Weather: Seaside businesses in Felixstowe cashing in on heatwave
Hundreds flock to Felixstowe beach to take advantage of the hot weather. - Credit: Archant
Visitors are certainly enjoying being beside the seaside – soaking up the sun, swimming in the sea and giving traders a welcome early season boost.
Seafront businesses in Felixstowe say the hot weather has brought an influx of daytrippers to spend time on the beach, walk the prom, sunbathe and splash in the sea.
Jonny Manning, co-owner of Manning’s Amusements, in Sea Road, Felixstowe, said the weather had brought excellent early dividends for the business.
He said: “It’s been really good and we are doing a lot better than we would otherwise – it certainly hasn’t done us any harm. The weekends have been better than the weekdays because there are a lot more people about.
“What we really want is for the heatwave to continue until the children break-up and beyond. While this has been a nice bonus for us so far, the next eight weeks are so important.”
To entice even more people to the resort, Mr Manning is negotiating with an events company to take a unit at the amusement park as their base for putting on music events, film nights, and busking competitions around the town during the summer months.
Stan Harris, of the Ocean Boulevard amusements alongside the prom in Sea Road, said: “We have been having some really good days – mostly the weekends – with ice cream sales in particular doing well.
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“We are all now keeping fingers crossed that this weather lasts for when the children break up.
“If it stayed until September there would be a lot of people saying thank you and it would be one of our best ever summers.”
Mr Harris is due to have a second kiosk opening later in the month or early next to add to the range of refreshments and goods on offer for visitors.
Andrew Rowdon, chairman of Felixstowe Chamber of Trade, said: “It’s been great. It’s bringing people down to the coast and hopefully they are using the beach, the amusements, fast food outlets, restaurants and bars and then coming up into town to do some shopping as well, making a real day of it.
“It’s good for tourism but I think it’s also good for the locals, too – lots of people are picking up their kids from school and going down to the seafront to have fun and spend some money. Fingers crossed this weather stays with us.”
