Newhaven Conservative Club, 1 Meeching Avenue, Newhaven.
Tornado F. J. Watkins.
The Newhaven Conservative Club building at 2 South Way burned down in 2010 and has since been demolished. Before the Newhaven inner ring road by-passing the town centre was built, South Way was known as Meeching Avenue.
Sussex Police said there was no evidence to suggest the fire was deliberate, but it is said the Conservative Club could not make a successful claim on its insurance policy because the fire was started by a cigarette in a ‘No Smoking’ building. At the time of the fire a lot of local organisations used the building.
In the 1901 census the building was listed as the Temperance Hotel. By the late 1920’s no doubt the Conservative Club froth blowers were enjoying their beer!