David Kindred takes a look back at his childhood in the Pipers Vale area.
I grew up in the south east part of Ipswich and was a pupil at Landseer Road School. The Pipers Vale area of town was where I spent many happy hours playing in the open space on the East bank of the River Orwell. The area was always referred to as “The Lairs”. The Ordnance Survey map shows: Pipers Vale, Orwell Country Park, Braziers Wood, Bridge Wood and Pond Hall Farm, but no reference to “The Lairs”.
I have received emails from two readers asking if anybody knows what defines “The Lairs”.
In 1937 Pipers Vale swimming pools were opened. This was a wonderful place on a warm summer’s day, but as any pupils of nearby school will tell you it could be like the Arctic for school swimming lessons. The open air pools were demolished in 1979 and the site used during the construction of the Orwell Bridge.
In the late 1980s plans were discussed to build a relief road from the A14 to the Ipswich port area. Protest marches and meetings were organised and in January 1994 plans for the road were dropped.
n What memories do you have of “The Lairs” and where do you think it starts and ends? Share your thoughts by e-mailing David Kindred
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