News in Felixstowe

Christina Johnston announced on her live stream that she would be doing a real outdoor concert 'Opera in the Park' at Wherstead Park, I knew it would be worth the two-hour drive. Add to that the fact that it would be my first real concert in nearly five months, and it didn't take too much persuading for me to book.

Arriving at the entrance to the venue, I waited for one couple in front of me to check-in, then was greeted by a lady wearing a large face visor, who asked my name. She found me easily on her list and cheerfully informed me that I had the best seat in 'the house' – front row nearest the stage.

GCSE results come out this week, some children will be changing schools in a few weeks and parents in Felixstowe will be experiencing

Nub News wants to make sure youngsters feel calm about what lies ahead so former teacher Catherine Lynch of education resources and lesson-planning experts PlanBee has ten top tips.

I got bored very early on in these very strange and terrifying times with the go to slogans STAY AT HOME, SAVE LIVE, SUPPORT the NHS etc etc.

Well quite frankly, if you didn't understand that message early on and the dire consequences of not adhering to it, then clearly you never would.

A Suffolk man who came close to throwing himself off the Orwell Bridge has sent a heartfelt message to mark the kindness theme during national Mental Health Awareness Week.

Insurance advisor Connor Sams' wrote a powerful personal testimony describing how he was driven to despair but was prevented from committing suicide and that in turn helped dozens of people get in touch with and mental health professionals to seek support.

Outstanding AONB Newspapers: Available online.

Suffolk Coast and Heaths

With the current restrictions in place families and friends are finding it even harder to say goodbye to their loved ones. Crematoriums and grave side services are now limited to a minimum number of mourners. But with the use of modern technology, families and friends can now be involved in the service from the comfort of their own homes no matter where in the world they are.

Using platforms such as Skype, Zoom, Facebook and YouTube, Funeral directors are able to stream services live direct to families. Most crematoriums have the ability to do this using the in-house media system, but streaming isn't as easy for those families wanting to give their loved one a graveside service.

There seems to be little sign of the current lock down restrictions being lifted any time soon and after the initial few weeks of adjustment, wrapping our heads around the changes to our daily lives, many of us in the Felixstowe area will be experiencing feelings of isolation, loss of control and frustration.

While technology has enabled us to keep in touch with others and share our feelings, this may also be a good time to communicate with ourselves.

The Coronavirus has taken the world by storm. It's forced millions of people to remain at home and thousands of businesses to change their working practises by moving to remote working or simply shutting up shop, including many on the Felixstowe peninsula.

An unexpected and unwelcome side-effect of the crisis has been the sharp rise in the number of business owners who have suddenly been left with unoccupied properties.