Days Gone By: Christmas memories of Ipswich’s former Crown and Anchor pub

Staff and customers at the Crown and Anchor, Ipswich, on the last day in 1986. Picture: IVAN SMITH (Image: Archant)

It was built on the site of older inns dating back to the sixteenth century, including the Chequers, which was also known as the Rampant Horse and the Griffin.

In 1838 the site was cleared and part of the Crown and Anchor was built in the 1840s. The ornate gothic front was built in the late 1890s.

Other memories of Christmases past featured this week are of decorations made at Martlesham, for local and national use, and a Hadleigh reader has sent a 1951 brochure for an Ipswich shop’s Christmas stock, showing how prices have changed and that some of the games featured are still popular.

All smiles from these staff members at the Crown and Anchor in 1986. Did you work there? Picture: IVAN SMITH (Image: Archant)

Do you recognise anybody featured? To submit a letter, in less than 300 words, write to David Kindred, Days Gone By, Ipswich Star/EADT, Portman House, 120 Princes Street, Ipswich, IP1 1RS or send an e-mail here.

The reception desk at the Crown and Anchor in 1986. Picture: IVAN SMITH (Image: Archant)

Westgate Street, Ipswich, with The Crown and Anchor, and its then new ornate gothic front, in the late 1890s. Inns have stood on the Crown and Anchor site since the sixteenth century. It was a coaching inn with daily services to Norwich and London. When it closed in 1986 it had fifty five bedrooms and closure meant forty five people lost their jobs. Footmans store is on the right, now the site of Debenhams. WHSmiths now occupy most of the Crown and Anchor site. Picture: FROM DAVID KINDRED ARCHIVE (Image: Dave Kindred)

Christmas lights in the Buttermarket, Ipswich, in the 1970s. This photograph was taken from the Queen Street end with Cowells store on the right. Picture: OWEN HINES (Image: Archant)

Hadleigh reader, Arthur Jacobs, sent a brochure he produced as a seventeen-year-old staff member at Smiths Suitall, Buttermarket, Ipswich shop, for Christmas 1951. It includes some interesting prices for annuals and games, some of which are still popular today. The prices shown are pre decimal. A shilling is now equivalent to five pence. So the annuals featured cost around 35p and a game of Monopoly was �1.5p. Picture: PROVIDED BY ARTHUR JACOBS (Image: Archant)

Local company Irvine Martin plastics, who were then based at Martlesham, made Christmas street decorations for use nationally and locally. Here the staff are preparing giant mouldings and lights for use in Regent Street, Oxford Street and Carnaby Street in 1969. Picture: TONY RAY (Image: Archant)

Staff at Irvine Martin Plastics at Martlesham with decorations for the London West End in 1969. Picture: TONY RAY (Image: Archant)