NEWHAVEN OLD SWING BRIDGE

View looking upriver

By Richard Beckett

This view was taken as a record of when the old bridge was still in the ownership of British Rail. The advert for "Bannisters Depositories" stands out clearly on the roof at the left, and upstream on the right can be seen the mass of cranes which used to work on North Quay. At the middle of the bridge can be seen the old gas lamp which showed Red to warn ships at night that the bridge was closed to river traffic. This gas lamp is now to be seen in the Newhaven Local Musuem. When the bridge was replaced with the modern one, I understand that it was intended to place the large ornate cast iron units as decorative articles within the pedestrian precinct. However when they were temporarily stored down by the Harbour Station, they were "spirited away" by some scrap iron entepreneurs and disappeared in the melting pot.

Photo:Old Swing Bridge

Old Swing Bridge

Richard

This page was added by Richard Beckett on 19/06/2008.
Comments about this page

Just upriver of the old bridge and to the right was a small slipway where a fishmonger used to sell fish from his barrow. Can anyone else remember this, it would have been mid to late 60's?

By Rob Patten
On 26/06/2008

Rob, I have a feeling the fishmonger may well have been Rocky Marchant. Rocky was the deckhand for Big Ted (not "Glamour") Gillam, on the Alert. The only other fishmonger I know of, who sold from a barrow, was Mr. Capps. "Cappo" and he was to be found on Bridge Street, by Featherstones Cafe. However, I think he was more 1950s.

By William Stovell
On 14/12/2008

I can remember my Dad (BigTed Gillam) telling me that Rocky had a fish barrow in Newhaven, my brother Tedboy can also remember Rocky being there. Rocky was a real good friend of my Dad and in 1981 my Dad and Tedboy named the new family boat 'TOBYROC' after my Dads two best mates, Toby and Rocky.

By Andrew Gillam
On 06/08/2012

Andrew, you have no idea how that takes me back to the late 50's and early 60's, before my dad died. Please, if you have any photos of Big Ted & Rocky, on the Alert, or any family fishing tales, please put 'em on the site. Big Ted, Rocky, Glamour, Uncle, Booboo, Whiffles, Little Dennis, Harry Boniface, Trotter Hills and many more were all legends and true characters. That's the Newhaven I remember.

By William Stovell
On 07/08/2012

Yes I have a few photos of my Dad, Rocky. I've a few of Newhaven, one of my favourites is of the Challenger with the Alert in the middle and the New Aquarius on the outside, this would have been 1971 when Dad first had the New Aquarius built. That was on the first stage by the bridge. I will try to add some photos asap. The names you mentioned I know most of them , Uncle Booboo being my Dad's brother George Gillam. Little Dennis? Not sure if thats Dennis Hubbard another very good friend of Dad's. Glamour was another, Ted Gillam he was my Dad's nephew, my cousin. As you say Newhaven just isn't the same. We left with the Tobyroc and berthed in Brighton Marina in 1987, this is were we have been ever since

By Andrew Gillam
On 16/08/2012

Yes it was Rocky Marchant and he was my Dad

By Terry Marchant
On 24/07/2023

Did the Gilhams live in Elphick road and was their dad in the Military Police.

The two Gilham brothers, one lived in Vale Road and the other in Gibbon road, or are they a different family? I thought they were scaffolders.

By Mel Allen
On 12/08/2023
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