1 March 2013





On the 26th February guests gathered at the Ropetackle Arts Centre in Shoreham for an evening looking back at the history of Shoreham Harbour, how it operates today and what the future holds for the Port. The night was organised by Martin Allen, Chairman of the Trustees at the Ropetackle and hosted by local historian Trevor Povey and Chief Executive of Shoreham Port, Rodney Lunn.
Trevor brought the story of Shoreham Harbour to life through a presentation of photographs and short films. Trevor included maps of the area and century old development plans detailing different stages of the Port’s growth. Guests were kept entertained as Trevor recalled moments of his childhood spent adventuring and exploring around the Port.
The evening featured a special interview with international best-selling crime thriller novelist, Peter James. Peter has based many of his murder mysteries plots around Shoreham Port and spoke about how he is always on the lookout for new and undiscovered locations for his ill-fated victims!
The Ropetackle also offered guests a rare opportunity to view some of the images from the Port’s photographic archive, which will be on display to the public until the 26th March.
The event, which sold out within weeks of the tickets going on sale, received huge support from local residents and people with an interest in the Port. Rodney Lunn, Chief Executive at Shoreham Port commented “It was wonderful to see the event so well attended and to interact with the audience on many aspects of the Port. It was fascinating to hear Trevor’s account of how the Port has developed over the years. The areas surrounding the Port are so rich in history and each have their own story to tell. Thank you to all who came.”
Rodney’s presentation focused on the present and future workings of the Port. The Port is a commercially vibrant port today, with around 900 ship calls per annum, and 100 businesses on the Port, employing over 1400 people. Looking ahead, the plan is to continually grow the Port and expand the range of cargoes handled, and create another 500 jobs over the lifetime of the Masterplan.
If you would like to find out more about up and coming events at the Ropetackle please visit www.ropetacklecentre.co.uk or call the Box Office on 01273 464440.
Images courtesy of United Magic Film Studios and Screen Archive South East's Movies & Memories Project