Heritage

Heritage can manifest itself in various forms such as buildings, art and historical artefacts, to name but a few. The following article is intended to provide information about one process that forms part of the bigger heritage picture. It appeared in one of our newsletters and concerns one avenue of research that has had many hundreds of hours devoted to it. I hope that you find it informative and that it may encourage some of you to undertake research of your own.

“Past Pavilion” has been a permanent feature in our newsletters. Our readers may be interested to know how we have managed to glean so much valuable information. The British Newspaper Archive has been an invaluable resource. It contains a vast number of newspaper articles up to and including 1959. It can also be a source of frustration as various topics have to be entered into the search engine to obtain a complete picture. The fact that the Pavilion has been known as Selsey Hall, Selsey Hippodrome, and Selsey Cinema further complicates matters. Over 2,000 articles were trawled through. There were many duplications as Bognor Observer and Chichester Observer ran the same articles for much of their content!

In addition, the BNA site offers auto text to transfer the newsprint into a document. A mixed blessing as it often came up with a new gobbledegook language of its own, which meant that the article had to be laboriously transcribed. The other shortcoming is that the collection of each newspaper is often incomplete, which leaves frustrating gaps in our knowledge.The Pavilion management rarely advertised shows or films in the 1920s and 30s and it was the post war period before box adverts and film previews regularly appeared in the local press.

Research can be initiated by a recollection that somebody has passed on. This can often open up a previously unexplored avenue. One such instance was a gentleman mentioning his recollections of the Roy Rogers Riders’ Club. Roy Rogers was entered into the search engine and a number of previously unseen articles concerning the Pavilion were revealed. A happy accident!

Some research missions can consist of cul de sacs and cause a degree of frustration. Patience is a virtue and can ultimately bring its reward. One such mission has been trying to obtain proof that the Russian Ballet performed at the Pavilion. A long, arduous journey which ultimately resulted in success by a very circuitous method.

However, we now have a database containing over 1000 articles to provide an excellent foundation. We are always seeking more information. Any recollections written, pictured, or spoken are always most welcome. We are happy to welcome anybody who would like to assist the Trust with further research. Likewise, if you would like any advice about conducting personal research of your own, then we are more than happy to assist. Please contact us on our email; trust@selseypavilion.org

Keith Batchelor, Vice Chair