OWNERS of one of Felixstowe’s most prominent seaside landmarks are looking for ideas to give it an exciting, bright new look.

Manning’s Amusement Park has stood on the seafront for seven decades and is an iconic structure with its twin towers, fountain, arcade and kiosks.

For the past few years it has been bright pink, but now Charlie and Jonathan Manning are planning to give it a facelift – and are appealing through the Ipswich Star for youngsters to come forward with their designs.

“It’s been pink for 12 or so years now, and the colour has not lasted too badly, especially when you think what an exposed position it is opposite the sea with salt winds, and bleached by the sun,” said Charlie Manning.

“When Duncan Bannatyne came to do his TV programme, repainting the park was one of his suggestions, but that’s not why we are doing it.

“We thought it was time for a change and it’s part of the ongoing work we are doing here to improve the facilities and make it more attractive for people to visit and enjoy.

“What we would like to do is come up with a few designs of our own, but we would love youngsters in the area to put forward their ideas, too.

“Then we could choose the three or four we like the most and then ask the public to vote to choose the best.”

It may be possible to use lighting in the new scheme – special effects, LED colours and designs.

Several years ago lights would sweep out from the top of the towers across the resort’s seafront like lighthouse beams.

Contractors are calculating how much the work will cost – two coats of paint will be 3,600sq m to cover.

“We used to do it ourselves but it’s a big project and it’s pebble-dashed so it’s quite labour intensive, so we decided to put it out to tender this time,” said Mr Manning.

? Send your ideas for the new colour scheme to Charlie Manning, Manning’s Amusement Park, Sea Road, Felixstowe, IP11 2DN.