One of Britain’s greatest sporting superstars, Sharron Davies has stepped in to take over the role of patron at the re-opened Beccles Lido after she heard about the pool’s unique community-led rescue effort on Twitter.

Her appointment comes on the heels of national recognition after the Beccles Lido team won the Prime Minister’s Big Society Award. “As a passionate supporter of swimming for the community and as a patron of many charities, but not a lido, I was thrilled to be asked to support Beccles.

“The community has really rallied around to make sure that this project has been a success. There are so few lidos left in good working order around the country and so many that close down, it’s great to be part of a group that have been recognised by the Prime Minister through his Big Society Award.”

Beccles Lido Limited is a community-run company that runs the lido as well as other Beccles facilities including Beccles Public Hall, and its director Eric Wareham welcomed Ms Davies’ support. He added that he is also searching for a patron from the world of the arts to help publicise the efforts to save Beccles Public Hall.

The group of volunteers who successfully saved Beccles’ popular outdoor swimming pool are set to repeat the trick after plans were unveiled for Beccles Lido Limited to take over the running of Beccles Public Hall.

The Hall, which hosts live entertainment and community events, was threatened with closure after council funding was cut, but now, fresh from their successful reopening of the outdoor pool, Beccles Lido Limited are set to bring their dedicated community spirit to bear.

Councillor Stephen Ardley, Conservative, told the BBC: “The lido group’s robust financial planning and proven ability to deliver grant funding places the long-term future of the hall in very safe hands.”

The Lido group issued a statement saying that it would “deliver a prime, quality, accessible and well maintained leisure service in Beccles for the benefit of all”.

With many community assets under threat due to lack of funding, voluntary groups are taking up the slack, helping to maintain unique facilities like Beccles’ Lido and now the Public Hall. To get in touch with Beccles Lido Limited and see if you can help, visit their site at www.beccleslido.com

Justin Hawkins, frontman of platinum selling Lowestoft rockers the Darkness, has taken time out from a hectic recording schedule to discuss his plans for the future, including a musical based on the history of Lowestoft’s fishing industry.

Hawkins is busily putting the finishing touches on the Darkness’s third album, but in an interview with the Toronto Sun, he revealed that he has already written three songs for a musical currently titled The Collapse of the Lowestoft Fishing Industry.

Hawkins told the Toronto Sun: “The main character has lost his throat to cancer so you have to sing all the songs in a voicebox. Something I’ve always wanted to do is a musical but, you know, musical from beginning to end, not like a musical of our songs horned into a storyline.”

Sadly, Hawkins’ Lowestoft-themed musical has been firmly on the back-burner for a while now, with the singer admitting: “I’ve got about three of the songs for it and the storyline but that’s the stage it’s been at since 1995. Don’t know if I’ll ever get around to finishing it.”

With the Darkness’ third album nearing completion and predicted to be one of the year’s top sellers, Hawkins is unlikely to have the time to finish it any time soon, but – as the existence of an internationally successful rock band from Lowestoft proves – stranger things have happened.

With the country facing financial crisis and many local areas finding it hard to cope, everybody is an armchair pundit nowadays, and political discussion has become a part of everyday life

But if you want to take your views and ideas to a wider audience, the BBC’s Any Questions programme offers you a chance to ask a question and influence the debate.

The programme will be recorded at Sir John Leman High School on Friday 2nd March 2012, and free tickets are still available. The debate is likely to be lively, so if you’ve got strong views, this is your chance to make yourself heard.

Presented by Jonathan Dimbleby, the Any Questions programme focuses on local and national politics, as well as media issues, and is a great way to get original ideas into the public discussion.

To get a free ticket for the recording, call 01502 713 223 or email pauline@sjlhs.suffolk.sch.uk

A new BBC2 series celebrating Britain’s railways kicked off with an episode featuring a journey from Great Yarmouth to Beccles.

Great British Railway Journeys, presented by former MP Michael Portillo, sees the ex-politician travelling on some of the country’s most historic routes and exploring local communities.

Arriving in Beccles, Portillo delved into the town’s unique history, including a visit to a graveyard to uncover the grisly trade in corpses, sent to London by train for dissection. With a copy of Bradshaw’s trusty rail almanac, Portillo made a point of celebrating some of the unique features of this historic line, including the beautiful Reedham swing bridge.

Future episodes will see Portillo follow the Great Eastern line from East Anglia into London, but one thing’s for sure – nothing is going to rival the delights of Beccles.

A Beccles couple who met playing bowls tied the knot at St Luke’s Church on New Year’s day.

Vera Lawrence, 93, and Bob Whittle, 84, tied the knot after a 33 year romance that began on the bowling green. Mr Whittle told the BBC that “I fell in love with ther the first day I saw her at the bowls hall – we knew instantly that we were a pair.”

Ms Lawrence was the one who decided to make the pair’s 33 year romance official. She told the BBC that “I think I proposed – I said ‘shall we get married and put things straight’, he said why not?”

The couple, who have a combined age of 177, are foregoing a honeymoon abroad, preferring instead to celebrate their marriage by staying in Beccles.

This New Year in Beccles, why not see in the new year in style with a gourmet dinner at one of the town’s unbeatable restaurants?

With several Beccles eateries laying on special New Year’s celebrations in Beccles, we thought it was high time we showed you a few of the best.

The Gillingham Swan are holding a New Years Eve Disco with Karaoke, Fancy Dress with fantastic prizes for the best fancy dress, Tequila Girls serving shots and Champagne, along with a delicious buffet, so you can eat, then party, then enjoy the buffet!

Beccles Wine Vaults are offering a sumptuous evening’s entertainment, featuring a live performance from local legend Mark Anthony.

And thatís not all: The Swan House has released a glimpse of its gourmet New Year’s Menu. With so much to choose from it’s high time you started thinking about where you’re going to spend your Beccles New Year’s Eve.