For the ninth successive year, artists living and working in Reydon will be opening their studios as part of Southwold Arts Festival. The Open Studio Trail takes place on Saturday, 22nd and Sunday, 23rd June, from 11am to 5pm. A leaflet with full details of the Trail will be available in mid-May from Bridgefoot Stores, Reydon Village Hall, Southwold Library and many other businesses in the area.

April saw the last Community Quiz for this season, and regular quizzer Brad took the role of question master, with a very enjoyable quiz featuring some fiendishly brain teasing questions!

In fourth place this month were ‘What the Ecc’ with 73 points; in joint second place ‘If Onlys’ and  ‘Treacle Tarts ‘ with 80 points apiece; and winners this month ‘What, No Broadside?’ on 93 points.

Together with proceeds from the raffle, the evening raised £275. The work done by the Food Bank at the Methodist Church building in Southwold had been flagged up to us by one of their volunteers, so this month’s proceeds were donated to them, in support of the help they provide to our local community. (They are open Tuesday and Friday 2–4pm, and offer not just food but other support too, so pop in and see them if you can offer help or if you would like some support yourself.) 

This season, we have raised and donated to £1,813 in total to local good causes, so many, many thanks to all who support our Community Quiz, it is hugely appreciated both by those who organise it and by those who are the recipients. What a wonderfully supportive community we are lucky to live in.

The next quiz will be held in October 2024, when the new season begins – we wish all our quizzers and supporters a happy summer. (When it arrives!)  The dates of the autumn quizzes will be publicised nearer the time.

There is sometimes space for another team, so do contact me if you are interested in joining us at ahumphry@talktalk.net.

Legal Matters Advice and Information: Your Will – leaving gifts for children and grandchildren

Monday, 13th May, 10.30am @ Southwold Library

Free talk, no need to book.

Local solicitor Stuart Johnson, fully accredited with Solicitors for the Elderly, will advise on making your will and ensuring gifts go to your children and grandchildren.

Silver Clay Workshop

Monday, 13th May, 7–10pm @Southwold Library

£45 per person, including all materials. Maximum 12 people.

Learn to make beautiful jewellery with this flexible material.

Book online at www.ticketsource.co.uk/suffolklibraries or at Southwold Library – tel: 01502 722519.

Friends of Southwold Library Fete and Plant Sale

Saturday, 25th May, 10am–4pm @ St Edmunds Green, Southwold

Fete including plants, books, crafts, cakes, tombola and games.

Would you be able to give us any plants? If you think you can, please contact Southwold Library – tel: 01502 722519.

All funds towards supporting Southwold Library

Art Sale

Monday, 27th May, 10am–3pm @ Southwold Library

Works by the late Southwold artist Brian Bennett. Brian was a self-taught artist, becoming a serious painter in his mid-30s. He was the winner of the Ealing Open Art Competition , exhibiting widely in London and in Suffolk. Brian was a long-serving member of the Southwold Art Circle.

His earlier paintings were representational, but in Suffolk, he became interested in exploring surface textures, cracked wood, rusting metal, peeling paint on details of boats, doors, barns, fishing sheds and the like. This led in turn to the more abstract imagery of his later work.

Sale in aid of the Friends of Southwold Library.

Free Ice Cream Crafts for Kids

Tuesday, 28th May, 11am and 2pm

Come and make squeezy ice creams, ice-cream bookmarks, ice-cream suncatchers, and much more! Plus ice lolly!

Crafts supplied by the Friends of Southwold Library. No need to book.

Kitchen Chemistry: Science Experiments Out of the Lab!

Wednesday, 29th May, 11am and 1.30pm @ Stella Peskett Millennium Hall

£2 per child. Open to children 5+.

Lab in a Library brought to you by Kinetic Adventure. Find out what weird and wonderful chemistry experiments you can try in your own home!

Limited spaces. Book your place today – tel: 01502 722519; e-mail: southwold.library@suffolklibraries.co.uk; online: www.ticketsource.co.uk/suffolklibraries.

Southwold Arts Centre and Southwold Library Present: Southwold Community Cinema

• The Zone of Interest (2023) 12a – Wednesday, 29th May, 3pm

The commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, and his wife, Hedwig, strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the camp.

• Wicked Little Letters (2023) 15 – Wednesday, 12th June, 3pm

When the residents of Littlehampton start receiving letters filled with obscenities and hilarious profanity, Rose, a rambunctious Irish immigrant, is accused of the crime.

Tickets £5, including refreshments.

Book a ticket at www.southwoldartscentre.co.uk or visit the box office – tel: 01502 722572;

Southwold Arts Centre, Cumberland Road, Southwold IP18 6JP.

Now Booking: Friends of Southwold Library present Slaughter in Southwold – Southwold Library Crime Writers’ Festival

Saturday, 15th and Sunday, 16th June @ Southwold Arts Centre, St Edmund’s Hall

Tickets £6 per talk, £20 per day or £40 for the weekend (Rev. Richard Coles event and lunches booked separately). Lunches with the authors.

• Authors’ talks by: Rev Richard Coles, Jane Casey, Nicci French, Elly Griffiths, Tom Hindle, Cara Miller, Jacqueline Sutherland, A K Turner and Ruth Ware.
• Plus: Kate Ellis’ Death at the Dig Murder Mystery Night – Friday, 14th June, 7pm.
• Fun Crime Quiz Night – Sunday, 17th June, 7pm.
• Whodunnit puzzle sheet available from 1st May – £1. Solve the crime and you could win a £10 book token.
• Raffle for a luxury crime-related hamper (raffle tickets available from 1st May at Southwold Library).

Book at the Library – tel: 01502 722519; or online: www.suffolklibraries.co.uk/slaughter.

Activity Afternoons

Weekdays from 2.15pm @ Southwold Library

Crochet every Wednesday; Scrabble second Thursday; Poetry first Friday; Mah-Jong second and fourth Friday; Ongoing jigsaw all other afternoons. Free hot drinks. Sponsored by East of England Co-op in association with East Suffolk Council.

Realise Futures Walk-in Advice and Guidance

Every Thursday, 10am–12noon @ Southwold Library

Do you have a learning disability/autism? Do you need some support, advice or information?

Come along to one of our walk-in advice and guidance sessions. There is no need to book an appointment. Our advisors will talk to you about the support you need. We can provide advice, guidance and information on housing, employment, benefits, training, money, travel, safety, health, bills/letters and social.

Please contact: Anita Fiddy, Service Locality Co-ordinator (East) – tel: 07598 582955; e-mail: anita.fiddy@realisefutures.org.

Chess Club

Every Friday, from 4.30pm @ Southwold Library

Free event, no booking required.

Free play every week for kids aged seven plus and adults. Beginners’ teaching and assistance from Phil weeks two and four.

Chess Club Volunteer Wanted!

Phil, our chess volunteer, can only do a couple of Fridays a month – we are looking for another volunteer for the other Fridays to help other players, especially beginners.

Training provided! Interested? Contact Charlotte – tel: 01502 722519 or e-mail: charlotte.clark@suffolklibraries.co.uk.

Blyth Poets ‘The Isle is Full of Voices’

Friday, 3rd May, 2.15–3.30pm

First Friday of every month.

Free event, no booking required.

A poetry group meeting at Southwold Library. All welcome to read or just listen. We invite contributions of original work or well-loved poems. Refreshment break in the Canteen.

Mah-Jong Group

Friday, 10th and 24th May, 2.15–4.15pm

Second and fourth Friday of the month.

£1 per person.

Can you play Mah-Jong? Do you want to learn? Come along and join the group at Southwold Library.

Scrabble Club

Thursday, 9th May, 2.15pm

Second Thursday of every month.

Free event, no booking required.

All equipment supplied. Refreshment break in the Canteen.

Crochet Club

Every Wednesday, 2.15–4pm

£2 each.

A friendly group for all abilities of crocheter. Barbara will be on hand to teach beginners, add to your crochet skills or troubleshoot problems. Or just bring along your latest project and crochet together. Bring your own equipment or Barbara can supply at a price. Refreshment break in the Canteen.

Kids, Come and Read to Ash the PAT Dog

Wednesdays, 4pm @ Southwold Library

Free event, no booking required.

The Read2Dogs scheme provided by PAT helps to improve literacy skills and wellbeing in young people by developing their confidence, interest and enjoyment in reading. Dogs are non-judgemental and great listeners – they don’t interrupt or correct – so they aid confidence and concentration levels. PAT Dogs are also known to encourage positive social behaviours, enhance self-esteem and inspire young people to relax and have fun. Come and read to Ash for up to 15 minutes at a time, plus enjoy a range of dog-themed games, jigsaws, and crafts while you wait.

Contact Southwold Library – Old Hospital Hub, Field Stile Road, Southwold IP18 6LD; tel: 01502 722519; e-mail: southwold.library@suffolklibraries.co.uk.

Lego Club!

Sundays, 12.15–1pm

Free event, no booking required.

Open to kids (and adults) of all ages. This spring, we’re building: Wonderful Wildlife. All donations of Lego welcome.

Adults: Would you like to help with Lego Club? Just ask staff.

Southwold Library Reading Group

Thursday, 30th May, 6.30pm @ Southwold Library

Free event, no booking required.

This month, we are reading: Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami. Pick up a book at Southwold Library – tel: 01502 722519; e-mail: southwold.library@suffolklibraries.co.uk.

Baby Bounce and Tot Rock

Every Sunday and Tuesday, 10.30–11am @ Southwold Library

Free event, no booking required.

For babies and toddlers of all ages. Instruments, clapping, jogging and action rhymes.

Saturday, 27th April, 7pm @ Cardinal Newman Hall (Old Sorting Office)

Teams of four – £3 per person. Bring your own drinks and snacks. Raffle!

Book early to avoid disappointment, limited places. Contact Charlotte Clark – tel: 07715 388916; e-mail: frogclock@hotmail.com.

Saturday, 1st June, 7pm @ Reydon Village Hall

£10 per person, including cheeseboard and lucky-entrant draw. Teams of up to six. Bring your own drink. Raffle!

Book your tickets with Charlotte at Southwold Library – tel: 07715388916; e-mail: frogclock@hotmail.com.

All funds towards the RVH Golden Anniversary Appeal Fund to repair, renovate and refit the Hall.

For our March quiz, we welcomed Charlotte Clark of Southwold Library as our guest quizmaster.

We were entertained by Charlotte’s light-hearted and enjoyable quiz, and particularly enjoyed learning some new facts about pineapples!

Scores were once again very close this month: in third place were ‘What, No Broadside?’ with 132 points; in second place ‘What the Ecc ‘ with 134 points; and winners once again this month, ‘Three’s Company’ on 136 points.

Together with proceeds from the raffle, the evening raised £282. This was donated to FoSL (Friends of Southwold Library) and presented to Charlotte there and then. The fabulous work she and the rest of the Library team do is hugely appreciated by the local community, so we are delighted to help support them.

An e-mail of thanks for our February donation was received from the team at the VHC, and this was shared with the quizzers.

Many thanks to all who support our Community Quiz, it is hugely appreciated.

The next quiz will be held on Friday, 19th April. 

The May quiz is cancelled, so the April one will be the last one until the autumn. There is sometimes space for another team, so do contact me if you are interested in joining us at ahumphry@talktalk.net.

Medieval Knight Crafts

Tuesday, 2nd April, 11am @ Southwold Library

Accompanies The Canterbury Tales @ Southwold Arts Centre (see below)

Free crafts! Swords, shields, castles and much more! No need to book, just drop in.

The Canterbury Tales by Half Cut Theatre

Thursday, 4th April, 4pm @ Southwold Arts Centre

Packed full of laughs and loves, music and mayhem. Come on this raucous journey which will delight young and old alike.

Book for the show at www.southwoldartscentre.co.uk.

Terrific Train Fun! Trainmaster Suffolk

Thursday, 4th April, 12.30pm and 1.45pm @ Reydon Village Hall

£4 per child for one hour’s play!

Miles of track and trains to play with plus ride on train and a train rollercoaster!

Limited spaces. Book your place today! Tel: 01502 722519; e-mail: southwold.library@suffolklibraries.co.uk; or online: www.ticketsource.co.uk/suffolklibraries.

Free Unicorn Easter Crafts for Kids

Tuesday, 9th April, 11am and 2pm @ Southwold Library

Come and make unicorn decorations, unicorn Easter eggs, unicorn masks and much more! Plus unicorn tattoos. Crafts supplied by the Friends of Southwold Library. No need to book.

The Lowestoft Longshore Men Sing Sea Shanties

Sunday, 14th April, 5pm @ Southwold Library

Tickets £5 including hot drink and biscuit.

Book at Southwold Library – tel: 01502 722519; e-mail: southwold.library@suffolklibraries.co.uk; or online: www.ticketsource.co.uk/suffolklibraries.co.uk.

Lin Le Versha: Southwold’s Own Resident Crimewriter Extraordinaire

Monday, 15th April, 11am @ Southwold Library

Free event, no need to book.

Lin Le Versha drew on her experience in schools and colleges as the inspiration for the Steph Grant crime series, which now includes four books. Lin is the Director of the Southwold Arts Festival. Creative writing courses encouraged her to enrol at the UEA MA in Creative Writing and her debut novel, Blood Notes, was based on her final assessment piece. Lin will be talking about her writing, including her latest title, Blood Ribbons. Lin will be signing copies of her books.

Erica James: Join Her for Afternoon Tea

Saturday, 4th May, 3pm @Reydon Village Hall

Tickets are £6, including refreshments.

Erica James is the author of 24 bestselling novels, including Gardens of Delight, which won the 2006 Romantic Novel of the Year Award, and Sunday Times top-ten bestsellers Swallowtail Summer, Coming Home to Island House, Letters from the Past, Mothers and Daughters, and A Secret Garden Affair. Erica will be talking about her writing including her latest title, An Ideal Husband. Erica will be signing copies of her books.

Book at Southwold Library – tel: 01502 722519; or online: www.ticketsource.co.uk/suffolklibraries.

Friends of Southwold Library Present Slaughter in Southwold: Southwold Library Crime Writers’ Festival

Saturday, 15th and Sunday, 16th June @ Southwold Arts Centre, St Edmund’s Hall

Tickets £6 per talk, £20 per day or £40 for the weekend (lunches not included). Lunches with the authors.                

• Authors’ talks by: Rev Richard Coles, Jane Casey, Nicci French, Elly Griffiths, Tom Hindle, Cara Miller, Jacqueline Sutherland, A K Turner and Ruth Ware.
• Plus: Kate Ellis’ Death at the Dig Murder Mystery Night – Friday, 14th June, 7pm.
• Fun Crime Quiz Night – Sunday, 17th June, 7pm.
• Whodunnit puzzle sheet available from 1st May – £1. Solve the crime and you could win a £10 book token.
• Raffle for a luxury crime-related hamper (raffle tickets available from 1st May at Southwold Library).

Booking from 1st April at the Library – tel: 01502 722519; or online: www.suffolklibraries.co.uk/slaughter.

Activity Afternoons

Weekdays from 2.15pm @ Southwold Library

Crochet every Wednesday; Scrabble second Thursday; Poetry first Friday; Mah-Jong second and fourth Friday; Ongoing jigsaw all other afternoons. Free hot drinks. Sponsored by East of England Co-op in association with East Suffolk Council.

Realise Futures Walk-in Advice and Guidance

Every Thursday, 10am–12noon @ Southwold Library

Do you have a learning disability/autism? Do you need some support, advice, or information?

Come along to one of our walk-in advice and guidance sessions. There is no need to book an appointment. Our advisors will talk to you about the support you need. We can provide advice, guidance, and information on housing, employment, benefits, training, money, travel, safety, health, bills/letters and social.

Please contact: Anita Fiddy, Service Locality Co-ordinator (East) – tel: 07598 582955; e-mail: anita.fiddy@realisefutures.org.

Chess Club

Every Friday, from 4.30pm @ Southwold Library

Free event, no booking required.

Free play every week for kids aged seven plus and adults. Beginners’ teaching and assistance from Phil weeks two and four.

Chess Club Volunteer Wanted!

Phil, our chess volunteer, can only do a couple of Fridays a month – we are looking for another volunteer for the other Fridays to help other players, especially beginners.

Training provided! Interested? Contact Charlotte – tel: 01502 722519 or e-mail: charlotte.clark@suffolklibraries.co.uk.

Blyth Poets ‘The Isle is Full of Voices’

Friday, 5th April, 2.15–3.30pm

First Friday of every month.

Free event, no booking required.

A poetry group meeting at Southwold Library. All welcome to read or just listen. We invite contributions of original work or well-loved poems. Refreshment break in the Canteen.

Mah-Jong Group

Friday, 12th and 26th April, 2.15–4.15pm

Second and fourth Friday of the month.

£1 per person.

Can you play Mah-Jong? Do you want to learn? Come along and join the group at Southwold Library.

Scrabble Club

Thursday, 11th April, 2.15pm

Second Thursday of every month.

Free event, no booking required.

All equipment supplied. Refreshment break in the Canteen.

Crochet Club

Every Wednesday, 2.15–4pm

£2 each.

A friendly group for all abilities of crocheter. Barbara will be on hand to teach beginners, add to your crochet skills or troubleshoot problems. Or just bring along your latest project and crochet together. Bring your own equipment or Barbara can supply at a price. Refreshment break in the Canteen.

Kids, Come and Read to Ash the PAT Dog

Wednesdays, 4pm @ Southwold Library

Free event, no booking required.

The Read2Dogs scheme provided by PAT helps to improve literacy skills and wellbeing in young people by developing their confidence, interest, and enjoyment in reading. Dogs are non-judgemental and great listeners – they don’t interrupt or correct – so they aid confidence and concentration levels. PAT Dogs are also known to encourage positive social behaviours, enhance self-esteem and inspire young people to relax and have fun. Come and read to Ash for up to 15 minutes at a time, plus enjoy a range of dog-themed games, jigsaws, and crafts while you wait. Contact Southwold Library – Old Hospital Hub, Field Stile Road, Southwold IP18 6LD; tel: 01502 722519; e-mail: southwold.library@suffolklibraries.co.uk.

Lego Club!

Sundays, 12.15–1pm

Free event, no booking required.

Open to kids (and adults) of all ages. This spring, we’re building: Wonderful Wildlife. All donations of Lego welcome.

Adults: Would you like to help with Lego Club? Just ask staff.

Southwold Library Reading Group

Thursday, 25th April, 6.30pm @ Southwold Library

Free event, no booking required.

This month, we are reading: The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams. Pick up a book at Southwold Library.

Tel: 01502 722519; e-mail: southwold.library@suffolklibraries.co.uk.

Baby Bounce and Tot Rock

Every Sunday and Tuesday, 10.30–11am @ Southwold Library

Free event, no booking required.

For babies and toddlers of all ages. Instruments, clapping, jogging and action rhymes.

Friday, 5th April, 6.30pm – Eyes Down 7.00pm @ Reydon Village Hall

£5 per person. Bring your own refreshments or purchase soft drinks/snacks.

Prizes! Raffle!

Book your tickets with Charlotte at Southwold Library (tel: 07715 388916; e-mail: frogclock@hotmail.com). All funds go towards the RVH Golden Anniversary Appeal Fund to repair, renovate and refit the Hall.

Saturday, 23rd March, 7pm @ Reydon Village Hall

If you like Bingo, you’ll love Beetle!

£5 per person. Bring your own refreshments or purchase soft drinks/snacks. Prizes! Raffle!

Never been to a Beetle Drive before? It is light-hearted and sociable fun suiting all ages. A dice based game where the aim is to complete your beetle first!

Book your tickets with Charlotte at Southwold Library (tel: 07715 388916; e-mail: frogclock@hotmail.com).

All funds go towards the RVH Golden Anniversary Appeal Fund to repair, renovate and refit the Hall.