On a wild and windy July day I took my pier themed handbag for a walk along the promenade at Bognor Regis, stopping for a drink at the former Pier Cinema and Pier Electric Theatre now Legends bar and Shieks Nightclub. We also passed by and admired the new (replacement) plaque dedicated to Tony Hancock outside the hotel where he stayed whilst filming Punch and Judy Man (1963).
Bognor Regis Pier, Legends Bar and Shieks Nightclub
The Royal Norfolk Hotel where Hancock stayed, and the Royal which is featured in the Punch and Judy Man (1963) which was used on the promotional hoardings when the hotel was refurbished and converted to apartments in 2021 (when the hoarding photos were taken).
1963 saw the release of the film The Punch and Judy Man, starring Tony Hancock. Much of it was shot on location at Bognor Regis. 60 years on the Punch and Judy Club, along with Bognor Regis Heritage Partnership & the Tony Hancock Appreciation Society are having a celebration, The Punch and Judy Festival, on the weekend of 30 September and 1 October 2023 in the grounds of the Royal Hotel.
And finally here's a video to show how windy it was on a mid July Sunday on the South Coast!
Look out for part 2 on Bognor Regis with more film and cinema treasures inc the wonderful Bognor Regis Picturedrome, the former Odeon (now Crown Bingo), film locations and more blue plaques.