February News Roundup

Celebrating Heritage at Selsey Pavilion

Welcome to our February update from the Selsey Pavilion Trust. Like many of you, we are relieved to see the back of January and look forward to the promise of longer days and warmer weather just around the corner. This month, we take a closer look at "heritage", what it means, why it matters, and how the Trust is working to raise the profile of Selsey’s rich local history.

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‍From Film to Radio: Making History Accessible

The Trustees are incredibly grateful to students from The Academy Selsey, who worked alongside the talented team at Millstream Productions to adapt our film on the history of Selsey Pavilion into a radio programme.

This new audio format makes our story accessible to those who are blind or have limited sight. We are currently in discussions with several radio stations about sharing it more widely, and the documentary is already available to listen to on SoundCloud. We recommend wearing headphones, as rich sound effects and additional interview audio bring the Pavilion’s story vividly to life.

We would also like to thank Boni Jane Music for their generous donation, which made this project possible. It was Boni’s insight, that the film would translate beautifully into radio, that helped bring the idea to life.

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What Do We Mean by “Heritage”?

Heritage takes many forms. It is not just about restoring old buildings, but also about preserving the culture, stories, traditions, and shared memories of the past.

The success of our Pavilion history film showed us that there is still strong curiosity about local history. It also revealed that many residents were unaware of Selsey’s heritage, reinforcing the Trust’s commitment to educating and informing as part of the restoration process.

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Partnerships, Photos and Shared Memories

The Trust has developed strong links with the Selsey Photo Archive project, a subsidiary of the Manhood Wildlife and Heritage Group. Together, we staged a successful WW2 photo exhibition at the Pavilion last summer and are now collaborating on a Selsey Past and Present photo book.

The archive group is keen to recruit volunteers to help catalogue or scan photographs. Most work can be done from home, with monthly informal catch-ups. For further information, please contact Joe Savill.

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Building a Living Collection

The Trust continues to build a growing heritage collection, including vintage cinema posters that reflect the films once shown at the Pavilion. Our 1950s cinema projector, featured on The Repair Shop, demonstrates how audiences once enjoyed films here.

We have also inherited artefacts linked to the much-loved S.C.A.M.P.S pantomimes, as well as material connected to Dan Denton, creator of The Selsey Follies Concert Party and founder of S.C.A.M.P.S in 1950. These items evoke strong memories and bring Selsey’s entertainment history vividly back to life.

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A Future Home for Local Heritage

We hope Selsey Pavilion will continue to provide access to local heritage for many years to come. Our first step is reopening the small hall at the rear of the building, creating a base for local heritage displays alongside a flexible space for community groups.

We are always grateful to receive personal memories of the Pavilion, even brief snapshots help build a richer picture of its past. Likewise, if you come across photos, programmes or artefacts linked to the Pavilion, we would be delighted to scan or archive them. Please contact us at trust@selseypavilion.org

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Recent Heritage Highlights

“Tarzan and the Leopard Woman” (1946)
Shown at the Pavilion in January 1947, this film starred Johnny Weissmuller, who played Tarzan in twelve films and famously originated the iconic Tarzan yell.

“Son of Paleface” (1952)
Featuring Jane Russell, Roy Rogers, and Bob Hope, the film was shown at the Pavilion in August 1953. Roy Rogers and his horse Trigger inspired the hugely popular Roy Rogers Riders’ Club at Saturday morning cinema in the 1950s.

Eva Marie Saint
Making her debut in On the Waterfront (1954), shown at the Pavilion in August 1955, Eva Marie Saint won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. At 101, she remains the oldest surviving star of Hollywood’s Golden Age.

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Restoration Update

Winter has been a quieter period while we await building compliance sign-offs, but we are hugely grateful to CJR Brickwork. Chris and his team have expertly recast and refitted the original poster panel reveals, ready for painting when warmer, drier weather allows façade work to resume.

Once painted, bespoke poster panel cabinets, crafted by the same joiners who recreated the bullseye windows, will be installed. More on this very soon.

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Fundraising and Support

We are delighted that Wagner Renewables selected Selsey Pavilion Trust as one of the charities they support. This generous grant will help improve the Pavilion’s thermal efficiency, supporting insulation upgrades, future solar panels, battery storage, and a modern heat-recovery system, creating a comfortable, energy-efficient space for the whole community.

Individual Donations

Every contribution, large or small, helps bring us closer to our goal. If you are a UK taxpayer, Gift Aid allows us to receive extra support at no cost to you. Please email us if you would like a form.

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Glancing Backwards: February 1916

This month, we travel back 110 years to a remarkable event held at the Pavilion:

A Fancy Dress Skating and Dancing Carnival was held in the Cinema Hall, the first of its kind in Selsey. About 40 competitors attended, with excellent costumes and prizes awarded. Skating and dancing continued until nearly 2am, bringing a most enjoyable evening to a close.‍