Publications
Bognor Regis Festival of Local History, by Sylvia Endacott and Shirley Lewis, published 2003 (booklet) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 15383] & West Sussex Libraries
Reflections of Bognor Regis, by Sylvia Endacott and Shirley Lewis, published 30 April 2007 (128 pp., The History Press, ISBN-10: 0752442996 & ISBN-13: 9780752442990) accessible at: West Sussex Libraries
Butlin's: 75 Years of Fun!, by Sylvia Endacott and Shirley Lewis, published 1 March 2011 (128 pp., The History Press, ISBN-10: 0752458639 & ISBN-13: 9780752458632) accessible at: West Sussex Libraries
Abstract:After successfully developing a series of funfairs, Billy Butlin progressed to opening holiday centres and hotels across the UK to provide families with an inexpensive but entertaining holiday. Over the years these centres first expanded and then declined in number due to changes in our preferences for types of holiday. Now boasting spa hotels, the resorts are very different from the chalets of yesteryear. However, the original slogan 'Our True Intent is all for Your Delight' is fondly remembered by all of the original holidaymakers, whether they enjoyed one trip to a holiday centre or still make an annual pilgrimage with their families.
This nostalgic selection of images, many published here for the first time, illustrates the history of the various camps and hotels, including all of the things we associate with this most British of establishments. From Redcoats to water worlds, and from the Glamorous Grandmothers competitions to National Talent contests, this book provides an enjoyable and nostalgic trip down memory lane for all who know and love Butlin's, allowing us a glimpse into the social history of this quintessential British holiday.
This nostalgic selection of images, many published here for the first time, illustrates the history of the various camps and hotels, including all of the things we associate with this most British of establishments. From Redcoats to water worlds, and from the Glamorous Grandmothers competitions to National Talent contests, this book provides an enjoyable and nostalgic trip down memory lane for all who know and love Butlin's, allowing us a glimpse into the social history of this quintessential British holiday.
Bognor Regis: Then & Now, by Sylvia Endacott and Shirley Lewis, published 1 October 2012 (96 pp., The History Press, ISBN-10: 075248284X & ISBN-13: 9780752482842) accessible at: West Sussex Libraries
Abstract:Transformed by Sir Richard Hotham to a seaside resort in the 18th century, Bognor Regis is one of the most well known seaside towns in the entire British Isles. This new title from renowned local authors Sylvia Endacott and Shirley Lewis delves deep into the town's past, comparing rare archive photographs of Bognor's most famous locations over the last 200 years to the same scenes of today, showing how much or how little has changed. From Hotham Park House and The Ship Inn to the Esplanade Theatre and Waterloo Square, Bognor Regis Then & Now captures the essence of the town and its people, detailing the evolution of the town over the years in a comprehensive and unique new way. With detailed and informative captions accompanying each pairing of photographs, this evocative new volume will awaken nostalgic memories for all who know and love this iconic seaside resort.
Review by John Wickens in Sussex Family Historian vol. 21 no. 3, September 2014:An interesting selection of old postcards and photographs, old and new, form the backbone of this book. The two authors both worked at Butlins and are longstanding members of the Local History Society. Sylvia Endacott has also written a separate book about Butlins. Subject matters include shopping streets and squares, prominent buildings such as Hotham Park House, inns, churches, bus and rail stations and the Pier. The outlying areas of Aldwick, Pagham, Felpham, Elmer and Bersted also get a mention. The street scenes depicted on the old postcards and sepia photos are real period pieces and help to show how the town has changed over the last 150 years-not necessarily for the better! A worthwhile addition to the large number of local history books about Bognor Regis.
A 1950s Holiday in Bognor Regis, by Sylvia Endacott and Shirley Lewis, published 1 April 2014 (128 pp., The History Press, ISBN-10: 0752499122 & ISBN-13: 9780752499123) accessible at: British Library & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries
Abstract:Bognor Regis is situated on the south coast of Britain, overlooking the English Channel. On 18 January 1787 the resort's founder, Sir Richard Hotham, laid the first stone marking the town as a 'public bathing place', a description that Bognor Regis has enjoyed ever since. The lure of the sea and the town's regular appearance at the top of the national sunshine league continues to draw people from towns and cities. Throughout the decades, seaside holidays have changed to reflect current fashions. Bognor Regis has been no different; rather like the ebb and flow of the tide, visitor numbers have risen, fallen and risen again according to the various fashions of the day. Accessibility by train from London was a major contributor to the number of visitors in the resort's early years. Coaches and Sunday school outings then came into prominence, followed eventually by the arrival of the car. As leisure time and money became more plentiful, a Sunday outing was replaced by a week at the seaside, then a fortnight's break. Recalling Macari's delicious ice cream, the divers leaping off the pier, and children building sandcastles as their parents sat in deckchairs in suits and summer dresses, this book relives the glory days of 1950s Bognor Regis. With many pictures published here for the first time, this book is sure to bring back happy memories for both visitors and residents of this popular seaside town.