby, appears in 26 versions on a digital album called Go Get the Goal - Championship League. Each song is identical apart from the insertion of the name of a different English football club in the lyrics.
The Ugly Truth about Ipswich 1981-2011: Also worthy of mention is The Ugly Truth about Ipswich 1981-2011, a double CD compilation released on the Antigen Records label. Featuring a truly eclectic mix of 45 different artists & bands from Ipswich, England, the album’s diverse line-up includes the pop sounds of Nik Kershaw, the grindcore/death metal of Extreme Noise Terror, the classic punk of The Adicts, the indie rock of Bleach, the hardcore punk of The Stupids & the reggae of Jah Warriors, amongst many others.
Ipswich - Indie Band from Christchurch, New Zealand
Formed in Christchurch, New Zealand in late March 2011, Ipswich are a post-punk/indie band comprising Steven Marr on guitar & lead vocals, Matthew Gunn on bass & backing vocals, & Jamie Larson on drums.
In the aftermath of the earthquake that devastated Christchurch in February 2011, with virtually no live music venues available, the band began by playing at house parties. When venues began to re-open, Ipswich became regulars on the Christchurch scene, & soon began getting attention from the local media. Their self-titled debut EP was issued in May 2011 & was followed in November 2011 by the four track Living in a Stranger’s Home EP.
Ipswich’s first album was Live in Dunedin, which, as the title suggests, features a live nine track set recorded at XII Below in Dunedin on 21st January, 2012. It was released in April 2012 through Muzai Records. The CD of the album was sold encased in a 5.25” floppy disc!
The band’s first studio album, Baby Factory, followed in July 2012 (see album cover, right), featuring ten self-penned tracks & again released through Muzai, although this time in a more conventional CD format. A single, Whitecore/Smoke Crack, Shake Babies was released in November 2012. The majority of Ipswich’s back catalogue is still available to download.
According to the NZ Musician magazine the band took its name “from a street sign somewhere between Christchurch and Dunedin”. This must be either Ipswich Street in Hampden, a rural settlement between the two cities; or Ipswich Street in Bradford, a suburb of Dunedin (see Roads Named Ipswich page).
The band split up during 2013, with all three members joining other groups by the end of that year. Steven Marr and Matt Gunn helped form ‘Doprah’ in 2013, and Jamie Larsen became drummer of ‘Christian Rock’.
Ipswich – Rock Band from California, USA
Based in Fremont, California, the band Ipswich describe their music as Jazz Punk Infusion/Thrash-a-billy/Rock/Alt-Rock. Formed in 2009 from the remnants of a band named The Dying Ego, the current band line up comprises Noel English on vocals, Kenn Bobbit & Bobby Rodriguez on Guitars, Carlos Torres on bass, Dave Govang on keyboards & Rizaldy Abawag on drums (who replaced original drummer Kris Betchart). Five of their songs are available to download from the band’s Facebook page: Blurred, Self Inflicted Misery, Outta Control, Down Not Done & Save Me.
The band hosted a music venue at the Moose Lodge in Newark, CA every 4th Saturday called “Rock the Moose”, although whether this is still ongoing is uncertain, as the last post on the band’s Facebook page dates from July 2012. It may even be that the band have now split up.
No reason has yet come to light as to why a band based in California should use the name Ipswich.
Ipswich Musicians’ Union Big Band
The Ipswich Musicians’ Union Big Band was formed over 30 years ago as a rehearsal band for the benefit of local musicians wanting to play ‘Big Band Jazz’ for their own pleasure. This 18 piece Big Band playing both Big Band jazz standards and more contemporary arrangements has been one of the leading bands in East Anglia in England for many years.
For the first ten years they went under the name of ‘The Paul Davis Big Band’ after their band leader and pianist, who has since gone on to recreate the 1940s and 1950s big swing band sound with an orchestra of this same name. In 1983 the band recorded their first album, The Heat’s On at Hillside Studios, Ipswich, under the Paul Davis name, featuring several musicians who still play with the band over 30 years later.
After Paul left, the band was directed by Bob Bennett, a local trombonist, teacher and arranger, who worked full time for the Musicians’ Union, and thus the band’s present name was adopted. The band, now under the direction of David Bolton, a local music teacher, recorded their latest album Hullaballoo in 2011 (see cover, right).
Recorded at the Gemini Studios in Ipswich, the CD has 11 tracks including My Funny Valentine, Sweet Georgia Brown, and Bahia Alegre.
Although the band shortens its name to the IMU Big Band, there is a danger of confusion with other groups and individuals that use these same initials. We have noted the following shown as IMU: Intuitive Minds United, Intuitive Music Unit, Imagem Music USA, Inspire Music Unite and IMU Music Group.
Ipswich Model Band
The Ipswich Model Band is one of the longest operating bands in Australia. Established in 1906, the band has evolved into the community band it is today.
The group regularly performs in concerts, festivals, and parades in Ipswich and South East Queensland. It has a broad repertoire ranging from Bizet, Rogers and Hammerstein and everything in between. A video of them playing “Shut Up and Dance” (original by the American rock band ‘Walk the Moon’) can be viewed on line. The headquarters of the band is in Basin Pocket, Ipswich, Queensland, where they were given a hall in 1954. It was renamed the Horace J. Harper Hall in 1967 after a lifetime member of the band.
The band is essentially based on wind and brass instruments and, as their name implies, they will perform in marching parades. In Australia, a “model band” is a name given to a marching band and the band was called this as early as 23 January 1906 by The Queensland Times. However, it had many name changes in the early days before settling on the Ipswich Model Band.
The name “model band” was coined by the English-born Australian musician and composer, Thomas Bulch. He emigrated to Australia in 1884 and settled in Victoria, where he became the bandmaster of the 3rd Battalion Band for whom he composed several marching tunes. He resigned in 1887 and formed his own private band known as Bulch’s Model Band “for accompanying a modern army”. Today, this still exists as the City of Ballarat Municipal Brass Band and the name “model band” became associated with any band marching in a parade.
Between 1972 and 1981 the band was named the Ipswich Vice-Regal Model Band. The background to this name change is covered in the next article that follows.
Ipswich City Vice-Regal Band 1890-1972
During the 19th and most of the 20th century it was commonplace for every town and almost every village in the UK to have its own “Brass Band”. The larger towns would have more than one band. “Brass Band competitions” were regular events and it was a matter of pride for the local band to gain one of the top positions. This popular practice was taken to the countries where the British and Irish people settled, such as Australia and New Zealand.
The Ipswich City Vice-Regal Band was long considered the “top brass band” in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. It had its origins in the Hancock Bros Plywood and Timber Mill at North Ipswich where, in 1890, the company sponsored a brass band named Hancock’s Band. In these early years it had a few name changes: to the Ipswich Town Band in January 1894; the Ipswich City Band in 1904 when Ipswich became a city; and in the same year it became the Ipswich City Vice-Regal Band, after playing before the Governor of Queensland, who gave permission for the band to bear this name to denote that it had been under Vice-Regal patronage.
As the Ipswich City Vice-Regal Band it succeeded in winning the Australian Brass Band Championship in 1923, 1929 and 1932.
An interesting and (in 2020) topical account is the incident in 1919 when the band attended a Sydney Contest and became involved in a three week (what we now call) “lockdown” during the Spanish Flu pandemic. The border between New South Wales and Queensland was closed and the band was not allowed to return home. It was forced to camp out for three weeks, during which time the City of Ipswich raised funds to pay for the men’s living costs and lost wages during the time spent in the camp.
About 1972 the Ipswich City Vice Regal Band wished to wind up their affairs and approached the Ipswich Model Band with the view of handing over their assets to them. As part of the deal the Ipswich Model Band had to incorporate “Vice Regal” into their name. In 1981, after the annual general meeting, the constitution was changed and “Vice Regal” was deleted. The band reverted to its original name, the Ipswich Model Band; thus, the distinctive name of the former band passed into history.
Other Ipswich Bands
We are not listing those bands which are located in an Ipswich e.g. the Ipswich Gas Works Brass Band, New Ipswich Cornet Band, unless they have issued a record (in which case they will be covered in the above section), or they have an interesting background, usually with respect to their name. For the record, we have noted 58 bands which have the name ‘Ipswich’ in their title, including those bands that have a separate entry above.
Ipswich Down – Rock Band from New Jersey, USA
Ipswich Down was a rock/pop band from the Ashbury Park area in southern New Jersey. They combined elements of rock, pop, and punk, with the rhythmic grooves of classic R&B and funk. Or, in the band’s own words: “soulful rhythm, grooves that move, and infectious melodies, wrapped up with a rock n roll attitude”.
Formed in February 2014 by three veterans of the New Jersey music scene: drummer Damien Mendez (the Coppertones, Cross Eyed Jesus), bassist Timmy Douglas (Nick Clemons Band, Basskidd), and singer/guitarist David Fagan (Snowball 37). The band’s influences range from The Red Hot Chili Peppers to the Ramones, and all styles of dance music in between.
You can hear five Ipswich Down tracks on ReverbNation: The Upside, Fraidy Cat, Psycho Killer (cover of the old Talking Heads song), Baby You’re a Star (Live) and I Need More. There are also a few live videos of the band on YouTube, playing The Upside, Fraidy Cat and So What at various venues in New Jersey during early 2015.
The gigs seem to have dried up in 2015, and it appears that the band broke up around this time. What remains a mystery is why the name Ipswich Down was chosen.
Ipswich Method Ringing Compositions (Bellringing)
To say we are somewhat out of our “comfort zone” is an understatement. Every craft, hobby and sport has their own terminology and special expressions, but with regard to Bellringing their use of language is practically unintelligible: the words are in English, but not as we know it. We refer the reader to the abridged Glossary below.
“Change ringing”, the traditional English method of sounding bells swinging full circle, evolved during the 17th century. The basis of the art is that having started from ‘rounds’ (ringing down the scale), each bell follows a pre-determined path amongst the others, so that the bells ring in a different order each time until they return again to ‘rounds’. The simplest way to use a set of bells is ringing rounds, which is sounding the bells repeatedly in sequence from treble to tenor: 1, 2, 3, etc. Ringers typically start with ‘rounds’ and then begin to vary the order of the bells, moving on to a series of distinct rows. Each row (or change) is a specific permutation of the bells (for example 123456 or 531246). Each bell is rung once and only once, the difference from row to row being the order in which the bells follow one another.
In “Method ringing” each ringer has to memorise a pattern describing his or her bell’s course from row to row; taken together, these patterns (along with only occasional calls made by a conductor) form an algorithm. These can be shown on a chart that plots this path and, fully developed, this becomes an intricate and exacting science. This is something that those who practice it cannot agree on: is Bellringing music, an art form or science?
Since permutations are involved, the ultimate theoretical goal of method ringing is to ring the bells in every possible permutation; this is called an extent (to us normal people we call it a full peal). For a “method” on bells the number of possible permutations can be expressed by the factorial mathematical notation, e.g. three bells can be rung six ways: 1,2,3; 1,3,2; 2,3,1; 2,1,3; 3,1,2; 3,2,1 expressed as “factorial three” (3!) obtained by multiplying 1 x 2 x 3 = 6. It follows that four bells will have 24 permutations, factorial four (4!). With six bells there are 720 permutations (6!) and with 8 bells there are 40,320 permutations (8!). This is why bellringing can be considered a ‘science’.
There are several Glossaries of Bellringing but whether the descriptions mean much to the reader we leave to their imagination. We provide those that are relevant to this piece on “Ipswich”.
Band - a group of bellringers is called ‘a band’. The similarity to ‘music’ enters.
Row -a sequence in which every bell is struck once, i.e. 1,2,3,4 or 2,3,1,4 or 4,3,1,2
Change - colloquially refers to a ‘row’, although strictly speaking it means the transition from one row to the next.
Method - a specific sequence of Changes all of the same Stage. ‘Methods’ have names. They are less baffling, if you know how they work. They have three parts, for example ‘Plain Bob Doubles’, ‘Norwich Surprise Minor’, ‘Kent Treble-bob Maximus’, but can also only be two words!
The first part of the ‘Method’ is the specific name given by the first band to ring the ‘method’ in a peal. ‘Methods’ are often named after the places where first rung, but they can be named after people and some names are quite comical. “Ipswich” is a Method name.
The second part is the type. This can get a bit technical, and is to do with the way the method is constructed. The definitions of those used in the “Ipswich” compositions are given next (sorry, we are not able to give a translation, but we can confirm they are in English):
Alliance - a class of Symmetrical Treble Dominated method in which the treble reaches the back but rings in some positions more often than others.
Bob - a class of Plain method in which dodging occurs.
Delight - a class of Treble Bob method in which internal places are made at some but not all cross sections.
Place - a class of Plain method with no dodges and in which the paths of all bells consists of only hunting and place making.
Surprise - a class of Treble Dodging method in which an internal place is made at every cross section.
Treble Place - a class of Symmetrical method in which the Treble makes at least one place within the half lead, and the Treble has the same total number of blows in each position of the path within the lead.
Stage - this is the third part of the name and is simply the number of bells used but, of course, the bellringers have to have technical terms which are: for an odd number of bells used 3 = Singles; 5 = Doubles; 7 = Triples; 9 = Caters; 11 = Cinques; for an even number of bells used 4 = Minimus; 6 = Minor; 8 = Major; 10 = Royal; 12 = Maximus.
To use the language to complicate matters so that the average person does not know what you are talking about can only be described as an ‘art form’.
There are hundreds of these Methods which have been composed over the centuries and all have names, some very fanciful. Each ‘Method’ or peal is a distinct Composition and belongs to the person who first produced it. Once a person had made out a title to a peal, it was their property. In early days the names of the authors who invented the ‘Method’ was not always recorded. However, in the 19th century books were published and peal records were kept. There is, of course, a body that controls this activity. This is the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers founded in 1891. They have to be notified and check that the ‘new’ peal conforms to set rules on peal ringing. There are also regular “striking competitions” between different bands of bellringers. This has led to an insistence by some members that “bellringing is both an art and a sport”.
There has been a ringing tradition in Ipswich, England, for over 250 years and from 1880 to 1939 the St Mary-le-Tower society was the leading “Maximus Company”, i.e. using 12 bells, in the country. The 15th-century church of St Lawrence in Ipswich has the oldest ring of five church bells in the world. (See St. Lawrence - The World’s Oldest Church Bells on the Ipswich, England page)
Given that Ipswich has had such an influence on bell-ringing it is not surprising that Compositions with the title “Ipswich” as the ‘method’ exist. These Compositions and when first recorded are given below. The number of bells used is shown in brackets for the reader’s benefit and would never be used by a bellringer – the title already provides that information!
Ipswich Surprise Major (8 bells) first peal on tower bells on 21 May 1927 at Newchurch Kenyon, Lancashire. First peal on handbells at Danbury, Essex, on 19 March 1985.
Ipswich Surprise Minor (6 bells) first peal on tower bells on 9 April 1932 at Wadhurst, East Sussex. First peal on handbells at Whewell’s Court, Trinity College, Cambridge University on 8 March 1963.
Ipswich Bob Caters (9 bells) first peal reported in 1973.Ipswich Delight Major (8 bells) first peal on tower bells on 5 January 1982 at St Mary-le-Tower, Ipswich.
Ipswich Delight Maximus (12 bells) first peal on tower bells on 3 April 1982 at St Mary-le-Tower, Ipswich.
Ipswich Delight Royal (10 bells) first peal on handbells at Wilmslow, Cheshire, on 1 June 1999.
Ipswich Bob Major (8 bells) first peal tower bells on 17 April 2004 at St Mary-le-Tower, Ipswich.
Ipswich Alliance Major (8 bells) first peal on tower bells on 22 October 2016 at St Mary’s, Peterborough.
Ipswich Treble Place Minimus (4 bells) first peal at Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire, Wales, on 8 July 2017.(Also refer to Suffolk Method Ringing Compositions (Bellringing) on the Suffolk Misc. page of www.planetsuffolk.com.)
Ipswich Inn, Grand Junction, Colorado, USA
This motel was located at 2222 E North Ave, Grand Junction, CO 81501. The management advised us that the name was given by the original owners who came from Ipswich, England, before 1963. Unfortunately, their names have now been forgotten, although they will certainly be held on record somewhere. The hotel was incorporated as a company in 1973.
The Ipswich Inn was originally the San Juan Motel and is known to have still had that name in 1960 before the new owners from Ipswich bought it. The motel was probably built in or soon after 1949 to cater for visitors to the Veterans Hospital opposite which was constructed in that year.
The motel closed in 2017 and it has been converted into one bedroom, one bathroom, fully furnished, single family studio apartments going under the name of “2222 North Avenue Apartments”.
If anyone has any further details, please let me know by emailing info@planetipswich.com.
The Ipswich Inn, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA
The Ipswich Inn is also known as Ipswich Bed & Breakfast and 2 East Street but is better known as the historic Robert Jordan House. A complete write-up of its history can be found on the Internet. Briefly, according to records, the site dating back to 1689 has been occupied by several houses, including a meeting house for the Methodist Episcopal Church before the present church was built.
In May 1862 it was sold by the trustees of the church to Robert Jordan. He was a Civil War veteran who made his living as a general merchant after the war. Mr Jordan built this present house in April 1863. It is an example of the Victorian Italianate-style situated on an acre of land in the centre of historic Ipswich, and includes an ice-house and carriage house at the rear of the property.
The present owners bought the property in 1996. Although it was not their intention to start a bed and breakfast, they thought it would be great to meet new people, and to share their home with strangers that wanted to pay for being there. So, in 1999 the B&B was started. This has now grown to become known as The Ipswich Inn where not only B&B is still provided, but the dining facilities cater for special occasions, business meetings and other social events.
Ipswich View Homestead Bed & Breakfast, Toodyay*, Western Australia
Ipswich View Homestead Bed & Breakfast is situated at 45 Folewood Rd, Toodyay WA 6566, Australia.
The original homestead called Ipswich View was probably built in the late 1860s. The name was given by the owner of the land at the time, John Acton Wroth, as it reminded him of the view over the River Orwell i n his home town of Ipswich in England.John Acton Wroth was born in Ipswich, Suffolk in 1830. In 1848 he was convicted of forging orders for watches, gold chains, boots & slippers. For this he received a sentence of ten years. He was transported to Australia on the Mercury, which left Portsmouth in January 1851 & arrived in Freemantle in May of that year. He was appointed a clerk at the York & Newcastle convict depots &, in 1854, his exemplary behaviour earned him a pardon. He married in the same year & was appointed the local postmaster at Toodyay (at that time called Newcastle) & remained there until his death in 1876.
Wroth gifted the land at Ipswich View to his daughter Elizabeth Caroline Wroth. In 1890 she married John Ferguson, who built the present house around that time. The property, however, remained in her name & was then passed on to her daughter.
The Ferguson family owned Ipswich View for over 100 years & the property has a reputation as one of the most famous haunted houses in Western Australia. Room 5 is said to be haunted by three old ladies. Room 2 keeps locking itself, even though nothing is found to be wrong with the lock. As well as this, whispered voices, knocking sounds, footsteps & the meowing of a ghost cat have also been reported.
Ipswich View Homestead is set in 7 acres, only a few minute’s drive from the centre of Toodyay. Facilities include a tennis court, mini golf & a swimming pool. It has five guest rooms plus one self-contained family unit. Despite the paranormal activity, it is said to be a peaceful & serene place to stay, with comfortable rooms & great food. Ipswich View was sold in May 2021 as a Bed & Breakfast. As at September 2022 it was still operating under the same name.
*Pronounced 'Too-yay'
Ipswich in the Names of Public Houses, Bars & Inns etc.
Our research to date shows that, sadly, most pubs, bars & inns that have at one time or another had the name “Ipswich” in their title are no longer in existence; three of the four remaining being in the USA, two of which are in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Those that have closed or now exist under a different name are listed below. Beneath these are also listed the hotels, motels, guest houses etc. with “Ipswich” in their name.
There is a special case of a pub still existing with Ipswich in its name which is located in Ipswich, England. This is the first entry below; its story is covered in the narrative that follows after the list.
(Pictured above is the former Ipswich Arms on Tayfen Road, Bury St Edmunds)
If anyone knows of any other pubs, hotels etc. with “Ipswich” in their title, either closed or still thriving, please email details to info@planetipswich.com
Still existing (England):
Still existing (USA):
Still Exists, but under a different name (England):
No longer existing (Australia):
No longer existing (England):
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