Those lost at sea will eventual come to shore, not always in body, but definitely in spirit. They will find their way back to that last touch of land, but it is no true return, as they will be left to wander, their shades out of time with the world around them. I first encountered this phenomenon while travelling around the East Coast of Canada. Recently, I witnessed the ghosts of “The Brave Eleven” in the vintage photographs held by the West Sussex Library, Local Studies Collection.

It was my last day in Worthing and I had asked Martin Hayes to show me images of the Marine Parade and beach. While scouring the many images he’d assembled, I began to notice distinct figures, forms that seemed out of sync with their surroundings. They appeared a lost souls, waiting and watching, and so I highlighted them. I have assembled a selection of these images here. If you visit West Sussex Past Pictures, you could look for more. Perhaps you’ve made a recent visit to Worthing. Maybe you should look again at the pictures you took.

Search the West Sussex Past Pictures archive using the term “Marine Parade” or “Beach” HYPERLINK