A traditional topping out took place on the roof of The Hold, the new archive centre, last week in Ipswich. The ceremony marked the highest piece of roofing being fitted in place, with a flag raised and beer being poured on to celebrate.
R G Carter were joined by Concertus, and senior officers from Suffolk County Council, Suffolk University, Ipswich Vision and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, on what is a significant development for the Ipswich Waterfront and a valuable future resource for the heritage of the area. The project is a partnership between Suffolk Archives and the university, a part of Ipswich Vision, and is supported by heritage organisations across the county.
It has been a wonderful to see this educational vision in Ipswich come to life, and the ceremony was a fantastic opportunity for the site team to help to celebrate the progress of this unique space with future staff and key stakeholders.
Paul West, cabinet member with responsibility for Heritage, said: “The Hold will not only transform our ability to care for and showcase our county’s records and collections, but it will also engage audiences right across the county, bringing local and nationally significant exhibitions to all Suffolk Archives branches, state of the art research facilities and more access than ever before to digital collections.”
Anne Jenkins from the HLF, said: “This is an exciting milestone for The Hold and another step closer to opening the doors to an incredible archive of the story of Suffolk – and beyond. Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, those stories are already being shared across the county ensuring more people than ever can explore and enjoy their heritage.”
We look forward to delivering this educational vision for Ipswich, for the Spring of 2020.
