Peter's book sails in

LOCAL historian and Sussex Express contributor Peter Bailey has been photographing the comings and goings of ships at Newhaven for 70 years.

And for the last decade he has been involved in a labour of love trying to get his book published on the Newhaven-Dieppe cross-Channel service.

On Saturday, after a number of false starts, including sponsorship deals falling through, Peter, saw his dream come true.

Nearly 100 people, including civic dignitaries, and well-wishers from both sides of the Channel, gathered at the Villa Adriana, Newhaven, to celebrate the publication of Newhaven-Dieppe Service: The Story of the Cross-Channel Ferry Service.

Among the guests was local MP Norman Baker and the Mayors of Newhaven and Seaford.

It was left to the European Regional Development Fund to sponsor the richly illustrated book which Peter has written in partnership with Claude Feron, secretary of the Friends of Old Dieppe.

The publisher is Editions Bertourt of France which co-hosted the event with Seaford s SB Publications, distributors of the book in Britain.

To honour his tenacity and thank Peter for his work in putting Newhaven on the map, the chairman of Lewes District Council, Cllr Peter Harper, presented him with a commemorative tankard.

Peter, who is curator of the Newhaven Museum and a founder member of the Newhaven Historical Society, will soon be repeating the book signing experience when he travels to Dieppe in March for the official launch of the book in France.