Ipswich
Borough of Ipswich
Common Quay, Ipswich Docks
Ipswich and surrounding area
Ipswich Position in Suffolk
Coordinates: 52°3′34″N 1°9′20″E / 52.05944°N 1.15556°E / 52.05944; 1.15556
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent Country	England
Region	East of England
County	Suffolk
Borough	Ipswich
Government
• Type	Leader and Cabinet
• MPs	Ben Gummer
Area– Ranked 292nd
• City	15.22 sq mi (39.42 km2)
Population
• City	Ranked 160th 128,300
• Density	8,430/sq mi (3,255/km2)
• Urban	141,658
• Ethnicity	90.5% White 2.1% Black 3.9% S.Asian 1.1% Chinese or Other 2.4% Mixed Race
ONS code	42UD

Timber-frame buildings in St Nicholas Street

Ipswich ⁱ/ˈɪpswɪtʃ/ is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell. Nearby towns are Felixstowe, Needham Market and Stowmarket in Suffolk and Harwich and Colchester in Essex.

The town of Ipswich overspills the borough boundaries significantly, with 85% of the town's population living within the borough at the time of the 2001 Census, when it was the third-largest settlement in the United Kingdom's East of England region, and the 49th largest urban area in the United Kingdom.^[1][2]

The modern name is derived from the medieval name 'Gippeswick', probably taken from the River Gipping which is the non-tidal section of the River Orwell.^[3] As of 2007, the borough of Ipswich is estimated to have a population of approximately 128,000 inhabitants.

History[link]

Under the Roman empire, the area around Ipswich formed an important route inland to rural towns and settlements via the rivers Orwell and Gipping.^{[citation needed]} A large Roman fort, part of the coast defences of Britain, stood at Walton near Felixstowe (13 miles, 21 km),^[4] and the largest Roman villa in Suffolk (possibly an administrative complex) stood at Castle Hill (north-west Ipswich).^[5]

Ipswich is one of England's oldest towns,^[6][7] and took shape in Anglo-Saxon times (in the 7th–8th centuries) around Ipswich dock. As the coastal states of north-western Europe emerged from the collapse of the Roman Empire, essential North Sea trade and communication between eastern Britain and the continent (especially to Scandinavia, and through the Rhine) passed through the formerly Roman ports of London (serving the Kingdoms of Mercia, the East Saxons and of Kent) and of York (Eoforwic) (serving the Kingdom of Northumbria).

Gipeswic (also Gippelwich ^[8]) arose as the equivalent to these serving the Kingdom of East Anglia,^[9] its early imported wares dating to the time of King Rædwald, supreme ruler of the English (616–624). The famous ship-burial and treasure at Sutton Hoo nearby (9 miles, 14.5 km) is probably his grave. The Ipswich Museum houses replicas of the Roman Mildenhall Treasure and the Sutton Hoo treasure. A gallery devoted to the town's origins includes Anglo-Saxon weapons, jewellery and other artefacts.

Neptune Marina Quay, Ipswich

The 7th century town, called 'Gippeswick'^[10] was centred near the quay. Towards 700 AD, Frisian potters from the Netherlands area settled in Ipswich and set up the first large-scale potteries in England since Roman times. Their wares were traded far across England, and the industry was unique to Ipswich for 200 years.^[11][12] With growing prosperity, in about 720 AD a large new part of the town was laid out in the Buttermarket area. Ipswich was becoming a place of national and international importance.^[13]

Parts of the ancient road plan still survive in its modern streets. After the invasion of 869 Ipswich fell under Viking rule. The earth ramparts circling the town centre were probably raised by Vikings in Ipswich around 900 to prevent its recapture by the English.^[14][15] They were unsuccessful. The town operated a Mint under royal licence from King Edgar in the 970s, which continued through the Norman Conquest until the time of King John, in about 1215.^[16] The abbreviation 'Gipes' appears on the coins.

King John granted the town its first charter in 1200, laying the medieval foundations of its modern civil government.^[17][18] In the next four centuries it made the most of its wealth, trading Suffolk cloth with the Continent.^{[citation needed]} Five large religious houses, including two Augustinian Priories (St Peter and St Paul, and Holy Trinity, both mid-12th century^[19]), and those of the Greyfriars (Franciscans, before 1298), Ipswich Whitefriars (Carmelites founded 1278–79) and Blackfriars (Dominicans, before 1263), stood in medieval Ipswich. The last Carmelite Prior of Ipswich was the celebrated John Bale, author of the oldest English historical verse-drama (Kynge Johan, c.1538).^[20] There were also several hospitals, including the leper hospital of St Mary Magdalene, founded before 1199. During the Middle Ages the Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Grace was a famous pilgrimage destination, and attracted many pilgrims including Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon.^[21][22] At the Reformation the statue was taken away to London to be burned, though some claim that it survived and is preserved at Nettuno, Italy.^[23]

Around 1380, Geoffrey Chaucer satirised the merchants of Ipswich in the Canterbury Tales. Thomas Wolsey, the future cardinal, was born in Ipswich about 1475 as the son of a wealthy landowner. One of Henry VIII's closest political allies, he founded a college in the town in 1528, which was for its brief duration one of the homes of the Ipswich School.^[24] He remains one of the town's most famed figures.

Ipswich was a kontor for the Hanseatic League with its port used for import and export to the Baltic.

Ancient House is decorated with a particularly fine example of pargeting.

In the time of Queen Mary the Ipswich Martyrs were burnt at the stake on the Cornhill for their Protestant beliefs. A monument commemorating this event now stands in Christchurch Park. From 1611 to 1634 Ipswich was a major centre for emigration to New England. This was encouraged by the Town Lecturer, Samuel Ward. His brother Nathaniel Ward was first minister of Ipswich, Massachusetts, where a promontory was named 'Castle Hill' after the place of that name in north-west Ipswich, UK. Ipswich was also one of the main ports of embarkation for puritans leaving other East Anglian towns and villages for the Massachusetts Bay Colony during the 1630s and what has become known as the Great Migration.^[25]

The painter Thomas Gainsborough lived and worked in Ipswich. In 1835, Charles Dickens stayed in Ipswich and used it as a setting for scenes in his novel The Pickwick Papers. The hotel where he resided first opened in 1518; it was then known as The Tavern and later became known as the Great White Horse Hotel. Dickens made the hotel famous in chapter XXI of The Pickwick Papers, vividly describing the hotel's meandering corridors and stairs. The building now houses branches of Starbucks and Cotswold Outdoor.

In 1824, Dr George Birkbeck, with support from several local businessmen, founded one of the first Mechanics' Institutes which survives to this day as the independent Ipswich Institute Reading Room and Library. The elegant 15 Tavern Street building has been the site of the Library since 1836.

In 1797 Lord and Lady Nelson moved to Ipswich, and in 1800 Lord Nelson was appointed High Steward of Ipswich.

In the mid-19th century Coprolite (fossilized animal dung) was discovered, the material was mined and then dissolved in acid, the resulting mixture forming the basis of Fisons fertilizer business.^[26]

Ipswich was subject to bombing by German Zeppelins during the First World War but the greatest damage by far occurred during the German bombing raids of World War II. The area in and around the docks were especially devastated. The last bombs to fall on Ipswich landed on Seymour Street in March 1945.^[27]

Modern Ipswich[link]

Ipswich Market day at Town Centre

Ipswich has undergone an extensive rebuilding and a gentrification programme in recent years, principally centred around the waterfront. Though this has turned a former industrial dock area into an emerging residential and commercial centre, it is being completed at the expense of much of the town's industrial and maritime heritage and in spite of efforts made by a local civic group, The Ipswich Society. Much of this development is residential and is marketed at high net-worth individuals in the DINKY demographic. As such, some have considered it incompatible with Ipswich's existing socio-economic mix. It could therefore be considered to be aimed at encouraging economic migration to the town, particularly as a commutable satellite town of London.

The Tolly Cobbold brewery, built in the 19th century and rebuilt 1894–1896, is one of the finest Victorian breweries in the United Kingdom. There was a Cobbold brewery in the town from 1746 until 2002 when Ridley's Breweries took Tolly Cobbold over.^[28] Felix Thornley Cobbold presented Christchurch Mansion to the town in 1896. Smaller breweries include St Jude's Brewery situated in an 18th century coach-house near the town centre.

Former stables,^[29] reflected in the glass panels of the Willis Building

The town centre contains the glass-clad building owned by Willis, properly called the Willis Building but still often called the "Willis-Faber building" by locals, as the company Willis Corroon themselves used to be called Willis Faber. Designed by Norman Foster, the building dates from 1974. It became the youngest Grade I listed building in Britain in 1991 and at the time one of only two buildings to be listed and be under 30 years of age.^[30]

In September 1993 Ipswich and Arras, Nord Pas-de-Calais, France, became twin towns, and a square in the new Buttermarket development was named Arras Square to mark the relationship.^[31]

On 13 March 2007 Ipswich was awarded the cleanest town award.^[32]

Ipswich remains a 'town' despite a few attempts at winning 'city' status.^[33] It does not have a cathedral, so the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich is based at Bury St Edmunds the former headquarters of West Suffolk.

Districts[link]

The Ipswich docks area (also 'the waterfront') is now devoted primarily to leisure use and includes extensive recent development of residential apartment blocks and the new University Campus. Fairline Boats and Spirit Yachts^[34] operate from the dock as does a timber merchant. Other industrial uses dominate to the south of the wet dock. Recently Waterfront Action was formed to help create a friendly, thriving and vibrant community for the Ipswich Waterfront with the initiative being led by Waterfront Churches.

Holywells is the area around Holywells Park, a 67 acre (27 ha) public park, situated near the docks, that was painted by Thomas Gainsborough. Alexandra Park is the nearest park to the Northern Quay of the Ipswich Waterfont and situated on Back Hamlet next to the Northern block of UCS

Chantry is the name of a housing estate and park to the South-West of Ipswich.

Other districts outside the town centre include Bixley Farm, Broke Hall, California, Castle Hill, The Dales, Gainsborough, Greenwich, Kesgrave (which is actually a separate town situated in Suffolk Coastal District), Maidenhall, Pinebrook, Priory Heath, Racecourse, Ravenswood(built on the former air field), Rose Hill, Rushmere, Springvale, St Margarets, Stoke, Warren Heath, Westbourne, Whitehouse and Whitton.

To the east of the town is Trinity Park near Bucklesham the home of the annual Suffolk Show one of the County shows in United Kingdom. The 'Trinity' is the name given to the three animals native to the county of Suffolk, namely Red Poll cattle, the powerful Suffolk Punch horse and the black faced Suffolk Sheep.

Culture[link]

Green Wind, public art at Orwell Park

Ipswich is home to many artists and has a number of galleries, the most prominent of which are at Christchurch Mansion, the Town Hall, in Ancient House and the Artists' Gallery in Electric House. The visual arts are further supported with many sculptures at easily accessible sites. The Borough Council promotes the creation of new public works of art and has been known to make this a condition of planning permission.^[35] The town also has two museums - Ipswich Museum and the Ipswich Transport Museum.

Performing arts are well represented with Ipswich being home to many cultural hubs. The New Wolsey Theatre is a 400 seat theatre situated on Civic Drive. Although the Wolsey Theatre was built in 1979, The New Wolsey Theatre Co. took on the management and running of the Wolsey Theatre in 2000, opening its first production in February 2001. Celebrating its 10th birthday in 2011 the New Wolsey Theatre offers a diverse range of quality productions for mixed ages and tastes. If you are hard of hearing, Deaf or deafened, use BSL or are blind, then the theatre can still be accessed via captioning, BSL interpreted performances and audio description. This theatre is also the producer of the incredibly popular Rock 'n' Roll pantomimes at Christmas.

The New Wolsey is also host to the annual Pulse Fringe Festival that takes place in May/June each year, bringing new and emerging work at various stages of development, from both national and international companies, to different venues in the town.

DanceEast, which has the primary aim of advocating innovation and development of dance in the East of England is now resident in their new premises as part of the waterfront development .^[36] They are building new premises as part of the waterfront development. These are the first custom built dance facilities in the East of England at a cost of around £8million..

The Eastern Angles (www.easternangles.co.uk) theatre group are based at the Sir John Mills Theatre ^[37] in Ipswich, named after the famous actor who lived in Felixstowe as a child. In 2012 it celebrates its 30th anniversary. As well as its rural touring Eastern Angles are well known for their riotious alternative Christmas Shows (Mansfield Park & Ride, The Haunted Commode and Round the Twist for example) and larger scale site specific work.

Since 1991, there has been an annual arts festival called Ip-Art [3] which brings together many events across art disciplines and different venues, notably a free music day in Christchurch Park, which in 2006 had over 50 different acts performing over 7 stages.

Key Arts [4] is an artists run space using the redundant St Mary at the Quay Church on the waterfront. They hold a comprehensive programme of events and residencies during the year and have been running since 2006.

Norwich remains the regional centre for TV broadcasting, but both BBC East and Anglia TV have presenters and offices in Ipswich. The town has three local radio stations, BBC Radio Suffolk covering the entire county, where the East Anglian Accent can be heard on its many phone-ins, the commercial SGR-FM which was founded in 1975 as Radio Orwell covering the A14 corridor in Suffolk and Town 102 which was founded in 2006 and is the first full time commercial station specific for Ipswich. The younger audience is catered for with Suffolk based Kiss 105-108. On 15 August 2007, Ipswich Community Radio launched full-time after successfully gaining a licence in early 2006.

The town's daily evening newspaper is the Evening Star (Ipswich) which is the sister title to the county's daily morning newspaper the East Anglian Daily Times.

Buildings[link]

Willis Faber and Dumas Headquarters in Ipswich, was one of Norman Foster's earliest commissions.

In addition to the Christchurch Mansion and Ancient House, Ipswich in the 21st century has some important cultural buildings including the New Wolsey Theatre and the Regent Theatre – the largest theatre venue in East Anglia where, in the 1960s, the Beatles performed when it was still known as the Gaumont.

There are several medieval^[38] Ipswich churches but the grandest is the Victorian St Mary le Tower. [Holy Trinity Church] by Ipswich Waterfront is one of the few churches in the country which was built during the reign of William IV and whilst the outside looks plain, the interior is quite spectacular. The world's oldest circle of church bells is housed in St Lawrence Church.^[39]

Modern buildings include the new Suffolk County Hall in the area known as Ipswich Village close to Ipswich Town's Portman Road stadium. The stadium has hosted England under 21, under 23, and full international matches in addition to an England hockey game.

On the north-west side of Ipswich lies Broomhill Pool, a Grade II listed Olympic-sized lido which opened in 1938 and closed in 2002, since which time a campaign to see it restored and re-opened has been run by The Broomhill Pool Trust.

The tallest building in Ipswich, "The Mill", was topped out in November 2008.

Politics[link]

Ipswich Borough Council offices, on Russell Road

Ipswich is governed locally by a two-tier Council System. Ipswich Borough Council fulfils district council functions such as refuse collection, housing and planning and Suffolk County Council provides the County Council services such as transport, education and social services.

Between 1979 and September 2004, Ipswich Borough Council was under Labour control. The town was then governed by a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition until May 2011 when it reverted back to Labour.

The town is covered by two parliamentary constituencies: Ipswich, which covers about 75% and is represented by Conservative MP Ben Gummer, and Central Suffolk & North Ipswich, which covers the remaining 25% and is represented by Conservative MP Daniel Poulter.

In April 2006 the borough council initiated public discussions about the idea of turning the borough into a unitary authority^[40] (Ipswich had constituted a county borough from 1889 to 1974, independent of the administrative county of East Suffolk, and this status was not restored by the Banham/Cooksey Commission in the 1990s). Ipswich, Norwich, Exeter and Oxford united to campaign for unitary authority status for the four towns, hoping to use the window of opportunity presented by the October 2006 Local Government White Paper. In March 2007, it was announced that Ipswich was one of sixteen shortlisted councils^[41] and on the 25 July 2007, the Secretary of state announced that she was minded to implement the unitary proposal for Ipswich, but that there were 'a number of risks relating to the financial case set out in the proposal',^[42] on which she invited Ipswich to undertake further work before a final decision is taken.^[43] Early in December plans were thrown into doubt as the Government announced that it had 'delayed' the unitary bids for Ipswich and Exeter.^[44] In July 2008 the Boundary Committee announced their preferred option was for a unitary authority covering Ipswich and the south-eastern corner of Suffolk (including Felixstowe).^[45]

Industry[link]

4 Fairline Yachts outside Fairline's Ipswich testing facility

Industry around Ipswich has had a strong agricultural bias with Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies Ltd, one of the most famous agricultural manufacturers, located in the town. It is notable that the world's first commercial motorised lawnmower was built by Ransomes in 1902. There was a sugar beet factory at Ipswich for many years; it was closed in 2001 as part of a rationalisation by British Sugar. The hotel industry has been given a boost with the opening of the brand new Ramada Encore Hotel on Ranelagh Road near Ipswich Town football club.^[46]

The British Telecom Research Laboratories were located to the east of the town in 1975 at Martlesham Heath. They are now a science park called Adastral Park. The area was originally RAF Martlesham Heath – a WW2 airfield. Part of the old airfield is now the site of Suffolk Constabulary's Headquarters.

Ipswich is one of the Haven ports and is still a working port, handling several million tonnes of cargo each year. Prior to decommissioning, HMS Grafton was a regular visitor to the port and has special links with the town and the county of Suffolk. HMS Orwell, named after the river, is also closely linked with the town. With the rise in popularity of the town around the Neptune Marina and the Ipswich dock a number of ship and boatbuilders have become established, in particular Fairline Yachts are a significant employer.

Transport[link]

Ipswich sits close to the A14 and the A12 roads; it is also on the Great Eastern Main Line from London to Norwich, the East Suffolk Line to Lowestoft and the Felixstowe Branch Line with two railway stations (Ipswich and Derby Road). It is an hour from Stansted airport, 40 minutes from Harwich International Port and is also on Sustrans's National Cycle Route 5 and National Cycle Route 51. The Port of Felixstowe is a major container port 12 miles to the east.

Ipswich engine shed opened in 1846 and closed in 1968, although Ipswich is still a signing-on point for loco crews and a stabling point.

Bus services in Ipswich are operated by Ipswich Buses, First Eastern Counties and several smaller companies.

Ipswich formerly had a municipal airport to the South-east of the town, which was opened in 1929 by the Ipswich Corporation. The airport was controversially closed in 1996 by Ipswich Borough Council, amid significant public opposition to the decision. The site was redeveloped for housing as the Ravenswood estate.^[47]

Sport[link]

Portman Road, home ground of Ipswich Town

Ipswich's sole professional football club is Ipswich Town, who were established in 1878 and currently play in the second-tier Football League Championship at the 30,300-capacity Portman Road. They were elected to the Football League in 1938.^[48][49] They have a strong rivalry with Norwich City, and have been the previous clubs of the two most successful England managers, Alf Ramsey (who was buried in the Old Cemetery in the town on his death in 1999) and Bobby Robson. They won the League Championship in 1961–62 (their first season as a top division club) during Ramsey's reign, as well as the 1978 FA Cup and the 1981 UEFA Cup under Robson. The club are also undefeated at home in all European competitions having drawn 6 and won the other 25. The club has also fielded many world famous players over the years. These include Mick Mills, John Wark, Frans Thijssen, Terry Butcher and Marcus Stewart.^[50]

Ipswich is also home to several non-League clubs, including Ipswich Wanderers and Whitton United in the Eastern Counties League, and Achilles, Crane Sports and Ransomes Sports amongst several others in the Suffolk & Ipswich League.

The Speedway team, the Ipswich Witches, have ridden at Foxhall Stadium on the outskirts of Ipswich since 1951.^[51] The Witches have won the top tier league title four times, the knock-out cup five times and the second tier knock-out cup twice.^[52] The stadium is also used regularly for hot rod and stock car racing.

Ipswich Gymnastics Centre is one of only three fully Olympic accredited gymnastics facilities in the United Kingdom^[53][54] The resident club has also been home to international gymnasts.

The town has representation in both codes of Rugby. It has two amateur Rugby Union teams, Ipswich RUFC who play in London 3 North East League, and Ipswich YM RUFC (a third side Orwell RUFC, formerly Ransomes RFC having folded some time in the 1980s). The amateur rugby league side, Ipswich Rhinos, plays in the Rugby League Conference.

The Ipswich Cardinals (American football) is a successful American Football team, playing in the South-East Conference of BAFACL 1 – the second tier of the BAFA Community Leagues.

Ipswich is home to team Ipswich Swimming.^[55] Formed in 1884 as Ipswich Swimming Club, it is based at the town's Crown Pools, and also uses the Fore Street swimming pool. The most successful club member is World Championship gold medallist Karen Pickering.

Ipswich had a racecourse which ran a mix of flat and National Hunt races from 1710 to 1911.

Education[link]

Schools[link]

There are a number of comprehensive schools such as Chantry High School, Copleston High School and two academys, Ipswich Academy and St. Albans Academy (Catholic, co-educational). Ipswich is also home to several independent schools including Royal Hospital School, Ipswich School (both are co-educational and members of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference), Ipswich High School (girls-only) and St Joseph's College (Catholic, co-educational).

Further and higher education[link]

Suffolk New College is a further education college located in Ipswich, serving students from the town and wider area. Suffolk One is a Sixth Form College located in Ipswich, which serves students from the same area.

Ipswich is the location of University Campus Suffolk, Suffolk's first university. Established in 2007, it is a collaboration by the University of Essex in Colchester, the University of East Anglia in Norwich, various further education colleges and the local government. The nearest established full-fledged university is the University of Essex, which is approximately 18 miles away.

Climate[link]

Ipswich experiences a maritime climate, like the rest of the British Isles, with a narrow range of temperature and rainfall spread evenly throughout the year. The nearest weather station for which data is available is East Bergholt, about 7 miles east south east of the Town centre and at a similar elevation, and similar river valley/estuary situation. The average July maximum of 22.9c(73.2f)^[56] is the highest outside of the London area, illustrating the relative warmth of the area during the summer part of the year.The record maximum is 35.2c(95.4f),^[57] set during August 2003. Typically 19.9 days of the year will record a maximum temperature of 25.1c (77.2f) or above, and the warmest day of the year should reach 30.0c(86.0f),^[58] on average.

The absolute minimum is -16.1c(3.0f),^[59] set in January 1963, although frosts have been recorded in all months except July, August and September. In an average year, 55.33 nights will report an air frost.

As with much of East Anglia, rainfall is low, averaging 569.3mm^[60] in a typical year, with 103.8 days of the year^[61] reporting over 1mm of rain. All averages refer to the period 1971-2000.

Ipswich 2006 serial murders[link]

A serial killer or spree killer responsible for the murders of five women in Ipswich gained notoriety in late 2006, as the Ipswich Murderer. The five women were identified as prostitutes; their bodies were found in December 2006.^[63] Suffolk Constabulary formally linked the murders in their investigation.

Steven Gerald James Wright, who had previously worked at the Port of Felixstowe, was arrested at his house in Ipswich on 19 December.^[64] On 21 December, Wright was formally charged with the murders of Gemma Adams, 25, Anneli Alderton, 24, Tania Nicol, 19, Paula Clennell, 24, and Annette Nicholls, 29. He appeared in Ipswich Magistrates' Court on 22 December 2006 and was remanded in custody until 2 January 2007 to appear in Ipswich Crown Court where he was remanded in custody for a second court appearance, held on 1 May 2007.^[65] At that hearing he pleaded not guilty to all five murders. His trial began in Ipswich on 14 January 2008.^[66] The jury returned a guilty verdict on 21 February,^[67] and the next day, Wright was sentenced to life imprisonment by Mr Justice Gross, who recommended that he should never be released from prison, on the basis that the murders resulted from a "substantial degree of pre-meditation and planning".^[68] The three-episode TV program titled 'Five Daughters' was based on the serial murders of the five prostitutes that happened in Ipswich in 2006.

Famous residents[link]

Sir Alf Ramsey

Probably the most famous person born in the town is the Tudor Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. The artist Thomas Gainsborough and the cartoonist "Giles" worked here, Horatio, Lord Nelson became Steward of Ipswich, and Margaret Catchpole began her adventurous career here. Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson were both successful managers of Ipswich Town F.C.

• Richard Shaw, author of the best-selling diet book "Cut the Crap" wrote the book whilst living in Ipswich
• Professional darts player Mervyn King (born 1966) was born in Ipswich, as was the 1983 World Champion Keith Deller (born 1959).
• It is also purported that Geoffrey Chaucer, author of The Canterbury Tales was born here.
• Vocalist Dani Filth of renowned extreme metal band Cradle of Filth.
• Punk rock band The Adicts

Academy Award-nominated English actor Ralph Fiennes was born in an Ipswich hospital while his parents were living near Southwold but did not live in the town.^[69]

Popular culture[link]

• In the original version of the famous Dead Parrot sketch from Monty Python's Flying Circus, the shopkeeper played by Michael Palin claims that Ipswich is the palindrome of Bolton.
• Ipswich is mentioned in a children's television show watched by the character Stewie Griffin in Family Guy.
• Ipswich was the base of operations for Russian 'illegal' agent Valeri Petrofsky in the Frederick Forsyth novel, The Fourth Protocol (and the later film based on the novel).
• Michael Palin wrote a 1987 comedy about provincial English seaside holidays in the 1950s, entitled East of Ipswich.
• In 2006, The Jarvis Cocker Record contained the track "From Auschwitz To Ipswich" written and performed by Jarvis.
• In Stardust, starring Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, Sienna Miller and Robert De Niro, Ipswich is mentioned at the beginning of the movie when Sienna Miller as Victoria says of her fiancé, 'I can't exactly say no, after he's gone all the way to Ipswich!'.
• In the Doctor Who episode "The End of the World" after the Doctor tells her to stay where she is Rose Tyler says 'Where am I gonna go, Ipswich?'
• In the Pilot episode of Queer as Folk, after Nathan asks Stuart if he could meet him later that night, Stuart answers 'God knows where I'll be tonight, you know, I could be anywhere. I could be in Ipswich!'
• Matthew Freeman, from the Anthony Horowitz novel The Power of Five, is sent to Ipswich after the death of his parents.
• In the Tim Minchin song "Some People Have It Worse Than I", there is the line 'I could be an Ipswich prostitute', referring to the 2006 spree killings.
• Ipswich was featured in the BBC Radio comedy series Cabin Pressure in 2009.
• Britain's biggest baby girl, who came out at a whopping 14lb 4oz, was born on the 20 February 2012, at the Ipswich Hospital.^{[citation needed]}
• In the 2006 movie The Covenant, the brothers are called the son's of Ipswich.
• The town was referenced in a song by the band Glass Casket.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ipswich

• Ipswich Borough Council
• Medieval town plan of Ipswich Town
• "East Anglian Film Archive: "Ipswich" search results - eafa.org.uk". http://www.eafa.org.uk/search.aspx#&&page=1&navid=&tagid=123%2c%2c%2c&psize=50. Retrieved 2 May 2012. 

v t e Members of the Hanseatic League by Quarter Chief cities are highlighted; Free Imperial Cities of the Holy Roman Empire are shown in italics. Wendish Quarter Lübeck Anklam · Demmin · Greifswald · Hamburg · Kolberg (Kołobrzeg) · Lüneburg · Rostock · Rügenwalde (Darłowo) · Stettin (Szczecin) · Stolp (Słupsk) · Stockholm · Stralsund · Visby · Wismar Saxon Quarter Brunswick Berlin · Bremen · Erfurt · Frankfurt an der Oder · Goslar · Magdeburg Baltic Quarter Danzig (Gdańsk) Breslau (Wrocław) · Dorpat (Tartu) · Elbing (Elbląg) · Königsberg (Kaliningrad) · Kraków · Reval (Tallinn) · Rīga · Thorn (Toruń) Westphalian Quarter Cologne* Dortmund* Deventer · Groningen · Kampen · Münster · Osnabrück · Soest Principal Kontore Bryggen (Bergen) · Hanzekantoor (Bruges, Antwerp†) · Steelyard (London) · Peterhof (Novgorod) Subsidiary Kontore Bishop's Lynn · Falsterbo · Ipswich · Kovno (Kaunas) · Malmö · Polotsk · Pskov Other cities Bristol · Boston · Damme · Leith · Herford · Hull · Newcastle · Stargard · Yarmouth · York * Cologne and Dortmund were both capital of the Westphalian Quarter at different times. † Antwerp gained importance once Bruges became inaccessible due to the silting of the Zwin channel.

v t e Districts of the East of England Essex Basildon Braintree Brentwood Castle Point Chelmsford Colchester Epping Forest Harlow Maldon Rochford Southend-on-Sea Tendring Thurrock Uttlesford Hertfordshire Broxbourne Dacorum East Hertfordshire Hertsmere North Hertfordshire St Albans Stevenage Three Rivers Watford Welwyn Hatfield Bedfordshire Bedford Central Bedfordshire Luton Cambridgeshire Cambridge East Cambridgeshire Fenland Huntingdonshire Peterborough South Cambridgeshire Norfolk Breckland Broadland Great Yarmouth King's Lynn and West Norfolk North Norfolk Norwich South Norfolk Suffolk Babergh Forest Heath Ipswich Mid Suffolk St Edmundsbury Suffolk Coastal Waveney

Coordinates: 52°03′34″N 1°09′20″E / 52.05944°N 1.15556°E / 52.05944; 1.15556

Dave Chapman (born 9 June 1973) is an English actor, television presenter, puppeteer and voice artist.

Career[link]

Dave Chapman trained at The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and The Jim Henson Company. His puppeteering work has featured in the films Muppet Treasure Island, 101 Dalmatians (Walt Disney Company, 1996), My Last Five Girlfriends, and Ridley Scott's Prometheus. On TV, Captain Abercromby, Carrie and David's Popshop, Children in Need, Doctor Who, French and Saunders, Heroes of Comedy: Max Miller, The Saturday Show, Shooting Stars, Sport Relief, Time Trumpet, The Tiny and Mr Duk Show, What's Up Doc?, Nuzzle and Scratch, Xchange and The X Factor

He has had long association with CBBC, first working as the writer, puppeteer and voice artist for Otis the Aardvark between 1994 and 1999. It was in this role that he first worked with children's presenters Richard McCourt and Dominic Wood ("Dick & Dom"), prior to featuring in the BAFTA and RTS award-winning Dick and Dom in Da Bungalow. Between 2002 and 2006, Chapman played numerous characters alongside other Bungalow regulars Ian Kirkby, Melvin Odoom and Lee Barnett.

Chapman plays bad ventriloquist Peter Nokio in the The Slammer and the villain Alan Draylon in Harry Batt, both for CBBC. He has also appeared as himself on three episodes of Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive and has guested on The Chris Evans Show, The Chris Moyles Show, The Bob Mills Show, and Woman's Hour.

In 2001, he wrote and co-directed the short film Dinner Money. He also writes and performs live comedy in the double act 'Chapman and Crompton'.

Chapman hosts the gameshow And Then You Die on Dave as the puppet character Barrie Stardust. He also appears in educational music show Space Pirates for CBeebies. He has also played over sixty characters including series villain - 'The Beastmaster' in the CBBC sitcom The Legend of Dick and Dom, in which he stars alongside Dominic Wood, Richard McCourt, Chloe Bale and Steve Furst.

He has also hosted Undercover Dads! for CBBC on BBC Two which was nominated for a BAFTA in 2010.

He was born in Kent in 1973.

External links[link]

• Dave Chapman's own site
• Fansite: Dick & Dom in Da Bungalow
• The Slammer

This article about an English television actor or actress is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Michael Chopra

Michael Chopra playing for Cardiff City
Personal information
Full name	Rocky Michael Chopra[1]
Date of birth	(1983-12-23) 23 December 1983 (age 28)[1]
Place of birth	Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Ipswich Town
Number	10
Youth career
1993–2000	Newcastle United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2000–2006	Newcastle United	21	(1)
2003	→ Watford (loan)	5	(5)
2004	→ Nottingham Forest (loan)	5	(0)
2004–2005	→ Barnsley (loan)	39	(17)
2006–2007	Cardiff City	42	(22)
2007–2009	Sunderland	39	(8)
2008	→ Cardiff City (loan)	11	(5)
2009	→ Cardiff City (loan)	16	(4)
2009–2011	Cardiff City	73	(28)
2011–	Ipswich Town	45	(14)
National team‡
	England U16
	England U17
	England U18
	England U19
	England U20
2002	England U21	1	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13:59, 28 April 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 9 September 2009

Rocky Michael Chopra (born (1983-12-23)23 December 1983) is an English footballer who plays for Football League Championship side Ipswich Town. Chopra plays as a striker. He was originally a product of the Newcastle United Youth system. In his career he has also played for Sunderland and Cardiff City, and has spent loan spells at Watford, Nottingham Forest and Barnsley. He has represented England at the Under-15, Under-16, Under-17, Under-18, Under-19, Under-20 and Under-21 levels.

In 2006, Chopra made news for scoring the fastest goal by a substitute in Premier League history, scoring after being on the pitch for ten seconds.^[2] With an Indian father, he was also the first player of Indian parentage to play and score in the Premier League.

Club career[link]

Newcastle United[link]

Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, Chopra attended Alan Shearer's former school, Gosforth High School, in Newcastle, and owing to his goal-scoring exploits there, and later with the Montagu Boys' Club, was recruited to the Newcastle United academy in July 1993.^[3]

In the 2000–01 season, he scored 28 goals for the Newcastle Academy side that reached the FA Premier League Academy Under-17 playoff final. In December 2000 he signed his professional contract with Newcastle. The next season, playing for the Academy Under-19 team, he scored 14 goals in the first nine games of the season, prompting a promotion to the Senior Reserves. He went on to score in the Northumberland Senior Cup final victory over Bedlington Terriers in September 2001. Then in October, Newcastle gave him a squad number. By the end of the season, he had made 17 appearances for the Reserves, scoring seven goals.

The 2002–03 season started well, with Chopra scoring nine goals in his first five games for the Under-19s and Reserves. In November he signed a new three-year deal with the club, and on 6 November, he made his senior debut against Everton in the League Cup, substituting Lomana LuaLua. The game ended 3–3 but Newcastle lost the penalty shootout, with Chopra missing his spot kick.

He made his UEFA Champions League debut in December 2002, as a substitute against Barcelona at the Camp Nou, and also played against Bayer Leverkusen before he moved on a month-long loan to Watford at the end of March 2003. He scored five goals in just six matches for Watford, appeared in a FA Cup semifinal against Southampton,^[4] and scored four goals in a 7–4 win over Burnley.^[5]

The season ended on a positive note when he made his Premiership debut for Newcastle in the 2–2 draw away to West Bromwich Albion on 11 May 2003. He also represented England at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship.

In 2003–04 season, he played four games for Newcastle before being loaned to Nottingham Forest for a month in February 2004 where he played five games. Returning from the loan spell he played another two games for Newcastle.

In August 2004 he went on another loan, this time to Barnsley. Playing in 39 matches in the League One, he scored 17 goals, including hat-tricks against Peterborough United and Huddersfield Town. He also represented Barnsley in the FA Cup and the League Cup, finishing as the club's top scorer and their Player of the Season.

Chopra began the 2005–06 season back in Newcastle's first team squad and played in early UEFA Intertoto Cup ties, scoring his first senior goal for Newcastle in the 3–1 win away to Slovakian side Dubnica on 17 July 2005.^[6] On 17 April 2006 Chopra scored his first Premier League goal against Sunderland in the 60th minute of the Tyne-Wear derby, which ended 4–1. The goal was the fastest in Premier League history, as Chopra had only been on the pitch for ten seconds after coming on as a substitute.^[2] This was his third and final goal for the club, having also scored in the FA Cup against Cheltenham Town.^[7]

Cardiff City[link]

On 14 June 2006 Chopra joined Cardiff City for £500,000 after turning down a new one-year contract at Newcastle in favour of guaranteed first-team football. Chopra and Cardiff had an excellent start to the season, with 36 points from 17 games leaving Cardiff top of the Championship and Chopra, with seven league goals was voted Championship player of the month for September and October. Chopra scored his first Cardiff hat-trick on 27 January 2007 against Leicester City in a 3–2 victory.^{[citation needed]}

Chopra signed a contract extension with Cardiff City on 5 April 2007,^[8] and was named to the PFA Championship Team of the Year on 22 April.^[9] Although Cardiff dropped out of promotion contention, Chopra had a successful season, ending with 22 goals from 42 matches.

Sunderland[link]

Chopra playing for Sunderland

On 13 July 2007, newly promoted Premier League side Sunderland agreed a deal worth up to £5 million, activating a release clause, to sign Chopra on a four year contract.^[10] This caused unrest among some Sunderland fans due to the seemingly high price-tag and his Geordie roots.^[11]

Chopra made his debut for Sunderland in their 1–0 win over League of Ireland side Bohemians. In this match Chopra missed an open goal and ran into his own team mate Dickson Etuhu. Chopra scored his first goal for Sunderland in a 4–0 friendly victory over Galway United. His first competitive goal for Sunderland came in his first competitive match for the club, and was the first goal of the 2007–08 Premier League season, when Chopra came on as a substitute late in the second half and scored the winning goal against Tottenham Hotspur in injury time with 13 seconds remaining on the clock. This led to many Sunderland fans chanting 'Chopra's one of us!' Chopra also scored in the second Premier League match of the season against Birmingham.

Chopra could have scored against former side and childhood club Newcastle United but his goal drought continued after his header collided with the bar from only five yards out. Chopra finally scored against Reading from the penalty spot on 23 December, sending Marcus Hahnemann the wrong way to end his goal drought.^[12] He scored a goal for Sunderland in their 1–0 win away to Aston Villa.,^[13] making it their first away win in the Premier League since they defeated West Bromwich Albion in 2006.^[14] He scored his sixth and final of the season in Sunderlands 3–2 win over local rivals Middlesbrough,^[15] finishing as the second highest scorer at the club being just one goal behind Kenwyne Jones.^[16] As he returned from suspension, he scored two goals in his first game of the 2008–09 season as Sunderland beat Middlesbrough 2–0 on 20 September 2008.^[17]

Return to Cardiff[link]

On 6 November 2008, after several days of speculation, it was confirmed that Chopra had re-joined former club Cardiff City on a two-month loan deal, set to run until 31 December, due to hamstring injuries to the clubs two first choice strikers, Ross McCormack and Jay Bothroyd.^[18][19] He made his return to the Cardiff side just two days after his loan deal was completed, playing a full 90 minutes during a 1–0 away defeat against Queens Park Rangers. His first goal since returning to the club came just a week later in his second match, his first at home, when he converted a penalty, which he had won himself, during a 2–1 victory over Crystal Palace, although he did miss a second penalty in the final minute of the match late into stoppage time.^[20]

Chopra made a total of 11 appearances for the club scoring 5 times, making his last appearance in a 1–0 win over Plymouth Argyle on 28 December. His loan spell officially came to an end on 31 December and, despite both Chopra and Cardiff hoping for an extension to the deal, recently appointed Sunderland manager Ricky Sbragia stated that Chopra would be returning to Sunderland.^[21][22] However after spending one month back at Sunderland, he returned to Cardiff on the final day of the transfer window, with the deal being completed just 55 seconds before the transfer window closed. He made his third debut for Cardiff in a 2–2 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers on 22 February, scoring the teams first goal of the game,^[23] and went on to score in two of the next three matches for the side, finishing the season with nine goals in 27 appearances.

2009–10[link]

Chopra completed a permanent move on 1 July following the opening of the transfer window for a fee of £3 million.^{[24][25][26][27]} The transfer smashed the club's transfer record which was previously held by the £1.75 million signing of Peter Thorne from Stoke City in 2001.^[28] On the opening day of the season, Chopra scored twice during a 4–0 win over Scunthorpe United, becoming the first player to score a competitive goal at Cardiff City Stadium.^[29] In the third league match of the season, he scored a hat-trick in Cardiff's 3–1 victory over Plymouth Argyle, his second hat-trick for the club.^[30]

Chopra played in his 200th career game against Sheffield Wednesday on 26 September 2009 and, in the following match, scored four goals against Derby County in a 6–1 victory, taking his early season tally to 12 goals in 13 games. However after this he went on an 11 game barren run which was eventually ended with a goal during a 1–1 draw with Bristol City in the third round of the FA Cup before making his 100th appearance for Cardiff one week later in the replay. He also scored for Cardiff at Stamford Bridge during a 4–1 loss to Premier League leaders Chelsea in the 5th round of the FA Cup. On 3 April he scored his 49th and 50th goals for Cardiff in all competitions in the South Wales derby, giving Cardiff all three points after Swansea City took a 28th minute lead.^[31] Chopra finished the season with 21 goals in all competitions and was named in the 2009–10 Championship Team of the Year, along with team mate Peter Whittingham.^[32]

Chopra scored in the eighth minute of the 2010 Football League Championship play-off Final on 22 May 2010 against Blackpool FC, ending up on the losing side>.^[33] Two days later, Ipswich Town made a bid of £3 million for the striker, with their manager, Roy Keane having previously signed Chopra during a spell in charge of Sunderland.^[34] After rejecting that bid, it is believed Ipswich returned with an offer of £3.5 million which was also rejected. On 4 June 2010 it was reported that Ipswich had again upped their bid – this time a lot closer to Cardiff's asking price of £4 million.^[35]

2010–11[link]

Chopra playing for Cardiff in 2011

Chopra scored in Cardiff's second League match, away at Derby County, before netting another against Burton Albion in the Carling Cup. In Cardiff's third match of the season, Chopra was injured in a tackle that put him out of action for around two months. He made his return on 16 October, against Bristol City. He got his first goal back from injury on 25 October away at Leeds United as Cardiff won 4–0 at Elland Road, before making it two goals in as many games as he scored the second goal in Cardiff's 3–1 win over Norwich.

Chopra went on to score three goals in five starts during the month of January, one of which the winning goal in a 2–1 home victory against promotion rivals Leeds United. He scored another at Premier League side Stoke City in the FA Cup third round. Chopra scored his 60th competitive goal for Cardiff against Watford, netting the second in a 4–2 home victory. His next goal came in a 1–1 draw at home to Burnley. Chopra suffered a fractured ankle during this match which left him sidelined for the top-of-the-table clash with Nottingham Forest; however, he battled on, despite the injury, in the following game against Leicester City in which he scored the opening goal in a 2–0 victory. This was his tenth goal of the season in all competitions. Chopra followed this up by once again scoring the opening goal in a 2–0 Cardiff victory, at the KC Stadium versus Hull City, making it the third consecutive game in which he scored, and his sixth in his last 9 appearances.

Ipswich Town[link]

On 8 June 2011, Cardiff's Championship rivals Ipswich Town put a £1 million bid in for Chopra,^[36] which was accepted.^[37] Chopra signed a three-year contract with Ipswich Town on 9 June 2011.^[38]

On 6 August he made his league debut for Ipswich at Bristol City, scoring twice.^[39] By February 2012 he had become Ipswich's top goalscorer with 10 goals in 26 appearances.

International career[link]

Despite being born in England, Chopra is eligible to play for India through his father. In 2007, Zesh Rehman caused some controversy when in an interview with the British weekly newspaper the Eastern Eye he said that players of Asian descent should consider sticking to their roots rather than dreaming of playing for England. Rehman pointed to Michael Chopra, then with Cardiff City, who had been overlooked to play for England despite being the top scorer in the Championship, yet David Nugent, who was then at fellow Championship club Preston North End, was picked. Rehman claimed "Why wasn’t (Chopra) picked ahead of Dave Nugent? He’s the top goal scorer in the Championship but he can’t get in (the England set-up). So he needs to maybe look at his decision and go play for India instead of hanging on to the dream of playing for England, because it’s not going to happen, end of discussion."^[40]

In November 2010, Chopra entered into talks over acquiring an Indian passport in order to represent India in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. Ultimately, he was not allowed to play in the tournament, but he hoped to play for India at a later date. He was named in the Indian squad that was to face Qatar in a friendly in July 2011. However, without an Indian passport he was not on the team, and the Indian's government refusal to change its stance on dual citizenship means Chopra will probably never don an India jersey.^[41]

Personal life[link]

Chopra appeared in OK! magazine in the UK in October 2007 announced he had become engaged to Heather Swan, and that they were expecting their first baby. On 15 February 2008, they welcomed a 6 lbs 10oz baby boy, Sebastian Rocco Thomas Chopra.^[42] In July, it was reported that the couple had split only weeks after their £250,000 wedding,^[43] but they later reconciled as she vowed to "stand by him" as he entered rehab.^[44]

On 28 August 2008, it was announced that he had checked into a rehabilitation clinic including some time at the Sporting Chance clinic.^[45] He was re-admitted to the same clinic for three weeks in October 2011.^[44] On 14 December 2011 it was announced that Ipswich Town had given Chopra £250,000 to help pay off his gambling debts.^[46]

Chopra was also banned from driving for 56 days by Chelmsford magistrates in December 2011, for an offence which took place on the A12 at Colchester on 13 September. Chopra appeared at South East Suffolk Magistrates’ Court later and was given a six-month driving disqualification and ordered to pay a fine of £400.^{[citation needed]}

Career statistics[link]

As of 6 August 2011^[47]

Honours[link]

Individual[link]

• PFA Championship team of the year: 2

2006–07 2009–10

References[link]

External links[link]

• Michael Chopra career stats at Soccerbase
• BBC Profile as a Newcastle player
• News story on official The Football Association website