Today was a short visit to Leiston, a town about 20 minutes bus ride from Tunstall. First I took Teddy for a long walk and found the way to the church which I couldn't do on Sunday. There is an adorable little foot path that takes you right there once you cross the field near the house. In the picture here you can see the little path and at the end, where you see the trees, is the entrance to the church grounds which has a cemetery like the one at St. Peter's church of yesterday. I didn't take any pictures of the church I'll do that another day when Teddy isn't pulling at me to move on, plus I was afraid he would pee on the graves and that would be so bad, especially if one of the people across the street having a nice chat saw it. They had a lovely golden retriever with them so they may have understood but still, just not good. Teddy and the golden retriever didn't hit it off at all so we moved on quickly past them and headed for the bus stop to go to Leiston. I had wanted to pick up some groceries which never happened because he wasn't allowed in any shops. Although a nice lady at one of several charity shops let me come in with him because I had four books to donate. It works out well that I can buy them from a charity shop or used book place and then donate them back. I love recycling and it's all for a good cause, plus I enjoy reading them, it's a win, win, win situation.I found one pub who would admit dogs with the help of some very nice locals, one women who even walked us most of the way (she has three dogs so she understood) to the White Horse Hotel pub. They had a wonderfully zesty French onion soup with homemade mini rolls and a yummy chicken with bacon salad sandwich, half of which I took home for dinner so it was perfect.
On the bus ride home Teddy made friends with a nice lady sitting behind us who just happened to have kitty treats in her pocket which she kindly shared with him. She lives in a town not far from Tunstall heading toward
Ipswich called Brentwaters which was once an Air Force base for the United
States and when it was no longer in Use by the US they rented out the housing
to locals and also created, it seems more housing so that it’s a real
residential neighborhood from what she described. It’s got an interesting history and she tells
me there is a very nice American retired solder who was stationed there and
stayed here in the UK even after the base was closed, along with a whole bunch
of other Americans and that this man gives tours of the base in the spring and
summer months and is very passionate but it’s history. I found this little bit of information on the
base from the internet. “She said there is also the Royal Air Force Station
Bentwaters or more simply RAF Bentwaters, now known as Bentwaters Parks, is a
former Royal Air Force station about 80 miles (130 km) northeast of London, 10
miles (16 km) east-northeast of Ipswich, near Woodbridge, Suffolk in England.
The name was taken from two cottages (‘Bentwaters Cottages’) that had stood on
the site of the main runway during its construction in 1943. It was used by the
Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II, and by the United States Air Force
(USAF) during the Cold War, being the primary home for the 81st Fighter Wing
under various designations from 1951 to 1993. For many years the 81st Fighter
Wing also operated RAF Woodbridge, with Bentwaters and Woodbridge airfields
being known by the Americans as the "Twin Bases". Bentwaters is also known as the location for
the alleged December 1980 UFO incident in Rendlesham Forest. The site is now known as Bentwaters Parks.
The Bentwaters Cold War Museum is located site, there are offices and
warehouses to rent, and the site is also used for television and film making.
She also gave me some good information about the December Christmas
tree festival that the local villages have each year and one will be held in
the Tunstall church so I’ll have to go. It’s around the 9th of
December which is I think the last
weekend I’m here so it’s perfect.
So other than that Teddy and I had an uneventful day but
enjoyable. I also got the cutest picture of Olie with his head resting on the
tea pot next to the AGA. I didn’t take any pictures of Leiston because Teddy
was just too much to handle as he sniffed and pulled and peed his way through the
town.
A little history on Leiston and they have a famous US Air Force base as well. It seems this was a crucial place for the American armed forces.
Leiston thrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as
a manufacturing town dominated by Richard Garrett & Sons, owners of the
"Leiston Works". This firm made steam tractors and a huge variety of
cast and machined metal products, including munitions during both world wars.
The works closed in 1981 and the site was reused as a mixture of housing, flats
and industrial uses. The Long Shop Museum, showing the history, vehicles and
products of the works, remains as a heritage tourist attraction.
During World War II, RAF Leiston, 1 mile (1.6 km) northwest
of the town in the neighbouring village of Theberton, sent fighter squadrons of
the American 357th Fighter Group to fight the Luftwaffe. Famous American test
pilot and fighter ace General Chuck Yeager (who, later, first broke the sound
barrier) flew out of RAF Leiston. The Friends of Leiston Airfield hold a
memorial service and flying display at the end of May each year, with veterans
and their families attending.
Since the 1960s Leiston became famous outside the UK as the
home of the Summerhill School, founded by A.S. Neill in the 1920s, which was
the first major "free school" - referring to freedom in education.
Children are not required to attend classes and discipline is given by student
self-government meetings. Summerhill has inspired a large "free
school" movement and, more recently, "democratic schools" in
several countries. The school occupies the former mansion of Richard Garrett,
owner of the Leiston Works.
