Pagham From The 1960s Til Now!

A Memory of Pagham.

I first came to Pagham in 1965, we used to holiday at Church Farm Caravan Site and in those days it was run by John and Shirley Romaine. I have fond memories of Buster and Cocker from my Church Farm Days and I remember old Tom the gas man and the Jack, the guy who used to hire out the Social Cycles! My parents brought a train carriage in Well Road, Pagham around 1971 and we moved down from Mitcham, in fact my mum, Maureen, still lives there now, as does my brother Steve. I didn't move too far away though, I live on Pagham Road, just along from the caravan site! I remember the Botten family, who used to own the amusements by the beach and the old guy with missing fingers, who used to rent out the deckchairs on the beach...think he was a Ted or Tom? Then there was Nelson, who used to have the bakery and tearooms on the second parade at Pagham! I remember the butchers owned by John and Gordon Leaman. I recall that we used to have a Barclays Bank, now a Chinese Restaurant. Graces haberdashery, owned by the old dears. In those days Pagham had thriving shopping parades!!
My family went into partnership with Henry and Wyn at The Owers Cafe, and kept it going when Henry and his wife retired, and I used to work there in my school holidays. My mum also ran the cafe in Church Farm around 1975/1976 and we used to be rushed off our feet! The Owers is now Beach Cafe and my mate Maria Griggs owns it. Another Pagham cafe was The Gaiety, it used to be next to the amusement arcade!
As kids, we used to do the walk to The Crab and Lobster and I still do it occasionally now. We have a meal in the pub (now a gastro pub) and get a taxi home! We often walk around Pagham Harbour, as it's so unspoilt and peaceful!
Me and my mates used to hang out in the sunken tennis courts or the old wooden bus shelter, opposite The Kings Beach. The old green buses used to stop there for a while, before driving round the roundabout to head back to Bognor. Me and my brother used to catch the bus to school, we could just about see it pull up from our house and that was when we'd leave our house, walk across the road and get on it...so no getting wet, waiting at bus stops for us!
Friends and people I can recall from those days...Kate Isom (sadly no longer with us), Sue Williams (moved to Hampshire), Mick Frost (see him sometimes in The Lamb), Alistair Southgate, Tony Allen, Robert Clarke, Celia Curtis, Michelle Williams, Fiona Ecclestone and her brother Stephen, Will Fox and his brothers, The Keywoods, and lots who I've forgotten! I remeber Martin and his wife who used to have The Kings Beach, and the next landlords were Brian and Maureen Phillips, I was very friendly with their daughter Karen and her brother Jeff. I still drink in The KB, as it is now run by my dear friend Jane Sola.
I also remeber the Pagham Club and its assorted landlords and landladies, Don and June Smith, Mary, the Irish couple, whos names escape me at the moment and of course Kenny and his family, who have it now. I used to play cards in there every Sunday, with Kenny Dunbar, old Ted, Fred, Robert and others who I've forgotten. And before that I played in the KB, with John Leaman, Martin Priday, Alan Martin and anyone else who cared to join us!
I did most of my growing up in Church Farm and also recall Tony Hadley from Spandau Ballet, coming there. Who remembers The Bay City Rollers tribute band, who used to play there...that was in fact a young Jimmy Pursie from Sham 69.
I will end this by mentioning a Church Farm Reunion, taking place on July 3rd. It has a page on Facebook!
And finally, I'd like to say, what a lovely place Pagham is!!

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