Eight fun facts about Suffolk

Operation Winkle

In a display of Winkle picking to shame us all, Dean Gould of Felixstowe created a world record for the fastest Winkle picker in 1997 when he picked 50 shells in 1 minute 22.34 seconds. And that’s a record that has yet to be broken, over 20 years on. What have we been doing with our time?

It might also be worth noting that Dean holds records in flipping/catching the most number of 10p coins on his elbow, eating the most sweetcorn kernels (113 in 3 mins) with a cocktail stick and flipping beer mats (800 times in 40.01 seconds). Clearly, the man is a Suffolk legend.

Pond Life

Suffolk and Cheshire have the highest densities of ponds in the UK. If this isn’t a fact that you want to know, then I really can’t help you.

Twinkle

Jane Taylor, a young poet, wrote perennial bedtime favourite “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” at her residence in Shilling Street, in Lavenham in 1806. If nothing else, my 3 year old daughter thanks you for it.

Aliens

Famously aliens landed (well, not quite – they apparently hovered) in Suffolk. The “Rendlesham Forest Incident” is one of the most notorious UFO events in England and (though comprehensively debunked) is sometimes referred to as "Britain's Roswell". The truth is out there people.

Fame!

Famous people from Suffolk include:

• Writer George Orwell - who even took his pen name from the River Orwell
• Legendary broadcaster and DJ John Peel
• TV cook Delia Smith (she supports Norwich FC by the way)
• Actors Bob Hoskins, June Brown and Ralph Fiennes
• Comedian Griff Rhys Jones (but not Mel Smith, who was born in Chiswick)
• Composer Benjamin Britten
• Plus bestselling pop artist Ed Sheeran hails from Framlingham, and even wrote a song about the town's 12th Century castle “The Castle on the Hill” (where he advocates driving fast to Elton John songs – Speed kills, kids!)
• Rock band “The Darkness” were also formed in Lowestoft in 2000, so it's not all good news! Just kidding, we believe in a thing called Love too.

Paint it Suffolk

Renowned painters John Constable and Thomas Gainsborough were born within 10 miles of each other in Suffolk (not during the same time period we hasten to add). John Constable is particularly revered for his stunning landscapes of the Dedham Vale. Better known for his portrait work, Gainsbrough’s landscape paintings of the Suffolk area are also considered masterpieces.