History Of Brighton Fishing Museum

Andy Durr’s story of the creation of the fishing Museum in 1994 highlights the transformation of Brighthelmston , centuries old fishing village into Brighton, “London by the Sea”. Since he wrote his account of his conversation with fisherman Alan Hayes , the Museum has developed its story to include the transformation of the Front into the tourist

area we see today.

Within the Museum itself you can discover the world of fishermen in images and models and walk aboard a full-size vessel .Here too you will meet characters such as Martha Gunn and “Captain” Fred Collins, skipper of the SKYLARK. These were people born to old fishing families who also worked during the time when the sea became a new potential source of health, and wealth.

Martha Gunn assisted modestly attired Regency females to bathe in the ocean, which might be entirely new experience for them. Meanwhile “All aboard for the Skylark” became a catchphrase for later tourists’ taste of a voyage on the sea.

Many fishing families adapted to the new world of tourism, but the museum collection describes how the fishermen were driven away from the area, now flanked by two piers and full of new activities such as swimming clubs , bars and entertainments such as Punch and Judy shows which became part of the tradition of the British sea-side.