I just love walking along empty seasides in bad weather — for some reason they just fill me with so much happiness.
We took a 40 minute drive along the South-East coast to Bognor Regis on a visit to some returned British friends we made in Spain. This is a very run-down, small town filled with Georgian and Victorian decaying old grandeur — which I adore.
Bognor is one of the oldest recorded Anglo-Saxon place names in Sussex. In a document of 680 AD it is referred to as Bucgan ora meaning Bucge’s (a female Anglo-Saxon name) shore, or landing place. Bognor Regis was originally named just “Bognor,” being a fishing (and smuggling) village. In the 18th century it was converted into a resort by Sir Richard Hotham who tried in vein to rename it Hothampton.
King George V bestowed the suffix “Regis” (“of the King”) on Bognor in 1929 when his physicians recommended he convalesce there to recover from lung surgery. The King, when pestered with petitions for the town while undergoing his treatment, was said to have uttered the line: “Oh! Bugger Bognor!” — which has never been forgotten.
In 1959 Butlins (who ran affordable holiday camps for the British working classes) opened their resort here. It declined in the 70s but started to make a bit of a come-back this decade with the “staycation” trend to holiday at home. It was hoped that these would be a way out of Dismaland (see my blogs on Banksy’s Dismaland). Seaside resorts are not popular with young adults; many have no wonderful childhood memories of them like us oldies — and prefer music festivals, or active holidays such mountaineering or trampolining in disused Welsh mines. Butlins have launched vintage weekend raves which seem to be gaining in popularity though. Recent immigrants to Blighty, have opted to live near cheaper seaside towns like this, in the South’s warmer climes. Polish shops have started opening up next to ye olde rock shoppes, so the fashion of the British seaside is once again changing.
That put me in mind of childhood holidays in Cornwall. Cornish ice cream, sticks of rock and days when it was so windy you had to be careful when you went out.
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When I saw the Royal Hotel all I could think was condos. I love old buildings and that is one way to save them. It looked like a really nice day–very atmospheric.
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Yes seasides tend to be boom and bust – very expensive to do up when they are ornate.
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Such nostalgic images, and interesting titbits. Experienced a Butlins holiday once!
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I always wanted to go – but we always went camping – Swanage usually.
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I’m no where near the ocean right now, but after reading your post and enjoying your photos I can nearly smell the salt air. There’s a vivid grittiness about all these photos, but I think my favorites are your shot of the merry-go-round and the last one of the rock shoppe. Personally, I love gloomy days at the beach, because I don’t have to fight the crowds. It’s sad though to see wonderful buildings fall into disrepair.
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It is very sad to see good building fall into disrepair – there are whole websites about it. I tend to like it though Mother Nature reclaiming her elements from Man.
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Lovely post. I have a friend who visits Bognor all the time and now I can imagine her there.
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Wow! So many picture to take there. 🙂
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Excellent photos in dubious weather
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And we certainly have a lot of dubious weather ….
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I love decaying old grandeur too. (Maybe because I myself am getting on a bit?) Though I do feel sad when old buildings are just left to fall apart.
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What is the famous novel set in Bognor? I thought it was… Villette but i think now that was mostly France.
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Jane Austen’s unfinished novel Sanditon was said to have portrayed Bognor and a character like Sir Richard Hotham. Must find out more about it.
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I’ve never read Sanditon. I must.
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I did something similar in Great Yarmouth 🙂
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Just checked it out – wonderful – Did it fill you with happiness too?
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Thanks a lot! It evoked some wonderful memories of when my daughter was a tot, but I’m the sort who always likes mooching round exploring. Nothing makes me happier 🙂
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lovely set.. you’ve captured some melancholy in that place… I especially love the third photo, with the piers going into the water…
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