Farmer must have been a character
PICTURE No 1: Recently I featured two milk floats operated by partners Harvey and Wheeler and of the connection with Tarring Neville and how these two gentlemen had managed to each find a wife from amongst the farmer's daughters.
In the museum archives I have a fine group photo of Frank Harvey and his bride on the great day at Tarring Neville, with farmer Gideon Holman on centre stage. I will reproduce it in due course.
Gideon must have been quite a character. He was born in 1848 at Chiddingly and died in 1927. Today's picture shows the great man as centre of attraction with the nearby Heighton Cricket Club. Quite a character.
It seems that before very long, Newhaven's seafront is going to hit the headlines and a decision reached regarding the use of the sand beach.
At its time this was a fantastic undertaking, the public had always had unrestricted access to this area, men pushed their prawn nets in the sand patches between the rocks, they dug for worms, they caught Jack Havils for bait. It was the normal way of things.
As this remarkable reclamation from the sea continued and their access became more difficult. By 1879 a double set of steps had appeared (those in dispute now). At this stage the breakwater, with another set of steps, had not yet left the land.
One might well ask why all this expense and for what reason? It would be quite rational to assume that if a development had occurred, which had prevented normal access to the sea, then, to the normal user, a set of steps to allow the old ways to continue would not be a surprise, just logical.
Perhaps people had better manners in those times. In the first Great War, when security deemed your presence at the seafront was not permitted, military passes were issued for those wishing to pursue their fishing and netting occupations at the foreshore.
Before the motor car made access to other peoples' beaches possible, the locals just walked down to the front and used it for their pleasures and respected any dangers pertinent to their surroundings.
With the invasion of the motor car and the knowledge of the delights of our beaches – the sand beach for little children (and that's where I learned to swim) became popular – so came the need to warn these outsiders of possible dangers. The ferries entered during the 1930s.
As those steamers came in, speed and timing was all important – they didn't hang about and there were scenes of unlucky visitors struggling with prams and deck chairs as the waves rushed around either side, meeting near the steps. Swimmers from Seaford and any of the Newhaven beaches, would await the arrival of the afternoon mail boat, just so they could dive into the rollers on a perfectly calm day.
However, concern for theses invaders, prompted our Southern Railway to provide a fine green sign, with clear letters, warning visitors of their need to respect the wash from visiting vessels.
As we wouldn't like the enemy to know these facts I think it was removed for security reasons in the last war. I cannot recollect if it was reinstated.
Sadly there would be little purpose for it now. What a pleasure too, to walk to the end of the breakwater and back. I seem to remember that the fishing interested had to pay for the right, which is quite fair as they tended to leave rubbish behind. So, no cafe, no toilets, no sand beach, but a vast parking area which could realise the means to repair the steps and justify the keeping of a free collector.
There will always be problems to overcome. If the situation was reversed could we treat our allies like this? I wonder.
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Weather for Lewes
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -2 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: -1 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North east
