While visitors to the resort may be dwindling after the summer season, there is still plenty for the good people of Felixstowe to enjoy at the pier's Boardwalk Café Bar.

Felixstowe Nub News is delighted to welcome the Boardwalk Cafe Bar as its new What's On page sponsor as we help get their message across from today.

Tom Evans, general manager of the Boardwalk has put on a series events for the community to get involved with, including the first Meet Up Monday at the venue, beach clean group events with Felixstowe Litter Free, live music featuring singers and bands from the area, and collaborating with Felixstowe's Helping hands and Suffolk Mind.

There are also plans to hold one off creative events in the afternoons, such as the history of gin, wine tasting, knit and natter, and (fittingly for the ship like cafe bar) bridge club sessions.

"Holiday makers are our bread and butter during the summer and that is fabric for the area," said Tom, a former cruise ship dancer and entertainment manager. "Felixstowe is on the rise, with so much happening. there is so much development and so much good stuff coming into the area.

"Through the winter months the community is our breadwinner, and that is something going into 2022 which is going to be my main focus and drive.

"it is about bringing that community back and how we develop that with events, performances or just being a space for the community."

Tom has already reached out to community groups in Felixstowe and said: "We will be working with Felixstowe's helping hands supporting their beach cleans, Rural Coffee Caravan's Meet Up Mondays starting on Monday November 15, not many places do it in Felixstowe now, so that is good.

"We are partnering with Suffolk Mind to offer an afternoon space, so people can talk about mental health awareness and how that may have changed due to Covid."

Another confirmed event is on November 21 with Debbie Bartlett's Litter Free Felixstowe group celebrating their anniversary on the deck area, with free tea and coffee bacon rolls, singing after a morning litter picking.

Tom's cunning plan is to encourage residents of the resort to become regulars to the Boardwalk all year round, where everyone will know their name.

"These events should all hopefully attract the community and allow us to become a place people can come in knowing someone," said Tom. "They can either come in and make new friends or just enjoy the place."

Given its location on the pier, fabulous views out to the North Sea with the gentle or crashing waves, depending on the weather, and the array of passing ships day and night, along with stunning sunsets, the Boardwalk is fairly unique.

Tom said: "We are not trying to be a fancy restaurant, or a traditional pub because there are plenty of great pubs out there in Felixstowe.

"We are positioning ourselves in the middle. People can come in, get a drink, watch the waves and have a meal with the family."

While the Boardwalk can be bustling, especially with the many groups expected, there is still room for a piece of solitude and relaxation watching the sailing world go by.

Tom points out that one of the Boardwalk's regulars is a lady that likes to snuggle into a corner with a good book and a glass of wine in safe solitude.

"It is a wonderful accolade to the bar that she feels comfortable in doing that," said Tom.

The Boardwalk Café Bar opens at 9am and closes at 10pm on Sunday, Monday Tuesdays but as late as midnight on other nights when the bar turns chameleon-like into a night venue with the occasional live music or disco nights.

Tom said: "We tend to attract that middle age crowd and have fewer younger people, although they are very welcome, but they tend to go to Beach Street and that seems to be working for everyone.

"We are probably more ABBA than Grime but we are open for all."

This Thursday, November 11, the Boardwalk will be giving the microphone over to one of their own, Charlie, who Tom describe as having 'a beautiful voice, very countryesque, like a Lady Antebellum'.

He added: "My aim is to bring more local acts in, I would rather use someone locally that does it almost as a hobby and pay them as given my background I don't believe in free entertainment, instead of pulling someone down from Scarborough."

Karl Hancock, Nub News chief executive, said: "The Boardwalk Café Bar, on Felixstowe Pier, complements our community ethos with its wide range of activities aimed at residents and visitors from afar."

Live music with Charlie at the Boardwalk

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