Local News Stories (Suffolk & Norfolk) from 2019 to date

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Latest post of the previous page:

Runner becomes 50 millionth UK Parkrun finisher

A runner who received an email to say she had become the UK’s 50 millionth Parkrun finisher said she originally "thought it was spam".

Heidi Pearson, 35, from Brundall, Norfolk, ran the Lowestoft Parkrun, external in Suffolk on Saturday.

On Monday afternoon she received an email from Parkrun's head office in London to say they had been "crunching some numbers" and that Ms Pearson had reached the "amazing" milestone.

Parkrun started in Bushy Park in London in 2004, external as a "free-for-all" weekly, timed 5km (3-mile) event and has since spread around the world.

"These sort of things don’t happen to me normally but I feel pretty special now," Ms Pearson told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"I didn't actually believe it at first. I thought someone was trying to wind me up."

It was Ms Pearson's 105th Parkrun and she completed it in 24 minutes 57 seconds.

As well as the 812 weekly Parkruns in the UK, events are also held in 21 other countries around the world, external - including Malaysia, New Zealand and Namibia.

Earlier this month Lowestoft featured in a BBC Countryfile article as having one of the most beautiful Parkrun routes in the UK[linked]

The course was celebrated for having "vast views out over the North Sea".

Ms Pearson, who did her first Parkrun five years ago, said: “Lowestoft is a lovely, fast route and everyone is really friendly down there, so it’s nice that it [milestone run] happened there."

"I'm training for a marathon next year and Parkrun will definitely be part of my journey."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6pk76xyv2vo

[boatbuilder]

Jack Russell in Suffolk has become foster mum to abandoned kittens


Image: Sue Stubley

A Jack Russell has become a foster-mum to six abandoned kittens. Sue Stubley, of Newmarket, took in six black kittens after they were abandoned by their feral mother. Within hours of bringing them home, her dog Teasel began lactating and the kittens latched on to feed. Ms Stubley and Teasel will now care for the kittens until they are ready to go to their new homes, which have already been found.

Teasel is the resident pet at Suffolk Hedgehog Hospital, which Ms Stubley owns and runs from her home.

"She's very good with the hedgehogs. I'm constantly feeding tiny, baby hedgehogs, so I've taught her she doesn't go for those," said Ms Stubley. "I had a call from one of my volunteers asking me if I knew anyone that could take the kittens."

She had planned to house the kittens overnight, before taking them to a local cat rescue the following morning.

"In the meantime, my dog decided that she was going to look after them. She was cleaning them, and within a few hours, was making milk. She doesn't make enough milk, so I'm feeding them as well but she does everything else which is marvellous," Ms Stubley continued.

The two-year-old dog has now assumed the role of mum. "She stays cuddled up to them all night. If anybody comes in who she doesn't know and the kittens have gone astray, she'll pick them up and put them back into bed," she said.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-67310766

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New mobility centre opening in Beccles

A new mobility centre is opening in Beccles on November 1, offering a wide range of mobility aids available including scooters, wheelchairs, walking aids and much more. Beccles Mobility Centre is located on Common Lane North in Beccles and will be open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm, and on Saturday from 9am-2pm. Mobility specialist Rachel Earl said: “It’s something we have wanted to do for a while now as there is no mobility centre in Beccles or the surrounding area and we feel that we can provide a service that will be welcomed and appreciated by local people as well as those further afield.”

As well as having all the latest scooters on display, there is a large private area to test the products and experience the freedom and benefits they can bring. Also, for complete peace of mind there are two dedicated car parking spaces at the entrance of the store for easy access and collection. Not only does the centre provide scooter sales, but it also offers servicing, repair and hire facilities if the equipment is not needed for an extended period of time, for example, a broken leg or recovery from an operation. “We are keen to offer home demonstrations of our products and will also offer free collection and delivery for servicing and repairs within a 30-mile radius,” Rachel said.

The team are looking forward to welcoming people to the new store and will also be passing on special offers and promotions through the website and Facebook page when they become available.

https://www.lowestoftjournal.co.uk/news ... g-beccles/

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Pakefield caravans evacuated as cliff fall reveals bomb

The unexpected collapse of a cliff edge and a road has forced the evacuation of a caravan park as well as revealing a suspected unexploded bomb. High tides and wind caused a road to collapse at Pakefield Holiday Park in Lowestoft, Suffolk, leaving caravans "dangerously close to the edge". Later a suspected unexploded device was found at the base of a cliff a few hundred metres away. A controlled explosion has now been carried out on the device. Leon Crossman, 34, spotted the suspected bomb on the beach close to a second holiday park, Pontin's, and said he alerted coastguards, who arrived in 10 minutes. "You couldn't miss it," he said.

HM Coastguard confirmed it sent teams to assist East Suffolk Council and Suffolk Police with a report of suspected ordnance at Pakefield at about 12:20 GMT following a cliff fall on Friday. Prior to the controlled explosion, it said an exclusion zone of 100m had been established around the site. Members of the public have also been urged to keep away from part of the beach at Arbor Lane after erosion caused part of the road to collapse. "The beach there is now a dangerous place to be," HM Coastguard said. "The beach at the bottom of the steps at Arbor Lane has now mostly washed away. There is now a drop on to what's left of the beach."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-67530159

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The Rum Lot in Kirkley moving into new shop this Christmas

An all-year-round trinkets and baubles shop is bringing in the Christmas spirit this year with a move into a much larger high street shop. The Rum Lot - which began as a pop-up and offers a wide selection of more than 750 different baubles and "bespoke" gifts - will triple its overall floorspace in the move. It is currently located at 162 London Road South in Kirkley and will move just 50 metres up the road to 169.

Owner Alice Taylor, 65, said things have been going "very well" since the shop's opening last November and the new space will prove a "much better experience" for shoppers. "The Rum Lot is all about doing things for the people of Kirkley and Lowestoft," she said. "We sell lots of different items for all the different seasons. People always come in very happy and surprised. It's a very unique shop which stays open all year round and there aren't many like it here. It's a style of shop that is very popular outside the UK but not often seen locally."

https://www.lowestoftjournal.co.uk/news ... christmas/

[boatbuilder]

Serial killer Steve Wright arrested over 1999 murder of Victoria Hall

Serial killer Steve Wright has been arrested in connection with the unsolved murder of a teenage girl in Suffolk more than 24 years ago. Victoria Hall, 17, was last seen in the early hours of Sunday, 19 September 1999 in High Road, Trimley St Mary. Wright, 65, is currently serving a whole life sentence for the murder of five women in Ipswich in 2006.

The BBC understands Wright was initially arrested in 2021 in connection with the Victoria Hall case.

Wright killed Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol, Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls, before dumping their bodies around Ipswich in the winter of 2006. Suffolk Police confirmed the same man initially arrested in 2021 had been rearrested on Wednesday for questioning in connection with the murder of Victoria, whose body was found five days after she was last seen 25 miles (40km) from her home.

He has now been released from police custody under investigation.

The BBC understands Wright was not one of the people originally arrested in the 1999 case.

In September 2019, police revealed the case - known as Operation Avon - was once again a live murder inquiry and was being reinvestigated by a new detective team. Fresh information had been received that was not previously known, Suffolk Police said.

Officers first arrested Wright on suspicion of murder on 28 July 2021.

FULL STORY

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New Trespass shop to open in Britten Centre in Lowestoft

A new outdoor clothing shop is set to open in a town shopping centre. Trespass is planning to open a new branch at the Britten Centre in Lowestoft. The company sells waterproof jackets, walking boots and other outdoor gear including tents, sleeping bags and camping chairs. The brand was created in 1984 and now has more than 300 stores around the world, with the closest branch to Lowestoft currently in Great Yarmouth. Trespass has other outlets across the region in Norwich, Cromer, Sheringham, Wells-next-the-Sea and King's Lynn.

https://www.lowestoftjournal.co.uk/news ... lowestoft/

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Strictly dancer's upset at missing mattress in Lowestoft

A former BBC Strictly Come Dancing star who is gearing up for pantomime returned to his accommodation to find his mattress had been removed. Robin Windsor, 44, is due to star in Aladdin at the Marina Theatre in Lowestoft from Tuesday. He said after a "gruelling" day of rehearsals he felt like he was in a "nightmare". The apartment was organised through Booking.com which apologised and said a full refund would be offered.

Windsor, who was in Strictly between 2010 and 2013, said the duvet had also been taken and he was unable to contact anyone at the booking website or the apartment owners to get help. He said he and the pantomime's director had been staying at the apartments, close to the theatre, but had been blighted with problems. The director returned one night to find his belongings had been removed from his apartment, Windsor said.

Mr Windsor, who grew up near Ipswich, said he was currently looking for alternative accommodation and had removed his belongings from the apartment. He said: "It's been a nightmare. Panto is one of the most gruelling things ever, all you want is a clean, tidy place and to get into bed." The experience had been "mentally draining", but he thanked his fellow cast and crew members for "doing their bit to look after me". "My main concern is I paid £2,000 as I wanted somewhere decent to stay for the length of the panto and it's really tough having spent that money and I'm stuck right now," he said. "We are about to open. I'm not an actor or a singer, I'm a dancer. I'm having to remember lines and now I'm worrying about where I'm going to live while I'm here. "The show will go on, but where I'll sleep, I don't know," he added.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-67682600

[boatbuilder]

I read that earlier and IMO it doesn't do much for the town's reputation.

[muzzy]

I read that earlier and IMO it doesn't do much for the town's reputation.

Many years ago I had someone stay with me for a month or so, whilst they rehearsed and then performed at the Marina in the Christmas panto. They weren't famous, sadly! They were part of the chorus, and they had some right old stories to tell. The celebs normally only arrived a week or so before performances start, and it is always the celebs that forget their lines or where they are supposed to go on stage because of this - the 'normal' cast start rehearsing a month before. Having seen various pantos in the past, I have seen various big stars do exactly this, forget their lines or break the fourth wall by walking around a set instead of through the 'door'. The most guilty one for this I remember was Anita Dobson. However, I did meet several stars during the day as they were doing their shopping etc. Brian Blessed is just as loud in real life, when he was buying his tobacco.

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Criminal damage at Lowestoft's Ness Point Euroscope

A town mayor has called for a stop to mindless criminal damage seen at Britain's most easterly landmark. Over several days, Lowestoft's 12m Euroscope at Ness Point has been badly damaged, with many of the panels lifted and damaged and the central disc stolen. The landmark - which cost around £18,000 at the time it was unveiled in 1997 - is a popular site for visitors year-round, especially during the longest and shortest days of the year. Lowestoft mayor Sonia Barker said: “I am appalled by this mindless vandalism that has taken place at this important landmark. I know many people enjoy visiting Ness Point and taking in the Euroscope and this criminal damage has ruined Lowestoft’s unique geographical landmark, especially with the Winter Solstice approaching."

The feature, sited prominently on the seaward side of the sea wall at the North Denes, contains numerous plates marking distances to capitals in Europe, to the three other cardinal points of Britain, to major gas fields in the North Sea, and locations such as the twin European towns of Waveney communities.

https://www.lowestoftjournal.co.uk/news ... euroscope/

This story was first published on the Lowestoft Town Council Facebook page. Strangely, they went very quiet after I asked the following;
1) what does the CCTV show that covers the area?
2) is there CCTV covering the area?
3) if not, why not?
4) if not, when will CCTV be fitted to such a national landmark?

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BBC Rewind: Plan for self-contained city off Norfolk coast

Archive video from 1968 showed futuristic plans to build a self-contained city 15 miles (24km) out at sea. The BBC's Tomorrow's World programme announced the development for up to 30,000 people could be built off the coast of Norfolk. It said high-tech walls and an enclosed lagoon would keep temperatures in "Sea City" mild all year, while helping to ease overcrowding in towns on the mainland. "The day might come where a chain of cities like this would ring the coast of Britain," it concluded.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-englan ... k-67726745

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Lowestoft deaf teen pleased British Sign Language to be taught as GCSE

A deaf teenager campaigning for British Sign Language (BSL) to become a GCSE subject said he was "really pleased" it would be taught in classes from 2025. Daniel Jillings, 17, from Lowestoft, Suffolk, had campaigned on the issue since he was 12 years old. He said it was unfair that he could not take a GCSE in his own language. The Department for Education (DfE) confirmed GCSE subject content had been published on Thursday following a 12-week consultation in the summer.

Daniel is profoundly deaf and was born without a cochlea, meaning he cannot use hearing aids or cochlear implants and does not use speech. He has always used BSL to communicate. "I've been waiting a long time and Covid obviously delayed everything but it's finally starting to get ready to be rolled out and I'm really pleased and excited," he said. "The deaf community has been waiting for a long time. So I expect everybody is going to feel very thrilled by this news.''

Chief executive of the National Deaf Children's Society, Susan Daniels, praised Daniel's contribution to the campaign. "An incredible amount of work has been undertaken to get to this point, not least from young deaf campaigner Daniel Jillings who fought so hard for the right to study a GCSE in BSL," she said. Responding, Daniel said: "It's all about learning a new language. It's a new skill, you'll be meeting the deaf community and it's going to provide some amazing opportunities. "BSL is a beautiful language, it's a visual language and it got its own culture and history which will be taught as part of the GCSE''. The British Deaf Association estimated about 151,000 people use BSL in the UK, with 87,000 being deaf. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: "Studying British Sign Language can open so many doors for young people, giving pupils an understanding of how thousands of people communicate and ultimately even expanding job prospects."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-67780306

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Luxury train taking people to historic museum from Suffolk

A luxury train will be passing through Suffolk on its way to a historic museum next spring. The steam hauled journey will depart from stations across Suffolk before heading to Chesterfield. People will be able to marvel at the treasures of Chatsworth House, continue the journey back in time at Crich Tram Museum or uncover the region’s rich railway history at Barrow Hill Roundhouse.

The journey begins at Colchester at 7am before heading towards Ipswich at 7.25am and Bury St Edmunds at 8.05am. Pullman dining is available on board where guests can relax in a plush spacious armchair with seating around perfectly dressed tables of two and four. It comes after a luxury Christmas train travelled through Suffolk earlier this month as it took passengers to Bath Christmas market. The train will return to Bury St Edmunds at 9.10pm on the same day.

https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/24014315.lu ... LwxrZe0xCw

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Plans for new £24.3m Cultural Quarter vision for Lowestoft

A £24.3m vision for the "comprehensive redevelopment" of a town centre has taken another significant step forward. A scheme that could see part of a car park demolished, with a new restaurant built along with a new community hub complete with café, civic square, pop up bars and competitive leisure uses have all been earmarked - provided plans get the go-ahead. The plans for a major regeneration project in Lowestoft have progressed as part of a programme to reinvigorate the town centre.

With Lowestoft awarded £24.9m from the government's £3.6bn Towns Fund in 2021 for five key projects in the heart of the town, one of the regeneration schemes is a new Cultural Quarter. This Cultural Quarter project - which is earmarked as costing £24.3m, with £14.3m from the government's Towns Fund and £10m from East Suffolk Council's Capital Fund - will see the redevelopment of East Suffolk's current Customer Services Centre and the former Battery Green multi-storey car park.With the development set to provide a new cultural and community hub with studio space for creative businesses; a competitive leisure complex; restaurant and landscape enhancements, plans were submitted to East Suffolk Council last month.

https://www.lowestoftjournal.co.uk/news ... lowestoft/

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Lowestoft desperately seeking new identity - historian

A historian says England's most easterly town is "desperately" trying to find a "new identity" - as figures show one in four shops are empty. A council report has shown that Lowestoft's "retail unit vacancy rate" is the highest in east Suffolk. Ivan Bunn said he thought the difficulties Lowestoft was experiencing were a consequence of the decline of its seafaring industries - and tourism. Mr Bunn doubts whether the town will return to "what it used to be". The East Suffolk Council report suggested that a rise in online shopping meant people no longer wanted town centres to be "mainly for meeting retail needs". It warned that town centres may have to "shrink" their retail areas in the wake of a "cultural shift" and people wanted a more "holistic social, leisure and entertainment experience".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-67960531