like Phil Hare,I have just come across sad news of Ian's passing. As you see I am from the village that Ian spent his life in Suffolk.ian was born in Lowestoft or close, and arrived in Raydon with his guardian mother just before school age. Although they lived in the village school house he actually attended a school in East Bergholt where his Mother (Ma Woods) was headmistress. Our mothers became friends and we also. I grew up with him both pssing th e 11+ the same year? We went our separate ways for schooling at this point. Ian going to Colchester Royal, and myself to Felixstowe Grammer Schools. He mixed with the teenagers at Youth Club and in the village but always tended to do his own thing rather than follow the crowd. He always enjoyed a pint at the Chequers in the village, and played cricket for the village but chose to play football elsewhere.He never played Proessional Football, but was a fast bowler inthe Lanchashire League.he left the village to go to Birmingham University, graduating and taking a teachers post locally there. I think he might have met Grace there as well.Although not playing professional football he did strike up friendships with John Duncan, Douglas Millwars when they ere at Ipswich Town as Manger and Player,and then when lived at Moore he became very friendly with Joe Mercer.He was a great character who definitely missed when ent off on his travels, returning only once for a Youth Club reunion when living in Oxford. Incidentally he collected his suffolk repertoire from Eels Foot in Eastbridge, the Low House in Laxfield and from Jim Dale at East Bergholt in the Carriers Arms.They still perform in all those Pubs, along with step daning when things are normal.plenty more tales of Ian that can be told from Suffolk.