The Historical British Legion May Be Forced to Close

The British Legion in Bramford was founded in 1926 and has held bingo nights for the last 50 years in fundraising events on the weekends.

But they now face closure after a pair of London commuters moved in next door. Colin and Rachel Hayward complained to the local council that the noise was too loud on bingo nights making their lives unbearable.

Villagers fear the loss of the legion would be the “slow death” of Bramford which could be jeopardy of becoming a suburb of Ipswhich.

The Hayward couple moved 2008 into the village claims that her weekends were be ruined by the club noise. Efforts to minimize the noise by installing extra sound insulation and turning speakers in a different direction have not seemed rectify the situation.

The Legion has taken legal action to save the club because without the fundraising nights they would not be able to survive.

Mrs Hayward, a mother of two, said: “Before they made alterations to the hall we used to be able to sit in our bedroom and hear them call out the [bingo] numbers. We could have played along if we had wanted to.” She said the couple appreciated that the club had to raise funds, but she felt it could do it by thinking of alternative ways beyond live music.

Mr Hayward said: “We have absolutely no problem with the Royal British Legion and its right to raise money. I fully support the legion and what it does at the club.

“However, we want the committee to be a bit more imaginative about the things they do. We were hoping for a bit more sympathy from an organisation that says it is for the community. I commute to work in London every day and the only day I have left to enjoy my garden and get a good night’s sleep is Saturday. While it has improved you can still hear what’s going on. You really can’t sleep until the music stops.”