News for September 2025

Recent additions include Postcards of the Month for August and September 2025. The former shows the stationer’s shop in Arundel High Street which has prominent newspaper billboards revealing the headlines of the day. They relate to one of the pioneering French pilots, Hubert Latham. An unlucky man, he was almost the first to fly the Channel, but failed due to engine problems on two occasions, going for an “early swim”.

The headlines reflect how much public there was in early flying machines and their pilots and reminding us how far aerial technology has progressed since then.

September shows the launch of a sailing barge at Harvey’s yard in Littlehampton and reveals a link between the boatbuilders and the shipowning Robinson family. Even a simple working craft of the day rated the traditional launch ceremony.