Category Archives: RDA Journal

Liz Kennedy 1929-2023 – A tribute

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By Gareth Thomas

If ever there was a woman with the River Deben in her blood and Waldringfield in her system it was Liz Kennedy who passed away on December 22nd2023, having attained the grand age of 94 and having retained true independence until just over a year before.

On January 25th 2024 her family, her friends, her recent carers and the residents of Waldringfield turned out in huge numbers at All Saints’ Church, overflowing into a packed Church Hall to celebrate her life. She was a true lover of the River Deben and well-known to many members of the River Deben Association.  

Liz Kennedy at the helm of her clinker-built dinghy, Check  (photo by Roger Stollery)

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River Deben Swimming and the Elephant in the Room

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By Ruth Leach

This is an extended version of Ruth Leach’s article ‘The Deben Bluetits Swim Group’, published on The Deben #68. It’s written in her capacity as co-founder of the Save the Deben campaign group and contains an update on water quality. This topic is scheduled for panel discussion at the River Deben Association’s forthcoming AGM, April 24th 2024.

During the recent pandemic our lives were deconstructed in so many ways, ‘free time’ – that precious commodity, was suddenly in abundance for many of us. People reconnected with their natural environment and for those fortunate enough to be near a blue space the love affair with nature soon flourished. Continue reading →

Churches of the Deben – Part 2

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By Gareth Thomas

From HOO to MELTON and BROMESWELL

It is best to read Part 1 before venturing further down river and, in particular, to refer to the time-line table.

Now I am neither a good photographer nor a professional historian, nor a geographer, cartologist or ecclesiast so there are very likely to be imperfections in my observations on the Churches of the Deben – massive imperfections, quite possibly. However, I am very happy to be corrected for that is a good way to learn. Continue reading →

Volunteers Running an International Event

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By Alice Thorogood

Credit: Corinne Whitehouse

 

The UK Cadet Class World Championships take place in Plymouth this summer. They are completely volunteer run. Alice Thorogood of Waldringfield Sailing Club explains what’s involved and how you can show your support for these young sailors:

How did we get into this? A personal introduction

My eldest, Gwen, was just eight when she first stepped onboard a Cadet with Waldringfield sailor Hattie Collingridge and disappeared across the Deben. We didn’t plan it, we had never thought about sailing as a hobby for our children; I’m not from a sailing background at all and though it turns out that my husband, Frank, has the water of the Deben in his veins, he too had very little experience of dinghy sailing. That world felt “other” to us, with its strange new language and an elitist image that felt slightly difficult to navigate. However, we were charmed by Hattie and her clear love of the sport, that teamed with the easy welcome of Waldringfield Cadet Squadron and we were as hooked as Gwen clearly seemed to be when she came bouncing up the beach all wide eyed and exuberant from her first taste of Cadet sailing. Continue reading →

Citizen Science – Fish Survey 2023

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Report from the Second Fish Survey conducted by the RDA and the Institute of Fisheries Management September 2023  

by Steve Colcough

A small group of RDA volunteers, led by Richard Verrill, have been working together with Steve Colcough from the Institute of Fisheries Management and others to collect up to date information about fish stocks in the Deben. RDA Journal readers will remember Richard’s report from August 2022 – Deben Fish Survey 2022 

Now, following a second sampling session from higher up the river, Steve Colcough has produced a formal report available here — River Deben fish surveys 2023. Continue reading →

Ramsholt Churchyard September Flowers

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By Julia Jones

A first glance Ramsholt Churchyard in September might look a little dull as the dry stalks of the spring and summer flowers die back toward the winter bleakness. But look just a little closer and there are plenty of small shy blooms continuing to offer specks of colour. 

Can you help us identify them? Please fill in as many spaces as you can on the form and press submit. That will send it to me (Julia Jones) [email protected].

I hope to publish the results in the next edition of The Deben magazine.

I don’t think we publish enough articles about the plants of the river — the charming unobtrusive flowers and rich variety of trees. If anyone has expertise which they’d be willing to share, please get in touch.

Meanwhile the RDA Journal team are taking a break until mid-January and wish you a very Happy Christmas and New Year.

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Churches of the Deben: Part 1

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By Gareth Thomas

The Church of St Mary of Grace in Aspall

Several months ago (probably almost a year but time flies by so fast!), I was asked by the editor if I would consider writing an article about the Churches of the Deben. With entirely misguided confidence I replied in the affirmative with the proviso that, due to some more immediate commitments, there might be some delay. Continue reading →

A Remarkable Story: 100 years of Waldringfield Sailing Club

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By Robert Deaves

WSC on its centenary (Robert Deaves)

The story of Waldringfield Sailing Club is a remarkable story. In 2021 the Club celebrated its centenary, 100 years of sailing on the River Deben, and as part of those celebrations started work on writing its history. The result is ‘A Century of Sailing – Waldringfield Sailing Club 1921-2021’, which has just been published. Continue reading →

Remembrance Sunday 2023: Two Films from Tim Curtis (We Fought Them in Gunboats & Stanley’s War)

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By Julia Jones

Tim Curtis.

On November 12th 2023 the Riverside Cinema Woodbridge will show two wartime documentaries by Woodbridge-based director Tim Curtis. Tim is probably best known to RDA Journal readers for the highly successful Life on the Deben project – 6000 DVDs and Blu Rays sold in the first year, more than 15,000 cinema and festival viewers and over £5000 donations made to Deben good causes. Earlier this year (2023) Tim made a short film ‘How Polluted is the Deben?’ which was shown together with ‘A Surge of Memories’ (not by Tim) commemorating the floods of 1953 and tidal surge of 2013. Continue reading →