The public are being invited to experience all the different
elements of the Ebb and Flow project at Flowfest, a free, one day
event at Snape Maltings on Saturday, July 19. The day will be
a culmination of months of work undertaken in the community to
capture the rich history of life along the rivers Alde and Ore.
Visitors to Flowfest will be treated to a full programme of
events, including live music, storytelling sessions, guided walks
along the river, exhibitions of art and photography, archaeological
finds, craft workshops, river trips and more. There will be a
sculpture trail to follow, and some of the stories from 24
residents who recorded their memories of life along the river can
be heard at two special listening posts at Orford Quay and along
the Sailors Path.
Cllr Mary Neale, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Countryside,
said, “The Ebb and Flow project has been a huge success, involving
people from across the community in projects which have helped
unlock and preserve the history of the area so it can be retold to
a modern audience.
“Flowfest will be an interesting and enjoyable way to celebrate
the project’s achievements and is packed full of activities and
attractions that will show people what the project has been all
about,” added Cllr Neale.
The attractions run from 10am to 4pm, with live music from Andy
Pearson at 10am and 2.45pm, Hannah Scott at 11.30am and 3.30pm,
while at 12.45pm Singing The River will be performed by a choir
with Syzewell Gap. This is a special work for voices and a folk
band that has been inspired by the River Blythe and created by
Bridget Cousins.
The storyteller John Row will be on hand at 10.45am and 2pm, while
there are guided walks at 11am and 2pm, and even a river trip at
3.30pm. The walks can be booked by calling 01394 384948 and the
river trip by calling 01728 688303.
There are also art workshops on offer for people of all ages,
archaeology sessions when visitors can view some of the items found
along the river, or bring their own objects to be identified, a
story booth when local personalities will share their own local
history and knowledge, and an Aldeburgh oyster farmer will be on
hand to explain the past and present use of oysters.
The Ebb and Flow project began last year as a partnership
between Suffolk Coastal and Suffolk Coast and Heaths, who both
helped fund it with further backing from the Heritage Lottery Fund,
the Sustainable Development Fund, Aldeburgh and District Local
History Society, and Alde and Ore Association.
Over the last few months the archaeology of the area has been
tracked over 6,000 years, while maps from 1500 to the present day
were studied, and local residents recorded their thoughts on the
way they have seen things alter during their lifetimes. Two hundred
children from eight schools were involved, as well as over 40 adult
volunteers.
The five and a half miles long Sailors Path, which runs from the
centre of Snape to the beach at Aldeburgh, is one of five local Ebb
and Flow walks that are featured in a new 28-page souvenir booklet
which is full of photographs, helpful advice and history. The Ebb
and Flow River Heritages Walks booklet can be bought for £2.99 from
Suffolk Coastal’s Tourist Information Centres at Aldeburgh,
Felixstowe or Woodbridge or most good local bookshops.
More information about the Ebb and Flow project can be found on
www.suffolkcoastal.gov.uk/yourfreetime/arts/ebbandflow