15th anniversary of Sussex Day

Thursday 16th June marks the 15th anniversary of Sussex Day, a way for residents to celebrate the county’s rich heritage. Sussex Day was launched in 2007 to coincide with the feast day of Saint Richard, who was the Bishop of Chichester in the 13th Century.

Pete Bradbury, Chairman of West Sussex County Council, said: “For me, the day is a chance to reflect on how lucky I am to live and work in such a beautiful and diverse area of the country and this year it is also poignant to reflect on the past few years of the pandemic and remember with pride how our communities across Sussex came together to support each other in such tough times.

“West Sussex holds a special place in my heart, as I know it does for so many of our residents, so whether you plan to go out and have a picnic in your local park or head into the South Downs for some fresh air and a stroll, I hope you take a minute to reflect on what the county means to you.”

The Sussex Day flag will be flown at County Hall, Chichester on the day, but there are also two events organised by County Council services that are taking place on Sussex Day for residents to attend.

The Locked Room: An evening with Elly Griffiths

Best-selling author Elly Griffiths will be at Chichester Cathedral from 7pm as part of the Festival of Chichester 2022. The event, organised by West Sussex Libraries and Chichester Cathedral, will see Elly talk about the latest book in the Dr Ruth Galloway series, The Locked Room, and about her novels set in West Sussex.

This is a hybrid event, offering people the opportunity to book tickets to attend the Cathedral ‘in-person’, or watch online via Vimeo.

Tickets to attend the live event cost £10 and tickets for the online live stream cost £5. Tickets are non-refundable and there is a 50p booking charge for each online transaction. Bookings can be made online via Chichester Box Office, by email boxoffice@chichester.gov.uk or by calling 01243 816525.

West Sussex Unwrapped live: The Chichester Festival Theatre at 60

Helena Berry (Heritage & Archive Coordinator, Chichester Festival Theatre), Nick Corbo-Stewart, (Archivist, West Sussex Record Office) and Dr Frank Gray (Director, Screen Archive South East at the University of Brighton) are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Chichester Festival Theatre.

The webinar will explore the theatre’s history through archive collections held by Chichester Festival Theatre, Screen Archive South East and West Sussex Record Office and all of these resources combine to provide a unique portrait of what Evershed-Martin called, “the Miracle Theatre”.

The talk starts at 7pm and will last up to an hour, with an opportunity to ask questions via the chat box. Tickets are free and can be booked by visiting the Eventbrite website and searching for ‘West Sussex Unwrapped Live’.

Events showcasing aspects of West Sussex

Duncan Crow, Cabinet Member for Community Support, Fire and Rescue, said: “These events both showcase something beautiful about the county we live in. The event organised by our fantastic Library Service and Chichester Cathedral illustrates that the countryside that envelops West Sussex is the perfect inspiration for a Sunday Times number one bestselling author.

“Our other event is part of West Sussex Unwrapped, the brainchild of West Sussex Record Office and Screen Archive South East, that enabled people to explore and enjoy the archives when the country was in lockdown during the pandemic.

“The series has always endeavoured to show the historical, celebratory, nostalgic and quirky sides of West Sussex and this episode, I am sure, will be no exception, especially when focusing on such a prolific Chichester institution as the Festival Theatre.

“Whether you celebrate Sussex Day or not, these two events definitely give people a small insight into how great our county, and Sussex, truly is.”

For people who can’t make these Sussex Day events but want to celebrate West Sussex, there is plenty to discover on the Experience West Sussex website. Visit www.experiencewestsussex.com for more information.