Shoreham Cine and Miniature Camera Club

Film of the “new” clubhouse arriving on a truck at Ropetackle in 1958 Courtesy of Brian Meetens, South Downs Film Makers

The Shoreham Cine and Miniature Camera Club was started in the late 1950’s by local retailer Paul Plumb. He gathered a group of friends & advertised in the local press to form the cine club. Paul had a shop in Shoreham & was very well known for his enthusiasm about life in general. The response he got was quite amazing, in the region of 60 people were interested in becoming members.

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Where is Shoreham’s Pickett-Hamilton?

There is a curiosity hidden deep in the plans and maps of Shoreham Airport… the previous existence of three WWII Pickett-Hamilton Defensive Forts. Are they still hidden under the grass and tarmac? Are they lost?

Pickett-Hamilton Retractable Fort, fully raised and manned, taken on an airfield in Southern England. RAF FIGHTER COMMAND, 1939-1945 © IWM (CH 17890) IWM Non Commercial Licence
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Maples – Shoreham fisherman

These wonderful shoreham fishing photos come courtesy of Mary Gibbs. A newspaper cutting (written in a comical vein) from our own collection suggests that the fishermen were from the Maple family who appear elsewhere in articles on our website as oyster merchants at the western end of the High Street and sportsmen, mainly racing oarsmen and footballers.

One of the photos shows one fisherman wearing a jersey with the name ‘Imatra’ on it. This was one of the yachts built at Shoreham by Stow & Sons, launched in 1899 and over 100 years later is still sailing in water around New Zealand (see http://www.shorehambysea.com/stow-suter-yachts/ )  Like many other Shoreham fishermen this Maple man probably ‘double-jobbed’ as part of the crew for local yachts as and when required.

Shoreham Military Funeral

This from Roy Wood of photos from William Wood’s funeral in 1934. William lived at 5 Middle Road (later renumbered 36), Shoreham. He had joined the Royal West Kent regiment in 1892 and was finally discharged in 1917. The Army honours their own – the funeral procession was provided by the Sussex Regt. He is buried in St Julian’s graveyard.

Middle Road today (notice the ivy still growing)

Disappearing Shoreham

Originally stretching all the way on both sides of the road from the suspension bridge to the flood arch, the old railings on the north side have recently been replaced by wooden ones.  Whether or not they were erected at the same time as the bridge itself (1833) is uncertain although it can be seen in many late 19th and early 20th century photos. This used wooden posts with the distinctive square iron rails held in place by a metal strap. Sometime since the wooden posts were replaced with cement ones but still using the square iron railings. Some of the south side railings still survive, for now, and although they may be of little architectural importance it is sad to see yet another part of the town’s history quietly disappearing almost unnoticed.

5 bob for the caretaker

Little bits of history in snippets here from E. R. Harmsworth’s letter to the New Shoreham Local Board in 1891 most significant of which is the instruction that the new tramway terminus must be sited at the top (western end) of Ham Road.