The Lowestoft Journal has made a return to the town centre with a move to a new office.

The newspaper had been based just outside the centre – at Waveney Chambers – since 1997, and before that had been on London Road North for much of its 129-year history.

Now the paper has returned to a brand new office on London Road North, officially opened by comedian Norman Pace, best known as half of Hale and Pace, and former Casualty star Sandra Huggett.

The pair took time out from rehearsals for the musical A Slice of Saturday Night, which is on at the town’s Marina Theatre.

The new premises will also act as a base for district reporters for the Eastern Daily Press, as the previous office did, and there is an Internet café on the ground floor alongside a new advertising centre.

Journal editor Russell Cook said: “It’s great to move back to the heart of Lowestoft.

“We are all looking forward to a closer link to our readers and hope people will take time to come in and see us.

“We have longed to get back into the town centre, and a lot of people have been asking why we moved away. That is difficult to explain.

“But now we are back here, in the heart of the town where we wanted to be – close to the customers and the people who read the paper, and easily accessible to everyone.”

The opening was also attended by two former editors of the Lowestoft Journal, Barry Hartley, who retired in March, and Barry’s predecessor George Smallman.

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