Gunner lived in some style on fort slopes

Many will know of it, for I would think it lasted into the 1970s or 1980s.

It was the home of the master gunner at the fort and by its appearance not a house to dismiss.

Some recently built flats occupy this space now, leading down to the roadway, quite modest in height and attractive with it.

The gunner's house, after a long period of emptiness, suddenly became the first yacht club for Cresta Marina as it developed onwards from the 1960s.

I was invited in for a well presented meal and the place certainly had atmosphere, but for that purpose it was rather restricted, so no surprise when building materials arrived at the site of the recently closed Villa Adriana and the first yacht club resulted at this suitable location.

Between the wars the first location for this nautical necessity was at the then Sheffield Hotel, now known as The Harbourside and, I understand, again the home for this club.

Several little stores were dotted about the land behind the gunner's house, but the fair sized building going away on the right, just before the tree, was in fact the Army hospital.

I well remember visiting it with George Jakens of Seaford in 1971, feeling that with reasonable size and seen by all seafront traffic, quite a good place for a first museum, but demolition was soon due so we had to look elsewhere.

The tree obscures the location of the Ark House but it will just appear in the next photo.

Now abreast the recreation ground, the famous 'stink pipe' comes to view. It must have served its purpose well for I have no recollection of any offence. That was to happen further towards the sea, just before the Green Light (as it used to be). Here the town sewer emptied into the river on an ebbing tide.