HARBOUR ENTRANCE - 1960 / 1990

Judging by the cars, I think the postcard of Brighton is probably nearer 1950 than 1960. And just look at how many people are watching her sail. Well, it was simply what you did back then! And 'S.S' for Brighton on the card? Tsk, tsk, Mr Card Manufacturer! T.S or R.M.S, please!

What a contrast between the picture of the T.S.Brighton, with all the crowds watching her departure, to the one of Stena Londoner, (thirty years later!) when I suspect that although the chalet houses obscure the view there was nothing like the same numbers of people present; good time lapse type picture indicating changing times etc .

On the older picture, what is the reccessed area in the foreground for ? Later that becomes the forecourt for parking in the garages of the new flats.

The area you refer to was the moat around the base of the fort as stated in the title under the photo. At the time of the photo the tide was low as can be seen by the wet mud in the moat. Also you can see at the immediate left of the photo is a bridge which allowed the water to flood in from the river. (Richard Editor)

Can anybody in the know tell me, when or if the Stena Londoner was ever scapped.  I can't believe that it is still around somewhere.  It was a peculiar looking vessel in some ways, as the superstructure sat very high above the water, especially at the stern.  Whilst I am asking is the Champs Ellyses still around.  I think that particular vessel is still the largest ferry to have used Newhaven, although at one time I believe that the Stena Invicta was mooted for consideration of being transferred from Dover to Newhaven.  The transfer nevertheless didn't take place, otherwise that would have been the biggest ferry to have used Newhaven.   

Stena Londoner had quite a career before Newhaven, as Stena Nordica, Stena Danica and Stena Nautica! She operated on the Baltic and also from Dover to Ostend. After serving at Newhaven as both Versailles and Stena Londoner, she was returned in 1996 to her then owners, Seafrance, becoming Seafrance Monet. She then operated on the Dover routes but only for a few months, as she was not the right ship for those routes. She subsequently spent most of her time laid up in Dunkirk until 2000, when she was sold to Spanish owners. As Volcan de Tacande, she ran to the Balearic Islands until 2005, when she was scrapped.

Her unusually high appearance was due to her having an extra vehicle deck added just 3 years after she was built.

As for Champs Elysees / Stena Parisien, she's still going strong, operating in the Mediterranean Sea. Full details here: http://www.doverferryphotosforums.co.uk/mv-seafrance-manet-past-and-present/ 

She wasn't the largest ferry to run from Newhaven, that honour goes jointly to the current Transmanche 'twins', Cote d'Albatre and Seven Sisters.

The idea of Stena Invicta coming here is a new one on me! She's slightly shorter than the current ships, a wee bit beamier and has slightly less draft, so she wouldn't have been our largest ferry either. Although she would have fitted the port OK, her extra passenger deck and high upperworks would have made her very susceptible to windage and therefore not a great vessel for this route. Her capacity for over 1700 passengers is way above what's needed on the route. There would have been a lot of empty seats! On top of that, her service speed of just 17 knots would have been a tad slow for the longer Newhaven-Dieppe crossing.

All told, I think Stena would have realised early on that the idea was pretty much a non-starter.