For the residents of Bognor a train journey, if they could afford it, would have necessitated a journey to Woodgate to catch the train – next to the railway crossing where we now sit and fume, waiting for the barriers to rise.

Those who were rich enough would have availed themselves of the regular ‘fly’ service to and from the station (today a taxi). For the less well-off, a walk into town was called for. Of course, the traffic on this country lane would have been very different to today’s heavy transport.

While Bognor was expanding, there were many reputed talks of bringing the railway into the centre of the town, and local newspapers became quite exasperated with the lack of progress and in many cases false hopes that regularly emanated from the nearby railway companies.

One complaint in 1861 stated: “What does the Board mean to do with poor Bognor – the town is growing very much and only wants railway accommodation to make it a popular watering place”.

One line was proposed in 1845, another in 1853 and a further suggestion in 1855.

We can only surmise that the resort was not large enough or considered a profitable venture for a branch line to be built. Of course, provision of annual holidays to workers didn’t exist then.

The suggestion of the 1845 line would have been interesting, as the proposed route was ‘crossing a public highway in the parish – leading from Bognor to Felpham’, according to the report, and includes a reference to Gloucester Road.

Another report in 1860 suggested finishing at a dock-like area at the seaward end of West Street. Think how different the town would have been had these plans materialised.

Eventually work commenced on this branch and on June 1, 1864, the line was opened, the Barnham site was opened, and Woodgate was closed because of this line opening – interesting when today there is talk of maybe opening certain stations again.

What was there in the town at this time? The Pier had not been built. There were houses in West Street, The Steyne and Waterloo Square. We had the Norfolk Hotel and the Bath House. Streets were being developed. A number of religious groups were opening churches at this time. Pubs were opening, and the population of Bognor was around 3,000.

The area in which the station was built was at the end of Dorset Gardens. It was at that time outside the town. However, it was not long before the town grew out to its new station.

The station was a wooden construction, so it was inevitable it would succumb to various ills, such as a hurricane that blew the construction down. Finally the station burnt down, after a coat had been left to warm on one of the stoves in the waiting room in October, 1899.

The Bank Holiday Act in 1871, which fixed holidays for Christmas, helped to increase rail traffic in the season. Excursion trips to the seaside became a part of the lives of millions of people.