'The lapping of the waves, the wind in your face'
Emma Lighthouse is owner/operator of Orwell Lady river cruises started by her father almost a quarter of a century ago. For her, the river is a place of peace and solace, an escape from a turbulent world, which she gladly shares with as many people as possible.
I was lucky to grow up near the water. I was raised in Felixstowe Ferry, and you don’t grow up there without understanding two things – boats and tides.
My mum and dad had boats when we were young and we would always holiday on them as a family. I think that’s why I always associate water with happiness. And why I love my job as one of the owners of the Orwell Lady.
My dad brought Orwell Lady to Ipswich in 2001; she was initially a Thames river cruiser built in 1979. There was a river cruiser along the Orwell in the 50s and he felt it was important to offer something similar again, because it’s amazing how many people live in Ipswich but have never experienced the river and how amazing the scenery is.
Ipswich is a port town and it is the river that makes us who we are. Because of our history, we’ve always been incredibly diverse, had strong links to trade and agriculture. So much of our town is thanks to the river.
One of Orwell Lady’s missions is to open up the river to people, and that drives everything we do. Recently, I've been collaborating with Suffolk Mind to share how the river can help our mental health, offering people the chance to come on board.
I first started thinking about linking up with them before Covid when they were based at Quay Place in Ipswich – I really wanted to find a way to give back to them and share that feeling.
When I spoke with Jon Neal, CEO, he mentioned about the groups the charity supports and I knew I wanted to get them on board. So, in September we’re taking around 20 service users and volunteers out on the boat to relax, see the sights, hopefully meet some of their emotional needs and experience the feelings I know so well.
I always feel that when I step onto that boat, all the troubles and my racing thoughts go down a gear. I’ve had conversations with friends and other passengers who've told me about how relaxed the trips have made them feel too.
The reason why can differ from person to person, whether it’s the lack of phone signal, or because there is a real connection with nature and a distance between you and what could be causing your stress.
Suffolk Mind look at mental health in terms of our emotional and physical needs – a set of 12 things we all need for our wellbeing – and the nine resources we have to help us meet them. What I've recently realised is just how strong a link there is between these and being out on the river.
One of the resources I find people use initially is memory, whether that’s because their parents liked to sail, their grandparents served on a ship or they took trips to places like Pin Mill in their childhood.
That can also help meet our need for emotional connection, because we aren’t just connecting with the people and the nature around us, but our past too. And that also helps meet your need for community. There’s also movement – that feeling of moving away from what is causing you stress and then moving back home feeling a little more relaxed.
Regardless, there's so much going on when you’re on the boat to take you away from what you might be feeling. You feel the noise of the engine, the lapping of the waves, the wind in your face. There are so many lovely sensations you experience.
I find it all very peaceful. I feel my breath connects to the water somehow. The lapping of the waves, the breeze, it feels like I become a part of it all. You’re also taken in by the nature. We get lots of different birds, and seals – we probably see at least one seal every trip. It's a real sense of wonder.
Being out on the river gives everyone a chance to see our county from a completely different perspective. And you share that experience with everyone else on board too.
The Orwell is a very calm river, which is useful for people who are worried about being on boats. The only time you ever really get any swell is if a cargo ship is coming in or out of Ipswich, and once we get near the Port of Felixstowe – but our skippers can manage this if they are aware.
There are few breathtaking and awe-inspiring trips quite like our sunrise trip on Summer Solstice. We sneak out of Ipswich Waterfront at 3.45am, and when you see that big, amazing, orange ball of light rise, everyone just pauses in that moment.
The sunrise is something that happens every single day, but right there – right then in that moment – it’s something truly special. That’s the feeling I want to share with people. We're so lucky to have this beautiful river on our doorstep. It's my pleasure to share it.
Find out more about Orwell Lady river trips at orwelllady.co.uk
More information on Suffolk Mind’s emotional needs and resources at suffolkmind.org.uk
'I find the Orwell's history fascinating'
Anthony Cullen is a professional photographer who has lived and worked by the River Orwell for more than 25 years, where it is a constant inspiration.
He lives in the hamlet of Pin Mill, beloved by author Arthur Ransome, who made it the setting for the iconic opening scenes of We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea in his classic Swallows and Amazons series. Ransome had the star of the books, the Nancy Blackett, built at Pin Mill. It was his favourite yacht and is now owned by the Nancy Blackett Trust, preserving her as a living part of the Arthur Ransome heritage.
You can follow the Arthur Ransome trail and walk the route of the Goblin in We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea, down the River Orwell from Pin Mill to Shotley Pier.
I moved to Chelmondiston in 1998 from London. Louise and I were expecting our first child and chose Suffolk to be near to family; I was travelling a lot at the time and felt this was very important.
We subsequently had three daughters and built an extension to our small cottage, so life was full on.
Then in 2004 I was approached by my friend Brett Williams, a photographer who also lived in the village, to get a studio together. We noticed the ’sail loft’, next door to the Butt and Oyster, was empty and Brett left a note with the landlord asking if we could rent.
He said yes and for four years we had a successful photographic studio and art gallery/cafe.
Sadly Brett died of a brain tumour in 2008. I continued to run the space as a commercial photographic studio and gallery/cafe and started the photography courses, Photographic Day, which are still very popular today.
I live with views of fields and woods in an old ale house, which we built an extension onto to house our family.
I love Pin Mill and its community. There’s a good mix of people with different life experiences, and a great pub, The Butt and Oyster, to while away the day talking about life next to the river.
I find the history of the Orwell fascinating. Up at the top of the river bank near Freston is a Neolithic site (and earlier). The river was an important part of their lives.
Then the recent history with Admiral Vernon, from Nacton shore, inventing the watered down Naval drink Grog; Arthur Ransome, having a boat built at Harry King’s boatyard and setting his book We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea there.
My photographic studio, The Pin Mill Studio, was earlier Jack Powell’s sail loft. His sister, Miss Powell, ran the Alma House adjoining the sail loft. The Alma House (or cottage) was referenced in We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea, with the children in the book staying there before their adventure to Holland (spoiler alert).
As a photographer I also find the history fascinating. I restored some of Arthur Ransome’s pictures that he took of the building of Selina King, the boat built in Harry King's boat yard in 1938. I had an exhibition of these pictures, together with the Nancy Blackett Trust, which are still available to view.
I also find Pin Mill and the Orwell an incredible place to photograph. We’re lucky to get both the sunrise and sunset on the Orwell with beautiful old boats sailing down the river.
It’s also a wonderful place to teach photography. For over 15 years I’ve been running Photographic Day courses from The Pin Mill Studio, helping a mix of age and abilities the fundamentals of photography. I run group courses every two months and 121 courses, in between my commercial work. Lunch at The Butt and Oyster is included in the price.'
Anthony will be holding a retrospective exhibition of his time by the Orwell at his Pin Mill studio later in the summer. Watch for details at anthonycullen.com; thepinmillstudio.com; photographicday.com
5 River Orwell highlights
Ipswich Waterfront - enjoy a drink and a meal at one of the waterside restaurants and bars. Soak up some of the history of Ipswich's maritime past and admire the many yachts moored in the marina.
Nacton foreshore - a beautiful place to walk and enjoy river views, watch estuary wildlife, including the many migrating birds in spring and autumn.
Levington Lagoon - a fantastic bird-watching site throughout the year. Suffolk Wildlife Trust's brackish reserve is one of the best places for estuarine birds on the Orwell suffolkwildlifetrust.org/levingtonlagoon
Trimley Marshes - created 34 years ago to mitigate the expansion of the Port of Felixstowe, this is a wildlife success story, the logoons and reedbeds home to thousands of aquatic birds, raptors and warblers. suffolkwildlifetrust.org/trimleymarshes
Shotley - the tip of the peninsula where the Orwell and Stour estuaries meet. Lovely walks and boat watching, and a brilliant view across the river to the Port of Felixstowe. For walks go to coastandheaths-nl.org.uk
