THE FLEET'S IN!

But it's not what we would have wanted!

By Andy Gilbert

In the 1960s and 1970s, our car ferry service to Dieppe was regularly (ultimately too regularly) disrupted. Sometimes it was due to industrial action - such as the UK Seaman's Strike of 1966 or the many 'lightning strikes' by French SNCF workers - and sometimes it was French Fishermen blockading Dieppe harbour.

Whatever the reason, it did mean that all of our car ferries would sometimes be stuck in Newhaven until things returned to normal. Courtesy of our 'sister' site at www.pevenseybay.org.uk, here are some images of some unusual 'parking' arrangements.

Villandry and Valencay are seen here at the 'lay by' berth just up-river from the car ferry linkspan ramp. Given their livery and the route's houseflag on their funnels, we can date this to the late 1960s or early to mid 1970s. The photo must have been taken from another car ferry - Falaise or Senlac - at the ramp. Valencay is flying the Blue Peter from her foremast indicating that she is about to sail and the slack mooring line confirms that she is just about to get underway. This would seem to indicate that the strike or blockade is over and that services were resuming.

These two photos are from a few years later, certainly post 1977, when the 'V boats' were converted to drive-through operation and had the extensions added to their funnels. It is quite likely to have been in August 1980, when French fishermen blockaded Dieppe.