A new date has been announced for a special heritage event celebrating a popular factory that once employed more than 1,000 people in Lowestoft.

Originally planned as part of the Lowestoft Heritage Open days festival, but postponed following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, two events have now been rescheduled.

Highlighting the former CWS Canning Factory, the ‘Prepared by the Shore, Sold by the Store’ event will feature a special exhibition, film screenings, memorabilia and lots of memories as it runs from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, October 15 in the Parcels Office Exhibition Space at Lowestoft railway station.

Organised by the Central England Co-operative's Membership and Community Council, the day is a chance to celebrate and reminisce about the former CWS Canning Factory, based on Waveney Drive and Riverside Road from 1932 through to its eventual demolition in 2000.

All are welcome to join the free event, especially former factory employees, as the team shared how the Co-operative movement continues to play a vital role in Lowestoft - with any memorabilia sought from those connected with the factory.

After opening in 1932, occupying part of the former Maconochie Bros site, the CWS factory grew considerably manufacturing a host of food products including the Waveney Brand which were sold across the UK, the movement also owned the former Rogerson Hall holiday centre near Corton for use by Co-op employees.

The Central England Co-op was formed following a series of mergers with the original Beccles Co-op and Lowestoft Co-op Societies (later Waveney Co-op and then Anglia Regional Co-op) forming part of the group.

As part of the celebrations, a specially produced booklet featuring a history of the factory will be available free of charge to those attending.

A special talk by historians Ivan Bunn and David Butcher has also been rescheduled to take place at the railway station Parcels Office at 2.30pm on Sunday, October 9.

Lowestoft Relocated is a fascinating illustrated lecture on how the town moved from an original island site onto the clifftop during the first half of the 14th century and explores what prompted this radical change.

Both events are being staged by kind permission of the Wherry Lines Community Rail Partnership and the Lowestoft Central Project and are free for the public to enjoy with no need to book.