We are always pleased to receive information about local history. A kind visitor who lives in Yorkshire has sent us this photograph of the War Memorial on the Market Hill. As you can see it shows a bride bending to place her bouquet on the steps. We assume it’s her groom standing behind her and he is wearing a Royal Navy uniform which indicates his rank was Chief Petty Officer. Are we right on this? The style of dress indicates the photograph was taken in the 1920s. Our donor and we at the museum would love to know who the bridal couple were so if you have any information, please get in touch on enquiries@woodbridgemuseum. com or better still call in and see us.
01/07/2026 Update – We are indebted to David who has done some great research. He has established that the couple are likely to be Florence Ida Hannah Briggs née Newson (1896-1980), known as Ida, who married Petty Officer Robert Victor Briggs (1890-1971) at Woodbridge on 21st April 1924. Details of the wedding were reported in the Suffolk Chronicle & Mercury, and the report mentions that the bride’s bouquet was a sheaf of arum lilies, which after the ceremony she placed on the War Memorial. We don’t know why she did this but, given the date of her wedding shortly after World War 1, it is highly likely she knew some of the people commemorated on the memorial.