I belong to a dwindling band of people who remember Newhaven when it was a bustling little port with a lively town centre.

Back in 1962 I took a holiday in Newhaven with three friends, staying in a caravan on the western outskirts.

We were able to get all our food and drink in the town centre and occasionally returned there for evening entertainment in one of the many pubs.

To me it had everything a small holiday town could offer and it looked like a good place to live. But I could not imagine taking a break there now.

The town centre is virtually closed. The banks have gone, closely followed by the supermarkets. Going there one Monday at lunchtime, I found a solitary café open.

Every time I mention the parlous plight of this port, someone tells me that good times are just around the corner. But you would have to be round the bend yourself to believe that now.

There have been some improvements over the years. The western downs are a nature reserve and the fort is a visitor attraction although there are limits on what can be done to improve it.

There has been a lot of new housing, some of it quite pleasingly nautical, on the western side of the river. Retail sheds and warehouses have sprung up east of the swing bridge and there are hundreds of jobs in the nearby industrial area.

Denton Island has been revitalised and the Tide Mill area made more welcoming. Paradise Park is much loved by children and was packed when I went there last week.

But the town centre is a disaster and is probably too far gone to be rescued. It was a huge mistake to maroon it on an island between two busy one-way roads, making it hard to enter.

A radical solution involving demolition and rebuilding is the only hope but councillors did not much care some years ago for a scheme which included an eye-catching skyscraper and plenty of potential jobs.

I fear that there will be a steady drift of some businesses to points east with Seaford taking the place of Newhaven for much shopping. The existing centre could be used for badly needed social housing.

Then there is the cross-Channel service to Dieppe. Last year, problems in Calais brought an unexpected boom in travel to the Sussex port with even foot passengers having to be turned away at times because of overcrowding.

But Newhaven cannot rely on that continuing and it would not want to profit permanently from the misfortunes of others.

The outlook otherwise is bleak. The French operators are being challenged legally over subsidies they receive with rivals arguing this is unfair competition.

But without subsidies there will be no service. Newhaven to Dieppe has never made money that I can remember whether run by capitalists, councils or railway companies.

It is surprising that the crossing has survived all these years since the Channel Tunnel started operating. There is no guarantee that it will survive for more than a year or two.

Unlike Shoreham, Newhaven is almost totally reliant on a single service and that is the ferries to Dieppe. Without them the port would find it hard to exist and the town would suffer even more.

I even wonder if the little railway line from Lewes through Newhaven to Seaford would be viable without the ferries.

There is plenty of pride left in Newhaven. Locals have fought hard for the West Beach to remain open and they opposed the giant incinerator on the river.

It has plus points including wonderful scenery, good public transport, a benign climate and close access to London.

I have seen other seaside towns and ports survive and even thrive both here and abroad. It could happen in Newhaven but I doubt if it will be in time for me to enjoy another holiday there.

The Argus:

What a contrast a few miles along the coast to Eastbourne where things are really happening at Devonshire Park.

There are ambitious plans to revamp buildings in the area such as the Congress Theatre and the Winter Garden so that they are easier to use and more attractive.

At the same time it has been announced that men’s tennis will be staged there just before Wimbledon in addition to the highly successful women’s tournament which regularly brings in top players.

The popular Towner gallery is well established there too having moved to a more central location from the Old Town.

Eastbourne knows what it wants and plans ahead to get it. Contrary to its image, the resort is pitching for sports and arts enthusiasts more than the traditional market of well-heeled pensioners.

Other Sussex towns could learn a lesson or two from this well-organised resort which booms while many of its competitors struggle.