Time For A Coup

Many of the time pieces on view, some unique, are on loan from the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich and curator Rebecca Fardell explained: "This exhibition marks the 250th anniversary of the Gregorian Calendar, introduced to Britain in September 1752."

She is excited about the collection on loan from Greenwich and has good reason to be.

"As far as I am aware, this is the first time the museum has had items on loan from a national museum.

"This means that people living in Littlehampton don't have to travel up to London to see our national treasures, we have brought them to the town."

The passing of time has always fascinated writers, poets and playwrights and many examples of their famous quotes can be read on the walls alongside the exhibits.

Perhaps the most precious exhibit is a portable sundial with compass, made of solid silver in France in the 17th century.

It is slightly larger than a pocket watch and is covered in intricate etchings.

Besides this, there are Punch almanacs, pocket and wrist watches on loan from Guess jewellers and even a 1963 train timetable.

But you might wonder what an old railway timetable book is doing in the exhibition.

Again, Rebecca explained: "When the railways were built, there was no standard time and every town and village went by its own local clock.

"Of course, if you were travelling from Nottingham to Leeds, you needed the time to be the same in both towns, and people started setting their watches to railway clocks, in much the same way as we use Greenwich now."

And quite literally out of this world are a series of items used to measure the stars.

Paintings showing astronomers in centuries gone by, studying the stars using a peculiar array of instruments are also hung on the walls.

And replicas of celestial globes instruments they might have used are on display alongside such bizarre objects as astrolabes and quadrants, which are so beautiful to look at.

Admission to this incredible exhibition is free and it is a must-see.

Time: Clocks, Calendars and History is on at the Littlehampton Museum until September 14 and the museum is open between 10.30am and 4.30pm Tuesday- Saturday.