Bognor Pavilion '“ a landmark that can't be forgotten

It was situated in West Street, at the northern end of Waterloo Square on a site that for a number of years was adjacent to the Merchant Taylors Convalescent Home.

In fact, there was a small road linking West Street and Crescent Road. At the end of the first world war seaplanes were no longer required in such numbers, and, because of a number of cancelled orders, the Norman Thompson Seaplane Factory in Middleton-on-Sea, became redundant.

As a result, the hangers became available for purchase.

I came across a report by a Mr Gibbs who stated that he went to look at 'aeroplane sheds belonging to the Norman Thompson Flight Company, and there was a particular one for sale at 1,000'.

In 1921, Bognor Urban District Council bought the largest and had it re-erected at the north of Waterloo Square and this became the popular Pavilion.

In the April, 1923, edition of the Observer & West Sussex Recorder, there is a detailed description of the '˜new' pavilion by Oswald A Bridges, the engineer and surveyor of the Bognor Urban District Council, in which he recalls that 'Bognor is one of the few towns which have benefited by the purchase and adaptation of buildings used in the Great War'.

The council had originally considered having a pavilion in the town in 1914, on newly-purchased property near the Rock Buildings.

The 1923 newspaper report stated that the building measured 173 feet in width and 142 feet in length and contained 23,900 square feet of floor space.

It could seat 3,500 people in comfort and had a ballroom for 1,500 people with the best dance floor in the south of England.

From conversations I have held with local people, it would also appear that when the dances were at their height, the majority of Bognor residents met their partners there '“ where do they go today?

The Pavilion continued to be popular until 1948, especially with its party catering, when disaster struck.

On July 12, a fire started in the base of one of the towers, and it spread to the right side of the roof before the fire brigade managed to get it under control.

The town's people, who could not believe what was happening, watched in amazement.

One 15-year-old boy, who, while returning from school in Chichester by train, recalled seeing the black smoke from Barnham station, wrote in his diary: 'At 4 o'clock the Bognor Pavilion caught fire, after school I went to watch it. Terrific lot of flames. Hundreds of people watching. I helped to clear things away from the Pavilion. Firemen got it under control about 5.30pm.'

For the next 16 months there were many discussions with the council on the future of the Pavilion including a reconstruction scheme costing in the region of 76,000.

However none of the plans came to fruition and eventually it was sold, prior to its demolition in 1949.

Other features in the area that evoke memories include the boating pool, built in the shape of England and Wales.

The Marchioness of Cambridge first visited the town in 1929 and bought a property in Craigweil. She was accompanied by her daughter, Lady Mary Cambridge, when she opened this pool on April 12, 1937.

The first model yacht to be launched was named Lady Mary.

The pool was named the Princess Elizabeth Boating Pool and was enjoyed by children for many years. The pool, in the shape of England and Wales, was actually a council enterprise to celebrate King George VI's coronation and the marchioness planted a maple tree to commemorate this event.

Even in 1937 there was vandalism as the first tree was destroyed by children and had to be replaced, by Mr Seymour, whose premises overlooked the pool and he felt he was able to keep an eye on his tree, which survived until 1962 when Crescent Road was widened.

By May 1947, the town council was to become involved in detailed discussions on the future of the boating lake, and it was dubbed the '˜council's unwanted baby'. Numerous schemes were put forward, including replacing it with a bowling green, which a council official said, '˜was already one of the biggest attractions and brought thousands of good-class visitors to the town'.

Another suggestion was a '˜scheme for decoration with coloured lights' whatever that meant.

It was meant to '˜add to the prospect of the Pavilion and keep up the appearance of the locality'.

The council was instructing the park's superintendent to clean and refill the pool on a regular basis, and advising that a temporary attendant should be appointed for the summer season.

A playground was set aside elsewhere in the Pavilion gardens, which was opened in July 1966 by Mr Frank Phillips, a former councillor who was chairman of the park committee. Bognor Regis Council's park committee had been responsible for this playground being built and maintained.

After the opening ceremony, Mr Phillips inspected the nearby, almost derelict, sunken garden with a view to converting the former lily pond into a children's paddling pool.

Sadly this never came about. In addition there was also a smaller yachting pool, around a roofed seating area in the southwest corner of the Pavilion grounds.

By the 1970s, the main pool had been neglected by all the boys with their boats, and it soon became the resting place for rubbish.

The council completely renovated the pool and it was used from the summer of 1979, this time mainly by children who used to paddle there, but shopping trolleys gradually replaced them.

The pool, which had contained 31,400 gallons of water, was closed and covered by a car park, thus taking away children's enjoyment of the water, and the ability to race around the map of England, looking at the names of seaside resorts captured in small coloured tiles.

As time passed children's aspirations and ideas changed.

Their interest in sailing boats diminished and the pool fell into disrepair and neglect.

By the 1980s, it had become a waterless receptacle for shopping trolleys and rubbish and eventually succumbed to the changing fashions and was filled in. The area became one of the increasing numbers of car parks.

Today the children's play area is near by and is a modern construction complete with safety features, and seating.

Therefore, there is still an area for children and parents to enjoy, albeit in a different location from the boating lake, which was to delight thousands of Bognor children and one that seems to evoke so many memories.