Suffolk Money

Jason Salisbury and his wife Katharine are adventurous farmers. Not only do they run a herd of pedigree Guernsey, Jersey and Ayrshire cows on their Suffolk farm, but they’ve also taken the intrepid step to be the new dairy farmers on Sark Island.

This week Jason joins Colin to talk about their fascinating journey; from herdsman, to starting their own innovative farm near Needham Market – from where their local milk and cheese is sold throughout East Anglia – through to their bold new venture in the beautiful, tranquil island of Sark; off the north west coast of France.

We learn all about how they established Suffolk Farmhouse Cheeses back in 2004, and invested in robotic milking; a process which is beneficial to both the cow and the farmer. Plus there is plenty of talk about the unique cheese they produce for our region, which is certainly exciting for cheese fans!

It’s not often we meet people whose responsibilities span financial commitment and artistic expertise, so it was a real pleasure to talk to Owen Calvert-Lyons; Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds.

Passionate about theatre from a young age, Owen tells us about how he began his theatrical journey in youth theatre, before studying at Bristol University. He then worked in theatres all around the country before joining the Regency gem that is Theatre Royal, just before the pandemic hit.

Conscious that the arts always play a significant role in times of national trauma, the theatre quickly

redefined its purpose. Digital theatre engagement platforms were set up to support a wide range of vulnerable groups in the community. For the rest of the town, Owen’s first production, A Christmas Carol, was made possible by transforming a car park into a theatre over-night; suddenly making theatre accessible to everyone.

The local community truly demonstrated its love for the theatre and the sense of how vital it is to the region through the funds that were raised back in 2020. As a registered charity, every penny raised goes towards goes to educational activities and work with the community.

Owen talks about the joy of opening the doors again In May 2021 and inviting audiences to rediscover the magic of theatre; experiencing the moment of collective electricity that ripples through the audience as the stage is set and the lights go down.

High hopes are pinned on the success of this year’s forthcoming pantomime, Cinderella (arriving at the ball over a year late!), and there are countless other shows and performances scheduled, to tempt every kind of theatre-goer back into this special Grade 1 listed theatre.

This week we have the pleasure of speaking to Lee Hunt, MD of Deben Travel. Lee’s experience in the travel industry is vast. His apprenticeship with Lunn Poly at 16 years old lead to a variety of travel roles, including working as a Ski Guide in Austria and Manager at Thomas Cook, before launching Deben Travel in 2012.

The travel industry is no stranger to global challenges, however never before has one lasted 18 months. Lee explains how Deben Travel has navigated its way through the tricky financial turbulence of the pandemic, and their mission to minimise trauma for clients; from helping those stranded abroad in April 2020 find their way home, to booking holidays post-pandemic and simplifying the current complexity of international travel.

Lee’s excitement of being in travel has never waned and, it’s wonderful to hear that travel is now firmly back on the agenda, as people re-evaluate how they want to spend their time and money post-pandemic. Lee loves being back on the shop floor, researching, recommending and delivering dream holidays for his clients. As for Lee’s own dream holiday … listen on to find out where the travel expert would travel to!

Jo Collins volunteers at the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), a charity which rescues marine life across the whole of the British Isles.

As Area Coodinator for Norfolk and Suffolk, Jo is the first port of call when a member of the public finds a marine mammal in need of assistance in our region. In this episode, Jo tells us about the key purposes of the charity, what happens when they get a call-out and how their medics are trained to rescue seals, whales, and dolphins; plus occasionally the odd walrus!

Like many charities, the BDMLR have faced many challenges over the last year, including a vast increase in humans and their dogs visiting our local beaches and, the devastating impact of plastic waste around the coastline.

In this first episode of our second season we interview Judi Newman, the Chief Executive of St Elizabeth Hospice (working across East and North Suffolk).

Judi talks us through the purpose of the hospice movement and how St Elizabeth Hospice supports patients and their families throughout the experience of death and grief.

She also speaks about the return of exciting in-person fundraising efforts that are on the horizon, including the ever-popular midnight walk and a fantastic art trail that is coming to our region next year.

In our first ‘Outside Broadcast’ recording we visit Colin’s hometown of Felixstowe to visit Beach Street.

Beach Street is a new development in the South of Felixstowe’s sea front.  Built within the former Manning’s ‘fairground ride’ area it combines Boutique shops and Street Food outlets.

In this episode we speak with a few of the owners of these outlets and shops as well as Charlie Manning, Executive Director of Beach Street, about the background to the area, the history of Mannings Amusements and their plans for the future.

A conversation with Liz Wilkins who has fought addiction and serious illness to work on a TedX event for Stowmarket.

In addition to this, Liz runs her own business and is deeply involved with the Stowmarket Innovation Hub.

We talk with Clare Williamson, Blue Cross Suffolk Centre Manager to find out what they do at their impressive location.

How has their work been impacted by the pandemic?

We talk about the rehoming of dogs, cats and small animals?

What should households be thinking about before they take on a pet?

As we come into the summer, are there any specific matters that we should consider?

We know the RNLI from their incredible bravery in dealing with vessels at risk at sea, but that’s not all they do.

With so many people taking holidays in Suffolk this year, or having days out at the coast, how do we need to keep safe?

Graeme Richardson (Area Life Saving Manager, RNLI) has years of experience in volunteering and working with the RNLI and shares his experiences and advice on how we can keep ourselves safe.

Stay Safe in Suffolk this Summer.

The Suffolk Money podcast is supported by Kingsfleet Wealth – www.kingsfleetwealth.co.uk

We speak with Suffolk resident, author and former hostage, Terry Waite, about how the last year has been for him.

What can we learn about what matters most?  Will we be different as a result of the last year?

Tickets are still available to attend and meet Terry, in person, here – https://felixstowebookfestival.co.uk/

A summary of all of the events can be found here – https://felixstowebookfestival.co.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Felixstowe-Book-Festival-2021-Full-Programme.pdf