Fishing memories live on in museum

2:06pm Monday 23rd June 2008

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Long before Brighton became one of Britain's most fashionable resorts, it was a small fishing village.

The Lanes, now among the top tourist attractions, started life as little cottages for fishermen, huddled together to provide protection from the fierce southwesterly gales.

Fishing was a precarious occupation and the men who undertook it were tough. They did not make much money but at least they knew there would always be food for supper. It is known to have taken place for at least a thousand years and was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086.

Some historians believe Flemish people settled in Brighton during the Middle Ages, augmenting the strength of the fishing industry.

But mostly fishing belonged to certain families such as the Leaches, being handed down from father to son over the generations.

For many years the fishermen laid out their nets in Old Steine, and they protested greatly when that land became a pleasure promenade two centuries ago. They claimed ancient rights should continue, but town commissioners sided with tourism, which was more profitable for the resort.

Fishing was by far the largest employment in Brighton for many years. In 1770, more than 100 boats and 300 fishermen were recorded.

But the industry slowly declined as Brighton became the biggest resort in Britain, The men felt they were being squeezed out.

The decline was accelerated when mobile fridges enabled fish to be brought to Brighton by rail from bigger fisheries such as those at Great Yarmouth in Norfolk.

Most fishing was carried out from the beach and it was hard work taking the boats in and out of the water. Brighton fishermen usually went to sea in hog boats, which were almost as wide as they were long. They were suited to the rough seas of the English Channel and remained stable in storms.

The poorest fishermen even used to cut them in half and use them as homes on the beach.

It is easy to paint a picture of gloom but there would be good times for the industry, too.

Each year in May a mackerel fair would be held on the beach and the nets would be blessed. This tradition has been revived and is staged annually at the fishing quarter.

During the Second World War, 11 fishing boats from Brighton went to Dunkirk to rescue men who had been stranded there. A less successful rescue mission was attempted at St Valery but the boats were driven away by guns on the shore and attacks from enemy planes.

The decline in the industry was accentuated in 1960, when the old fish market was moved off the seafront, amid bitter protests, and moved to Circus Street.

But when the seafront arches were renovated in the 1990s, Councillor Andy Durr founded the fishing museum and ensured a fishing quarter was revived in its original place.

Although a few boats still use the beach in Brighton and Hove, most have gone to Brighton Marina, while other men now use Shoreham and Newhaven harbours.

The fish market was also a place for public speaking and political rallies in the past. This tradition is occasionally revived during party and trades union conferences.

Fishing folk have always looked at ways of supplementing their incomes. Two centuries ago, Martha Gunn was a dipper - helping the fashionable folk get into the sea for bathing.

In the 19th century, Captain Fred Collins was the most famous fisherman who diversified into pleasure boats. His cry of: "Any more for the Skylark?" achieved national fame. The Skylark was a substantial boat that could take 80 people.

Collins and his colleagues were referred to as the showmen of the sea and were a great tourism attraction.

It was also rumoured that most of the Brighton fishermen could not swim. The saying was that they dived like corks and swam like bricks.

That may have been true in the past but today's fishermen are more sensible and also have proper life-saving equipment on their boats.

• Brighton Fishing Museum at King's Road Arches is open daily between 9am and 5pm.