40 CHAPEL STREET - THE PELLETT FAMILY
1930's
Abbie Pellett
Beulah Brewer
The Arundel crew
Beulah Brewer
The Arundel crew
Beulah Brewer
This photograph (c. 1920's) belonged to my father Mr William Pellett who worked on the S.S. Arundel for over 30 years
B.Brewer
We have recently received a letter from Beulah Brewer (nee Pellett), and some photos, one of her childhood home in Chapel Street and two of the crew of the 'Arundel'
Here are some extracts from her letter:
"My nephew has sent me a news item from the local paper of Newhaven, showing part of Chapel Street. In fact it included the house where I was born and lived during my childhood, number 40. My parents lived there for almost 40 years. I remember Dell White the barber and Devereux the grocery shop. Some of the families living in Chapel Street included: The Belton family, and later Eager family, and The Capps family. Mr Capps was a fisherman, who sold fresh fish from a wheel barrow that he pushed around the town.
I knew most of the people who lived in this close community including Mrs Lester, who made and sold toffee apples to the children at 1/2p and 1p old money.
Mr Howell had his snob shop, where he would sit with the door open and singing whilst he repaired the shoes, and he was also a part time postman. Other trades people in Chapel Street were - Hill's the Bakers, Miss Lander's sweet shop, Rolfie's Fish & Chip shop (formerly a wet fish shop), and last but not least the Jolly Sailor.
I remember the Lamp Lighter, a Mr Lydford who would arrive with a long pole and switch on the street gas lamps.
My father and brother both worked on the cross-channel boat the 'Arundel'."
This is a poem that Beulah wrote about her days in Newhaven.
To Newhaven
I dream of my days by the sea shore where I lived when I was young
I would take a walk by the river wall, thinking of all the delights in store
How contented the small boats looked, moored to the landing stages
And how majestic the cross channel ships
Serene on a high tide safely anchored in their haven
On I would walk to the harbour mouth and get the smell of the open sea
What a wonderful vast expanse waiting there for me
Under the cliff tops I would roam to find sea pinks and anemones
Gulls wheeling and crying in the sky, where small white clouds went scudding by
On to the beach where the warm soft sand
From an ebbing tide played with my feet
Over to the rock pools to find baby crabs by the score
And limpets clinging oh so tight, hanging on with all their might
Slippery sea-weed waving to and fro
As the years went by and I walked my small son, to savour the same delights
He always sang a happy tune, as soon as the sea was in sight