The Lowestoft community was impacted by the war in Ukraine in 2022, with our part of the world rallying round to offer refuge for women and children while collecting clothing and essentials to send to the wartorn country.
It was the year of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee but also a change in the monarchy with the death of her majesty and the appointment of King Charles III.
The lack of available dentist appointments in the area continues to be a problem, but the Gull Wing bridge progress in the construction of the eagerly awaited third crossing has brought readers welcome good news.
Here is the first of a two part-review reflecting on the past 12 months, featuring stories that hit The Journal headlines between January and June 2022.
January
A Banksy mural which was removed from the side of a Lowestoft building is believed to have been sold for up to £2m in the UK after talks with an auction house in California fell through.
Anglian Water started work on a £4.7m scheme to lay three new sewer pipes through Gunton Warren Nature Reserve as the existing pipelines were at risk from the rapidly eroding coastline
Passengers were left stranded and had to be evacuated when a Greater Anglia train from Lowestoft to Norwich was involved in flooding drama at Haddiscoe when part of the embankment and ballast supporting the track was washed away during high tides.
February
A treasured clifftop home at Pakefield was demolished after "accelerated erosion" meant that the home would soon become unsafe.
Extensive work to repair and refurbish the historic Jubilee bridge from Belle Vue Park over The Ravine was given the go-ahead.
Storm Eunice wreaked havoc across Waveney as homes were left without power and lions at Africa Alive had to be relocated when a fallen tree damaged fencing around their enclosure.
March
It was a tight squeeze as a barge bringing in a huge 380-tonne section of the Gull Wing bridge from Belgium passed through the Bascule bridge.
A number of sports and leisure facilities operated by Sentinel Leisure Trust closed suddenly after the collapse of the charity.
April
A number of schools, councils and organisations planted trees as part of the Queen's Green Canopy for the Queens Platinum Jubilee initiative
A Blueprint for regeneration of South Lowestoft was unveiled with an array of public spaces, al-fresco dining and water features as part of the bid.
May
A project to raise funds for a unique new statue of Benjamin Britten as a boy was launched. It aims to site the statue on the seafront opposite to the house in which he was born.
Tributes poured in for former MP Bob Blizzard following his death, aged 71. He was Waveney’s MP from 1997 to 2010 and also served as leader of the former Waveney District Council for six years.
Lowestoft became the first East Suffolk town to have free wi-fi in the town centre and seafront as part of East Suffolk Council's Digital Towns programme.
June
Towns and villages celebrated the Queen's Platinum Jubilee over a four-day bank holiday with music, beacon lighting, parties in parks and street parties.
As thousands of people arrived in Lowestoft for the return of the First Light Festival, the transformed East Point Pavilion also opened its doors to reveal an incredible new food hall.
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