Busking Showcase - Ipswich

Those hoping to follow in the footsteps of Ed Sheeran may be in luck as Ipswich Council hopes to encourage busking in Ipswich. They have developed a new guide to highlight the town as a destination for street musicians. This news came just ahead of a busking showcase event on March 23 which gave performers a chance to show off their talents. This was the event that I photographed a small fraction of, and some of my images are listed below. Great fun and I would think that it was a very successful day.

Eko the Sea Giant, a giant 13-feet puppet, performing as part of Autin Dance Theatre’s sensational outdoor show Out of the Deep Blue on the Cornhill.

Through puppeteering, dance and movement, Out of the Deep Blue explores the themes of the climate emergency and transports audiences to a different world. Although I watched for some time, I missed the point I am afraid! I should have picked up a leaflet I suppose. They did have a big audiance all the time we were in Ipswich.

Burgess Music is run by husband and wife team Tim and Zoe based on the Shotley Peninsula in Suffolk, who are musicians and educators. Burgess Music aims to support the learning of music in a fun and relaxed way alongside being able to offer engaging and personalised performances. This young lady on the left I guess was a daughter, handing out leaflets and dancing to mum and dad.

Swervy World musicians have been collectively honing their skills as a traditional jazz band since 1996. Originally the band was created from individual street performers who used street music as a way to earn a living while travelling from town to town.

Meeting each other at annual street fairs 'Winchester Hat Fair' and 'Stroud Folk Festival', this loose and often raggle taggle collective of street musicians would get together increasingly more regularly to share knowledge of new (old) tunes and take an occasional booking while using the street as a great place to hone skills and try out new arrangements. The band 'Swervy World' slowly morphed itself over the years into the set line up you see today. Some original crusty members of the early era are still with the band.

Suffolk Soul Singers - (Part of the Group) - "Suffolk Soul Singers is a dynamic community choir, now in its 13th year, led by vocalist and musician, Andi Hopgood.

We are a unique group of singers - not part of a local or national franchise - with a membership of around 35 women & men of varying ages. Together, we enjoy learning and performing soul & gospel classics, along with other, contemporary songs that are given a soulful twist.

Our performances range from simple busking gigs to major concerts in venues like The New Wolsey Theatre, The Apex & St. Peter's by the Waterfront. You can find out about our current planned performances by looking on our Gigs page.

Suffolk Soul Singers is a registered charity and profits from our performances are used to support outreach activities within the local area & further afield in Suffolk. If you know of a community group that might benefit from the well-being that singing together can bring,

Suffolk Soul Singers is a dynamic community choir, now in its 13th year, led by vocalist and musician, Andi Hopgood."

Two single artists whose names I couldn`t locate.

BareFootSoul - "A World-Class Vocalist, Acoustic Guitarist & Showman BearFootSoul is Matt White, a singer-songwriter and performer with 25+ years live music performance and entertainment industry experience, specialising in solo appearances for weddings and parties. Whether playing unplugged and organic or live looping over layered pro backing tracks - Matt unabashedly bares his BearFootSoul with a One man, One guitar show, giving One hell of a performance to remember! Your favourite classic tracks are shared in a riveting, captivating and engagingly spellbinding solo act. The BearFootSoul show is scaleable from campfire to large scale venues and events."

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Private Aaron McClure

The story of AARON MCCLURE came to my attention when a newspaper article mentioning the mural that had been created in his memory. It was commissioned by the school in Ipswich, which he attended, and is on the wall in the front of the school. A brief history, as part of his funeral, is below the picture.

On the wall of the school where Aaron attended - Westbourne Academy in Ipswich

`Private Aaron McClure, who died on 23 August 2007 in a so-called “friendly fire” incident that also killed two other UK soldiers, was serving in Afghanistan with 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment.

Despite his young age – he was 19 at the time of his death - Private McClure was a veteran of more than forty conflict operations.

The two other soldiers who died were Private John Thrumble and Private Robert Foster

Colleagues described Private McClure as a highly capable, motivated soldier with great ambition and potential, but his talent was hidden by a modest, unassuming personality and a quiet confidence in his abilities.

He was regarded by colleagues as “incredibly focused” on his career and as tough mentally as he was physically.

Private Aaron James McClure, affectionately known as ‘Troy’, was from Ipswich. He joined the Army in March 2006 and completed rifleman training at the Infantry Training Centre Catterick.

In October 2006, Private McClure joined the 1st Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment, participating in exercises in the UK and Kenya.

He was deployed to Helmand Province in Afghanistan the following March to serve as a rifleman in 7 Platoon B (Suffolk) Company. It was his first operational tour and he was involved in many close-range engagements with the Taliban.

On 23 August 2007, PrivateMcClure’s platoon was on patrol near Kajaki, northern Helmand Province, when they came under attack by Taliban forces. Air support was requested from two American F15 aircraft and it appears that a bomb dropped by one of the planes hit the compound where Private McClure and his colleagues were located.`

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