If you live in Clapham or Finchley you might think it odd that the whole village of Alderton is buzzing with the news that the Swan Inn now has a wonderful new Indian restaurant with 'take away' service.

But imagine yourself in the heart of Suffolk, 8-miles from the ancient market town of Woodbridge, on the road which passes Sutton Hoo on its way to the coast at Bawdsey. It's true we have a great village shop and post office and a pub - The Swan - so we are well served, but a top notch indian as well; that's being spoilt.

THE PROMETHEUS ORCHESTRA

Choral societies in Suffolk have come to rely on a band of fine local musicians who come together to play for them for concerts all over the county. Professionals in their own right, these musicians seldom get the chance to perform outside the major concert halls so they were delighted when Edmond Fivet gave them the opportunity to do so in May of last year, at a performance given by the Aldeburgh Music Club in Orford Church.

The concert included Beethoven’s Symphony No 1 and the Overture to Prometheus. Writing about the concert, Humphrey Burton said:

Chantry Barns is a luxury development of four self catering holiday apartments in attractive private gardens in a stunning position with views across to the historic Orford Castle in one direction, and the River Ore and Orford Ness in the other.

If you want to see the dramatic effects of coastal erosion on our Suffolk coastline then take a trip from Woodbridge, past Sutton Hoo to East Lane, Bawdsey.

Well known and loved for his wonderful novels: A Room with a View, A Passage to India and Howards End, Edward Morgan Forster moved to other forms of writing in his later years and one of his most interesting projects was his collaboration with Benjamin Britten over Billy Budd. Their friendship began in 1941. Forster had broadcast a talk, followed up by an article in The Listener, about the Aldeburgh poet, Crabbe.

If your children enjoy visiting Suffolk then they might enjoy the new CBeebies series Grandpa in my Pocket starting on 10 February 2009.

You can have a look at the preview by going to www.grandpainmypocket.co.uk

For anyone booking their holidays with Suffolk Cottage Holidays you might recognise the cottage Sea Horse Cottage in Aldeburgh!

A £250,000 grant has been awarded to The Suffolk Punch Trust to safeguard the future of the Suffolk Punch horse, the oldest and rarest breed of heavy horse in the world.

The grant means that the Suffolk Punch Trust is now nearing its £700,000 target needed to build an education and heritage centre at Hollesley Bay, where many of the horses are kept.

The Trust bought 27 Suffolk Punch horses, buildings, equipment and 180 acres of land at Hollesley Bay in 2006 to secure the future of the stud and these magnificent horses.

A new orchestra for Suffolk

Choral societies in Suffolk have come to rely on a band of fine local musicians who come together to play for them for concerts all over the county. Professionals in their own right, these musicians seldom get the chance to perform outside the major concert halls so they were delighted when Edmond Fivet gave them the opportunity to do so in May of last year, at a performance given by the Aldeburgh Music Club in Orford Church. The concert included Beethoven’s Symphony No 1 and the Overture to Prometheus. Writing about the concert, Humphrey Burton said: