Is Felixstowe Losing Its Popularity?

Anglia TV news footage of Felixstowe's town and beach, and interviews with residents asking their opinion of how to improve Felixstowe as a tourist town.

In this sequence for Anglia Television's 'About Anglia', the opening shot is of the beach at Felixstowe followed by a shot of buildings in the town. Close up of a sign saying ‘Felixstowe Lawn Tennis Club’ and then another saying ‘Felixstowe Bowling Club.’ Shot of the seafront with a fairground visible in the background. Close up of a stall advertising chipolatas and onions and a sign on the beach saying ‘Fun for Everyone!’ Signs for candyfloss, intimate theatre, ice cream and then the rides on the beach are shown. Reporter Bob Wellings interviews a young man who says that he is not satisfied with the town’s amenities. He feels that it is a terrible waste as the authorities fail to recognize that its greatest asset is the sea and so it should be used to their advantage. Close up of a sign for the Boating Lake cafes, shopping centre and posters advertising concerts. Bob Wellings interviews a local woman who says that she wants Felixstowe to remain quiet and not loud like Blackpool. She feels Felixstowe is much more suitable for a quieter holiday as they don’t have the facilities to copy Blackpool. Close up of a sign for Hackney Carriages, Putting Green and Tennis Courts. Interview with a local man who says that he thinks the council needs to show a great deal more enterprise than they have done latterly. Shot of the beach and the sea crashing on the shore. Interview with a local boatman. He says that Felixstowe is nothing more than a glorified cemetery. He blames the council for this and says that they need jukeboxes and things to encourage young people to visit. Pans across a flower garden. Interview with the Chairman of the Town Council. Bob Wellings states that the Town Hall is often referred to as ‘The Tomb of the Living Dead.’ The Chairman believes that this is an unfair comment as they are doing all that they can to expand Felixstowe. They are spending as much money as they can on advertising and his idea of Felixstowe is that it’s a quiet place for families to visit.

Keywords

Seaside towns; Tourism.