A grim afternoon on the pier and along the seafront of rain-lashed Bognor Regis

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

Lulled into improbable levels of optimism after my recent sunny promenade in Brighton, I was looking forward to taking in the sea air and enjoying some bracing walks in Bognor Regis on Saturday afternoon.

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

As the train ambled to its destination, the sky grew darker and the rain heavier. My first stop upon arrival in Bognor was the nearest Poundland for an umbrella which promptly turned itself inside out in the gusting wind.

Determined to take in some sea air, whatever the weather, I buttoned my coat up against the freezing gales and headed for the seafront.

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

It was wet. It was cold. It was, frankly, miserable.

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

Two walkers, a dog and a can of Fosters.

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

The rain was so insistent, that it was nearly impossible to stop the lens being covered with water.

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

Trudging slowly over wet sand
Back to the bench where your clothes were stolen
This is the coastal town
That they forgot to close down
Armageddon – come Armageddon!
Come, Armageddon! Come!

Everyday is like Sunday
Everyday is silent and grey  []

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

Rusty overflow pipe.

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

No deck chairs available today.

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

Hardy walkers brace the rain.

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

Fishing boats by the pier.

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

Bognor’s much-diminished pier.

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

The old pier cinema/theatre now hosts a suitably garish amusement arcade.

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

Wet planks on the pier.

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

Some of the buildings on the pier are in very poor condition.

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

The pier used to be much longer, but the severe storms of 1964-1965 saw the seaward end structure collapsing into the sea, taking the pavilion building with it.

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

The rain on the lens adds an impressionist air to this beach scene.

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

Notice from the Pier Anagemen.

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

Crazy golf with a fnarr fnarr inducing ”Lucky Last Hole’.

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

The Belle Vue Hotel, full of 1970s seaside charm.

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

I stopped off for a coffee to get out of the rain. Here’s what I wrote in my notebook.

A grim afternoon on the pier and along the seafront of rain-lashed Bognor Regis

We lost the football game 0-4.

A grim afternoon in rain-lashed Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England

Like the nearby Littlehampton branch, Bognor Regis still retains its splendid steam-era semaphore signalling. These things please me disproportionately.

More Bognor photos:

Bognor Regis – photos from around the town and along the seafront
Bognor Regis Pier – Run-down Grade II listed pier on the south coast

6 Comments on “A grim afternoon on the pier and along the seafront of rain-lashed Bognor Regis”

  1. You come to Bognor on the 1st day of March when spring hasn’t even arrived and really blame it for being wet and miserable ? And I would suggest you buy a slightly more expensive umbrella if you want it to work effectively where ever you maybe ! And we don’t want Armageddon we want investment to make it better , come back in the summer and take some nicer pictures eh ?

  2. I personally thought the pictures pretty much summed up Bognor at this point in time…a bit tired and run down, especially in the winter =/…and the little note in the cafe was quite funny, but if your going to stop for a coffee might as well make it a nice one. Next time your down go to reminisce restaurant, it’s along the road running next to the crazy golf, opposite the pier (closed on a Monday and Tuesday though!), You can even get real tea made with tea leaves =)

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