As older generations have said for many years, kids today have never had it so good.
For some of us, a trip to Blockbuster Video to peruse the large VHS cases was a treat – now, everything’s there on a screen, just a tap away, with no need to worry about fiddling with the tracking controls on the video player.
And Brooklands Park in East Worthing – who can forget the boating lake, train, golf centre and go-karting, which meant it could easily make a whole day out for families. Mind you, the new children’s play park there would have been great 30 or 40 years ago.
Blockbuster and Brooklands as it was were just two of the staples for children who grew up in Worthing in the 80s and 90s but there were many more.
Below, we take a look at 12 things that might spark some memories of childhood and adolescence – 11 of them fun, one perhaps less so.
Honourable mentions must go, too, to the late Horace Duke, who waved to countless children with his white-gloved hand while out and about in Worthing and Shoreham, often with his bicycle and wearing a straw boater, and to attractions like the boating lake and Peter Pan’s Playground.
9. Sterns
The Highdown, reached via a narrow lane off the A27, is a popular restaurant and hotel. But in the 1990s Highdown Towers was home to nightclub Sterns – a major player in the UK rave scene and famous throughout Europe Photo: Google
10. Rutherfords
Worthing Pier's Southern Pavilion is currently home to eateries Perch on the Pier and Tern, having previously been operated as café, bar and wedding venue. Before that it was a nightclub, known as The Pier to some but to everyone of a certain age it will always be Rutherfords. Photo: Eddie Mitchell
11. Litten Tree Worthing Google.jpg
And on the way to Rutherfords, what about a stop-off at The Litten Tree on the seafront? It was perhaps better known by locals as the Wine Lodge and was demolished in the early 2000s with homes now standing in its place. Photo: Google
12. The Aquarena
It might have been a bit tired by the end but the Aquarena still has a fond place in the hearts of many. Looking back, the walk up the steps was almost ceremonial. Photo: Worthing Herald