| interesting article about lowestoft on 12:39 - Jun 5 with 3260 views | footers |
Nice one, lowhouse.
My beautiful hometown :) But sadly one only a mother could love.
I shall peruse at lunchtime, although I see "It's sh1t" is the opening gambit! |  |
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| interesting article about lowestoft on 13:17 - Jun 5 with 3194 views | GeoffSentence |
That gives a picture of a town dead on its knees. Is it really that bad? Hasn't the offshore wind industry given it a bit of a lifeline?
As an aside my first job after school was working on an oil rig standby ship out of Lowestoft, for Colne Shipping. I didn't last long, a maritime life was not for me, probably not encouraged by the cross-eyed skipper and masturbating chief engineer. |  |
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| interesting article about lowestoft on 13:21 - Jun 5 with 3176 views | BiGDonnie |
| interesting article about lowestoft on 13:17 - Jun 5 by GeoffSentence |
That gives a picture of a town dead on its knees. Is it really that bad? Hasn't the offshore wind industry given it a bit of a lifeline?
As an aside my first job after school was working on an oil rig standby ship out of Lowestoft, for Colne Shipping. I didn't last long, a maritime life was not for me, probably not encouraged by the cross-eyed skipper and masturbating chief engineer. |
W&nkers are everywhere mate. |  |
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| interesting article about lowestoft on 13:36 - Jun 5 with 3146 views | JimmyJazz |
I imagine there are loads of Northern towns that you could have written an article saying the same things over the past 30 years
The article with rose-tinted specs suggests a recently idyllic town, i wonder how long ago that actually was? Lowestoft always seemed a bit of a dive 30-40 years ago. |  |
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| interesting article about lowestoft on 13:46 - Jun 5 with 3118 views | C_HealyIsAPleasure |
This writer gets it
Whilst Brexit isn’t likely to be the answer to any of their problems, it isn’t hard to see why residents of towns like Lowestoft have turned that way and towards parties like Brexit and UKIP, when they haven’t been listened to and left to decline by the mainstream parties |  |
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| interesting article about lowestoft on 13:48 - Jun 5 with 3104 views | StokieBlue |
That's a sad read.
Hard to know what will be done. The industries that underpinned such communities are gone and they aren't coming back. In fact unskilled work is going to be even harder to come by as machines become more efficient and wider ranging.
If no politicians speak for them at the moment then it's hard to know what they want as well - there is quite a large cross-section of views at the moment.
SB |  |
| Avatar - IC410 - Tadpoles Nebula |
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| interesting article about lowestoft on 14:03 - Jun 5 with 3076 views | Guthrum |
| interesting article about lowestoft on 13:46 - Jun 5 by C_HealyIsAPleasure |
This writer gets it
Whilst Brexit isn’t likely to be the answer to any of their problems, it isn’t hard to see why residents of towns like Lowestoft have turned that way and towards parties like Brexit and UKIP, when they haven’t been listened to and left to decline by the mainstream parties |
It's the terrible issue of towns and cities where the raison d'etre has gone. Historically, people would simply have moved away to wherever else the work was (as they moved into so many of the burgeoning industrial areas in the mid 19th century, or, indeed, left areas like the Forest of Dean when decline set in). But now there aren't enough labour-intensive, skill-matching jobs and those places which are prospering are also too expensive to live in (especially moving on spec).
Governments don't want to spend money, there are too many places fighting for what investment there is. So they just decay. |  |
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| interesting article about lowestoft on 14:25 - Jun 5 with 3027 views | Guthrum |
| interesting article about lowestoft on 13:48 - Jun 5 by StokieBlue |
That's a sad read.
Hard to know what will be done. The industries that underpinned such communities are gone and they aren't coming back. In fact unskilled work is going to be even harder to come by as machines become more efficient and wider ranging.
If no politicians speak for them at the moment then it's hard to know what they want as well - there is quite a large cross-section of views at the moment.
SB |
It would make most sense to push a helotage of technology, using maximum mechanisation to generate the wealth to support the human population, through some sort of universal basic income. They could then take on part-time work, volunteering, craft, education, self-improvement, sport.
The problem with that would be finding the money to invest in the initial setup and prising sufficient of the resulting profits out of the hands of those running business. | |
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| interesting article about lowestoft on 14:34 - Jun 5 with 3006 views | Bent_double |
| interesting article about lowestoft on 13:17 - Jun 5 by GeoffSentence |
That gives a picture of a town dead on its knees. Is it really that bad? Hasn't the offshore wind industry given it a bit of a lifeline?
As an aside my first job after school was working on an oil rig standby ship out of Lowestoft, for Colne Shipping. I didn't last long, a maritime life was not for me, probably not encouraged by the cross-eyed skipper and masturbating chief engineer. |
I think all the installation and maintenance of the wind farms in the region is done out of Yarmouth and Lowestoft - I can't be sure, but it seems that Yarmouth has the lions share of that, so don't know where that leaves Lowestoft.
I only ever pass through Lowestoft on the way to/from Ipswich, occasionally there might be a massive great rig there, in for repairs perhaps, and they do have the government fisheries place which is supposed to be getting tens of millions spent on it, other than that, there can't be much in the way of work.
Of course they did have an air show every few years uptil 4-5 years ago, but lost that through local apathy, apparently. |  |
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| interesting article about lowestoft on 14:37 - Jun 5 with 2999 views | footers |
| interesting article about lowestoft on 14:34 - Jun 5 by Bent_double |
I think all the installation and maintenance of the wind farms in the region is done out of Yarmouth and Lowestoft - I can't be sure, but it seems that Yarmouth has the lions share of that, so don't know where that leaves Lowestoft.
I only ever pass through Lowestoft on the way to/from Ipswich, occasionally there might be a massive great rig there, in for repairs perhaps, and they do have the government fisheries place which is supposed to be getting tens of millions spent on it, other than that, there can't be much in the way of work.
Of course they did have an air show every few years uptil 4-5 years ago, but lost that through local apathy, apparently. |
I believe a lot of the renewables stuff that was happening in town has now also gone. That's because of competition from Yarmouth and government funding for renewables being slashed. Along with a lot of the rig maintenance stuff. My dad used to work there when he wasn't on the rigs themselves.
Many factories have also shut their doors.
It used to be a joke, but now sadly it's true: Lowestoft the town so sh1t even the fish fooked off. | |
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| interesting article about lowestoft on 14:38 - Jun 5 with 3002 views | Meadowlark |
| interesting article about lowestoft on 13:48 - Jun 5 by StokieBlue |
That's a sad read.
Hard to know what will be done. The industries that underpinned such communities are gone and they aren't coming back. In fact unskilled work is going to be even harder to come by as machines become more efficient and wider ranging.
If no politicians speak for them at the moment then it's hard to know what they want as well - there is quite a large cross-section of views at the moment.
SB |
The workers when I grew up in Lowestoft were far from "unskilled." There was a lively ship-building industry that employed boilermakers, platers, welders etc. The coachworks had motor vehicle fitters, upholsterers and the like and the TV factory employed electronic technicians and electronic engineers. There were also net-makers, (one of which survives today making goal nets) a pram factory and a multitude of minor concerns all looking after these major industries.
And there were also two huge food canning plants and at least one other frozen food factory in addition to Birdseye.
There was a massive timber import yard on the quayside which is now a vast untapped resource and a grain export silo on the opposite bank (which is probably still in operation).
The above doesn't even include fishing or agriculture which were both also major players or tourism which attracted a huge influx of visitors in the summer months.
After all of these disappeared there have been minor upswings, with first N.Sea gas and more recently wind-power, but many of the jobs created by these industries are taken up by outsiders with the necessary skills, because, as you rightly point out these new skills are missing from the local workforce.
Lowestoft is my home town and if I stand back and and take a look, it is sadly a shadow of its former self in the 1960s when it was a bustling and thriving community that prided itself on its manufacturing, marine and farming heritage.
But take away all of these industries from any town, especially one with such bad transport links, traffic chaos and miles from anywhere and you begin to understand...... |  | | |
| interesting article about lowestoft on 14:44 - Jun 5 with 2990 views | No9 |
I started working in shipping Lowestoft in 1967 and moved to live there in 1972.
The Town was a very busy place in the 60's its decline had nothing to do with being in Europe.
The place destroyed itself over a relatively short period of time by doing many things wrong for the wrong reasons and for the wrong people.
The article doesn't address any of the things that really happened & it is this sort of silly story that cloud the reasons for the decline which are detrimental to new investment.
Reasons for what happened are plenty many to do with the local & natoinal politicians from the early 60's on. Many established businesses worked to stop new investment preferring protectionism.
It isn't going to change any time soon. |  | | |
| interesting article about lowestoft on 15:07 - Jun 5 with 2944 views | Pendejo |
My mum used to live opposite the Claremont Pier late 70s / early 80s so Lowestoft is somewhere I used to visit regularly as a kid.
It should be better served as far as tourism goes as they have vast sandy beaches [as opposed to Felixtowes shingle]
Recently I could have relocated here almost mortgage free, but elected not to as I felt my children have far better opportunities based in a "ghetto" flat in London than they would in a large house in South Lowestoft.
I recall a scum underclass in Lowestoft long before I encountered it anywhere else. One of my earliest memories of the town was an invasion of lady birds circa '76 [?] and 2 herberts assaulting a female police officer, even back then I recall an area being referred to as a no go zone but don't recall where it was. Powerboat racing at Oulton Broad, and driving past the Norseman pub as the death of Elvis was announced over the radio. [Post edited 5 Jun 2019 15:12]
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| interesting article about lowestoft on 15:12 - Jun 5 with 2932 views | Pendejo |
| interesting article about lowestoft on 15:07 - Jun 5 by Pendejo |
My mum used to live opposite the Claremont Pier late 70s / early 80s so Lowestoft is somewhere I used to visit regularly as a kid.
It should be better served as far as tourism goes as they have vast sandy beaches [as opposed to Felixtowes shingle]
Recently I could have relocated here almost mortgage free, but elected not to as I felt my children have far better opportunities based in a "ghetto" flat in London than they would in a large house in South Lowestoft.
I recall a scum underclass in Lowestoft long before I encountered it anywhere else. One of my earliest memories of the town was an invasion of lady birds circa '76 [?] and 2 herberts assaulting a female police officer, even back then I recall an area being referred to as a no go zone but don't recall where it was. Powerboat racing at Oulton Broad, and driving past the Norseman pub as the death of Elvis was announced over the radio. [Post edited 5 Jun 2019 15:12]
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ps.
For a while they [her & her 2nd husband] lived in a basement flat of one of those 5 story places that 2nd husband owned. When I visited I used a board over the bath as a make shift bed, and used ot be woken regularly by people p1shing on the basement bathroom window which was at pavement level.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.4663353,1.7445247,3a,75y,321.41h,90t/data=!3m6 | |
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| interesting article about lowestoft on 15:15 - Jun 5 with 2920 views | footers |
| interesting article about lowestoft on 15:12 - Jun 5 by Pendejo |
ps.
For a while they [her & her 2nd husband] lived in a basement flat of one of those 5 story places that 2nd husband owned. When I visited I used a board over the bath as a make shift bed, and used ot be woken regularly by people p1shing on the basement bathroom window which was at pavement level.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.4663353,1.7445247,3a,75y,321.41h,90t/data=!3m6 |
Ha! I grew up in a house about two minutes from there. A Kirkley upbringing was, er, interesting. One of the most deprived wards in the UK IIRC. | |
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| interesting article about lowestoft on 15:35 - Jun 5 with 2855 views | No9 |
| interesting article about lowestoft on 15:07 - Jun 5 by Pendejo |
My mum used to live opposite the Claremont Pier late 70s / early 80s so Lowestoft is somewhere I used to visit regularly as a kid.
It should be better served as far as tourism goes as they have vast sandy beaches [as opposed to Felixtowes shingle]
Recently I could have relocated here almost mortgage free, but elected not to as I felt my children have far better opportunities based in a "ghetto" flat in London than they would in a large house in South Lowestoft.
I recall a scum underclass in Lowestoft long before I encountered it anywhere else. One of my earliest memories of the town was an invasion of lady birds circa '76 [?] and 2 herberts assaulting a female police officer, even back then I recall an area being referred to as a no go zone but don't recall where it was. Powerboat racing at Oulton Broad, and driving past the Norseman pub as the death of Elvis was announced over the radio. [Post edited 5 Jun 2019 15:12]
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Before they built the sewage works near Birds Eye, jobbies used to wash up on South beach | | | |
| interesting article about lowestoft on 16:08 - Jun 5 with 2809 views | StokieBlue |
| interesting article about lowestoft on 14:25 - Jun 5 by Guthrum |
It would make most sense to push a helotage of technology, using maximum mechanisation to generate the wealth to support the human population, through some sort of universal basic income. They could then take on part-time work, volunteering, craft, education, self-improvement, sport.
The problem with that would be finding the money to invest in the initial setup and prising sufficient of the resulting profits out of the hands of those running business. |
No objection to that although you'd need to find the money for the UBI which might be hard if less people are working and being taxed.
SB | |
| Avatar - IC410 - Tadpoles Nebula |
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| interesting article about lowestoft on 16:09 - Jun 5 with 2808 views | StokieBlue |
| interesting article about lowestoft on 14:38 - Jun 5 by Meadowlark |
The workers when I grew up in Lowestoft were far from "unskilled." There was a lively ship-building industry that employed boilermakers, platers, welders etc. The coachworks had motor vehicle fitters, upholsterers and the like and the TV factory employed electronic technicians and electronic engineers. There were also net-makers, (one of which survives today making goal nets) a pram factory and a multitude of minor concerns all looking after these major industries.
And there were also two huge food canning plants and at least one other frozen food factory in addition to Birdseye.
There was a massive timber import yard on the quayside which is now a vast untapped resource and a grain export silo on the opposite bank (which is probably still in operation).
The above doesn't even include fishing or agriculture which were both also major players or tourism which attracted a huge influx of visitors in the summer months.
After all of these disappeared there have been minor upswings, with first N.Sea gas and more recently wind-power, but many of the jobs created by these industries are taken up by outsiders with the necessary skills, because, as you rightly point out these new skills are missing from the local workforce.
Lowestoft is my home town and if I stand back and and take a look, it is sadly a shadow of its former self in the 1960s when it was a bustling and thriving community that prided itself on its manufacturing, marine and farming heritage.
But take away all of these industries from any town, especially one with such bad transport links, traffic chaos and miles from anywhere and you begin to understand...... |
Totally agree - I didn't mean the workforce back then - that was obviously linked to an industry but those are gone and not coming back.
The article cited the low skill level in the region now and that's the problem I was citing as only going to get worse.
SB | |
| Avatar - IC410 - Tadpoles Nebula |
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| interesting article about lowestoft on 16:18 - Jun 5 with 2798 views | Swansea_Blue |
| interesting article about lowestoft on 13:17 - Jun 5 by GeoffSentence |
That gives a picture of a town dead on its knees. Is it really that bad? Hasn't the offshore wind industry given it a bit of a lifeline?
As an aside my first job after school was working on an oil rig standby ship out of Lowestoft, for Colne Shipping. I didn't last long, a maritime life was not for me, probably not encouraged by the cross-eyed skipper and masturbating chief engineer. |
I was there at Easter, and while the town centre and surrounding residential streets looked pretty drab it wasn't as bad as many of the places down here in south wales. I know it's not a race to the bottom though! Doesn't mean it couldn't do with some tlc of course. |  |
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| interesting article about lowestoft on 17:18 - Jun 5 with 2733 views | JimmyJazz |
| interesting article about lowestoft on 14:34 - Jun 5 by Bent_double |
I think all the installation and maintenance of the wind farms in the region is done out of Yarmouth and Lowestoft - I can't be sure, but it seems that Yarmouth has the lions share of that, so don't know where that leaves Lowestoft.
I only ever pass through Lowestoft on the way to/from Ipswich, occasionally there might be a massive great rig there, in for repairs perhaps, and they do have the government fisheries place which is supposed to be getting tens of millions spent on it, other than that, there can't be much in the way of work.
Of course they did have an air show every few years uptil 4-5 years ago, but lost that through local apathy, apparently. |
Doesn’t Lowestoft generally suffer from being in Yarmouth’s shadow? As a tourist attraction Yarmouth was always way ahead of Lowestoft, for the sake of about 10 extra miles why stop at Lowestoft? I then guess Pleasurewood Hills took even more tourists away | |
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| interesting article about lowestoft on 17:22 - Jun 5 with 2720 views | footers |
| interesting article about lowestoft on 17:18 - Jun 5 by JimmyJazz |
Doesn’t Lowestoft generally suffer from being in Yarmouth’s shadow? As a tourist attraction Yarmouth was always way ahead of Lowestoft, for the sake of about 10 extra miles why stop at Lowestoft? I then guess Pleasurewood Hills took even more tourists away |
Well, Pleasurewood Hills is closer to Lowie than Yarmouth.
And my man, please, please never say Lowestoft is in Yarmouth's shadow when it's clearly the other way round!  | |
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| interesting article about lowestoft on 17:40 - Jun 5 with 2698 views | Guthrum |
| interesting article about lowestoft on 16:08 - Jun 5 by StokieBlue |
No objection to that although you'd need to find the money for the UBI which might be hard if less people are working and being taxed.
SB |
Business tax.
After all, they are being relieved of the burden of having to pay such high wages to what human staff they still use. | |
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| interesting article about lowestoft on 18:05 - Jun 5 with 2677 views | dirtyboy |
It's frustrating as a resident of Lowestoft to read such depressing articles.
There are swathes of people who blame all of their woes on the loss of the fishing industry, and they're right to a degree, but thousands have moved into Oil & Gas/Renewables, it means a little bit of travelling onto rigs (not dissimilar to fishermen, but ultimately, the wages to be had are not insignificant and tend to be notably higher than your average London wage.
It's those negative types who will always be stuck, rather than adapt and overcome, they simply bemoan their bad luck/politicians (delete as applicable). People like that exist everywhere, but we have an abundance.
Lowestoft town centre is no different to any generic town centre, boring and uninviting, it's not alone, it's just...well... isolated.
Walk 10 minutes from the 'spoons and you're on the already mentioned white beaches, which are quite frankly as good as anywhere on a nice hot day.
If you like being active, then the ParkRun is well attended. Hundreds of miles of country roads surround the town for keen cyclists. Oulton Broad provides Sailing, Powerboating for the spectators, Paddleboarding etc.
There are jobs, plenty, it's just not those labour intensive semi-skilled ones that used to be in abundance and the generations haven't adapted quick enough.
Evolution will kick in eventually. Who doesn't want to live by the sea? |  | | |
| interesting article about lowestoft on 18:14 - Jun 5 with 2655 views | footers |
| interesting article about lowestoft on 18:05 - Jun 5 by dirtyboy |
It's frustrating as a resident of Lowestoft to read such depressing articles.
There are swathes of people who blame all of their woes on the loss of the fishing industry, and they're right to a degree, but thousands have moved into Oil & Gas/Renewables, it means a little bit of travelling onto rigs (not dissimilar to fishermen, but ultimately, the wages to be had are not insignificant and tend to be notably higher than your average London wage.
It's those negative types who will always be stuck, rather than adapt and overcome, they simply bemoan their bad luck/politicians (delete as applicable). People like that exist everywhere, but we have an abundance.
Lowestoft town centre is no different to any generic town centre, boring and uninviting, it's not alone, it's just...well... isolated.
Walk 10 minutes from the 'spoons and you're on the already mentioned white beaches, which are quite frankly as good as anywhere on a nice hot day.
If you like being active, then the ParkRun is well attended. Hundreds of miles of country roads surround the town for keen cyclists. Oulton Broad provides Sailing, Powerboating for the spectators, Paddleboarding etc.
There are jobs, plenty, it's just not those labour intensive semi-skilled ones that used to be in abundance and the generations haven't adapted quick enough.
Evolution will kick in eventually. Who doesn't want to live by the sea? |
Problem is mate that in 50 years' time Beccles will be the seaside town!
But you're right about Oulton Broad and the surrounding area. My mum still loves it and most of my family are still there, though many do worry about job opportunities. Most of the older crew have had their jobs for 20, 30 years, usually at the same company, but they know it could be hard to find similar work if the places shut down (rumours are Hoseason is, which is where me ma works). All the young'uns have moved away, mainly to Norwich.
There is also a problem in other councils sending less desirable peeps to Lowestoft and Yarmouth, amongst other places.
In fact, one of my old landlords wanted me to help him find somewhere to buy in Lowestoft (biggish block of flats) just to skim the DSS housing money from it. Worrying times. | |
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| interesting article about lowestoft on 18:17 - Jun 5 with 2651 views | jaykay |
| interesting article about lowestoft on 13:46 - Jun 5 by C_HealyIsAPleasure |
This writer gets it
Whilst Brexit isn’t likely to be the answer to any of their problems, it isn’t hard to see why residents of towns like Lowestoft have turned that way and towards parties like Brexit and UKIP, when they haven’t been listened to and left to decline by the mainstream parties |
strange that , the money the town have had came from the e.u. nearly 5 quid million for the sunrise project |  |
| forensic experts say footers and spruces fingerprints were not found at the scene after the weekends rows |
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