Does anyone know what Felixstowe is like?

[4F]

Thank you. The potential swap person doesn't drive so it's not an issue for her. She thought it was permit parking now but is not sure.

We are hoping to take a drive down this week for a good look about. Potential swap lass is very keen to move to Norwich.

No problem, you may actually find you have car parking to the rear of the property from Pretyman road or if not that is likely to be the best place for parking. I am sure the parking bays on Beach Station road itself are not resident only but limited to a set time.

In general Felixstowe has quite a low crime rate, certainly worth coming down for a look in the area first. As has been said the dock viewing point cafe is good for a brew and watch the port action or head out to the other end to The Felixstowe ferry cafe (road goes through the golf course) for another good idea of what the area offers

There are plenty of relatively traffic free roads once you get out of Felixstowe itself, enjoy.

 

[Surlydave]

Like most places some good bits and some not so nice. North end towards golf club (in top 10 oldest in UK) are nicer. You could also pop into Ipswich on Sundays and join Suffolk Ctc to see some of our local countryside. See website for details.
Hope this is of some help.

 

[Jenkins]

We thought that we would take a wander down there on Tuesday, maybe have a ride around the place and a good look about. Flat is in a converted house, not above a shop. Ground Floor with front and back garden, utility room and good sized hall.

Good luck and I hope you like what you see. I'll wave to you if you're still in the area in the afternoon on my way home from work - you're from Norfolk so you should stand out

Just to add another attraction to the area to those listed above are the Trimley Marshes nature reserve if you like bird watching and I can agree with @4F about the back roads out to the various pubs.

 

[Saluki]

We have arranged to go and view the place tomorrow lunchtime. Hubster quite keen on moving to the seaside. He's a Yorkshireman so probably doesn't have the Norfolk-neon-stick-out-like-a-sore-thumb-ness
I used to like bird watching. I used to go to How Hill a lot when I was a kid. Dad took us. Took us fishing too, not very keen on that at all.

 

[Saluki]

Right, we are back. We parked, outside the public loos on the front promenade thing and walked the 30 seconds to the flat in question. It looked OK from the outside (front garden is waiting for the council to come and sort the hip high bramble bushes). We knocked on the door and went in to a good sized, usefully shaped hallway with a handy cupboard which will fit at least 1 bike in.
Living room was a good size (12'x12' with high ceilings and a bay window. Door in a sensible place so furniture can be arranged wherever we like (unlike here where it can go only along one wall really). Bedroom is 12 x 12 too. Built in wardrobe so we can leave ours behind if the potential swappees want it.
Kitchen!! Where do I start. Firstly its massive. Lots of newish cupboards, a whole bare wall for a table, chairs etc. That leads on to a utility room and back door straight out to garden. Utility room is where the washing machine plumbing is. Deffo bike room there. Off the utility is a shower room. Similar size to ours just a different orientation.

Fantastic flat. Neighbours are nice. Garden is smaller but the HA is reorganising the gardens so we should be getting a bit of 'upstairs' garden as it's chest height in stinging nettles and brambles as they never go out there.

We went and had a nice walk about and look around. Then drove around for a look around (visited Lidl for late lunch makings) then home again.

The couple are coming to see ours on Thursday afternoon. I will be at work but Hubster can make a coffee for them and give them the royal tour. They really really want to move to Norwich and we are the only Norwich people who have contacted them. Yay. It's looking good and we have a good feeling about it all.

I am off to walk our dogs now.

 

[coffeejo]

http://www.suffolkgazette.com/news/suffolk-norfolk-migrant-crisis/

 

[AyJay]

http://www.suffolkgazette.com/news/suffolk-norfolk-migrant-crisis/

I just love that.

 

[Rezillo]

I just love that.

and there's:

http://www.suffolkgazette.com/sport/women-secretly-find-cycling-mamils-sexy/

 

[AyJay]

HaHa there's hope for me yet!

 

[BrumJim]

Delighted for you. I used to have a thing about Felixstowe. When you join the A14 at the M1 junction, every sign from then on gives you the distance to Felixstowe. In my minds eye it was a grim container port overlooked by housing, with all the aesthetic wonder of Redcar or Seascale (Sellafield).

However my wife's family is from the area, and persuaded me to visit the town. I was pleasantly surprised. The container port is well tucked away, and completely out of view of most of the town and sea front. Whilst it does have a hint of decayed seaside elegance, it doesn't have a derelict feel about it. I left the car unlocked with the keys in it for 1/2 day in the main car park, and it was still there when I returned, so crime is clearly not epidemic. Leisure Centre is nice, and good places for ice cream and coffee along the sea front.

My wife's grandmother was born in what is now the fish and chip shop in Trimley St Mary (was a grocers in those days), just down the road.

If you fancy a laugh, check out the TripAdvisor reviews on the boating pond.

 

[Rezillo]

HaHa there's hope for me yet!

The stories are of varying quality but my favourite is the one about the F1 Ipswich Grand Prix:

"His negotiators have been working in secret with Ipswich borough chiefs on a circuit layout that will take in Ipswich Waterfront, have a pit lane at KFC and the start/finish line outside Staples. An F1 insider said: “The middle section of the lap will be a high-speed stretch through Neptune Quay – it will be just like racing in Monaco past the marina there".

 

[BrumJim]

I loved the Posh Aldeburgh seagulls story.

 

[BrumJim]

The stories are of varying quality but my favourite is the one about the F1 Ipswich Grand Prix:

"His negotiators have been working in secret with Ipswich borough chiefs on a circuit layout that will take in Ipswich Waterfront, have a pit lane at KFC and the start/finish line outside Staples. An F1 insider said: “The middle section of the lap will be a high-speed stretch through Neptune Quay – it will be just like racing in Monaco past the marina there".

Don't know if this was topped by William's comment:
What a load of rubbish where was this announcement today then you should check your facts before publishing this rubbish why would they choose a dump like ipswich when they have the whole world to choose from its just never going to happen also it would cost at least 50 million pounds to host any grand prix and that’s with a prebuilt track never thought the suffolk gazette was as fictional as the daily sport now I know cheers
or the editor's response.

 

[Saluki]

The potential swappees arrived today, took one look around and went "Wow, it's huge", They like the airy living room (even though there is only one place for a sofa), they like the light and bright bedrooms, they like the kitchen as it's all new (tiny but new) and they love love love the garden.

We are swapping sofas, theirs is in a similar condition to ours - dogged but comfy. We are also swapping washing machines as they are a PITA to move. They are about the same age and spec. We are sharing a Luton Van, as that just makes financial sense. I had better hunt out some caravan storage for little Bunty, as I won't have a huge front garden for her to free range in any more.

 

[Rezillo]

Good cafe at the docks viewing area by Landguard fort and another foot ferry that takes you to Shotley and Harwich. Well, Shotley, anyway - no-one in their right mind would want to go to Harwich.

Found a reason today to use the foot ferry to Shotley. We went for a walk there this afternoon and were about to have an ice-cream from the manky van there (marked "Gravesham's Finest" !!! what is the rest like?) when dead opposite, like a shimmery cake shop mirage to the gasping, was a brand new tea and cake shop in immaculate nick. This has opened up next to the Bristol Arms on the quay (Tea on the Quay). We went in to find a mini-caketopia. It's a tiny place but really nice and the cakes were delicious.

It should be doing a roaring trade but there were only two tables occupied so we had a chat with the owner, a young woman. She is basically the tea room - she makes all the cakes and ice-cream (!) and serves there. I asked if she would like a recommendation on a cycling forum - she said yes but would like notice if a big group turns up because she would have to get some help in! Anyway, worth a detour down to the quay if riding round the Shotley peninsula.