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

Lowestoft Journal: Princess Anne visits Access Community Trust in Lowestoft. Picture: SuppliedPrincess Anne visits Access Community Trust in Lowestoft. Picture: Supplied (Image: Supplied)

WI turns 100 – A special event was held in Kessingland to mark the founding of the Women's Institute in 1915. The craft and produce show celebrated 100 years of the WI and showed people what the organisation does now and encouraged more women to get involved.

Margaret Parker said: 'It's not all jam and Jerusalem.'

High Street is a rising star – Lowestoft was named as one of the best town centres in Britain after a national competition found it was a 'rising star' of UK high streets. The town entered the government's Great British High Street competition in the hope its own 'Discover Lowestoft' brand would mark it out as one of the country's best.

The judges agreed, naming it as one of the 10 'rising star' entries – giving it a £1,000 cash boost in the process.

Mystery unlocked – Drivers were left puzzled over a mysterious problem when locking their cars remotely in Lowestoft. Motorists in the town centre started taking their keys to nearby garages after being unable to lock or unlock their cars for no apparent reason. After about 50 separate incidents in the Whapload Road and Battery Green Road area were reported to garages, police put out a warning urging people to only lock their vehicles manually while they investigated the cause of the problem. The mystery was solved later, when an engineer from Ofcom found that a radio transmitter location finder, stuck in a permanent transmit mode on the docks, was the cause.

Court order closes GP surgeries – Legal action was taken by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which cancelled the registration of Oulton Medical Centre and its satellite branch of Marine Parade Surgery, currently based at Kirkley Mill. The surgeries were closed following 'serious concerns about the service and the risks it presented to patients.'

Princess Anne visit – As patron of Catch22, an education charity, HRH The Princess Royal visited Silk Cutters House in School Road which helps vulnerable children with challenging behaviours. Her Royal Highness was invited to view a display of pupils work before she presented certificates. She also visited the Access Community Trust in Commercial Road, a charity which helps people access housing, health, education and employment opportunities. She unveiled a plaque for the charity's 40th anniversary year at Bridge View.

The Princess Royal then went to Gunton Baptist Church in Hollingsworth Road, where she spoke to volunteers at the Signpost Gunton charity, which runs Dreamworx – Lowestoft, Give and Take and the East Suffolk Foodbank.