The Knowhere Guide

Local Heroes in Southwold, Suffolk*

Southwold, Suffolk Famous Residents

Cringing Cult of Celebrity (Famous residents and ex-residents.)

• Geoffrey Palmer lurks around a lot (unmistakeable face). Also Liz Smith (Royle family), Richard Curtis, Emma Freud, Geoff Hoon MP, Janet Gershlick (short, manic author/talk radio presenter: but then you'd only recognise if you heard her talking), James Nesbit (has house inland a bit), Martin Bell (visits often, always in a white suit), Julie Myerson (journalist & writes scary books) and Paul Heiney (Watchdog) & Libby Purves (author, journalist, R4, married to Paul Heiney & lives in nearby village). Also Doc Cox (used to be on That's Life till the BBC found out he was also the songwriter Ivor Biggun) regularly visits Southwold Books to say hello to the cat.
• i think rowan atkinson kinda has a house or something
• Far too many 'celebrities' from London. Wish they would stay there!
• P.D. James, renowned crime fiction writer, is living just opposite the market place, near the Norwich building society (or whatever it is) building. Her novels are very often set in Suffolk, and her autobiography is naturally also full of local allusions and staff, including pictures of the Cathedral of the Marshes at nearby Blythburgh.
• George Orwell, real name Eric Blair, used to live as a child and teenager in the house next to the fish and chip shop - the one with the garden. A surprisingly small and ordinary house. Clement Frued lives in Walberswick - wonders if he's pals with Michael Palin?
• Loads of people stay at the The White Horse hotel. My girlfriend saw most of the cast of eastenders and Chris Evens in one weekend
• Michael Palin's parents live(d ?) here.
• michael palin lives in walberswick.

Buskers, Street Entertainers

• Thats my friend's dad you'rre talking about!!! Hi Gerry, keep on playing that whistle!
• There's a guy who spends his time eating whats left in the Pier bins and riding around on a rusty old bike (They have it good in Southwold)
• A pissed ex-vicar if I am correct playing the same sodding tune on the flute for the last 200 years!

The Knowhere Guide started out as a list of places to skateboard in the UK. It is a compilation of (unedited) information and views supplied by users like yourself. It is not a conventional tourist guide!

In most cases, the information in each section has been submitted by more than one contributor (the credits at the bottom of the page list some, but not all, of the contributors) and some of it dates back to the 1970s.

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Have Your Say...

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Credits

Last updated: 2008-05-15