17 July 2002: The Queen and Prince Philip spend a day in Suffolk  The Queen and Prince Philip visited modern developments in two of Suffolk's ancient towns during the first of two days of engagements in East Anglia. The day began in Ipswich, the county town of Suffolk. Although Ipswich is a historic settlement, The Queen's Jubilee visit looked to the future, with a visit to the town's brand new waterfront development. The regeneration of the docks involved the creation of new homes, business centres and leisure facilities, while retaining the marina. The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh walked through the marina, viewing some of the Thames barges and modern yachts. At the Customs House, built in 1895, The Queen declared the waterfront development open. From there the Royal party travelled to The Maltings small business centre on the opposite side of the docks. The centre provides facilities for small businesses. Current occupants include the Suffolk branch of The Prince's Trust and the local Chamber of Commerce. The Queen and Prince Philip went inside the centre, where The Duke of Edinburgh visited a start-up business. Outside in the courtyard The Queen opened the centre by unveiling a plaque. From Ipswich it was on by car via the small town of Stowmarket to Bury St. Edmund's. It was The Queen's first to the town since 1961. The ancient town is named after the Anglo-Saxon king of East Anglia. The Queen and Prince Philip arrived at a local restaurant for a reception and lunch, making a short balcony appearance beforehand. Attending the reception and lunch were over 100 representatives of the local community. Among the guests were David Ruffley, MP for Bury and Stowmarket; Richard Lewis, Bishop of Ipswich and St Edmundsbury; David Sheepshanks, Chairman of Ipswich Town Football Club; and Terry Waite, the former Beirut hostage. Before the lunch began, The Queen made a short speech in which Her Majesty expressed her gratitude to the people of East Anglia for their support. In the speech - broadcast to thousands of well-wishers camped outside - The Queen thanked everyone for their "loyal support and generous friendship" over the last 50 years. The Queen also praised the beauty of the region. "Our generation is indebted to those whose work over the years has helped to shape and maintain this beautiful landscape. The way we look after the countryside affects the lives not only of those who work on the land, but all those living in rural and urban communities." After a lunch of smoked chicken, fillet of lamb and chocolate mousse, The Queen and Prince Philip went on foot through the Angel Hill area of the town, viewing stalls displaying the best of Suffolk. Representatives from 10 areas of Suffolk life were taking part in the exhibition. Farming and the rural economy were represented by the Suffolk Agricultural Association. Two of the area's traditional industries - horseracing at Newmarket and fishing at Lowestoft - were represented alongside the increasingly important hi-tech sector. The sports sector was represented by Ipswich Town Football Club, and a church exhibition highlighted the role of the church in the area and the number of outstanding church buildings which Suffolk has to offer. Other exhibitors included regional food and drink promotion organisation Tastes of Anglia, local craftworkers and the Suffolk tourism organisation. After touring the exhibition, The Queen and Prince Philip walked through gardens to the ruins of the town's 12th-century abbey. In the grounds they met former prisoners of war from the Second World War in the Far East, as well as some of the gardeners who look after the site. Before leaving, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh enjoyed a short outdoor concert performed by members of three Suffolk school orchestras. Read the full text of The Queen's speech in Suffolk (pdf, 139kB)       Back to July index