I came to Felixstowe in the late 1950s with my parents. Dad got a job here and we lived in Butley Road.

I thought it was wonderful because I’d grown up in London and was used to crowds and concrete everywhere. Here I had the sea on one side and trees and woods all around, it was beautiful.

Doreen Rayner

Even now I wouldn’t like to live too far from Felixstowe because I’ve got so many friends here.

When I arrived in Felixstowe the port was a small dock and rail company, and I worked there for a while. The dock has really grown and there is a lot more traffic these days.
We used to cycle everywhere when I was young. Sea Road was pretty much pedestrianised when I got here and you used to be able to hire bikes where you’d sit side by side. There used to be a thousand more beach huts, and you could hire pedalos. You don’t see many people in the sea these days.

The beach huts went 20 years ago and the land along the south seafront is derelict. There are some plans to build 157 houses and flats on it, but I think its prime recreation land. There should be some free recreation facilities for young people, like play areas and pitches so they can kick a ball around. I know there’s a sports centre but you have to pay.

I’ve always been interested in local history and Charles Matthews the town clerk in the 60s asked if anyone would help to set up a museum. My husband and I helped form a history society and we worked towards providing a museum for the town. We worked with English Heritage to preserve Landguard Fort and we were given rooms in an annexe next to the fort for the museum.

Samuel Durrant Wall who was born in 1880 had been the town’s historian. He died in 1977 and because I’d always been interested in the town’s history I was given all of his papers and decided to write a book. The first book was called "Walton-cum-Felixstowe".

So I spoke to lots of people who’d grown up in Walton at the turn of 20th century, and their childhood memories became the second book "More about Walton-cum-Felixstowe". (These two books have now been re-printed, with additional information, under the title of "Under One Umbrella".)

I’ve also written a book on Landguard Fort and that includes memories and photos from people who served there. I’m still writing it, but this time I’m working on something a bit different. My new book is written in the first person and I’m a character living in the 18th century. It’s going to be based on real people but I’m using my imagination and writing about what I think they did. It’s going to be a much bigger book than I’ve ever done before.

I’m quite disciplined and I try to write two hours a day but of course research takes a lot of time. I go to the record office, and the internet is a marvellous resource. I also love buying old reference books. I’ve got to get things like the fashions in the 18th century right otherwise someone will pull me up on it!