This old seaside town is not going to do a Margate any time soon Lowestoft: ‘Blue Flagged strands with sand as soft as talc.’ What’s going for it? I’m not sure all the cupcake-yarn-bombing-vintage-craft-beer-artisan-cream-horn-emporia in the country could entirely resuscitate Lowestoft. This old seaside town is not going to do a Margate any time soon. The shiny bollards and benches installed, I’d guess, sometime during the reign of Tony Blair have failed to spark any “urban renaissance”… ah, remember that? The dedicated spotter of regeneration schemes can I-Spy decades of attempts to put the fizz back in Lowestoft, decimated by the double whammy decline of its port and its seaside punters. The middle classes, who dominate the Suffolk coast to the south, have here fled inland to the comfort of Oulton Broad. Because Lowestoft, for all its For Sale signs, shares the same bone structure: that easterly bleakness, municipal gardens, beach huts, dunes, Blue Flagged strands with sand as soft as talc, a pretty, pantiled high street the image of anything in Aldeburgh.

The case against Extensively shabby, drab and deprived, with little cheer on the horizon. business for sale 93003Schools are a mixed bag. business for sale kimberling city moGetting from here to anywhere else (even Great Yarmouth) can be a trial. business for sale saundersfootTraffic can clog in the centre when the bridges are raised.Trains: hourly to Norwich (45-50 mins) or south on the slow line to Ipswich (90 mins). Driving: 50 mins to Norwich. Schools Primaries: Poplars Community, Northfield St Nicholas, Roman Hill, St Mary’s RC are “good”, Ofsted says, with Oulton Broad and Carlton Colville “outstanding”. Secondaries: Pakefield is “good”.I’ve a soft spot for Woodbine Cafe on Suffolk Road, for unironic nostalgia, though I hear good things about the Jolly Sailors.

Where to buy Start in the faded old town, around the High Street, and the small Victorian terraces to the west. For period homes, look south to London Road South, Kirkley “Village” and the Victorian seafront around Marine Parade and Kirkley Cliff Road, or north to Gunton Cliff and Yarmouth Road. It’s poshest in Oulton and Oulton Broad, south past Cotmer Road to Carlton Colville and Pakefield. Large detacheds and town houses, £300,000-£800,000. Detacheds and smaller town houses, £150,000-£300,000. Terraces, flats and cottages, £70,000-£200,000. Rentals: one-bed flat, £370-£550pcm; Bargain of the week Six-bed, spacious Victorian terrace in south Lowestoft, needs modernisation, £134,995, with howards.co.uk. Susan Burrett “A great location with a fantastic sandy beach and easy access to the Broads. The town centre is a bit lacking; I’d head to Southwold, 15 minutes away, for a nice dinner.” Ian Hall “Lovely, relaxing pace of life. Check out the Wherry hotel for sunset drinks overlooking the Broads.”

• Live in Lowestoft? Join the debate below. Do you live in Lambeth, south London? Do you have a favourite haunt or a pet hate? by Tuesday 23 August.Print this page | Book your Marina visit now by providing your details below Provide us with your details below and we'll make sure there is a space available for you when you arrive. Craft Manufacturer or Model Craft Length in Feet Thames & Kennet Marina Type the code from the image Idyllically situated on Oulton Broad, Broadland Marina faces onto Oulton Broad between Suffolk’s stunning coastline and the world famous Broads National Park. Close to the UK’s most easterly town of Lowestoft, with easy access to the sea via Mutford Lock, or direct access to the Norfolk Broads. Cruising routes on the Broads are numerous and include Tingdene’s Brundall Bay Marina. Sea-going craft can make coastal trips to Southwold, Aldeburgh, and further afield. Travelling up the coast to Great Yarmouth offers a circular trip back to Broadlands Marina via the Yare and Waveney rivers.

Now let's take a look at...Hannants is a family business, established in Lowestoft in 1890 and now into the fourth generation. Your guarantee of service.Our policy is to offer the largest range of kits, decals, accessories, paints, books etc. from the main manufacturers to the smallest cottage industry supplier. This is backed by vast stocks and a large staff so that we can give a quick turn round to your order.Hannants in LowestoftUnit 35, Harbour Road, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 3LZ, England.From the UK telephone 01502 517444 or 0345 130 72 48 (all calls will be charged at local rate or are free if you have a contract with BT) We have 8 incoming telephone lines.From Overseas telephone 00 44 1502 517444Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 9.00am to 5.30pm. We are closed on Sundays.If you have Google Earth you can cut and paste these co-ordinates in  5228'36.58"N 142'58.47"E and go straight to the warehouse. Lowestoft is on the East Coast and is the most easterly place in the United Kingdom.

It is 120 miles north east of London. It is in East Anglia which is a popular area for aircraft enthusiasts with it's many military airfields, both RAF and USAFE. Lowestoft is within a 60 mile radius of Mildenhall, Lakenheath and Marham. There used to be more but Bentwaters, Coltishall and Honington are no longer operational and Wattisham now has Army and SAR Helicopters.Modellers will enjoy a visit to our mail order warehouse which is where the stock is held and which has it's own large car park. It is open six days a week from 9.00am to 5.30pm. This is a 30,000 sq ft warehouse so please do not expect a normal model shop!Hannants in LondonUnit 2, Hurricane Industrial Estate, Avion Crescent, Grahame Park Way, Colindale, London, NW9 5QW, England.Telephone 0208 205 6697 or from Overseas 00 44 208 6697If you have Google Earth you can copy and paste this co-ordinates in and go straight there. 51 36'02.43" N 0 14'18.25" W You can also see pictures from outside.Our London, Colindale, shop first opened in March 1992.

In 1994 we took over the adjoining unit and it soon became THE address in London for modellers from all over the world to visit. Slightly ahead of Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London! They stock most of the ranges we sell from Lowestoft plus second hand kits. To be sure you get everything you want you can use the website to pre-order for collection and payment at Colindale. In May 2006 the original shops had to close because we were unable to re-new the lease but in June a new shop opened just up the road past the RAF Museum. Just make sure that the Country in your Delivery address is Collect From Colindale and send us the order. We do need the order placed by 09.00 on Thursday so we can get it there in time for you to collect on Saturday or after.The closest underground station is Colindale on the Northern Line some 30 minutes from the center of London. Just turn left as you leave the station and walk for about 5 minutes just past the RAF Museum. Alternatively take the 303 bus which drops you outside the Museum.