Bognor's museum is opened up to mark 50th anniversary

The local history society members have begun their 13th '“ and last '“ season at the current town museum.

Special attractions include displays to mark the 50th anniversary of the Butlins holiday resort and 150 years of a Bognor bank borrowed from the town's branch of NatWest.

Vivienne Salmon, one of the helpers who staffs the museum, said: "It will obviously be a little bit sad to leave the present museum because it's a cosy little place but we have to look to the future.

"A permanent site for the museum is far better for future generations and the new building has lots more space."

The first visitors to the museum this year were Bognor's town mayor, Cllr Eileen Anderson, and Arun District Council chairman Don Ayling. They jointly performed the opening ceremony last Saturday Hove residents Veronica and Tony Dawes were close behind.

They wrote in the visitors' book: "So interesting '“ great memories."

Jenny and David Marks, from Hertfordshire, stated: "Fantastic displays. Keep up the good work."

The museum will stay open at the High Street premises until its usual closing date of late October.

It is estimated some 11,000 visitors are expected to have enjoyed its displays by then.

Work is meanwhile continuing on the new museum building on West Street to make it ready for its public opening next spring.

The premises were bought with a 270,000 donation from Bongor resident Jenny Jones after they were last used as a pub last May.

Final decisions have yet to be made by the local history society about the exhibits in the new home. Likely to be transferred from the current rented building is the high street of replica shopfronts and the Ron Simpson wireless museum dedicated to the former member who died last summer.

The 288 square metres of internal space is three to four times the size of the existing museum to allow more scope for displays.

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