Ipswich’s First Ever Themed
Children’s Hair Salon Opens!
Snakes & Ladders is opening Ipswich’s first ever fun themed dedicated children’s’ hair salon! Mascot Bernie The Bear will be cutting the ribbon and the very first children will take their Annie Aeroplane and Thomas The Tank Engine seats to enjoy a fun filled Snakes & Ladders haircut experience.

With the fabulous themed seats and cartoon DVDs to keep children entertained, tears and tantrums will be a thing of the past. Each child will get to visit the ‘Treasure Chest’ as a final reward and there are special certificates available for little ones if they are having their first ever haircut.

Said Dingle Kirkwood from Snakes & Ladders: “Parents need no longer dread a trip to the hairdressers with a wriggling toddler or bored child. The new hair salon at Ipswich is not only a treat for everyone but it is great value for money too”.

Of course you can combine a haircut with a play session and there is always something to enjoy for all ages. Older children will adore the electric motorbikes and huge 3-tiered play frame (complete with slides, tunnels, ball ponds and rope climbs). 2-5 year olds can run wild in their own dedicated play zone, there is the Let’s Pretend Play Area plus children under the age of 2 have their own enormous toddlers’ area.

Snakes and Ladders are located in Cavendish Street, Ipswich. For information, visitors should call 01473 255000 or visit www.snakes-and-ladders.co.uk.

Ipswich prepares for World Cup
Ipswich Borough Council and the Ipswich Town Community Trust are joining forces with ASDA and Healthy Ambitions Suffolk to create two new Lunchtime Business Football Leagues, which will run throughout the World Cup.

The two six-a-side leagues aim to get as many people as possible playing football during the exciting World Cup period, with the added benefit of getting people active during their lunchtimes. There is a maximum squad size of eight, with each player paying £2.50 a game.

The Ipswich Town Community Trust Lunchtime Business League will be based at Portman Road, with 12 teams competing in two leagues of six. This league kicks off on Monday 7th June and finishes with the final on 21st July. Companies can sign up for the Ipswich Town Community Trust League or get more information by emailing matthew.try@itfc.co.uk. Games will be played from12.30-1.30pm except for the final, which will run from 12.30-1.40pm.

The Council’s Team Ipswich Lunchtime Business League will be based at Gainsborough Sports Centre, with eight teams competing in two leagues of four. This league begins on Friday 18th June and finishes with the final on 9th of July. All matches will run from 12.30-1.20pm except the final, which will be from 12.30-1.30pm. Companies can sign up for the Team Ipswich Lunchtime League or get more information by emailing peter.green@ipswich.gov.uk.

The Council’s new Culture & Sport portfolio-holder, Councillor Andrew Cann, said: “We want to get people out there and playing football during the World Cup and this is a great way of achieving that. Who knows how many Rooneys and Lampards we have in our town’s businesses! Our thanks to the Community Trust and to our Team Ipswich staff for getting this off the ground.”

Tom McConville has for many years been regarded as the top fiddle player in the country. Styles and techniques learned in the company of the masters Sean McGuire, Stephane Grapelli and Bluegrass legend Byron Berline, give Tom an endless variety of interpretations to his songs and tunes. His live performance combines a rollercoaster of musical delights from fast, rhythmic dance tunes through beautiful slow airs and of course, great singing; - all presented with his inimitable sense of humour and style.

Renowned for his musical accompaniments, Tom has played on literally hundreds of albums. The list includes: Barbara Dickson, Richard Thompson, Allan Taylor and Lindisfarne. Tom began his career in the ever-vibrant folk scene of Tyneside. His work with a local band gave the opportunity to support his hero Sean McGuire and many other top names including The Fureys, De Dannan, John Doonan, Boys of the Lough and even a lock-in with the Dubliners. Tom went on to work in a duo with Bob Fox, topped the Cambridge Folk Festival with Kieron Halpin and shared stages with Mark O’Connor, Paul Brady, The Chieftains and many more.

In 2009 Tom won the coveted ‘Musician of The Year’ at the BBC Folk awards. A panel of 170 broadcasters, folk journalists, festival organisers, agents, promoters etc recognised Tom’s 36 year contribution to the folk scene. The respect of his peers and influence on the younger generation of folk musicians was celebrated at a glittering ceremony in London. In the presence of James Taylor, Ralph McTell, Judy Collins and Bert Jansch, Tom was presented with the award by previous winner Seth Lakeman who credits Tom, his mentor, as his biggest influence.

Tom McConville has never forgotten his roots and is as happy in the intimate atmosphere of a folk club as he is at the largest festivals. He is currently touring with guitarist David Newey, who is a singer songwriter, and one of the most sought after accompanists in the business. He has recently toured with bands Rubus, Nandobinyan, Arlen and with with Christi Andropolis. David’s driving rhythm and unique style, incorporating both fingerstyle and flatpicking, has taken him to all the major festivals and concerts throughout the UK, Europe and the USA.