Ipswich's Suffolk Punch reborn as new community pub

The 'Tolly Folly' pub in Norwich Road has had a chequered history over the last few years, opening and then closing again several times - but new landlords Graham and Paula are hoping to create a real centre for the community.

It opened its doors again last weekend after being shut for two months - and Graham was delighted by the response from customers.

He said: "We've had lots of people coming in here saying how good it is that it's up and running again and we want to turn it into a real community pub."

The Suffolk Punch has reopened. (Image: Paul Geater)

He and Paula have run community pubs in Plymouth, in Devon, and in Cornwall - and they are hoping to make the Suffolk Punch a magnet for local residents.

Eventually they hope to hope to reopen the pub's kitchen for "traditional pub snack food" but first they want to establish it as community hub.

Graham said: "We're looking to have live music here most Saturdays, we've already got a band coming on July 15.

"And we want to have other events like regular quizzes and general entertainment. We'll also be showing live sport on our big screen."

The pub was built in the 1930s to serve the nearby Dales and Crofts estates that were going up at that time.

It was one of a number of pubs built by the Tollemache brewery that became known as Tolly Follies across the town as they served its growing population.

However in recent years it has had mixed fortunes - it closed shortly before the first lockdown, but reopened with a new landlady in mid 2020 before closing again earlier this year.