Our Lady Of Grace Church, Aspall

Aspall is a tiny village (population approx 60) just north of Debenham and you may have heard of it because this huge collection of factory buildings is where Aspall Cider and vinegars are made. The company belonged to  the Chevallier family of Aspall Hall, but after 290 years it's now owned by the people that make Coors  Lager.

The church is on the other side of the main Debenham to Eye road down a small dead end lane and has always had a lot of input from the Chevallier family who as Lord of the Manor did much restoration here as well as providing the vicars for many years.

The porch has interesting timber frame and brick patterns

Down the nave to the altar, a very typical small Suffolk church.

But there are a couple of more unusual things, like this large memorial, a terracotta relief made in 1966 by Edwin Russell. It remembers Raulin Guild, son of a Chevellier daughter. He lived in North Rhodesia, contacting an illness and come back to die here, just 26 years old. 

Another plaque is to Lord Kitchener. One of the Chevallier women married into the Kitchener family  and her son became Lord Kitchener - secretary of state for war at the beginning of WWI and responsible for sending to war three of the young boys on the war memorial.

These memorials are all to members of the Chevallier family

There are some interesting bench end carvings

The font and cover are also carved and decorated.

Despite the few services held here and small population there were lots of flowers around the church

This is the sad sight of the lych gate - falling to pieces - hopefully to be repaired soon.

I found the leaflet about the church with lots more details is HERE

Back Soon

Sue

ITFC, Old Photos and Back to Daily Posting?

 First of all have to say WELL DONE to Ipswich Town Football Club , automatically promoted to the Premiership - the top tier of English Football. It's 22 Years since they were last there. This time last year they were promoted from the third tier to the second so it's an amazing turn around in two seasons after some very dismal years. Being in the Premiership brings many bonuses - mainly money and recognition. Ipswich really needs this as I've mentioned before about how sad the town is looking. This might herald a turn around for our County Town.

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My photo sorting is providing lots of old pictures to share to local Facebook village and town history groups.

The hamlet of  14 homes where I lived for my first 20 years - Although I wasn't there when this photo was taken! definitely before my time! The 'busy' road was actually the A45 which has become the A14 main road from Felixstowe to the Midlands so thank heavens the hamlet was bypassed in the early 70's. Our house was the one just left of centre and facing forward. Behind it you can just see the roofs of a row of 6 cottages that were condemned and unfit to live in when Mum and Dad bought everything in about 1951.

A Suffolk village school photo from 1913 with my grandmother in the centre - someone in the past put an inked circle round her head and the boy in front who is someone I've not heard of - perhaps a friend.

My grandparents (on the binder and holding the horse) and their children, my Aunt, her twin brother = my Real Dad and Step Dad on their farm in Mid Suffolk around 1930ish

Outing to the beach - Sunday School probably or perhaps Cub Scouts. That's Colin in the front and his brother on the far left.

My Mum was a Cub Scout Leader In Stowmarket - in the years just after the war, she's on the left. Her younger brother - my Uncle is the  third boy from Mum.

Colin's  Primary School photo, same school that our two eldest children went to for a few years before we moved to the coast and the same school which two of my Grandchildren now attend.

My primary school had no school photos while I was there which is disappointing.

Still lots more recent photos to remove from old albums...........It's taking a while! especially after posting the very old photos on Facebook Groups as I then have to go back and answer the questions asked.

Blogging..........I might go back to 6 days a week posting, it depends where I go and what I do to write about. If I don't appear some days it will be because there's nothing to mention. So instead of saying 'Back Tomorrow' I'll say 'Back Soon'!

So................

Back Soon (although I will be back tomorrow as I have some church visits in drafts)

Sue