It may have seemed a strange candidate for the BBC's 2004 Restoration programme. A concrete bunker on the shores of the Deben Estuary overlooking a quiet shingle beach on the East coast of Suffolk; perhaps not exactly everyone’s idea of architectural interest. But what Bawdsey Radar Station lacks in design finesse is more than made up for by its historical importance and indeed impact on the eventual outcome of World War II.

While today occupants of what is now known as Blythview tend to be holiday visitors enjoying the pool facilities, the beauty of the Blyth valley and the beach at Southwold there was a time when these buildings served a very different purpose and those that occupied them had very little satisfaction from their surroundings

England’s ancient Poor Laws brought violent reaction from some of our forefathers.

Nearly sixty-five years ago, in the summer of 1943, B17F Flying Fortresses belonging to the 390th. Bomb Group USAAF, roared off from their base at Framlingham in the middle of the tranquil Suffolk countryside. On each aircraft four 1200 h.p. radial engines strained against the load they were carrying. Their mission: to fly high above the German heartland and unleash their bombs on a merciless enemy. It was their duty to return home safely, but not all made it back from their perilous journey.

Since time immemorial, coastal areas of eastern England have been inundated repeatedly. Storm winds have raised sea levels and generated huge waves. Coastal defences have failed. Agricultural land has been flooded. People and their livestock have perished.

Along the coast of eastern England from the Humber to the Thames, there have been many failures of coastal defences.

A Walk around Orford.

Without doubt a really delightful and fascinating village, Orford has retained almost all its historic charm, despite its failing fortunes over the centuries and some not terribly attractive house building over the last twenty years.

A single row of assorted cottages stands sentinel against the ravages of the North Sea whose wild and wondrous waves crash relentlessly against the shifting shingle bank. Here the Alde and Ore estuary reaches the sea, its eastern bank a narrow shingle spit running northwards past Orford to Aldeburgh.

Despite sometimes alluded to as The Esplanade or The Parade, the main path that runs, with its continuations, for some 2 miles at the very edge of Aldeburgh's beach is modestly called Crag Path. Dame Millicent Fawcett, the campaigner for women's suffrage born in Aldeburgh in 1847, says it was not always called that. In her autobiographical 'What I Remember' she wrote, "I remember walking along the crag path at Aldeburgh - we always resisted with vehemence any Cockney attempt to call it The Esplanade, The Parade, or any such name."

Southwold, more than any other seaside resort, seems to epitomise the spirit of the pre-war British holiday. It has some of the country's best beach huts and today is certainly the No. 1 destination for holidaymakers heading for the Suffolk Coast.

In the Edwardian era and in the years following the First World War, the sight of people of both sexes in bathing costumes had become acceptable. However, changing in public was still frowned upon and could result in a fine.

Not the top destination on the Suffolk Coast, probably as there is no beach - but Orford is certainly the 'most charming and interesting.' Orford Quay is a fascinating, and quite busy, focal point for sailors, fishermen and boat trips. Today there is a fine fresh fish stall, a tea rooms with a lovely verandah giving super river views and a jetty from which one can take excellent river and coastal trips on the Lady Florence.