Worthing, Marine Parade c.1955

Photo ref: W147043

More about this scene

During the 1920s and 30s, Worthing continued to rapidly expand. By 1937 the town was being promoted as both a summer and winter resort, and hotels now occupied much of the sea front and the area behind it. The Beach Hotel had opened at 4 Marine Parade in 1915, expanding into the whole parade by 1936, when the original red-brick houses that had, in part, comprised The Prince Albert Convalescent Home were remodelled in cement Deco-style. Many of the Victorian boarding houses had been converted into hotels, and most of the modern hotels illustrated date from this period, albeit trading under different names. Although Worthing initially benefited from an increase in the number of holidaymakers after the Second World War, the town continued to lack any large hotels. By the early 1970s, Worthing, like most English seaside resorts, was having to compete with package holidays abroad. Many of the town's hotels tried to fill their rooms by becoming conference venues.