1861 – First lifeboat “The Friend” stationed in Selsey
1866 – Parish Church moved from Norton to Selsey
Set 43. View of the church at Norton looking east, before the removal of all except the chancel to Selsey High Street in 1866. From ‘Selsey Bill: Historic and Prehistoric’ by Edward Heron-Allen. Read More
1885 – Public Hall opened, now British Legion in High St
1897 – Selsey Tramway opened
Set 15. Chichester Terminus – the first departure on the 27 Aug 1897. Read More
1897 – Queen Victoria/Diamond Jubilee
1904 – Selsey-on-Sea Golf Club founded
Set 72. View of new clubhouse in backhground and of people surrounding the green watching players on the final hole. Read More
1907 – Shell fired from ship lands in Selsey 5th Feb
Set 139. Postcard titled “Excavating Shell – bombardment of Selsey, February 5th, 1907”. There are seven men, at least 5 of them in sailor uniform with four men actually digging with spades. Read More
1908 – Selsey Infant School opened
1909 – Mammoth bones discovered
Set 132. Two men with various articles on display – Henry Arnell-Smith on left and James Lawrence on right. These are the remains of a mammoth found in 1909. Read More
1910 – Floods: farmland, tram line, roads and gasworks
1913 – Pavilion opened, Selsey High Street
Set 8. Postcard of Selsey Cinema, Selsey Hall with bicycles leaning against wall. It was renamed the Pavilion in the early 1920’s. Picture also shows a sign saying “Selsby’s Garage Motors” to the left and an estate agent to the right. Read More
1913 – Seaplane lands near Selsey Beach Aug 1913
Set 218. Biplane, thought to be a Breguet Type IV or R.U1 aircraft, developed around 1911. It was used by the French Army and the Royal Flying Corp. The aircraft in this photo has floats, so maybe part of the Royal Naval Air Service? The RNAS had several Breguet types… Read More
1914 – Wooden lifeboat slipway completed
Set 15. Postcard showing launch of The Lucy Newbon on the new wooden slipway 1914. Read More
1914 – High Street scene, soldiers, horses, children
Set 154. High Street scene showing soldiers standing with horses, children and other people with ‘Neptune’ pub in background. Hampshire Garrison. Read More
1921 – Dedication of WW1 memorial cross
Set 219. Crowd including men in uniform and local people at the unveiling of Selsey War Memorial. Read More
1935 – Selsey Tramway closed
Set Test 1. View of front of ‘Shefflex’ rail car in a siding at the Selsey Town engine shed, original terminus before East Beach extension, with a man walking towards the shed. Probably early 1930s shortly before it stopped running. Read More
1935 – King George V silver jubilee parade
Set 51. Children in costume on board a float commemorating the Silver Jubilee of King George V. Read More
1939 – WW2 Selsey local defence
Set 22. Six soldiers (home guard?), four wearing tin helmets and two wearing forage caps: ‘John Coffin, Capt Hardy, ?, Edward Virgoe, Savi(t)sky, Doug Harmsworth’. Cropped from a larger photos. Read More
1939 – WW2 Canadian women/jeep
Set 34. 12 Canadian girls on two motorcycles and vehicle, with 3 uniformed servicemen and 1 uniformed servicewoman (in charge of the girls). Read More
1939 – WW2 Queen Elizabeth (Q Mother) visits Selsey
Set 20. Queen meeting members of the WVS at the reception centre for evacuated children, behind East St school (opened 1938), with Lewis Road in the background. Read More
1941 – WW2 bombing of Selsey Golf Club
Set 148. Display board titled “A gift from the Luftwaffe to the Selsey Golf Club on 26th June 1941”. Details given in writing and aerial photo for location and size of crater made by a parachute mine. Read More
1943 – WW2 RAF Selsey Airfield construction
1944 – Construction of D-Day Mulberry Harbour sections, at sea wall, end of Drift Lane
Set 151. Heritage plaque for “Mulberry Harbour Project” being installed (East Beach Road/Drift Road). Read More
1945 – VE Day
Set 79. A group photo of adults and children outside Selsey Town Hall, some wearing ‘crowns.’ It is part of celebrations for V.E. Day, 1945. Read More
1954 – Construction of west beach sea wall (1955-56)
1955 – Construction of east beach sea wall (1955-56)
1960 – Replacement lifeboat station, slipway & boathouse
Set 211. Aerial view showing lifeboat house on right. Large barn mid-left is possibly Fishshops Farm. James St in right foreground. Read More
1961 – Marine Hotel burnt down 1961
Set 48. Marine Hotel, after it was painted white, showing the entrance, with a car parked in foreground. The Hotel was destroyed by fire on 29th November 1961. Read More
1984 – Water Tower pulled down 1984
1987 – Great Storm 16/17th October 1987
1988 – Pontins Broadreeds demolished 1988/89
1990 – Ship ‘Platessa’ ran aground off Clayton Road
Set 85. Ship ‘Platessa’ tied up at bottom of garden belonging to Local Vet, Prof. Oliver Graham-Jones in Clayton Road after collision with sea wall. Read More
1998 – Tornado
Set 32. BBC South Today outside broadcast van in front of Orchard Parade, East Beach with a glazing van and men repairing roof. January 1998. Read More
2006 – Fire at Sessions Cottage Aug 2006
Set 74. Front elevation of ‘Sessions House’ in the High street showing new thatch in 1999. The building was partially destroyed by fire in August 2006. Read More
