FALAISE - BEFORE SHE CAME HERE

When she was still a passenger steamer

By Andy Gilbert

I think most of us know that our first car ferry "Falaise" was not brand new when she arrived here to start the service in 1964. She was already 18 years old and had spent most of that time on the Western Channel routes. She was described when new as 'the most luxurious ship in the Railway fleet" and both she and her near sister Normannia (also converted to a car ferry and a Newhaven 'regular') were often regarded as 'mini-liners', with accommodation and facilities said to be on a par with their much larger siblings.

As well as regular crossings from Southampton to St Malo and the Channel Islands, she would also run cruises to French ports such as Rouen and Dieppe.

Our Newhaven has been sent these scans of timetables from her earlier days and I've added a couple more images from our collection.