Divers-e Exhibition

The display, Village Hobbies and Crafts for the Millennium, has been mounted by Rustington Heritage Association at its Woodlands Avenue premises.

Model and toy making, knitting, calligraphy, embroidery, photography and collecting are among the other pastimes represented at the exhibition.

And there are fascinating mementos of the Queen's coronation in 1953, including a Rustington woman's link with the ceremony.

The seabed objects have been arranged in an underwater seascape created specially for the exhibition. All were found by members of Arun Divers on wrecks off the Littlehampton coast.

Nestling on the sand inside the display case are items including a bullet case, pottery, a coathook, bottles, a door hinge with some wood attached and a large brass nail.

There is also a chart giving details of the many wrecks off Littlehampton, and information about some of the more interesting vessels now rotting beneath the sea.

Tony Tuffery, a committee member of the heritage association, has some of his excellent models of workshops on display, including one of a mediaeval scene copied from an old illustration. He hand made all the tools, buildings, benches and materials in the models.

Another committee member, Adge Roberts, from East Preston, has lent his collection of corkscrews, bottle openers and nutcrackers for the exhibition and there are attractive photographs by members of Littlehampton Camera Club.

In this jubilee year, the Queen's special anniversary is commemorated with a display of memorabilia from her coronation year, 1953.

Perhaps the most interesting item is a coronation medal awarded to Mary Shepherd, in recognition of her work on creating the illuminated invitations for the coronation ceremony, together with a letter from the Duke of Norfolk, the overall organiser, thanking her.

The medal has been loaned by Mrs Shepherd's widower, Victor.

Heritage association chairman Harry Clark said the exhibition was intended to show off other people's skills and interests. "The idea just came out of the blue, but it works very well as an exhibition."

The exhibition can be seen on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 2.30pm to 4.30pm and Saturdays from 10.30am to 12.30pm, until mid-September. Admission is free.