Latest news with #Lowestoft
BBC News
6 hours ago
- BBC News
Car crashed in Lowestoft house leads to emergency response
Police, fire and ambulance crews were called after a car crashed into the front of a Police said officers were dispatched to Weston Road, Lowestoft, at 15:58 BST to reports of the arrests have been made and witnesses at the scene said the driver was placed in the care of the Fire and Rescue Service sent two engines and after they had checked that there were no occupants in the house they made the home and car safe, a spokesperson said. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Guardian
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Lowestoft to see in Midsummer Day's first light with arts festival
What better way could there be to mark midsummer than staying up all night dancing in the sand dunes and greeting the sun at dawn in Britain's most easterly town? This is how locals and visitors to Lowestoft in Suffolk will be spending the solstice at First Light, a free arts festival now in its fifth year, which runs for just over 24 hours, with a few brief breaks in the programming for sleep. About 40,000 people are expected at the event, which will feature an eclectic array of attractions, from the musical headliners Nubiyan Twist and spoken-word events with the poet Jackie Kay to silent discos and sound baths dotted around the sands. As night falls, the action will transfer indoors with a hedonistic club night from Horse Meat Disco and more ambient musical offerings in a church. The solstice festival came out of a regeneration project aiming to revive the fortunes of the seaside town, led by the designer and Red or Dead co-founder Wayne Hemingway. Hemingway recalls a meeting in which 'someone said their favourite thing was to go down to the beach on Midsummer Day and be there at around 3.50am for the first light in the morning'. 'We said: 'That sounds lovely but why does it mean so much here?' The person responded: 'It's Britain's most easterly town. So that means I'm getting the first light to hit Britain on Midsummer Day, and it feels mystical and like something special is happening to me,'' Hemingway said. Throwing a big party on the town's vast, sandy beaches seemed the ideal way to celebrate this, and for Hemingway one of the most important elements has been engaging the community, with local musicians, schools and choirs all performing. Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion The town's teenagers were initially dubious of the festival's Balearic vibe. 'They were a bit disruptive,' says Hemingway, 'because they'd not heard this kind of music – they were more into house [music]. The next year, the same lot came back and said: 'Actually, we like this music, we've got into it … can we help you clear up after?' Every year they come back and help. They're about 18 now and one of them is DJing.'
BBC News
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
First Light Festival to return to Lowestoft beach for fifth year
Thousands of people are expected to attend the UK's only free beach festival this Light Festival will take place on South Beach in Lowestoft, Suffolk, on Saturday and Sunday for its fifth year.A range of musical acts and dance performances are scheduled across the two days while there will also be a community catwalk for the second year temperatures are expected to near 25C over the weekend, the NHS is urging people to stay safe in the sun. What is First Light Festival? This year marks the fifth instalment of the is organised by First Light Festival Community Interest Company (CIC), a not-for-profit organisation based in charity said on its website it aims to "shine a spotlight on our incredible part of the world".The festival itself has a partnership with the borough and county councils and Arts Council England and it is held on the weekend closest to the summer is completely free to attend and a ticket is not required unless you plan to attend one of the Sundown events on Saturday night in the town following the end of the beach programme. What can I do at the event? Each year the festival enjoys an opening parade, with this year's kicking off from East Point Pavilion at 11:00 here visitors can enjoy a range of musical acts across the festival's there is much more than can be enjoyed including yoga sessions, line dancing, comedy shows for children, talks, poetry and even cloudspotting for beginnersA full schedule of events is available on the festival's website. What are the timings? From 12:00 to 21:30 on Saturday, the beach will be filled with activities as well as Kensington Gardens just off the 22:00 to 02:00 the festival moves into the venues around the town for the ticketed Sundown Sunday, people will gather from 03:30 to 05:00 to watch the sunrise as part of the summer solstice. From 10:00 until 16:00 the rest of the events kick off on the beach again. How can I get there? Festival organisers are keen to encourage visitors to make use of public transport where possible or walk/cycle to the are cycle routes to the festival side and there is free bicycle operator Greater Anglia will run an additional late train from Lowestoft to Ipswich on Saturday to help people get additional service will depart Lowestoft at 23:05 and arrive at Ipswich at 00: those travelling onwards to Stowmarket and Diss, a train from Ipswich will depart at 00: services are also available with the nearest stop being Claremont those who have to travel by car, there is a park and walk site located at Kirkley & Pakefield Football Club which costs £5 for the day of £8 for both days. What about the hot weather? Forecasts suggest Lowestoft will see plenty of sunshine over the festival with highs or 22C on Saturday and 24C on James Mapstone, a consultant in public health at West Suffolk Foundation Trust in Bury St Edmunds, has five tips people should follow during the hot weather:Drink plenty of water to stay hydratedKeep homes and buildings cool by keeping blinds and curtains shut during the dayAvoid the sun between 11:00 and 15:00Wear loose, light clothingConsider the vulnerable including children, the elderly and those with conditions What else is happening? As well as First Light Festival, there are a number of other big events taking place over the That's Gary Barlow will be performing at High Lodge, Thetford Forest on the Suffolk/Norfolk border on on Saturday, St Elizabeth Hospice kicks off its Hop to it! art trail in Ipswich, Woodbridge, Felixstowe, Beccles and Sunday, Ipswich's Cornhill will play host to the Suffolk Windrush Celebration where there will be music, market and food stalls and an exhibition from Suffolk Windrush and the Suffolk Black Community Organisation. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Suffolk bungalow roof destroyed after being stuck by lightning
A bungalow roof was completely destroyed after being struck by lightning during a night of severe firefighters were called to the property, in Howley Gardens, in Oulton, at 00:38 BST on about an hour of arriving at the scene, on the northern edge of Lowestoft, the three crews had extinguished the blaze but they were unable to prevent it from consuming "100%" of the Fire Service said no casualties were reported but the homeowner had since had to find somewhere else to live. Firefighters remained at the scene until 03:32 to ensure the fire was fully extinguished and would not reignite using a thermal imaging camera. They left at about 10:10 on Saturday. The property was hit during a night when more than 30,000 lightning strikes were recorded after thunderstorms swept across parts of England, according to the Met vast majority of the lightning was out at sea, but torrential downpours also hit land, causing disruption in Kent with flooding in the Dover and lightning started at about 22:00 on Friday after the country experienced its hottest day of the year so far with temperatures reaching 29.4C in west Suffolk. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
13-06-2025
- BBC News
Suffolk storage company 'heartbroken' after large fire
A removals and storage company said it was "heartbroken" after a large fire resulted in customers' possessions being crews from Norfolk and Suffolk were called to Britannia Alan Cook, on Pinbush Road in Gisleham, Lowestoft, at about midnight on Monday. In a statement on Facebook, the company said: "We are heartbroken by the far-reaching impact this has had on the livelihoods of our valued customers, our dedicated staff, our family business." Suffolk Police has been treating the incident as suspected arson and the investigation is ongoing. The family owned business provides removals and storage across Norfolk and Suffolk. The company said: "To anyone whose possessions that may have been lost, please accept our most heartfelt and sincere apologies."We did everything we could to protect your belongings, both before and during the fire, but heartbreakingly, it was not enough."Suffolk Police has appealed for witnesses and dashcam footage that can assist its investigation. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
