Civic Celebration of Suffolk College - East Anglian Daily Times Education Page, 4 May 2004

There has been a church on the site of St Mary le Tower in Ipswich for over a thousand years, and for more than eight hundred of them a strong bond has existed with the surrounding town. Indeed, the signing of the first town Charter took place in St Mary le Tower’s churchyard in the year 1200.

Suffolk College may have a rather shorter history in Ipswich, but its strong community links makes St Mary le Tower the natural choice for the annual Civic Service, which this year will take place on Friday 14th May.

The Civic Service gives the opportunity to celebrate the close relationship between Suffolk College, Ipswich Borough Council and the town of Ipswich. The event is marked with a procession that starts at 1145 from Ipswich Town Hall and passes through the Buttermarket, turns left into Dial Lane and crosses Tavern Street in to Tower Street. Included in the procession this year will be the Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk, the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Ipswich and Ipswich Borough Councillors. Suffolk College will be represented by members of the College Corporation, members of the College Management, Honorary Graduates and Honorary Fellows. There are also representatives from other faiths and other Christian Denominations, and the Ipswich Guild of Freeman will have a presence. The other academic partners in the current proposals for the University Campus Suffolk and the new Further Education college – the universities of East Anglia and Essex - will naturally enough also take part.

In all, over a hundred people make up the procession, and with many of them in ceremonial dress it is always a colourful sight. Leading the way will be the Town Sergeant carrying one of the two Maces that are believed to have been presented to the town by Charles II around 1665 when he renewed the Borough Charter. Accompanying the Town Sergeant will be a member of Suffolk College’s staff carrying the Sword, which was presented to the Borough in 1887 by the then Mayor, Councillor Edward Packard to mark Queen Victoria’s Jubilee.

The programme for the service includes Suffolk College Performing Arts students enacting three short sketches on the theme of Noah and the Flood. This year the speaker will be Falklands War veteran Simon Weston OBE. Simon’s determination to overcome the injuries he suffered in the Falklands conflict has inspired courage and the will to excel in countless others.

The service will start at 12.00 noon, will last for about 45 minutes and is open to all.

A multi-faith Festival of Festivals celebration is planned for October this year – look out for details nearer the time.