Spring has been delighted to work with Simon Loftus on his new book about Southwold, a comprehensive history written by Simon on behalf of Southwold Museum, of which he and I are both trustees.

This is the first broad history of the town to be written for a number of years, and is, in part, a collation of articles and pamphlets published by the Museum over the years. Spring designer Glen Cone designed and artworked the book and Spring print managed the project too.

It is available to buy now from the Museum for the cost of £8, and members of the Southwold and Reydon Historical Society (the official members group connected to the Southwold Museum) can enjoy free postage. Adnams Cellar & Kitchen stores are also selling the book, and we have heard that they’re flying off the shelves.

Those of you that are familiar with us Springers will know just how much we love the Suffolk coast. Whether it’s a long leisurely weekend stroll through Dunwich Heath, or a brisk walk along the beach at Southwold, we just can’t get enough!

So when the Suffolk Coast & Heaths AONB team approached us to develop a set of brand guidelines, we were delighted to help them communicate the value of this landscape that we love so much. Working to create a set of assets that their partners and stakeholders could use without changing the established logo, Spring has introduced a flexible and relevant colour palette, accessible fonts and a binding tone of voice.

We worked with the AONB team to consolidate and develop their brand for use across a range of communications platforms. We were particularly lucky to have a set of four beautiful woodcuts at our disposal. Designed by local illustrator and printmaker Claire Curtis to mark the 40^th anniversary of the AONB, these woodcuts are the perfect complement to the strong, contemporary colours and graphics of the AONB logo.

The brand guidelines are available for download on the Suffolk Coast and Heaths website.

These just in: Bex’s beautiful publicity materials for Dance East’s Spectacular Dancing Spiegeltent!

It’s coming to Christchurch Park Ipswich from 1 – 14 July, but what is it?

Spiegeltent (schpea·gael·tent), n. 1. an amazing mirrored tent coming to Christchurch Park this summer. 2. Packed full of daytime dance classes, workshops and spectacular evening dance performances, e.g. absolutely unmissable! [mirror [Dutch] + tent].

Get ready for a fantastic fortnight of workshops and performances in Christchurch Park as part of Big Dance 2012 and Ip-art.  An exciting range of events will be on offer from Baby Boogie Disco and Burlesque, to Hip Hop and Tango. There will also be fabulous Cabaret Evenings, a Retro Disco and lots more. The Spiegeltent will be a great place to enjoy dance, get fit, have fun and learn new skills. If you have never experienced dance, then this summer is a great time to start.

f you would like to receive e-updates about the Spectacular Dancing Spiegeltent send your details to fiona.speed@danceeast.co.uk

This weekend I took the younger members of the family to the newly restored Woodbridge Tide Mill.

For those of you who’ve not had the chance to go yet, I’d heartily recommend a visit. I’m currently in the process of arranging a day trip from Southwold for members of the historical society, of which I am a trustee, so the historically-minded residents of our home town can enjoy this great living museum.

Spring feel truly privileged to have played a part in this Heritage Lottery-funded million pound restoration of a historical Suffolk landmark. Working with the Woodbridge Tide Mill Trust, we created an interactive mixed-media experience that transforms the Mill into a living museum.

The Tide Mill has a variety of interactive exhibits with plasma screens, games and puzzles. There are also practical demonstrations in flour milling alongside workshops for a variety of ages. Other improvements include a walkway around the mill and video cameras on the upper floors to allow disabled people to see what is happening.

It’s safe to say that the 1793 working Tide Mill is now one of Suffolk’s top visitor attractions. And I can vouch that it really is a magical experience, even on a grey, dreary day in April!

Springers – Simon and Bex in particular – dedicated masses of time and energy to this project, and it really shows.  Congratulations to the team at the Tide Mill Trust too for their vision and impeccable project management.

Our eighth judge is a high profile figure in the East Anglian agency world, Chris Murphy.

Chris developed a passion for great advertising and design in his youth and entered the agency world as an “office Boy Friday.” His career progressed to a management buyout of an agency in 1990, which was followed by a merger in 1997 to create Fox Murphy.

This agency became one of the biggest outside of London with clients including Aviva, Barclays, Adnams, Pret a Manger and Disney.

Chris sold the agency to the senior management in 2008 and Chaired the newly named Balloon Dog until exiting the business in spring 2011.

His passion now is to help others be the best they can be personally and professionally. He is opening a Norwich Centre for a national charity, Christians Against Poverty, in spring 2012.