David Kindred recently shared some images of a number of shops which have now gone from the Ipswich town centre.
This has brought memories from a Rushmere reader.
“This brings back fond memories. We lived off Hadleigh Road and would walk daily to Tower Ramparts School, along Handford Road, passing endless pubs, then over The Mount area of Ipswich, past a slaughter house and by Squirrel & Cleveland fruit merchant who had a warehouse in Blackhorse Lane.
I recall a very prominent store not far from St Matthews Baths called Smiths Albion House.
We then walked towards school and Newsteads cake shop (those “stales” were great).
Later in life I worked at Prices shoe shop. Those were the days!”
Rick Driver, Rushmere
A few weeks ago David featured a letter from a remarkable lady of 89, now living in Canada, who recalled a dreadful day in Ipswich. It was June
2, 1943 when German bombers attacked the town in a Second World War raid.
The attack came at 5.20am when nine Focke-Wulf FW 190 fighter bombers, flying at roof top height, dropped bombs on Prettyman Road, Felixstowe Road and Myrtle Road, with one of the aircraft crashing
into the dock after flying into the blast of a bomb, hitting the jib of a crane on the quay and crashed near the lock.
Eleven people were killed in the attack.
We have now received a letter from another lady who recalls that day.
“I was reading the Star and to my surprise it was about the bombing in Myrtle Road, Ipswich, where I was living at the time as a child. The lady
who wrote mentioned my family, the Ravens and how they took her in and gave her tea.
I am the youngest one of the family, sadly they all passed away when they were quite young.
I also remember Mrs Brown at the sweet shop who was killed in the raid. I just wanted to write and let you know what a lovely feeling it gave me.”
Eileen Leggett (nee Raven), Wigmore Close, Ipswich
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