Dog Friendly Beaches in Suffolk
article by "Local Tom"

The Suffolk coast is famously dog-friendly, and you're never too far from a beach where your pooch can play, paddle and explore to his heart's content. The authorities make sure doggie waste bins are well placed for your cleaning-up convenience while local businesses are generally good at providing water bowls for your pet's comfort.

The main resorts prohibit dogs from some parts of their beaches between May 1 and September 30 each year – watch out for the signs and maps which clearly show where you can and can't go – but these restrictions still leave plenty of sand, shingle and sea available for canine capers. And from October through to April there are no dog restrictions in force, so you can plan a day out with your canine companions at the beach of your choice.

Here's my pick of some of the best Suffolk beaches for four-legged fun…

Aldeburgh
Traditional-with-a-twist Aldeburgh, once one of the East Coast's leading ports and today a thriving resort with fashionable shops, cosy holiday cottages and a world-famous music festival, has a seashore that's a favourite with all visitors. It's a long stretch of predominantly shingle which shelves quite steeply to the sea, with some sandy areas exposed at low tide.
Dogs are prohibited from the main beach in the summer season but just to the north of the town, heading towards Thorpeness, they're allowed to join in the seashore fun.

Felixstowe
Felixstowe's unspoilt town sits above a beautiful seafront which is over four miles long and has a wide promenade that stretches almost the entire length of the sand and shingle beach. Dogs are banned from the main beach during the summer season, but are allowed on the sands either side of the restricted area.
A bracing walk or pleasant drive north of the town will bring you to the quaint little outpost of Felixstowe Ferry with its gallery, golf course, cottages, boatyard and inns. Dogs will love exploring the coastal paths and sniffing around the fresh fish stalls here, and for a walk further afield you can catch the small ferry boat across the estuary to Bawdsey.

Kessingland
Close to Lowestoft (where dogs are restricted on the Pavilion and town beach) but feeling like a million miles away, Kessingland beach is unspoilt and spacious – one of Suffolk's best-kept secrets! The huge beach here is a mix of marshland, shingle and sand, and it stretches for miles towards Lowestoft to the north and Southwold to the south.

Sizewell
Tucked between Dunwich to the north and Thorpeness to the south, Sizewell is the perfect place to set off for a walk with the dog – the beach here has no restrictions on dogs year-round. Keep your pet under control as you near Dunwich… it's an important bird-nesting site and though dogs are welcome at most times, occasional restrictions are imposed for the safe-keeping of our feathered friends.

Southwold
Visitors return year after year to the seaside town of Southwold, famous for its iconic beach huts, lighthouse and historic pier. But it's the beautiful golden beach – a regular Blue Flag winner for its cleanliness and facilities – which makes this a true holiday hotspot. As would be expected, restrictions are in place all year round on the town's main beach, but Southwold Denes, just to the north, is dog-friendly.

Walberswick
Just across the River Blyth from Southwold is affluent Walberswick, popular with ramblers and nature lovers as well as crabbing enthusiasts – every summer the village is home to the annual British Open Crabbing Championship!

Over a thousand acres of heath and marshland around Walberswick are protected as an Area of Outstanding National Beauty. The beach is an unspoilt mix of shingle and sand backed by dunes, perfect for paddling and picnics… and pet-friendly all year round!

Local Tom

www.southwoldlettings.com

www.aldeburghlettings.co.uk

www.suffolk-secrets.co.uk

www.bigcottageholidays.co.uk

Southwold RFC's roller coaster season may well be picking back up after a tough couple of months. An excellent 22 - 12, away win against Mersea Island on Saturday has boosted confidence levels in the injury hit squad, following a really encouraging, whole-club effort, which saw players coming out of 1st team retirement to do their bit for the Black and Golds from Sole Bay. A truly memorable win.

This weekend sees Southwold's finest play host to league-leaders, Cantabrigians in the fourth round of the RFU Junior Vase competition. Southwold has never progressed this far in the competition, so it's a big match and all support will be very welcome. The winners of the match will be only a handful of games away from running out at the RFU's Headquarters at Twickenham, so there is much to play for in this non-league encounter!

We hope to have a number of players back from injury and this means that the Cambridge based visitors (who will undoubtedly be focussed on winning the Eastern Counties League Division 1 title), will have their work cut out in moving on the the next round.

The day (Saturday 21st January) promises a feast of rugby and good old-school hospitality at the clubhouse (The William Goddell Pavilion), so pop along to the Common at Southwold on Saturday if you fancy an afternoon of fun and entertainment.

For more details, please call Southwold RFC Head Coach, James Alvis on 07976 602880 or email on jamesalvis@aol.com

KT Tunstall switched OFF the Christmas Lights at Westfield London to launch the countdown to WWF’s Earth Hour, which will take place on March 31st 2012.


The globally renowned singer also performed an intimate performance for fans gathered at Westfield London in Shepherd’s Bush.

KT’s sparkling performance also marked the launch of WWF’s nationwide competition to find one lucky community which will be given the honour of leading the Earth Hour switch off in the UK. The winning community will win a £1,000 grant to make sure that their ‘switched off’ event goes with a bang.

WWF’s Earth Hour is a simple idea that’s become a global phenomenon, with hundreds of millions of people turning off their lights to show they want to create a brighter future for the planet. Spanning a record 135 countries in 2011, this year’s Earth Hour is set to be even bigger.

WWF’s Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses joined in. Last year hundreds of millions of people and landmarks from Big Ben and Buckingham Palace in London to the India Gate in New Delhi, and even as far as The Sydney Opera House, took part.

Westfield has supported WWF’s Earth Hour globally since it began in 2007 as one of the first organisations to sign up. In 2011, Westfield London became home to Rooftop Rainforest with Sky, bringing a taste of the Amazon rainforest to the city.

KT Tunstall, ambassador of WWF’s Earth Hour, said:

"I'm delighted to have switched off the festive lights at Westfield London today to launch WWF's Earth Hour. It's such a simple, powerful campaign and it's a great feeling to be joining many millions of others around the world who care and are taking action. I really hope that people feel inspired to sign up and switch off their lights on 31 March."

"I've always cared deeply about the environment and try my best to limit the impact my life and work has on the planet. It's not easy but there are simple steps and commitments you can make and WWF's Earth Hour is a great chance to tell others what you are doing and get them to join you."

Suffolk holiday beaches to visit
article by "Local Tom"

When temperatures soar and the skies are blue, there's no better place to be than beside the sea – pack up a picnic, dig out the buckets and spades and head to the beach for some good old-fashioned fun on the sand and in the shallows.

At cooler times wrap up well and enjoy a bracing walk, where you can watch the fishermen who still depend on the sea for their living, or comb the water's edge for washed-up treasures such as the fascinating amber commonly associated with the Suffolk coast.

Here's are my pick of beaches you simply must not miss while you're on holiday in Suffolk.

Southwold

Visitors return year after year to the seaside town of Southwold, famous for its iconic beach huts, lighthouse and historic pier. Select shops, renowned restaurants, the Adnams brewery and a mix of Georgian, Regency and Victorian architecture… all add to Southwold's picture-postcard appeal.

But it's the beautiful golden beach – a regular Blue Flag winner for its cleanliness and facilities – which is the biggest draw.

A holiday hotspot all year round, Southwold is busy but in no way spoilt. The epitome of the perfect seaside resort, it's an idyllic location for letting a Southwold cottage and having a relaxing holiday.

Walberswick
Rural life is never far away from Suffolk's heritage coast. Across the River Blyth from Southwold is affluent Walberswick, popular with ramblers and nature lovers as well as crabbing enthusiasts – every summer the village is home to the annual British Open Crabbing Championship!

Once a thriving port, Walberswick is now a bustling tourist attraction and an attractive location for a selection of self-catering accommodation.

Over a thousand acres of heath and marshland around Walberswick are protected as an Area of Outstanding National Beauty. The beach is an unspoilt mix of shingle and sand backed by dunes, perfect for paddling and picnics.

Aldeburgh
Traditional with a twist… that's Aldeburgh, once one of the East Coast's leading ports and today a thriving seaside resort with fashionable shops, cosy holiday cottages and a world-famous music festival that shares its name.

Aldeburgh has something for everyone, and its seashore is a favourite with visitors of all ages – it's a long stretch of predominantly shingle shelving quite steeply to the sea, with some sandy areas exposed at low tide. Here you can buy your dinner from the fishermen who sell their catch each morning, or go beachcombing for the precious amber which is found on this unspoilt part of the coastline.

Walk along the beach towards Thorpeness and you'll see the newest addition to the Aldeburgh skyline, the Scallop – a Maggi Hambling sculpture which is dedicated to Benjamin Britten, founder of the Aldeburgh Festival held at nearby Snape in June each year.

Thorpeness
Originally a small fishing hamlet and, according to folklore, a route for smugglers into East Anglia, the Thorpeness of today was created by Glencairn Stuart Ogilvie who, in 1910, developed it into a private coastal resort complete with country club, golf course and holiday homes.

Ogilvie's vision for his quirky model village included mock Jacobean and Tudor architecture and extended to cladding in wood the necessary but not aesthetically-pleasing water tower known today as 'The House in the Clouds'. More traditional in look, the nearby windmill is equally photogenic.

The beach at Thorpeness consists of steeply shelving shingle, with some sand at low tide. Dunes and low cliffs start to the north of Thorpeness, while the southern end forms the Haven Nature Reserve.

Felixstowe
Felixstowe first became a fashionable holiday resort in the 1880s and has retained many of its Victorian and Edwardian houses, hotels and attractions. The unspoilt town sits above a beautiful seafront which is over four miles long and has a wide promenade that stretches almost the entire length of the sand and shingle beach.

The sea here is excellent for swimming in: Felixstowe's South Beach boasts a prestigious European Blue Flag award and the water at both its South and North Beaches is Marine Conservation Society Recommended.

North of the town is the fishing village of Old Felixstowe and, at the mouth of the River Deben, the quaint little outpost of Felixstowe Ferry with its gallery, golf course, cottages, boatyard and inns. Here you can explore coastal paths, buy fresh fish and catch the small ferry boat across the estuary to Bawdsey.

The best way to enjoy this beautiful coast has to be letting a self catering Cottage in Suffolk. I hope you get to visit this amazing part of the country soon!

Local Tom

www.southwoldlettings.com

www.aldeburghlettings.co.uk

www.suffolk-secrets.co.uk

www.bigcottageholidays.co.uk

A good crowd were treated to an entertaining Charity rugby match on a balmy Boxing Day on Southwold Common.
The Under 30s began the game by fizzing the ball around the pitch, scoring free-flowing tries at will before Phil Anthony, the eagle-eyed referee picked up on their numerous errors, chief of which was to run far too much for the Overs liking.

The Overs started to exert their strength and experience, and played champagne rugby in a ten yard corridor of opportunity. The Under 30s defended well, but after consultation with the Stephenson scoring system, it was found that the Over 30s had once again vanquished the valiant Under 30s side.

More importantly the day raised over £500 pounds in memory of ex- player Glynn Alexander, the sum being donated to leukaemia Research.  A big thank you to all the players an supporters of Southwold RFC.