NEWHAVEN SWING BRIDGE

If the date is correct I could have been the driver of that bus as I left Southdown in 1967 to live in Australia. Well I remember the rattling timber boards of the bridge as we crossed over. And look how light the traffic was in those days.

Yup and (I could well have been the conductor Jim). We did get booked out on the same bus a time or two eh!

Just think - not only did they actually have the job of manually rotating the bridge, to let craft through, if my memory serves me correctly, before that could happen, they had to disconnect the gas main which ran across the bridge, connecting east Newhaven to west Newhaven. I probably travelled across the bridge that day too, as we lived in Denton, and I worked on Denton Island, although I will have dropped my wife off at Vacco.

Brilliant - I have been searching for pictures of the old bridge. As a youngster I stayed at No.1 Denton Terrace with my grandparents in 1950s to early 60s = Woolgar's. Often saw bridge open and recall the odd occasion when an 0-6-0 locomotive crossed the bridge to the west shore sidings and fort - such memorable days.

I was a beat PC in Newhaven in 1966. I well remember on night foot patrols looking over the old bridge at the huge mullet feeding off the weed on the wooden piles. Every road in the town was visited at least once by a patrolling policeman in those days!

Malcolm, as you know well, I was born in No 4 ! 

I lived in Bishopstone at that time and worked at The Buckle Filling Station, Seaford. My father worked at Reprodux Furniture ( Bevan Funnel?) On Denton Island; my Step Mother at Parker Pens.

As I recall we used to buy fresh fish from a stall near the bridge?

I have just watched the 1953 film Steel Key that features several street scenes of Newhaven at that time.

I'll upload some pictures shortly.

Great film!  Shots of Bridge Street, River Wall and the bridge being opened.