On our way through Bognor Regis we realised that there was some form of festival going on.  It was the 23rd Annual Rox Music and Arts Free Festival.  Roads were closed.  Crowds thronged the promenade as they all tried to squeeze in a seaside walk; I tried not to bash too many people with my backpack as I weaved in and out of the hordes.  The rock festival seemed a bit quiet by comparison, but I suppose lunchtime was not the best time to visit – the children’s entertainment stage had more onlookers than the poor rock band who was trying to perform!

Just beyond the stage was The Secret Garden, an eco-friendly garden show featuring giant mushrooms and towering triffid-like plants.  Signs proclaiming “Love” were scattered everywhere.  I really did like a lot of the displays, but everything seemed rather pricey – a two foot high mushroom on a pedestal with a couple of pine cones thrown in cost £50.  Who would pay such prices?  Perhaps that’s The Secret Garden’s secret…

We left The Secret Garden and slowly made our way out of the town centre.  The crowds died down until we were almost alone.  The “Up Periscope” promenade train trundled back and forth as the clouds closed in around us.

As we made our way through Aldwick, a suburb of Bognor Regis, the clouds darkened in the distance.  We had hoped to walk a few more miles yet, but the wind was blowing our way and we could make out a bank of rain in the distance.  We called time and were pleased we did so, for the rain , when it came, carpet bombed the whole town with large heavy droplets and we would have been soaked through.

Points on this part of the walk (copy and paste the co-ordinates into Google Earth):

• Music Stage:  N 50° 46.865 W 000° 40.780
• The Secret Garden:  N 50° 46.815 W 000° 40.950
• The End of the Walk:  N 50° 46.743 W 000° 41.680

Walk #56 Statistics (of which this post forms the final part):

• Date of Walk: 28 July 2013
• Walk #56 total distance covered: 8.30 miles
• Coast of Britain Walk Total Distance Covered: 462.52 miles
• CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO INTERACTIVE MAP!!!