Hove in the Past: Stirling Place, Hove.

06 September 2021

Stirling Place, Hove.

Judy Middleton 2003 (revised 2021)

copyright © J.Middleton
Looking east along the north side in May 2021 – the yellow building is the newly-painted Stirling Arms

Background

The road was built in the 1870s on land once belonging to the Vallance Estate. By February 1898 there were already 120 inhabitants living in Stirling Place.

It is a fascinating foot-note, but in 1883 there were some ‘disturbances’ when the Salvation Army marched through Stirling Place with their band playing at full blast. Instead of enjoying the music, the residents were annoyed at the intrusion. In the early days the Salvation Army were not at all popular, and in other parts of Sussex there were riots, and even attacks on personnel.

In 1888 the road was declared a public highway.

Originally, the road was divided into two parts – Stirling Place and Stirling Terrace. In 1889 it was decided to combine them into Stirling Place, which meant that the houses could be numbered consecutively.

Urinal

In December 1891 Hove Commissioners decided to erect a cast-iron urinal at Stirling Place at a cost of around £42.

copyright © J.Middleton
Brooker Place is neither a passage or a footpath but a turning off Stirling Place with some interesting old flint walls

Passages and Footpaths

In May 1899 Mr E. L. Voysey wrote to Hove Council to suggest that a footpath be made from Stirling Place to the road between the Connaught Road Schools and the Gas Company’s property. The Borough Surveyor thought it was a good idea, but in order for a footpath to be made, an agreement would have to be reached with the School Board, and the trustees of the Vallance Estate. It seems that nothing was done, and the Gas Company was known to be unwilling to allow such a plan.

In 1922 Councillor Lee again brought up the subject. It is interesting to note that at the time there were two separate passages near the school, divided by an 8-ft wall.

The passage from Stirling Place to the Connaught Road Schools was 107-ft in length

The passage at the back of six houses (numbers 32-42 Stirling Place) was 104-ft in length, and provided private access to those properties

The Vallance Estate was willing to convey the freehold of the land to Hove Council on which the new footpath to the schools would be built under certain conditions:

There should be no steps

The footpath must be made one level

The garden walls of the houses affected must be raised to a height of at least 6-ft

The Council must provide a lamp

Hove Council estimated that the cost of creating this footpath would be around £70, and in 1923 it was recommended that the work should be carried out.

In 1925 the Borough Surveyor reported that an additional lamp was necessary at the southern end of the Stirling Place footpath, and the Council agreed. The lamp would cost £6-10s to instal, and the annual maintenance was put at £3-12-6d.

House and Business Notes

Number 1 – The Stirling Arms was built in around 1884 and was owned by brewers Abbey & Sons. It was later re-numbered as number 3. The Pub retained its original name until 2006 when it was re-named The Foragers but in 2021 it reverted to being the Stirling Arms.

Number 3 – In 1889 the authority noted that there was no proper water supply to the privy. Perhaps the occupants did not take any notice because a similar complaint was made in 1891. In July 1918 it was reported that Mr Chadwell of this address was keeping two pigs in his back yard against regulations. But stout Mr Chadwell claimed he was only carrying out the wishes of the Government by supplying his own food. Moreover, he produced a list signed by fifteen people living in Connaught Terrace who did not object to the pigs. But Hove Council was unmoved by his ingenuity and told him to get rid of the pigs.

Number 5 – In 1891 this property too was noted as not having a proper water supply to the privy.

Number 18 – In 1890 there was no proper water supply to the privy.

Number 20 – In 1890 there was no proper water supply to the privy.

Number 21 – In December 1879 there was black smoke issuing from the bakehouse at this property; the smoke was causing a nuisance and was reported to the authorities.

Number 23 – In 1999 the charity Home Farm Trust set up their local office at this house.

Residents of Interest

Ron Stuart – Before and after the Second World War, and in the 1960s, Stuart worked as a photographer on the Palace Pier, Brighton. He worked long hours – often putting in a 16-hour stint, but it did mean he was on hand to take photos of a host of famous people. His photographic haul included images of the following:

Eamonn Andrews

Tony Curtis

George Formby

David Frost

Rex Harrison

Kay Kendall

James Mason

Roger Moore

Sir Ralph Richardson

Prince Rainier and Princess Grace

Flora Robson

Mike Yarwood

Kenneth Williams

Norman Wisdom

One snap that later became a famous photograph was of a shy, bespectacled young man by the name of John Major who was enjoying a day out at Brighton with Jean Kierens, his 34-year old girlfriend. There was a parrot called ‘Sputnik’ in the photograph too – he was the family pet as well as being a useful prop.

A less savoury subject was John Christie, the Rillington Place murderer.

Despite all these famous people, Stuart’s most celebrated work was of two unknown female day-trippers having a whale of a time on the Palace Pier in the 1950s. One of the women, perhaps a granny, was wearing thick, dark stockings, and a coat down to her ankles – it is also apparent that she did not have her teeth in. In September 1999 this image was named the overall winner out of 6,000 entries and was featured on the History Channel’s Photos for the Future Millennium Project, celebrating the lives of ordinary people. Stuart also won a £400 video camera. By this time he was a 81 year old great-grandfather, still living in Stirling Place.

The Viccari Family – The Viccari family came from Monte Cassino, Italy, and arrived in England in around 1900. During the 1920s Mr Viccari ran a business underneath Selfridge’s in London, which was sold to the famous store in the 1930s for a considerable profit. In the 1950s the Viccaris established themselves in Stirling Place, and Viccari’s the hairdresser became a well-known feature of the road for many years. Later on, that business was sold but the family kept the studio upstairs known as the ABC Studio.

On 15 June 1989 there was a fire at Viccari’s hairdressing salon, and the photographic studio on the premises. Peter Viccari braved the flames to rescue expensive camera equipment, negatives and prints. Leading Fireman Bernie Forbes was taken to hospital for treatment after working in the fierce heat, but was allowed home later on.

In June 1992 a newspaper article about the family stated that Vincent Viccari was an expert in restoring paintings, and was very good at making copies of the Old Masters. Sylvester Vaccari was also a restorer, and painted water-colours. Peter Viccari specialised in the restoration of old photographs. Roy Viccari painted yachts, and had a studio above Victor’s. Roy’s daughter Carissa was an interior designer.

copyright © J.Middleton
This house stands in solitary splendour, ignoring the prevailing architectural style of the other houses

Hove Planning Approvals

1895 – T. Lainson & Son for A. E. Lewer, one house, south side

1909 – P. Blandford for C. Blandford, house and shop, north side

Sources

Argus

Encyclopaedia of Hove and Portslade

Hove Council Minute Books