Lowestoft Town Council
Read more on Visit the Town Hall virtually - and find out about the regeneration project!
A new creative project showcasing Lowestoft's historic Town Hall and industrial heritage is seeking memories and stories from members of the public.
The project, commissioned by the Town Hall Project - a Lowestoft Town Council initiative supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Towns Fund, Architectural Heritage Fund, Historic England and East Suffolk Council - will aim to create a new poem and short film from the contributions. The poem will be created by Dean Parkin and produced by Poetry People co-director Naomi Jaffa.
To collect the memories and stories, a Lowestoft Stories Tricycle has been commissioned, produced by local company Scenic Projects Ltd to look like a fishing smack.
Keep a look out for the bike as it attends a number of events over the coming months.
A full press release article can be found on the Lowestoft Journal website.
Read more on Memories and Stories sought for new creative project
Lowestoft is going green as The Great Big Green Weekender comes to Sparrow’s Nest on Saturday 24th September.
This free event, organised by Lowestoft Town Council, forms part of the national “Great Big Green Week” and aims to highlight local green initiatives.
Throughout the day there will be live performances given by local groups, including Lowestoft Signing Choir, Marina Ukulele Group, Marina Choir Rocks, Tom Tonks, Michelle Miles and Venue of Performing Arts.
A number of information and interactive stalls will fill the park as members of the public are encouraged to engage with the climate. Interactive stalls will include a Met Office stall on clouds, a “build-your-own wind turbine” activity with East Coast College, and up-cycled jewellery making with Re-utilise. Suffolk Wildlife Trust will also have an interactive stall whilst free water saving kits from Essex and Suffolk Water and food measuring kits from Food Savvy Suffolk will be available to pick up. Information stalls on Beekeeping from the Waveney Beekeepers, Kittiwakes from Groundswork East and Lowestoft’s Uncle Sid’s Zero Waste Store will also be on site. Get Suffolk Reading will also be running a family trail around the park with prizes of free books whilst the Most Easterly Community Group will be holding their “Recycling Hub” stall where people can bring their recycling and learn more about reducing waste.
Local plant-based and sustainable food vendors, including “Fork Off It’s Vegan” and “Iced Vegan” will be selling a wide range of food produce throughout the day, alongside the parks existing restaurant and café.
The event will include a keynote speech delivered by environmental public speaker, journalist and author of “The Joyful Environmentalist”, Isabel Losada. Her book “The Joyful Environmentalist” won The Independent’s Sustainability Book of the Year 2022 and Isabel will be available after her talk to sign copies of her book.
Speaking about the event Cllr Paul Page, Chair of Lowestoft Town Council’s Climate Emergency and Ecological Committee said, “Climate Change is the biggest issue facing the world and Lowestoft Town Council are working towards being Net-Zero by 2030. When the Town Council made our Climate Declaration in 2019, we committed to this goal and to raising awareness of climate change within Lowestoft. We’re already seeing the effects of climate change but I have hope that, with everyone working together and making the appropriate changes, we can begin to make a difference.
“It can seem like individual actions don't mean much. I really believe that altering aspects of our daily lives does make a difference and we can do more to live sustainably. Our individual choices begin to have a collective impact on our habits - such as how we travel, what we eat, how we use our energy, the types of products we buy, and even who we bank with, and much more. These are things we can all do and 'The Great Big Green Weekend' is a chance for us to find out about how local organisations are raising awareness and working hard to help tackle the climate emergency. I hope we can send a strong message to business, industry and government, at all levels, that we require robust environmental policies adopted on a local, national and international scale.
“It may seem that anything each of us does is a mere drop in the ocean - but it is millions of individual drops which make up that ocean.
“The Great Big Weekender is a chance for us to find out about the exciting ways that local organisations are raising awareness and tackling the climate emergency. There will be something for everyone with live performances alongside the interactive information stalls.”
The Great Big Green Weekender runs on Saturday 24th September from 10am-4pm at Sparrows Nest and is a free event.
A full entertainment programme has been published on our website
A large crowd of people from Lowestoft and further afield gathered at Royal Plain on Sunday 11th September at 3:30pm to hear the local Proclamation of the Accession of King Charles III.
The Deputy Lord Lieutenant for Suffolk, Deborah Cadman OBE welcomed the crowds before the Mayor of Lowestoft, Cllr Alan Green delivered the Proclamation. The reading was then followed by a rendition of the National Anthem, "God Save The King", with trumpet accompaniment from Gemma Eglington and sung by Diana Moore. The short ceremony finished with a call for Three Cheers to His Majesty The King.
The Proclamation coincided with 23 other town proclamations in Suffolk after the County reading was held in Ipswich at 1pm. This follows the tradition of the Proclamation being passed down and spread across the Country after the Principal Proclamation was read at St James's Palace at 11am on Saturday 10th September.
Following the Proclamation, the flags at both Royal Plain and the Town Hall returned to half-mast as the country re-entered the period of National Mourning after the death of Her Majesty The Queen, having been at full-mast to celebrate the Accession.
Deborah Cadman OBE, Deputy Lord Lieutenant for Suffolk welcomed the crowds to this historic moment
Mayor of Lowestoft, Cllr Alan Green reads the Proclamation of the Accession after bringing it to Lowestoft from Ipswich
The Union Flag at Royal Plain was returned to half-mast following the Proclamation
The Town Hall's as also returned to half-mast following the Proclamation
Read more on Large crowd present as HM King Charles III is Proclaimed
The local Reading of the Proclamation of the new Sovereign, King Charles III, will take place at Royal Plain, Lowestoft on Sunday 11th September from 3:30pm. Members of the public are invited to attend.
In line with the National Protocol, the Union Flags at Royal Plain and the Town Hall will be raised to full-mast at 11am on Saturday 10th September as the Principal Proclamation is read out from the balcony at St James’s Palace, London and return to half-mast on completion of the local Reading to again mark the period of national mourning.
The Service Sheet for the Reading of the Proclamation of the new Sovereign
The proclamation of the new Sovereign is a very old tradition which can be traced back over many centuries.
The ceremony does not create a create a new King. It is simply an announcement of the accession which took place immediately on the death of the reigning monarch.
In an age where modern methods of communication convey news around the globe in an instant, the proclamation is no longer the means by which people learn for the first time that they have a new Monarch. The Reading of the Proclamation is one of the first occasions when communities have an opportunity to come together and reflect on the moment in our nation’s history when the reign of our longest-serving Monarch comes to an end and our new Sovereign succeeded.
Lowestoft Town Council are deeply saddened at the news of the death of Her Majesty The Queen. Our thoughts are with the Royal Family at this time.
The Mayor of Lowestoft, Cllr Alan Green said, “On behalf of the town of Lowestoft, and Councillors and Officers of Lowestoft Town Council, I would like to express our deep sadness following the passing of Her Majesty The Queen.
“We will be ensuring that the people of Lowestoft are provided the information and opportunities they need to pay their respects to Her Majesty The Queen and her life of service to our country, the commonwealth, and the world.”
As a mark of respect, the Union Flag will be flown at half-mast at Royal Plain and the Town Hall.
The Town Council have placed a Book of Condolence at Lowestoft Library and Marina Theatre for people to have the opportunity to pay their respects.
An online Book of Condolence is also in place at www.suffolk.gov.uk/condolences
Anyone wishing to leave floral tributes is welcome to lay them at the Royal Plain War Memorial.
Further information will be announced in due course.
Councillors visit the new play area at St Margaret's Plain
The play area at St Margaret's Plain before the refurbishment
The play area now includes a wider range of equipment
This week is #ZeroWasteWeek. In line with our Climate Emergency Declaration, Lowestoft Town Council are promoting this environmental cause as we look to encourage a reduction in waste of all kinds - from food waste to landfill.
There are simple ways that you can make changes to reduce your waste.
Our website has some pages on ways you can reduce food waste, repair clothes and recycle for more details. Taking this simple steps not only can help with the environment but also help save some money.
