THEY JUST DO NOT UNDERSTAND IPSWICH

I was at a meeting of the Ipswich Society Wednesday. It would be fair to describe us as mainly a mature bunch I suppose and many do not have an e-mail address. Indeed very few are actually Ipswich born but it is an organisation of influence with 1300 members which suggests it should be taken notice of. However, being an organisation of mature folks not of Ipswich stock they are hardly going to take to the rooftops to protest about anything. These are people who love Ipswich and are content to just observe what is happening around them which begs the question; should their opinion be taken notice of and should they really just be ignored and treated as a bunch of well meaning but totally irrelevent folks who enjoy days out.
After the talk I tried to find out their views about congestion and although some moaned about it they accepted it. This is dangerous as it gives town planners the wrong impression of just what is acceptable. I asked why our town had to "grow" and I was told if it didn't it would stand still. I asked what was wrong with standing still and was informed we needed to "go forward" for the economic good of the town. I asked how it could be good for the town to be jammed up with traffic and I was informed it wasn't a problem as the chap used a bicycle!
These are decent respectable people, usually from the better parts of town admittedly but these are opinion makers even if they do not realise it and unless the rest of us take a stand our town will die even sooner than the average member of the delightful but quaint Ipswich Society.