Sometimes a picture can say more than words can. We are indebted to Kate from Dorest, who found a postcard from her great aunt who was a frequent user with her husband. The printed text on the back reads: John and Joyce Chapman welcome you to The Montague. Telephone 2419. A bass-Charrington House.

We can date the image to around the late 60s. Pictured right is the building today, used as offices. The building was deceptively large as it stretches quite a way back down into Surry Street. The moulding on the outside suggest it was decorative too.

The newspaper article, dated May 29, tells how the West Sussex Coroner gave a verdict of 'Found Drowned' on a female body that was discovered some six or seven miles off Littlehampton. She was later identified as Rose Chapman, wife of Frederick John Chapman, licensee of the Montague Arms Hotel in Worthing.

The fisherman who found her judged that she had drifted from the east. Although the head and shoulders showed some minor signs of bruising, the lungs were found to be full of water. No foul play was suspected.

Ron and Lindy Stone became the new landlords of the Montague Arms in September 1983.

The gazette had a page entitled 'Food and Wine' and ran a half-page feature on the couple. The emphasis was on the dining experience as expected but it did reveal that the restaurant was upstairs and was a 'stable style' with intimate alcoves. I'm going to assume the picture was taken upstairs?

Published on Thursday, 20 March 2008. Worthing Herald:

PUB bosses Lee Mills and Gareth Rees are taking their fund-raising to new heights this weekend. Lee and Gareth, who own The Montague pub in Worthing town centre, are planning to abseil from the roof of the pub on Sunday, March 23, at 3 pm. To make the abseil interesting, Lee, 33, and Gareth, 19, will be dressed as an Easter bunny and a chicken and have invited people to throw eggs at them, at a cost of 1 each.

Once they have completed the abseil, the men will be handing out free eggs, of the chocolate variety, donated by Somerfield, Wilkinsons, W.H. Smith's, Co-op and Spar.

Money raised from the egg throwing and collected in charity buckets will be given to Chestnut Tree House Children's Hospice.

More of a curiosity, but still history. Walking around the closed property some years ago, I took a couple of pictures of a pair of old wooden doors tucked down a back alley at the rear of the pub. Only recently did I examine them closely to discover lettering. Both doors were hung upside down, which, when corrected, spell out - Bake House.

Was this part of the pub, or a separate business? Of course, they might have simply been reused from another site.

 Time Line

 A little bit extra

1868
1877 - Harry Holden
1878 - Henry Everett
1889 - 1891 John Sinclair
1899 - Thomas Sandalls
1905 - 1915 Jesse Howell
1926 - 1930s Frederick John Chapman
1959 - 1975 John  'Sammy' & Joyce Chapman
1977 - Chris & Delia Chapman (son of above)
1985 - Ron and Lindy Stone
2002 - Under new managment
2008 - Lee Mills & Gareth Rees

31 Dec 2008 Worthing Herald: "The credit crunch is blamed for the closure of the Montague pub, in Montague Street. Last orders were served under then owner Lee Mills on December 19