October 2024 in review: Garden centre set to shut, world’s first pink tan launched and £90K game show win

We take a look back on some of the biggest news stories from October 2024…The month started with some sad news for many when Dobbies, located inside Tesco Extra on Campbell’s Meadow, announced it would be closing down by the end of the year.It was one of 17 of the company’s garden centres to shut its doors after the chain’s restructuring plan labelled it as “unprofitable”.

But for some, things looked up in the business world as the step-mum and son duo behind beauty brand Gray’s Norfolk teamed up with a TikTok star to launch what they claim as the world’s first pink fake tan.Cain Gray, 21, and Lilli Gray, 32, who live in West Lynn, launched ‘Glowjob’ after Lilli had a health scare from a sunbed complicationThe pair unveiled ‘Baked Barbs’ – a pink-based fake tanning mousse in collaboration with TikTok star Charly Anne which is said to correct veiny skin and hide the green and yellow hues -thousands of pounds worth were sold in the first week.

Later in the month, a new coastal boardwalk running through the natural scenery at Brancaster was opened. The million-pound 2km project was made accessible by Norfolk County Council with ramps, rest points, handrails and a non-slip surface installed so many more people could enjoy it.Cllr Andrew Jamieson, deputy leader of Norfolk County Council and the chair of Norfolk’s National Trails Partnership, said: “We looked carefully at the design to make sure it’s sympathetic to the surrounding environment. It was equally important to make it accessible to the widest range of people.”

Despite there being plenty of good news to share, just days after, a bar and restaurant in Setchey was hit with a fire which they would later say left them “deeply saddened”. Fire crews spent three hours putting out the blaze at The Warehouse Taproom Bar and Restaurant on Garage Lane after it broke out at 8.03pm.The flames were said to be devastating and the business remains closed to this day, although the nearby antiques centre is still open.

In the same week, tributes were paid to 30-year-old Kenneth Kusel, a builder from Lynn who died in August.He was described as “a special kind of person” who was the “life and soul of the party” in a tribute from his friends. An inquest at Norfolk Coroners’ Court concluded that the former King Edward VII (KES) High School student’s death was “unascertained” and they weren’t able to determine the exact cause.

The end of the month left off on a higher note for one Downham plumbing lecturer after she won £90,000 on a popular game show.Livvi Hodges, 31, who works at the Anglia Training Centre at Lynn’s College of West Anglia (CWA), earned the top prize on Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel which aired on BBC One.She decided to put some of the money towards supporting Downham Town FC Girls Youth – which she helped set up earlier in the year.

“It was just the most surreal feeling,” she said.“I just remember all I wanted to do was cry. I was hugging Richard (Madeley) and Michael, everyone was so nice.“Afterwards, Robbie (Williams) came up to me and he was such a nice person, he was asking me about the football team.”