MARKS & Spencer is celebrating 100 years of trading in Lowestoft.The anniversary is being marked with three days of celebrations which were launched by Lowestoft mayor Malcolm Cherry yesterday.

MARKS & Spencer is celebrating 100 years of trading in Lowestoft.

The anniversary is being marked with three days of celebrations which were launched by Lowestoft mayor Malcolm Cherry yesterday.

Customers were entertained by a barber shop quartet and there was also an exhibition in the London Road North store charting M&S history in Lowestoft which included surviving bomb attacks during the second world war.

Today the celebrations continue with a six-piece band entertaining customers and tomorrow a children's clown will be in the store.

M&S first opened in Lowestoft in 1910 at 116 London Road as a penny bazaar selling a variety of household products such as plant pots and baskets.

At the end of the 1920s the store moved to number 82 where, in a new extended space, womenswear and menswear was sold for the first time.

Tragedy struck during the second world war when a member of staff died and the store was partially destroyed by enemy action.

The store was rebuilt and opened again in April 1950 with a total selling space of 6,000 sq ft followed by further extensions in 1964, 1970 and 1983 bringing the total selling space to 17,200 sq ft.

Over the years store staff have worked hard to support worthwhile causes including the Palliative Care East appeal. Last year M&S Lowestoft raised more than �3,000 for the charity and a series of initiatives will take place this weekend to raise additional funds.

Store manager Hannah Statham said: 'We're extremely proud of our history and heritage here in Lowestoft and want to use our special milestone as an excuse to celebrate being at the heart of the community.'

See next week's Journal to see who has won the �150 worth of M&S vouchers.