| Went into Ipswich town center yesterday 09:31 - Jan 30 with 6853 views | solomon |
Felt like Leipzig in the 1980’s rather than a modern town. Surely the time has come for an out of town shopping center or mall type development? Ipswich as a retail concept seems utterly finished with no appetite for resurrection of any sort. All very sad really. [Post edited 30 Jan 2022 9:31]
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| Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 12:08 - Jan 31 with 536 views | stonojnr |
| Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 09:32 - Jan 31 by GeoffSentence |
Actually Norwich is about as good a place to compare it with as you can get. The fact it is a City 'should' be irrelavant, it is similarly sized to Ipswich, within a similar area to Ipswich and just like Ipswich has a large amount of its built up area outside of the City boundaries.
The main difference with Nodge though is that it is pretty remote compared to Ipswich, we can hop on a train and be in that there London in an hour, so is much more self-contained. |
The difference with Norwich to Ipswich,imo, is that Norwich is the regional destination for alot of people who live across Norfolk and even bits of Suffolk.
So it gets alot more footfall thru shops, plus it more sensibly lost the urge in the 60s to demolish it's small streets & lanes areas to replace them with a dual carriageway, though the Anglia square centre & a147 gives you a taste of what could have been.
But consequently theyve got lots of characterful streets and shops perfectly sized for lots of small independents and eateries which with the footfall and a Jarrolds anchoring the dept store bit it's a "nice" place to shop.
Ipswich isnt the regional destination for most people in Suffolk, those to the west favour Bury/Cambridge, those to the north Norwich, even people who live within greater Ipswich probably favour Woodbridge instead or just hop on the train and you are in London.
And during the 60s the planners run amok widening roads,literally sawing the front of old historic wooden beamed buildings in half to make space, and trying to build a dual carriageway right through the centre of town, they only got as far as where Willis is today.
But the consequence is much of the equivalent spaces Ipswich had to Norwich, were wiped out, and we are left with alot of shops that are too big as they knocked 3 or 4 into 1 and too costly for anyone but major chains to afford, who now cant because most of their retail is online.
I remember a survey among retailers maybe 20 years back, where it turned out it was as costly to rent a shop in Ipswich as it was in Cambridge for the same floor space, but the footfall and propesinty to spend money was 3 times higher in Cambridge, consequently most chains seeking profit avoided Ipswich, which just drives it further into that spiral. |  | | |
| Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 12:14 - Jan 31 with 521 views | Ryorry |
| Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 15:18 - Jan 30 by MattinLondon |
I haven’t lived in Ipswich for years but when I come back what strikes me is that the town centre is actually quite attractive- and has the potential to be a lot better than what it is.
In my opinion there is too much emphasis on retail within the traditional town centre. I think that the only way a town centre can survive within a town like Ipswich is to offer customers something that you can’t get on the internet.
Maybe small independent cinema can be set-up in a small ex-retail unit. Then if that’s successful a small quirky café will consider opening up next to it. Maybe an aquarium can be built somewhere and a restaurant can be built next to it.
I’m just thinking out loud but there needs to be a change of vision for the town. |
"offer customers something that you can’t get on the internet."
Quite. If I wanted to start up a new business in the town centre, I'd go for something which combined coffee/tea shop specialising in rare, high end beans & buds, roasting on site so the smell invited people in. Plus - books + artisan things for sale (food and crafts); art gallery - pics & photos from locals on a changing display; activities for both kids & adults (depending on space) - if there were a decent size spare room as a drop-in games room - table tennis, darts, snooker, board & card games; and/or space outside for drop-in 5-a-side, a net for practise netball, volleyball etc etc.
Any wannabe entrepreneurs are welcome to use these ideas for free if they wish to get something going  |  |
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| Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 16:44 - Jan 31 with 405 views | HotShotHamish |
| Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 09:06 - Jan 31 by GeoffSentence |
This is where Ipswich has suffered from being a small borough with a relatively large population in the builtup area around it. The other councils on its boundaries allow those out of Town shopping centres which suck the footfall and money out of the Town. |
IBC is just as guilty as the councils that surround Ipswich.
IBC own the Anglia Retail Park - direct competition to Town Centre
IBC own Beardsmore Park (Martlesham) - direct competition to town centre. | | | |
| Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 16:52 - Jan 31 with 397 views | clive_baker |
You know it's bad when I have friends in Great Blakenham who go to Bury far more times than they go into Ipswich, despite it being twice the drive time. That's both for shopping and eating / drinking. There just doesn't seem to be the pull to go in to the town centre at all. |  |
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| Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 17:06 - Jan 31 with 385 views | ronnyd |
| Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 23:25 - Jan 30 by MattinLondon |
Meadowhall ruined Sheffield’s city centre. |
Went on holiday to the Peak District some years ago. Was raining one day so asked B&B owner about a day in Sheffield. His reply was "Go to Meadowhall, since it opened, it's killed the city centre stone dead. Was a good day out really. | | | |
| Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 17:09 - Jan 31 with 382 views | OldFart71 |
| Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 11:07 - Jan 30 by fabian_illness |
My memories of ipswich town centre from the late 70’s through to the late 80’s when I was a youngster.
Saturday morning. Cheap bus into town. 11 or 11a. No car parking necessary.
We’d go and pay the bills, then maybe a trip to tooks or Debenhams cafe if my Nan was feeling flush. Woolworths, there was always something you needed in there, C&A to replace the jumper you’d grown out of.
Every few weeks we’d go to the corn exchange or the ABC for a film, maybe take my swimming kit when Crown pools opened.
There was always loads to do in town, we never drove, always buses. |
I remember even further back when Debenhams was Footmans department store. They had a lift attendant and a proper restaurant upstairs. You could go into their music department and listen to the latest vinyl records in a booth where you just put a set of headphone on and away you went. BHS had a big ladies hats area as you walked in, with a mirrored wall where if you were a lady you could see how you looked in a hat. Remember going in with my Mum and Gran and plonking a hat on my head and a lady saying to me "If you wear that, I will buy it for you " Suffice to say I didn't take her up on it. | | | |
| Went into Ipswich town center yesterday on 20:18 - Jan 31 with 337 views | Bluespeed225 |
Open shops 11-8, or even 10pm, when people who do have a bit of money to spend have finished work and are able to visit the shops! I know, and it won't be popular on here, but my wife and daughter are certainly put off the town during the day by the various groups, of young men, of all cultures, that hang around to meet, deal drugs, take drugs, street drink, in the main areas. I still get a haircut in Town and can sense a difference. Getting spenders in after dark might improve the all round feel of the place. seems that shop hours are different to our across the world, we're still stuck in a 9-6 rut. Surprised the town doesn't close early on a Wednesday still. | | | |
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