The descendants of a man who built up one of the first international grocery stores in Ipswich gathered to mark the 50th anniversary of his death.
Labh Singh Digpal arrived in Ipswich during the 1950s. He and his wife, Saroop Kaur, had journeyed all the way from Ludhiana in the north of India with their five children, which soon became 11 children, to build a new life in our town.
Labh Singh was one of the first Sikhs in Ipswich to open his own grocery shop, Kashmir General Store, which was located at 87 Bramford Road.
Labh Singh Digpal made his way to Ipswich from India during the 1950s. Image: Satnam Kaur (Image: Satnam Kaur)
Labh Singh's grandson, Kawaldeep Singh, said he remembered the shop as a happy, bustling place. Image: Satnam Kaur (Image: Satnam Kaur)
His grandson, Kawaldeep Singh, had not yet been born when Labh Singh passed away in 1974, aged 50. However, he has many happy memories of visiting the shop as a child, and remembers it being a happy, bustling place.
The shop stocked many of the foods which reminded international residents of Ipswich of the homes they had left behind, such as yams, rice, and spices, foods which were difficult to come by in the 1960s.
To mark the 50th anniversary of Labh Singh’s death, his 11 children, 49 grandchildren and countless great-grandchildren came together at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Bramford Road.
Thousands celebrated the Sikh Gurdwara's Golden Jubilee in Ipswich in June.
There was a procession through the town as part of the celebrations, which also included free food stalls, talks on Sikhism, a Martial Arts display and a fair.
The organisers also collected £1,001 at the event to give to East Anglia's Children's Hospices.
They took part in a three-day programme, reading from the holy Sikh scripture the Guru Granth Sahib and reminiscing about their beloved father and grandfather.
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