MEMORIES OF T.S BRIGHTON

A rough crossing

By Tony Lamdin

My most vivid memory of the T.S Brighton was a crossing I made on 29 July 1956 during a very stormy day. We left Newhaven late and the crossing took in the vicinity of 7-8 hours which meant that we all but missed our onward train connection to Switzerland in Paris. The ship rolled so much that the seats on which we were sitting were ripped from their foundations and we ended up on the other side of the ship for the duration. Since then I have hated travelling by ship.

Brighton (VI) was well known for her rolling - I've added a photo from Derek Longly and one from Newhaven Museum, showing her 'rolling home' into Newhaven and Dieppe. 

Worth noting that, in those days, our ships would go out in the worst of conditions. Newhaven held the Royal Mail contract and the 'mail had to get through!' It also allowed the British ships on the route to use the prefix RMS - Royal Mail Steamer.

Andy -Editor