Growing up, Felixstowe was the place to go for a beach day, chips, or an evening out of the house, but so much has now changed.
I would still go to Felixstowe for all of those things, rain or shine, but in a different way now.
Revisiting the town as an adult, and much more regularly now than I have in the last five years, the things I want to do haven't changed, but the places themselves have.
Here's a trip down memory lane of some of the most significant differences.
Mini Golf
A real birthday treat was the Harry 'Putter'-themed mini golf in the back of Mannings.
I spent many birthday evenings teeing up to try and beat my family, always inevitably losing - as I still do.
It was an experience that made you feel like you weren't in Felixstowe, from the crashed car, to the gorilla hand in the hole to the exotic animal-themed final course, it was fantastic.
The mini golf was renovated last year to fit a different theme, and now sits on just one level.
It follows a 1980s New York theme, letting you pick between two different courses.
The new course is great, and if I'm being really honest, Harry 'Putter' probably needed an update, but it has lost that element of immediate nostalgia for me.
Mannings
Mannings itself has also changed considerably in the last 20 years.
It was a bright 2p-machine centric attraction, the perfect place to compete with my brother on who could win the most trinkets from the slot machines.
Over the course of growing up, Mannings installed new single-ride machines, original slots and continued on the tradition of the half-broken air rifle game as you walked in.
The carpets were stained with years of happy memories and footsteps to the booth to ask for 2ps in exchange for the £2 mum gave us.
Then the amusements had a massive overhaul, machines were updated, the venue was renovated and the carpets replaced.
It now serves as an eye-catching seafront attraction in a different way. It's up to date with the times, and all the machines work.
Pier
The pier has significantly changed from when I grew up.
After being refurbished in a multi-million-pound project in 2017, the attraction, along with Martello Park, was completely different from my childhood memories.
Originally, it donned a white and red exterior and captured everything that ingrained it as a slice of 2000s nostalgia in my head.
Now, it has been modernised and has become a hotspot for tourists and families.
This paper previously reported that Stan Threadwell, whose family owned the pier for 50 years, said they recognised many years ago that the landmark had become “tired and old and needed updating,” but it was a long process to bring their plans to fruition.
Felixstowe is just as great now as it was 20 years ago, and a gem to have on our doorstep.
The changes have only made the town more attractive to those visiting, and times have to move on, but I will keep those fond memories.
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