History man Peter receives MBE

Peter Bailey, 91, was made an MBE in the New Year honours list for services to local history.

And on Tuesday he received his award from the Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex, Mrs Phyllida Stewart-Roberts, in the museum he helped to found.

Mr Bailey, who writes a history column for the Sussex Express, grew up in Newhaven where he became fascinated with the shipping using the harbour.

He said: 'We moved here when I was seven or eight in the 1920s and shipping intrigued me, not that I wanted to go to sea but I found the boats very curious.'

He moved from Newhaven to Surrey to join the police but continued collecting photographs and stories about the town he grew up in. After serving with the police, and a spell in the Army during World War II, he moved back to Newhaven to retire.

He said: 'In 1962 I met George Jakens from Seaford who owned a business in Seaford. 'The local history of Seaford and Newhaven happened to be his hobby.

He had put an advert in the Sussex Express to ask if anybody would be interested in a club.' Mr Bailey answered the advert and joined George and a few others who met each week to share stories and research.

The group grew and decided to form a museum, starting at the Ferryboat Inn, now the Jolly Boatman.

They moved to various premises including an old store room on the seafront and then a prefab under the cliffs. Eventually, they were offered a place at Paradise Park, Newhaven, where they still are today.

Mr Bailey is the curator at the museum and can still be found there every Sunday. As well as his museum work he has toured the county giving illustrated talks about the area.

Mr Bailey said he works hard to keep the history of Newhaven, the place and the people, alive. He said: 'I try to encourage people to believe it is somewhere that exists and should be visited.

'It was a place of importance and we should not forget that. 'I will do this as long as I can. I would not know what else to do.'

Tuesday's ceremony at the museum was attended by Mr Bailey's family and friends and the Mayor of Newhaven, Cllr Julie Carr.