Through The Eyes of a Brighton Girl

 Brighton General Hospital. 

Around the left hand side of the main hospital building, this sign can be seen on the wall. 

'East ward & stables'. 

Photograph February 2015.

 124 Elm Grove

The corner of Elm Grove and Bentham Road. 

Briefly for a day or so in January 2015, the old signage for A Cut Above hairdressers business was visible.

A Cut Above started business here during the 1970's sometime. I recall going here as a child. Before this though, it was Clarkes the Bakers. 

It must have been on my trips with my Mum to take my brother to school at Elm Grove that I remember going into Clarkes bakers. I recall the counter being along the back wall.

124 Elm Grove had been a bakers for most of it's years. Before Clarkes bakers during the 1960's it was Gigins the bakers. 

Gigins started business here c.1927 up until the late 1950's. 

Previous to this the Roberts family had their bakers business here from c.1905 up until 1926.

This shop has been boarded up for many years but now being renovated and to become a coffee shop. Much to the joy of the parents of  children at Elm Grove school.

 70 West Street.

I took this photograph back in 1991.  The side of the building says 

'Whites Library & Carving Works'.

From at least 1851 Jabez White was verger of St Pauls church in West Street. His wife Elizabeth a bookseller. They lived at 70 West Street. 

Their son, also Jabez became a wood carver. After the death of his parents Jabez (jnr)and his wife Adele carried on with the family business.

Jabez died in 1902 leaving his wife Adele to carry on with the business up until c.1915. After this the premises became a restaurant.

Sadly this building no longer survives on West Street. I'm glad I captured it before it was demolished. 

Soper's Bazaar. North Street.

The corner of North Street leading into Western Road.This building is currently being renovated by Metro Bank. 

Walking past today I noticed that you could see a feint outline of the word 'Sopers'. Sopers Bazaar or Emporium.

Samuel Henry Soper had his linen draper business here from c. 1860. The corner was known as Soper's Corner.

 Hobdens baths. Kings Road.

For a short time in 1991 during the extension to the Grand Hotel you could see the engraved name of Hobdens baths on the white wall behind. (Just below the windows). This still exists today and you can get a small glimpse of the sign as you walk up the side of the Grand and look between the buildings. 

 49-55 Western Road.

Built in 1903 for Knight & Wakeford's drapery store. Knight & Wakeford were in busniess here until c.1920 when the business changed hands to Dawkins Ltd Drapers.

Dawkins survived up until the mid 1950's when it downsized to numbers 52-55 Western Road. Dawkins had gone by 1958 and the store was divided up into smaller stores.

The KW survives at the top of the building as a reminder of its past life.

Photos July 2014.

191 Havelock Road.

A Parsons & Son builders were in business here from c.1908 up until recent times.

Photo July 2014.

118 Queen's Road. Hanover House.

On the south side of this building is this foundation stone originally laid by Henry Pagden Tamplin of Tamplin Brewery. It survives from the building which was previously on this site. The Oddfellows Hall. Built in June 1854 and demolished in 1969.

 4A Palace Place.

How overlooked is this little place? It doesn't look like much has changed here over the years.

From around 1908 4A Palace Place was listed as being a Telephone Exchange. Walter James Wolfe is listed here from 1914 up until 1932.

(I apologise for the wheelie bins! They seem to be over taking our town these days! ) 

53 Gardner Street.

The earliest record I could find for The Hat Box was 1912. It was run by a Mrs C Hall up until 1932 when another milliner named Winifred Ellen Silverthorne  took over the business for a few years. It then swapped hands to Mrs P Remington. The Hat Shop had gone by 1949 and the shop became Brighter Homes, a wallpaper business.

2014. The old signage left unpainted by the current owners. Family Grocer. Life before 1921. 

  Sussex Road, Hove

Henry Marsh, Chimney sweep. Henry born 1845 and also his son Henry born 1867 were both chimney sweeps and lived at this address.  Lovely that the owners of this property paint around this old sign rather than paint over it.

 73 Lewes Road.

J.H Dewhurst were at this premises in Lewes Road from the early 1950's. 

 Pool Valley.

I took this photo back in 1988. Cowley's Bunne Shop was in business here for many, many years.

Sadly this sign is no longer there so I am really pleased I managed to capture it. I have no idea what happened to the sign but I hope it was preserved somwhere or a member of the Cowley family managed to keep it.

Photo taken 1988.

 Hartington Road

Left of the entrance to the Brighton & Preston Cemetery. 

Blink and you'll miss it, like I have up until now. Although very feint, it's worthy of a mention I think.

J Sargent & Son Monumental Masons were in business here from at least 1901. The last entry for their business, that I could find was 1973. But possibly they were there for a few years after that date.

 Dyke Road.

Homewood's Library.

It had to be done didn't it?

F Homewood was in business here from at least 1872. The family were still in business here in 1973 where my research stopped. they may have been there a fair bit longer than that. Over 100 years of family business. Sadly not related to our Homewoods but a family that originated from Cuckfield.

Photo taken May 2014.

Temple Street.

A very faded sign but there if you look hard enough.

It says' Baker & Son

Western Road

Est 1844'.

Photo taken May 2014

 123 &124 Western Road. Corner of Temple Street.

After many years of the Lighting shop being here at these premises it has recently been sold to a new owner who is planning to turn it into an Ice Cream Parlour.

During the shop fit this old shop signage has been uncovered. The new owners plan to remove this signage.

Caffyns Ltd - Auto mobile engineers and agents were in business here from at least 1924 to at least 1936. From at least 1947 it was Piper Howard Motor Engineers.

Photo taken May 2014.

The side of the Old Market in Brunswick Street East.

Built in 1825 The Old Market it originally sold meat, fish and vegetables to the residents of Brunswick Town.

In the early 1900's it became Duponts Riding Academy.

  Photo taken 2013.

This plaque is to be found in the tunnel of the private gardens of Lewes Crescent. This tunnel was suposedly inspired Lewis Carroll to write about the rabbit hole in Alice In Wonderland.

The inscription reads:

These Esplanades walks and buildings are the private property of those owners of the houses of Kemp Town who have subscribed towards the expenses and to whom only there is the right to entrance and kept up at their expense. Visitors are imformed that it is the DUTY OF THE CONSTABLE to be constantly on the premises, and to keep the whole of the place free from intrusion of all persons  whose conduct or appearance seem to justify their exclusion, and if any of the company require his assistance and protection he will attend immediately on the ringing of the BELL.

Photo taken September 2012.

71 Lewes Road.

Maypole Dairy was in business here from c.1912 up until c.1960 when it then became a fruiterers business.  

Photo taken 2013.

35 East Street.

Re-rendering of 35 East Street unveiled the original cobble fronted cottage underneath. I am not sure if this will be rendered over again or whether the company is deciding to return it to its former glory.

Photo taken March 2014.

North Street. Lloyds Bank.

Lloyds TSB decided to go it alone again as Lloyds. For a few days whilst they changed their signage back to 'Lloyds' the original 'Capital and Counties Bank' engraved sign was on show.

Capital and Counties Banking Company was at these premises at 173 North Street from c.1880 up until Lloyds took it over in the early 1920's. 

Strange to think this sign hasn't been seen for almost 100 years.

 34 North Road.

J. Smith & Son. Heating and Lighting and General Engineers was in business at these premises from c.1876/77 to the late 1950's. Almost 70 years of trading.

The owner of this shop had uncovered the signage in the past but it confused his customers so he covered it up again. 2013 it has been uncovered and the owner has decided to keep it on show.

14 St Georges Place.

C.Baker& Co. A wholesale tobacconists was at these premises from at least 1947 to the late 1950's. The sign has now been covered over with new shop signage.

Photo 2013.

25 Gardner Street.

A.F.Fairbridge. House Furnisher & Piano Forte Dealers. In business at 25 and 26 Gardener Street from c.1905 up until the 1940's.

Catch this shop in the right light and you can spot the old shop signage shining through.

Photo taken 2013

 23 Gardner Street.

 The renovations of this shop has uncovered the old signage and awning of Harry Woods hosier business. Harry Woods was in business here from the early 1930's to the mid 1960's. Possibly only uncovered for a short period of time during renovations but good to have seen it.

Photo taken January 2014.

The Dome.

The tunnel which led from the Pavilion to the Dome. Temporarily uncovered whilst the tunnel was being strengthened to preserve it for many years to come. George the IV would use this to get to his stables without the public from seeing him. Maybe the tunnel had other uses though, as Maria Fitzherbert lived in a cottage just behind the Dome, on New Road. 

Union Road.

The gates at Park Crescent gardens in Union Road. These gates were once the gates belonging to the Floral Hall in Market Street.

The Floral Hall in Market Street  was built c. 1901 and was demolished only 40 years or so later to make way for a cark park that was the be in the heart of our town for the next 40 years or more! The market was moved to the Circus Street site (now derelict awaiting demolition).

Photo taken March 2013. 

 Middle Street behind the Hippodrome. The remains of the elephant enclosure. From the times when the Hippodrome was once a circus.

Photo taken May 2013.

 Lewes Road.

Number 13 Lewes Road. Old shop front revealed. R.C.Hallett.

R.C Hallett was a bootmakers at this premises from 1882 until c.1906 where the business was then taken over by a man called Reynolds.

Photo taken January 2013.

 St James Street.

129. 130 St James Street. Above the Beacon charity shop.

From an advert dated 1895:

Ross and Sons. The fashionable gentlemens and ladies outfitters. Hosiers, Glovers and Hatters.Established  70 years.

Gardner Street.

Terry's the jewellers  was situated on the corner of Gardner Street and Church Street. In business from at least 1868.

Photo taken 2012. 

 The Xavarian College at the top of Queen's Park.  Originally  Attree Villa, one of many villas designed to surround the park. It was taken over by the Xavarian college in 1901 and finally closed down in 1966.The land remained derelict for many years. I used to go and play in the grounds during the late 1970's.  The only evidence now of it's existence is the surrounding wall  and the garden gazebo and this old 'college' sign which is only visible when you scrape off the ivy from the post.

Middle Street.

Harringtons 71 Middle Street. Situated on the east side. This was a Hotel from 1925 to the at least the 1970's. 

Photo taken 2012.

 Gardner Street.

Photo taken 2012.

5 Gardner Street.

Herbert Cassey Hosiers. In business at 5 Gardner Street from c.1905 to the early 1960's.

Photo taken in 2012. 

 71,London Road. 

Mrs Emily J. Johnson.Confectioner. Emily ran her confectioner's shop at this address from around 1896- c.1912.By 1901 Emily was a widow. With her on the 1901 census were her two daughters Alice and Dorinda.

Still preserved in the shop doorway towards Preston Circus. Long may it last.

 William Hills of Hove. A large department store along Western Road in Hove. Closed in 1982.

 42 Sydney Street (the east side).

This premises was a dyeing business for many years from 1874 up until 1935.

From the 1870's it was run by J Doran. 

From 1903 the Co Operative took over and ran their dyeing business here up until 1920.

Frederick W Bates took over in 1921 where it was named the Dyeing and Cleaning Works. I am presuming the engraving of the name happened around this time. Frederick Bates finally closed up shop in 1935.

photo taken 2009.

Dear old Hanningtons! A department store none of us will forget. This is one of the old doorways in East Street.

Smith Hannington opened his first store at number 3 North Street in 1808 expanding to further premises in 1816 after receiving the Royal Warrant and an inheritance from his mother.

Hanningtons ceased trading in 2001.

 Woolworth's doorway in London Road. How did that shop ever go into administration?

 The last remaining Tramways window at the bus depot in Lewes Road.

In the heart of the Lanes in Meeting House Lane is this lovely advert.

Photo taken 2012. 

Middle Street. 

Garratts were in business in Middle Street from at least 1856 at number 57. Later they were trading from numbers 61, 62 and 64 and 65 Middle Street.They seem to have been taken over by Bradshaws during the 1960's. Amazing this painted signage still exists. Long may it last!

New England Road. 

William James Andrew had his grocers business here at 47 New England Road from 1926-1935. 

 In the Brighton museum this is all that remains of the little room with all the stuffed animal heads. Remember them?

62 North Street.

Harts the hat manufacturers. Harts was in business from 62 North Street from at least the 1840's. Later to become Hart and Hobbs. During the 1950's it was renamed Cobley's but was still owned by Hart and Hobbs. It became a gentlemen's outfitters. Still in existence during the 1970's. Situated on the south side of North Street towards the junction with West Street.

Blenheim Place.