VALENCAY AT DIEPPE
Right next to the town
By Rod Vinall and Andy Gilbert
Valencay at Dieppe
Rob Vinall
Not Newhaven, but it's nice to sometimes see what our ships did at the other end of the line.
For many years, Dieppe's ferry terminal has been sited to the East of the port under the cliffs - a bus ride (or a long but rather nice walk) around to the town itself.
But if we go back a few years further, I'm sure that many of us will recall that the ships used to berth at the Quai Henri IV, which was literally at the end of the High Street, well at the end of the Grand Rue, to be precise. You stepped off the ship, walked through the terminal building and you were in the town in seconds!
This photo shows the bow of the French car ferry Valencay. She's actually in the lay-by berth, directly ahead of the berth at the link span ramp. In those less security-conscious days you could often walk right aboard. I did that a couple of times in the 1980s, walking off and back on board Senlac with a wave and the word "Equipage" - meaning crew. You can't do that any more!
I always enjoyed that 'right in the town' aspect of my trips to Dieppe. As I recall, there were several restaurants in the buildings with the arches at the right of the photo on the Arc de la Bourse, and there were plenty of little cafes on the Quai Henri IV itself. Tried a few of those over the years!