Welcome to That Was The Year That Was, a review of an eventful 2015, as compiled by MICK HOWES and MARK BOGGIS. In the fourth part, we look back at some of the stories making the headlines in The Journal last April.

Lowestoft Journal: Jeffrey Drayton, 73, from Hopton-on-Sea, made a big impact when he appeared on the ITV show Britains Got Talent in April, 2015. Picture: Tom Dymond/SYCO/THAMES TV/PA Wire.Jeffrey Drayton, 73, from Hopton-on-Sea, made a big impact when he appeared on the ITV show Britains Got Talent in April, 2015. Picture: Tom Dymond/SYCO/THAMES TV/PA Wire.

Injured airman honoured – Senior airman Kevin Ogilvie, 24, of Carlton Colville who was left paralysed after his vehicle was blown up by an improvised explosive device (IED) was presented with an 'Above and Beyond' award for his dedicated charity work. The RAF Benevolent Fund gave Mr Ogilvie his award as a result of his tireless charity fund-raising after it supported him, his wife Amie and their young daughter Gracie when they needed help the most.

The Ogilvie family raised almost £20,000 for the fund. To mark his incredible determination and fundraising success, the RAF Benevolent Fund also nominated him for a Soldiering On Through Life Trust Award.

New all weather pitch opened – Former England football captain Terry Butcher officially unveiled a new £750,000 state of the art all-weather pitch at Kirkley and Pakefield Football Club then joined in with training sessions, spoke with club officials and described how young players from Lowestoft have bright futures ahead of them. After a grant from the Football Foundation, the club raised more than £50,000 in a short period of time. Mr Butcher played for Ipswich Town and Rangers, along with winning 77 caps for England. He grew up in Lowestoft and used to play on the grassed Kirkley recreation ground pitch.

Nature Reserve damaged by huge blaze – Police investigated after at least six different fires were started across more than three acres of land at Carlton Marshes Nature Reserve, near Lowestoft. Four fire crews tackled the suspicious blaze, which was believed to have been started mid afternoon in an area of reed beds at the Suffolk Wildlife Trust lowland reserve at Carlton Colville. The blaze had a devastating impact on other stubble areas of

grassland across the reserve.

Engineering firm announces closure – AKD Engineering Limited, which employed 113 people based at Horn Hill, Lowestoft, announced that it was to close at the end of June. The decision 'follows several years of substantial losses, compounded by the current downturn in the oil and gas sector,' according to a statement. AKD, which had been in operation for 60 years, originally manufactured diesel engines for the local shipbuilding industry before specialising in engineering services for the oil and gas sector.

Handyman is a big hit – Jeffrey Drayton, 73, from Hopton-on-Sea, made a big impact when he appeared on the ITV show Britain's Got Talent and made it through to the live semi-finals. Mr Drayton, who works as a handyman in the Asda Store on Horn Hill, in Lowestoft, received mixed reaction from the judges, but out of 200 acts he made it through to the final 40.