Nub News gets UP CLOSE with impresario Ian Grutchfield who has mixed with Doctor Who, Wallace and Gromit and the Teletubbies and is now looking to sprinkle stardust on the arts venue by introducing burlesque, drag acts, poetry, concerts and art exhibitions, among other things, to Hadleigh.

With its hammer beam roof, relatively spacious auditorium and wonderful acoustics, Hadleigh Old School is an impressive venue tucked away off Bridge Street, on the main drag in Hadleigh' town centre. Totally fitting then, that its venue director and co-owner, should be a larger than life character oozing enthusiasm, energy and positivity.

Although born in Essex, university educated in Bristol and spending a large chunk of his life working in various UK television studios, Ian Grutchfield is a Hadleigh boy at heart. He moved up from Billericay with his family in 1974, is the son of David Grutchfield the hugely respected former town mayor and Suffolk county councillor, and his mum Mary, who is a pillar of the town's community.

Ian and his husband Matthew Hodges moved back to Suffolk five years ago from their Leytonstone home and achieved their dream of restoring an Elizabethan house off the High Street, complete with walled garden large enough for their lurcher, who trembled at the sight of the Central Line.

They were holidaying in Cornwall when they heard the Old School was going on the market and knew they needed to convince the owner Miranda Macintosh that the former home of her and husband Thomas would not be converted into flats, or worse.

After taking out an eye-watering loan the size of a small country and outlining their plans to Miranda, moved in just over two years ago. In August this year the Old School was granted permission to become a concert venue, and if it were not for the pandemic, the sound of music, laughter and applause would be pouring out of its 363-year-old walls.

The couple have wealth of experiences, skills and contacts to call upon to make their dream a reality. Matthew Hodges a senior vice president with Banijay, a German television rights distribution company, that recently acquired Endemol/Shine, which produce hit shows including

Meanwhile, Ian has an impressive CV within the television industry selling television programmes and merchandising, including Doctor Who (mainly the David Tennant and Matt Smith eras), launching the Teletubbies and spearheading the Oscar campaign for Wallace and Gromit. He has also made a song with Simon Cowell and managed various artists, so has an enviable contact book.

Despite his gregarious nature, Ian insists he is more comfortable as the man behind the scenes than being up front on stage.

"I get as much fun from working with an artist as actually doing it," said Ian. "The PT Barnhum of this world for example, he is not on the trapeze, or Simon Cowell, he does not sing in a boy band but he has as much fun as them.

"I'm happy to push someone on stage once I have briefed them what to say."

One of the things Ian has learned is how to listen to the potential audience and an open day opened his eyes to what the people of Haleigh were looking for.

Ian said: "We knew they wanted to come for art shows and music but what came out of that was the community told us they want to come to talks, we had not planned on that but the people of Hadleigh said they would buy tickets for that and so that is what we will do."

They also know people in Hadleigh love jazz and an evening with the Three Chordettes had sold out before lockdown. Meanwhile, it is a Pilates class and Brownies, utilising the space and Ian is keen to make the School House pay for itself, and while a business rates grant from Babergh was welcome the duo do not want to rely on councils or other providers to fund the running of the venue with grants.

"You can't be a subsidy junkie," said Ian. "You can't live off grants and subsidies you have to have a working business model.

"Before Covid we had five good bookings. A theatre show, a concert, a fashion show and private party. Within a week of Boris' announcement we had none.

"Steph Mayes of GE Pilates approached us after she could not use her usual venue and we are eternally grateful to her.