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How Ipswich's football heritage inspired modern take on £7.8m masterpiece

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As Ipswich Town prepares to face Manchester United, a local artist has connected the town's football history with one of Britain's most valuable sporting artworks. Simon Farr's reimagining of L.S. Lowry's Going to the Match adds modern touches while paying homage to the original's celebration of matchday culture.

The big picture: The original Lowry painting, bought by The Lowry gallery in Salford for £7.8m in 2022, captures a moment in football history showing fans flocking to Bolton Wanderers' stadium in 1953.

Driving the change: Local artist Simon Farr has modernised the scene by:

  • Adding women, children and ethnic diversity to reflect today's football crowd

  • Including Ipswich landmarks like the Bobby Robson and Alf Ramsey statues

  • Incorporating Suffolk touches like a Suffolk Punch horse

  • Adding a hidden Ed Sheeran figure among the crowd

Lowry masterpiece reimagined ahead of Town's upcoming match against Manchester United
Simon Farr with the reimagined Lowry masterpieceCall Me Ted

What they're saying: "Lowry's style is deceptively simple and there are no shadows. But his genius is in the movement of the figures and the feeling of shared intention in the crowd," says Farr. "The dark stick figures are full of joy and eager anticipation which I hope I managed to get in my version too."

Between the lines: The artwork is part of a larger project called Call Me Ted, which is working with 19 artists to create posters for each of Ipswich's home games this season.

The response: The initial poster run sold out within an hour of release last Tuesday, with the design reaching more than 60,000 people on social media platform X.

What's next: The original painting will be displayed at Good Inside café on St Margaret's Green from Saturday, with posters appearing in shops and pubs across Ipswich ahead of the Manchester United match on 24 November.

Where to find it:

  • Original painting: Good Inside café, St Margaret's Green

  • Signed posters: The Greyhound pub and Love One shop

  • Exhibition-style posters: Various shops and pubs around town

The bottom line: Through this reimagining of a football art classic, Ipswich's past meets present – celebrating not just the club's return to top-flight football, but the evolution of the beautiful game and its fans over seven decades.

Oliver Rouane-Williams speaking with an elderly couple in the town centre

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Computer scientist son of micro-brewery owner first to complete Ipswich pub trail

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Adam Littler, a 23-year-old computer scientist whose parents were brewers, has become the first person to complete both Sip'Swich drinks trails, visiting all 15 venues in just two days.

Why it matters: The Sip'Swich trails, organised by Ipswich Central  in conjunction with Ipswich Borough Council, aim to showcase the town's brilliant selection of pubs and bars to a wider audience, helping people discover new venues they've never visited before.

The big picture: Littler, who moved to Ipswich six months ago, was awarded a limited edition Sip'Swich reusable cup and received a surprise £50 voucher from men's retailer James St. Peter's for being the first to complete both trails.

Mark Hubert of James St. Peters presenting Adam Littler with his voucher
Mark Hubert of James St. Peters presenting Adam Littler with his voucherIpswich Central

What they're saying: "Having moved to Ipswich six months ago and loving a drink with friends, when I saw the trails being promoted in the local paper newsfeed it was right up my street as something to do!" Littler said.

By the numbers: The ambitious pub-goer visited 13 venues on Saturday 8 March before returning to complete the final two a couple of days later. He collected his prize less than a week after the trails launched.

The details: As a computer scientist with brewing in his blood, Littler scored each location on a 1-10 scale rating for enjoyment of the drink, price and atmosphere.

"The Arbor House and Crafty Fox were two venues that I was really impressed with for their friendly and knowledgeable staff plus recommendations they made. The Arbor House was an unexpected gem that I'd go back to, and, the Crafty Fox had a really lovely vibe about it," he said.

To make the challenge more interesting, Littler had a different type of drink in every venue, including wine at Boom Battle Bar, a cocktail at Cosy Club and a spirit at The Black Horse Inn.

Adam Littler sitting in a cafe
Adam Littler was the first to complete the Sip'Swich trailAdam Littler

What's next: Littler plans to do the trail again with another group of friends so his girlfriend can also win a reusable cup. Meanwhile, the trails will run until the end of April or when all prizes have been claimed.

Lee Walker  from Ipswich Central said:

Ipswich is so lucky to have an incredible range of pubs and bars each with their own character and ambience. We devised Sip'Swich as a way of showcasing those places to a wider audience.

The bottom line: Further special prizes will be awarded over the coming weeks, including a voucher for a brewery tour donated by the Briarbank Brewery. Details and trail cards can be downloaded from www.allaboutIpswich.com/sipswich or collected from any of the 15 participating venues.

Oliver Rouane-Williams speaking with an elderly couple in the town centre

We can't do this without you!

If you value strong, free, independent local media that fights tirelessly for our town, please consider contributing just £24 per year

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