Neil Macdonald

Widnes

Customer Loyalty Editor at NationalWorld

Writer at Freelance

Husband, dad, runner, science fiction geek. Here to make friends. DMs open

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Articles

Neil MacDonald: Ipswich's culture has so much to offer

3 days ago | ipswichstar.co.uk | Neil McDonald |Neil Macdonald

Neil MacDonald with the WNL Southern Premier Division trophy (Image: Lucy Taylor) Ipswich has a great culture scene. It’s not just about Ed Sheeran, though he stole the limelight last week with the announcement of three big concerts at Portman Road and he took over the Thomas Wolsey pub to convert it to 'the Old Phone' for two weeks. He also made a surprise appearance at a music industry careers event for schoolchildren last autumn. He has been very good for the town.
OPINION: There are two towns and a bridge that would benefit from a northern bypass

1 week ago | ipswichstar.co.uk | Neil McDonald |Neil Macdonald

It was cracking weather, which made a pleasant change from the freezing day last year and being soaked through the year before! The Scouts walk along the promenade to the Spa Pavilion. With the scouts inside, we had hoped to have a decent walk along the Promenade. However, we kept meeting people we knew from Ipswich! We met the couple who live across the road, soaking up the sun.
Opinion: Acquisition of former Grimwades store demonstrates vision for Ipswich

2 weeks ago | eadt.co.uk | Neil McDonald |Neil Macdonald

2 1/1 Making the Cornhill an inviting place to spend time is part of our vision for the heart of the town. The exciting news last week was that Ipswich Borough Council (IBC) had purchased the former Grimwades building on the Cornhill. I'm delighted that we have been able to acquire this empty building which has been blighting our town centre for some years.
US will be ‘main victim’ of Trump’s trade war, IMF warns

3 weeks ago | channel4.com | Neil McDonald |Neil Macdonald

The International Monetary Fund has warned that the UK’s economy will be among hardest hit by the trade war sparked by Donald Trump. It has downgraded UK growth forecasts by a third. But in a bitter, if somewhat ironic twist, the Washington-based organisation has also warned that the main victim in terms of stifling growth and rising inflation of the US tariffs would be the US itself.
Pope Francis obituary: Modernising leader who sought to bring the Catholic church closer to its followers

3 weeks ago | thenationalnews.com | Neil McDonald |Neil Macdonald

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Ipswich council leader Neil MacDonald on keeping town clean

3 weeks ago | ipswichstar.co.uk | Neil McDonald |Neil Macdonald

Neil MacDonald with Nick from the town centre team (Image: IBC) The April meeting of the Ipswich Borough Council (IBC) Executive brought senior councillors together to cover three important issues: recycling in the future, town centre cleanliness and IBC’s response to the government’s consultation on Norfolk and Suffolk devolution.
UK Economy: Inflation drops but fears of rises on horizon

4 weeks ago | channel4.com | Neil McDonald |Neil Macdonald

UK inflation slowed down for the second month in a row, to two-point-six per cent in March – on the back of falling petrol prices. The Office for National Statistics said a drop in the price of computer games also contributed to the lower inflation reading. Thatâ€™s the good news, but there are fears of immediate rises in the coming months.
OPINION: 300 new homes pave the way to building brilliant communities in Ipswich

1 month ago | ipswichstar.co.uk | Neil McDonald |Neil Macdonald

Mayor Elango Elavalakan and Neil MacDonald at the handover of 78 flats at Bibb Way. (Image: IBC) I was really pleased to visit Bibb Way last Wednesday for the handover of 78 new flats to Ipswich Borough Council (IBC). The flats are a conversion of the former BT office block off Handford Road. The properties look good from the street and the building is an impressive sight from across Alderman Park.
Opinion: Variety is the spice of life, says council leader

1 month ago | eadt.co.uk | Neil McDonald |Neil Macdonald

Neil MacDonald at Ipswich Academy (Image: Neil MacDonald) I started the week as the guest of Maled Akhlak, the applied learning coordinator at Ipswich Academy. You may remember that the school became an academy school sponsored by a Swedish educational company, Kunskapsskolan. This means the school has a lot of open, big spaces, but these are not useful teaching spaces. The school is now under Paradigm Trust, who have made changes to move it forward.
‘Awful April’: how much are your bills rising?

1 month ago | channel4.com | Neil McDonald |Neil Macdonald

While the government has to wait to find out the impact of president Trump’s new tariffs, UK consumers are already facing a series of price rises. A whole host of essential household bills – from water to stamps and TV licences – are going up this week. So, could it tip the country into a new inflationary crisis?