Ipswich Mayor speaks of positive atmosphere in town

Councillor Stefan Long, the Mayor of Ipswich, said that everyone he speaks to "is in a good mood" as the summer brings positivity to the town. 

For the last few months, Ipswich has seen a wave of events bringing people into the town to celebrate the best that the town has to offer.

Brighten the Corners was once again a huge success this year (Image: Tom Cann) Recent and upcoming events include the Brighten the Corners music festival, Fabio Wardley's victory at Portman Road, the return of parkrun, the Ipswich Windrush celebrations and Ed Sheeran's homecoming tour. 

Mr Long said: "I have been really fortunate to attend a lot of these events as mayor, and everyone has a smile on their face and is in a good mood.

"There is a happy environment at the moment, even with the changing weather.

Ipswich Borough Councillor Cathy Frost and Mayor Stefan Long at the saints summer festival (Image: Newsquest) "People are coming out of town for these events and everyone can feel that Ipswich is a good place to be.

"I have to say a massive thank you to our events team who have worked so hard to put on these events for everyone to enjoy."

As well the events, some older buildings have been revived such as the Grimwades building and Marinero Lounge, as well as new businesses opening on the high street. 

Last week saw the opening of Marinero Lounge opening on the Ipswich Waterfront (Image: Marinero Lounge) Mr Long continued: "The work to Marinero Lounge looks fantastic as does Jamaica Blue, and is great to see old buildings to get the love and work they deserve.

"The whole atmosphere around the town is great, it really gets me down when people talk bad about the town.

"There is so much to love about the town at the moment, we have such a great history, and we should recognise the hard work that goes into making the town feel special."