Hove in the Past: Western Road, Hove

Judy Middleton 2003 (revised 2023)

copyright © J.Middleton
This wonderfully atmospheric postcard shows part of the south side of Western Road running east from Holland Road with the Wick Inn on the corner; the façade of Hill’s of Hove is easily recognisable.

Beginnings

The road was not so named because it ran in a westerly direction but after the Western family, who owned land in Preston and Hove that was later known as the Stanford Estate. But curiously, Western Road, Hove was actually laid out on land once belonging to the Wick Estate.

Ownership of the Stanford Estate descended through the female line from the Shirleys to the Westerns. Sir Richard Shirley, 3^rd baronet, died unmarried in 1705 and thus his sisters Anne, Judith and Mary inherited the estate jointly.

Anne had married Robert Western in 1698 and Mary married Robert’s nephew, Thomas Western. Judith remained unmarried and when she died in 1711 the estate was vested jointly in Anne and Mary. In 1712 Thomas Western purchased Anne’s portion for £6,275.

It was a descendant, Charles Callis Western, who sold the estate to William Stanford in 1794.

It is interesting to note that in the 1930s at flat 1 / 12 King’s Gardens lived Lady Western of Rivenhall, widow of Thomas Western, a descendant of the aforementioned family.

Early Days

The 1861 census recorded only houses up to number 29 with two more in the process of being built while one was unoccupied.

In June 1881 it was stated that the crossing over Western Road opposite Waterloo Street was in a bad condition and several carriage springs had been broken as a result. The Borough Surveyor recommended that this portion of road should be re-laid with creosoted timber on concrete at a cost of £30.

In 1888 it seems that some privies belonging to houses in Western Road left a lot to be desired, For instance, no water was laid on to number 8 and 41 while in 1894 there was no water laid on to number 20.

A Confusion of Numbering

In March 1889 Hove Commissioners decreed that new buildings and shops recently erected on the north side between 57 Western Road and 59 Lansdowne Place should be numbered as 57A, 57B, 57C and 57D. This gives some idea of the erratic numbering.

In 1892 it was recorded that the numbering at the west end of Western Road, both north and south, was very irregular. When Western Place was added to Western Road, the opportunity was taken to organise some much needed re-numbering. (Western Place was a short stretch of road running west from Holland Road on the north side).

Roads and Pavements

In January 1895 it was decided to place a new lamp at a cost not exceeding £6-10s at the corner of Holland Road and Western Road.

In July 1897 a decision was taken to pave Western Road from Holland Road to the east boundary with deal blocks at a cost of £3,500.

In October 1899 the authorities decided that two hackney carriage stands opposite numbers 31 and 32 should be removed to Brunswick Place instead.

In 1900 paving on the south side of Western Road between Holland Road on the east side and Palmeira Square was to be re-paved with artificial stone at a cost of £118. It was noted that Caithness stone flagging would cost £145 but had been used in Brunswick Square.

In 1919 wood-block paving was laid between the eastern boundary and Holland Road for £8,490. Concrete foundations were replaced where necessary and this cost 17/9d per square yard.

There was controversy in 1984 when East Sussex County Council, which held responsibility at the time, proposed to cover this stretch of pavement with unsightly black top; it was of course the cheaper option.

In July 1984 Denys Forrest, chairman of Hove Civic Society, and Dr Rex Binning, chairman of the Regency Society, wrote a joint letter to the Evening Argus protesting about the decision. They feared replacing traditional paving slabs with black top would set a dangerous precedent for other historic areas

By the mid-1990s it was realised that black top was not aesthetically pleasing and soon work was underway to lay paving stones although these were not the massive slabs traditionally used but smaller squares.

Second World War

On 14 June 1941 four high-explosive bombs were dropped on Western Road, St John’s Road, First Avenue and Kingsway.

Number 65/67 Western Road was hit and collapsed, burying a family in the debris. Fifteen year-old Mary Priest was killed. She was a pupil at Hove County School for Girls.

The site was cleared but remained derelict for many years. It was not until 1955 that it was put up for sale.

Shops, Businesses and People

copyright © D. Sharp
Western Road Hove looking west from Boundary Passage on the right, which once marked the civic boundary between Hove and Brighton

Number 1 Tivoli / Embassy Cinema. On 5 October 1911 Hove Council approved plans presented on behalf of E.W. Dinnick for a Picture Theatre on this site. On 4 March 1912 Mr A, Carden put forward a plan of the seating arrangements for the approval of Hove councillors. There was accommodation for 350 people and five exits. But the Borough Surveyor did not approve of the central gangway being reduced by a foot to 3 feet 6 inches and the cross gangway being done away with altogether; the plans were thrown out. It is somewhat ironic to note that by 1920 there was no gangway at all.

The Picture Theatre opened its doors in 1912 and its first name was Hove Cinema Theatre. On 31 January 1912 a licence was granted to Martin Waters on behalf of Grand Parade Cinemas Ltd. to use the premises for ‘Cinematograph Exhibitions’ on weekdays only. The fact the cinema was not allowed to open on Sundays was a thorn in the flesh of the cinema’s managers for many years, especially when the cinema was just over the border with Brighton where people were allowed to go to cinemas on Sundays.

On 2 January 1913 Mr R. Mitchell’s plans for a gallery were approved.

In 1914 the Medical Officer of Health reported that the WC in the yard was ‘very foul and without a supply of water’.

In 1916 John Harris of 42 Lansdowne Place and Joseph Cohen of 3 Sillwood Road, Brighton, took over the cinema and re-named it the Tivoli.

Then there ensued a quick turnover of management. In June 1917 the cinema licence was granted to James Clark Watson while in October 1917 it was transferred to William Denos; in May 1919 the licence was granted to George Beyfus.

In May 1920 the Chief Constable of Hove reported to Hove Council that the seating arrangements were not in accordance with approved plans because the central gangway did not exist. But George Beyfus stated the seating arrangements were already in place when he purchased the property and in view of the number of emergency exits, there was no cause for alarm. In the end the Chief Constable agreed with him and reported that the present seating was satisfactory after all.

In 1922 George Beyfus asked permission to be allowed to open the Tivoli between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Sundays, as was already the case at Portslade and Brighton. But he was turned down. In 1925 George Beyfus sold the cinema to Clifford Victor Maclean Smart who in 1926 applied to Hove Council for a seven-day licence. He summarised his reasons as follows:

1. Public opinion headed by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners was in favour of clean recreation on Sundays.

2. Clean cinema entertainment was just as desirable as Sunday band entertainment.

3. If a seven-day licence were granted to the Tivoli the entertainment would be suitable and a credit to Hove.

4. Staff who had to work on Sundays would be given a full day off in the week instead.

Hove Council were unmoved and turned down the request. It was most probably because of this decision that Mr Smart decided to sell up. On 28 March 1927 the cinema was sold to J. Goldberg and the licence was transferred to him. Mr Goldberg lost no time in applying for a seven-day licence in May 1927. This time there was opposition from representatives of churches and the Rest Day Association who feared their young people would be tempted to stay away from Sunday School or Bible Class. Hove Council at last realised that this vexed question was not going to fade away and sensibly decided to hold a referendum and let the people decide. The result was that a majority were in favour of Sunday cinema opening. Thus in October 1928 the Tivoli finally received a seven-day licence.

For a while the cinema boasted its own full-time orchestra and Miss P. Penrose was the conductor. But the Tivoli was one of the first to move from silent films to talkies and the musicians became redundant. Abel Gance’s epic Napoleon was the last silent film screened at the cinema on 18 November 1929. The first film with sound was shown in November 1929 starring Al Johnson in The Singing Fool.

In 1932 an improved sound system was installed and the price of seats went up, ranging from 7d to 1/10d. Two years later prices were dropped because the talkies were no longer a novelty.

In 1938 Mr Price was the manager. In 1948 Harry Jacobs took over the cinema and re-named it the Embassy. He also owned the nearby Curzon, later re-named the Classic. In 1967 Myles Byrne took over the Embassy. He was managing director of Proud Karn whose Sussex cinema chain also included the Orion, Burgess Hill and the Continental and Cinescene, Brighton.

By this time cinema audiences were in decline and Byrne hoped to divide the building between a gaming club and a smaller cinema space but planning permission was refused.

In the last week of March 1981 the last film was screened at the Embassy; it was Smokey and the Bandits Ride Again.

The blame for the cinema’s demise cannot be laid at the door of Hove Council because the large cinema chains operated a monopoly. This meant that small, independent cinemas like the Embassy were never given the chance to show first runs of new films.

John Katz, the new owner, spent £50,000 turning the place into a bingo hall called Black Cat Bingo. Later on it became a shop and in the early 1990s it became home to Lazer Warriors. Then it became a café and by 2017 was called Piccolo where pasta and pizza were available.

Numbers 5/6 – Bradshaw’s, cycle dealers. George Bradshaw ran the shop and in 1958 he advertised that the business had provided 50 years of service to Hove.

Number 7 – Dollman’s Library. According to the 1851 census John Charles Dollman was a bookseller and stationer aged 28 and lived on the premises with his wife Mary, aged 26 and their one-year old daughter Selina. On 6 May 1851 their son John Charles Dollman was born here. He became a prominent and popular Victorian artist but unhappily his name is hardly known today. Perhaps it is time his talent was re-discovered. The 1861 census recorded additions to the family and included Thomas Frederick, 8, Herbert Purvis, 5, Gertrude Ella, 2, and 6-month old Kate Maria. The marine artist W.J. Leatham lived above Dollman’s Library.

copyright © Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove
An advert from the 1914 Brighton Season Magazine for numbers 7/8 Western Road

Number 10 – Banfield & Son – Joseph Banfield earned his living as a blacksmith at Poynings. His son Ebenezer Banfield (1831-1901) married in 1856 and in the same year established his own business called Western Ironworks in Little Western Street, Hove. Ebenezer, his wife and five children lived in Montpelier Road. His sons Thomas and Joseph later followed their father into the family business. Their shop was at number 10 Western Road and by 1895 the business had expanded to 31a as well. From the latter address the business grew into extended premises in Western Road and remained there until the lease ran out some 60 years later. There was also a yard at Bedford Place.

In 1897 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, Banfield’s erected a large ‘VR’ outside the shop ‘illuminated by electricity under celluloid half-globes’. In 1902 when Edward VII was crowned Banfield’s designed and installed celebratory illuminations in the Brunswick area.

Thomas Banfield enjoyed sport and was a director of Brighton & Hove Albion, besides being treasurer of Dyke Golf Club. In 1932 Joseph Banfield died, having suffered from ill health for some years. But his son Maurice continued the family business and ran the works until his death in 1986. Maurice’s two sons Marcus and John also worked in the family firm while John’s sons Philip and David became the fifth generation of Banfields engaged in the same business. In 2006 the Banfields celebrated their 150^th anniversary and produced a book detailing their family history. By this time the business had reverted to its original starting point, the premises in Little Western Street.

Number 13 – Spinster sisters Emily and Caroline Essex ran a dressmaker / milliner business at this address from the late 1850s until the 1880s, and indeed they had made such a success of their enterprise that by 1881 they employed no less than twelve assistants. The sisters had five siblings – four sisters and one brother – and the sisters would pay visits to Western Road from time to time. Their father was William Essex (1784-1869) the celebrated painter of miniatures, and when he retired in 1864, he came to Western Road to spend his declining years with his daughters Emily and Caroline. He died there in 1869 and was buried in the churchyard of St Andrew’s Old Church, Hove.

copyright © D. Sharp
The former home of William Essex from 1864-1869 - 13 Western Road (Reds) on the corner of Waterloo Street
(photographed in June 2020)

Number 21 – Western Hotel. See under Hove Pubs:- Paris House.

copyright © J.Middleton
The former Western Hotel is a beautiful building and dominates its prominent corner site with aplomb.
It was photographed on 16 May 2014

Number 22 – There had been a Post Office here from at least as far back as the 1930s. Then in August 2015 it was revealed that Post Office bosses wanted to close it down. Local people and Paul Sweetman from next-door City Books could not understand why it needed to close when it was so well frequented. The idea was to merge it with the Post Office in Melville Road, which would be an uphill struggle for those of senior years. There was a public meeting when it was estimated more than 130 residents put forward compelling reasons why Western Road Post Office should remain open. To reinforce local feeling Mr Sweetman organised a petition against closure that eventually gained 7,500 signatures and there were 400 responses to the Post Office consultation.

In September 2015 Mr Sweetman organised a demonstration when a large queue of patient customers stood in the rain to buy second-class stamps. They hoped the Post Office would run out of stamps but they must have been forewarned because there were enough stamps to go around. Author Peter James, MPs Caroline Lucas and Peter Kyle, and local councillors all became involved in the battle to save the Post Office. But unhappily it was in vain. Disgruntled customers came to the conclusion that the decision had already been taken and the consultation was mere window-dressing and a box-ticking exercise. In October 2015 it was announced the Post Office would close and it finally happened on 13 February 2016. People staged a candlelit vigil while Mr Sweetman displayed a wreath with the words Rest in Peace Western Road Post Office. By June 2017 the premises remained empty.

copyright © R. Jeeves
The street on the left is Brunswick Street East and in 1898 the shop on the corner at numbers 22/23 was the West End Millinery and Drapery Company. From the 1930s to 2016 number 22 served as a Post Office.

Number 23 – City Books. The premises were a greengrocer’s before it became a bookshop. Paul and Inge Sweetman opened City Books in 1986. They both had previous experience in the book trade and it was their dream to start up their own business. The odds were stacked against them because many shops in the Brunswick Town area had a poor track record in keeping open. Indeed on the their very first day and within half an hour of opening a pessimistic local resident told them their business was not likely to last for three months. It is pleasant to record that in 2017 the business is still flourishing.

Paul Sweetman remembers how nervous they were on that first day. When he unexpectedly took an order for a book costing £30 his hand was shaking because it seemed such a lot of money.

It has not all been plain sailing of course. In the 1990s for instance the outlook was grim because the net book agreement was abolished. This was a pact whereby books were sold at the same price in every bookshop. Then in 1998 Borders opened in Churchill Square. In response, the Sweetmans began staging outside events, attended various festivals to sell books and introduced some very successful book-signings at the shop by celebrity authors, some of whom were as follows:

December 2011 – England cricketer Graeme Swann The Brakes are Off

December 2011 – Harry Hill The Bumper Book of Bloops

September 2012 – Clare Balding My Animals and Other Family

December 2012 – Sir David Attenborough Drawn from Paradise

June 2013 – Sussex and England cricketer Matt Prior

August 2014 – Haruki Murakami, one of Japan’s favourite authors, Colourless Tsuukura and His Years of Pilgrimage.

These events were certainly worth staging and Graeme Swann signed 100 copies of his book. There were queues around the block for Clare Balding and when Sir David Attenborough was there for his new book on exotic birds, 400 copies were sold. City Books has become something of a local legend and features in no less than four books by best-selling crime author Peter James.

copyright © J.Middleton
John Bright was so proud of his Christmas Poultry Show in 1905 that he commissioned
a photograph of it. He must be the man standing centrally wearing a bowler hat while
his two assistants wear flat caps. All three men are equipped with long, hooked poles
to more easily reach whatever might be required from the hanging display.

Number 24 – In 1898 John Bright ran a grocery and provision store on these premises. At Christmas 1905 he mounted a magnificent show of best quality English poultry. But was this just for the festive season? He was obviously not a traditional butcher and would have been encroaching on his neighbour Mr Combridge’s long-established business. In the 1930s the shop was still a grocer’s but now run by the International Tea Company.

copyright © R. Jeeves
Combridge the butcher occupied premises at numbers 26/27. It was an old-established family firm founded in 1838 and lasted until around 1908.

Numbers 26/27 – J.M. Combridge. In 1838 Mr J.M. Combridge established his butcher’s shop at number 26. His son also joined the family business. By 1890 the shop had expanded to include number 27 and by the late 1890s it was the grandson of the original founder who carried on the business. White Minton tiles lined the shop throughout and there were marble counters. Only the choicest goods were on sale and Little Park Farm, Hurst, supplied pork, butter and eggs.

J.M. Combridge was chairman of Hurst Parish Council where he was recognised as one of the best farmers in the district. The Hove shop lasted until around 1908.

Number 27/29 – Diplock’s. This shop used to be number 24 but was re-numbered in 1891. When it was still number 24 John Stent ran his business specialising in china and glassware. A daguerreotype of around 1871 shows the façade displaying a royal coat of arms. In 1884 Stent sold the shop to Samuel Diplock who continued the same line of business. In 1897 Diplock must have been a busy man because it was he who supplied the Hove authorities with around 2,500 special Diamond Jubilee cups to celebrate Queen Victoria having been on the throne for 60 years on 22 June 1897.

You could not describe this Jubilee mug as elegant,
but then it was intended for Hove school-children

On that day there was a long procession of Hove children to Hove Recreation Ground where entertainments of various sorts were laid on with cakes and sweets for the children plus lemonade in the special Jubilee cups. There was a portrait of the Queen on one side of the mug circled by ‘Victoria 1837-1897’: the other side carried the Hove coat of arms and motto surrounded by a wreath of roses, thistles and shamrocks.

From Hove’s Coronation Souvenir Book (1953)
Ring’s at numbers 29/30 was a well-known local firm

Later on numbers 29/30 became Ring’s ‘Furnishers of Quality and Distinction’. W.J. Ring was a Hove councillor and he must have made a success of his business because his residence called Gables was in Tongdean Road. In 1948 his daughter June married John Cutress at All Saints, Hove. Captain J.S. Cutress of the 11^th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, served with distinction during the Second World War, being awarded the Military Cross for single-handedly re-capturing a strategic observation post and taking some 40 Germans prisoner. The couple had four daughters. The Cutress family owned many local businesses and in 1936 took over Forfar’s.

copyright © Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove
Brighton & Hove has a long association with language schools, this advert
for No. 30 in the Brighton Season Magazine dates from 1923.

Number 30a – Hole’s & Davigdor. In the 1930s this shop was an outlet for Hole’s & Davigdor Hygienic Dairies. Sidney Hole built up a substantial dairy farming business and ran farms near Brighton, Hurstpierpoint and at Barcombe. By the 1920s he was farming at Preston Farm, Dyke Road / Withdean Farm / Yew Tree Farm, on the other side of the Downs / North Park, Albourne and Bishop’s Place. Besides the Western Road premises, he also had outlets at 174 Church Road, Hove / 26 St James’s Street, Brighton / 43 Sutherland Road, Kemp Town / 14 Matlock Road, Brighton. Dairy activity was based in premises at The Droveway, Hove.

In around 1930 a model milk-bottling plant was established in Davigdor Road, Hove. Passers-by could view, through the enormous windows, glass milk bottles trundling along a conveyor belt to be filled with fresh milk. Sidney Hole used to inspect the plant from time to time. He always refused to be shown round by the manager because he said he knew where to look; since he was the boss and resembled General Smuts nobody was going to argue. Indeed Sidney was something of a workaholic and earned the nickname ‘Midnight Milkman’. Besides the dairy industry, he wrote articles and booklets; he was also an inventor and reputed to have invented a teleprinter and a submarine escape hatch. In addition he had a hand in constructing electrically powered vehicles, including a milk-float.

Sidney Hole lived at 56 Dyke Road, Hove, and must have intended to be buried in Hove Cemetery when the time came because he purchased a plot there in the 1920s. In the event he later moved to Albourne, three miles west of Hassocks, and that is where he died aged 88 in 1956. He was buried in St Batholomew’s churchyard, Albourne.

Number 31 – Mr F.W. Yeomans established his shop in 1884. In 1894 Albert Hart ran the place and he was a hosier. By 1935 it was noted as F.W. Yeomans Ltd. hosier. Walter Riches carried on the business for around 40 years providing quality hats and hosiery. When he retired in 1959 he gave his manager, Stanley Purbrook the opportunity to purchase the business. Walter Riches died aged 91 in 1973 and in 1974 Mr Purbrook retired aged 68 and sold up.

Paint Magic. The shop opened on 31 January 1998. It was Jocasta Innes’ fifteenth shop; she made her name fifteen years previously when she published a book Paint Magic that explained how to go about special paint effects to create stylish interiors.

Number 35 – For many years M.B. Anthony was the place to visit if you wanted a luxurious fur coat. It is somewhat amusing to note that during the Second World War the shop stocked ‘Utility’ fur coats. Whatever were they made of? Perhaps rabbit skins? Unusually for the area the shop had a security gate locked at night because of the value of the stock. The shop was still in operation in the 1960s. One Hove resident took her late mother’s precious fur coat to be valued there, only to learn it was worth nothing; she cut it up and made fur hats, which were in fashion at the time.

Number 37 – I Gigi. Mother and daughter Hazel and Zoe Ellison moved from Devon to set up their business selling women’s clothes in this shop; it opened in 1999. In September 2009 You magazine (Mail on Sunday) ran a feature about Zoe Ellison. By this time she had opened a second shop in Western Road I Gigi General Store and she explained that this shop was big on reclaimed items; there was also a in-house café upstairs. Zoe said ‘Hove had what I needed, It offered a brilliant seaside location but sill had a lively cosmopolitan feel.’ She is still in business in 2017.

copyright © Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove
Hardwick's of No 38 were the tenant farmers of Hangleton Manor Farm,
The family had a long association with St Helen's Church Hangleton,
many generations of the Hardwick family are buried in St Helen's churchyard

Number 39 – See under Hove Pubs:- Freemason’s Tavern.

copyright © J.Middleton
Freemasons’ Tavern can boast of having one of the most unusual pub frontages in the district.
It was photographed on 16 May 2014.

Number 41 – E.A. Rose. He was a poulterer and game dealer who traded from this shop for more than 40 years and in the latter days he was a fishmonger. By 2003 it had become David Rose Sports Shop.

Number 54

Thomas Lainson (1825-1892) was a very busy architect and surveyor in Brighton and Hove. In the 1861 census he was living at this address with his wife Alice, aged 32, their sons Thomas 6 and Arthur 2, and their daughters Alice 10, Emily 8, Lisette 3, and Rosa aged 8 months. Not surprisingly, there were two servants in the household. Later on, Lainson’s professional address was 170 North Street, Brighton. On 12 April 1875 he wrote to the Royal Institute of British Architects applying for membership. He stated that he had been ‘engaged in the independent practice of my profession for fifteen years’. During the last seven years alone he had been responsible for the following:

All the buildings on the Vallance Estate

Adelaide Mansions

Lansdowne Mansions

Cliftonville Congregational Church

Norfolk Terrace, Brighton

Bristol Road Chapel, Brighton

Middle Street Synagogue, Brighton

New Club, King’s Road, Brighton (in the course of construction in 1875)

At the time of writing, work was in progress in his office on preparing designs for two hospitals, and three country mansions. He was surveyor to the Vallance Estate, as well as three other large estates, all in the process of being developed. His request for membership was granted – moreover in 1877 he became a Fellow. Lainson also designed the following:

Brooker Hall, now Hove Museum, completed 1877

Royal Alexandra Hospital for Sick Children, Brighton, opened 1881, cost £10,500

Co-operative Supply Association building, Holland Road, Hove, completed 1893

Thomas Lainson went into partnership with his sons in 1881 and the practice then became Lainson & Sons. The following list is of the streets for which the Lainsons submitted plans to Hove Council, together with the year of approval:

Brooker Street 1877

Byron Street, 1881, 1891, 1895

Cowper Street 1881

Montgomery Street 1881, 1889, 1890, 1892, 1893

Wordsworth Street 1881, 1882

Sackville Road 1881, 1891, 1895, 1896

Shakespeare Street 1894, 1895

Coleridge Street 1894

Sheridan Road 1895

Stirling Place 1895

St Aubyns Mansions 1899

New Church Road 1900

Alterations to Fire Station, George Street, 1907, 1908

Thomas Lainson died on 18 May 1898 and his sons carried on the family tradition and were both architects. In 1882 Thomas James Lainson became an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects, and ceased to be a member in 1910; he lived at Hove. Arthur H. Lainson became something of a specialist in converting houses into flats and maisonettes. He was especially busy during the First World War when ordinary house-building was virtually at a standstill. His work included houses in Brunswick Square, Brunswick Place, Brunswick Road, and The Drive, while in 1920 he submitted plans for a bungalow in Glendor Road.

Numbers 48-59 – In 1893 William Hill, family draper, founded his business at 58 Western Road, Hove. By 1901 the business had expanded to include numbers 56 and 57 as well. The family lived over the shop, as it were, because the census of that year records them there. William Hill lived with his wife who had the unusual family name of Parthenia Mary Ann, sons William, Austen, and Leslie, and daughter Ruth. Ten years later in 1911, the family were to be found at 88 Sackville Road, Hove, and it seems that William Hill (junior) had joined the family business. The other children recorded as living in Sackville Road were Austen, daughter Parthenia, and son James.

The year 1911 was also the year that the coronation of George V took place, and a special local booklet was printed in celebration of the event, and included the following:

To a large and ever growing clientele William Hill offers rare opportunities of securing smart attire, according to the season, at wonderfully low prices … the premises are airy and spacious, unfailing courtesy is displayed by a large and efficient staff, and altogether shopping at Hill’s is a rare delight.

Unhappily, on 9 July 1912 William Hill died suddenly at the age of 56. Since the place of death was recorded as being 59 Western Road, he must have been at work. Consequently, an inquest was held at Hove Town Hall, and the verdict was that he died of natural causes. It may be that he had experienced some extra stress in his life because later that year, when probate was granted to his widow, she was living at Parklands, Keymer Road, Burgess Hill, the property being leased. Since at the inquest Austen Hill was recorded as living in Montefiore Road, Hove, it seems likely that the family had moved from Sackville Road sometime between 1911 and William Hill’s sudden death. The probate reveals that William Hill was very far from being your ordinary family draper. The ‘effects’ were £28,491-18-1d, while the ‘Resworn’ total was put at £28,257-19-2d.

Austen Hill served in France during the First World War, becoming a 2^nd lieutenant in the London Regiment. He died of his wounds on 3 June 1917. His name is on Hove’s Roll of Honour, as well as on the War Memorial at Burgess Hill. (Information about the Hill family kindly supplied by R. Hitchens).

In 1921 Messrs T. Garrett & Son drew up plans for alterations to 48, 49, 50 and 51 Western Road. Hove Council gave them planning permission provided the management gave up some four of five feet of ground in front of their shops to become a public pavement.

There was a restaurant upstairs where fashionable ladies of Hove could partake of morning coffee while watching elegant mannequins twirling about in the latest styles.

In 1940 this restaurant was designated in a secret list as a possible rest centre in the case of emergency because it could seat 150 people. By 1935 the store had expanded considerably, and now ranged from number 48 to number 59.

Marjorie Quested worked at Hill’s in the 1930s. She was an Old Girl of Hove County School for Girls and she wrote about her experiences in the school magazine for summer 1940. She was obliged to serve a two-year apprenticeship; the early months were spent in dusting and tidying stock, learning how to fold up and pack garments properly, observing how to address customers in a pleasing manner, and lastly – a very important task – sanctioning, which meant verifying a customer’s bona fide. Occasionally, if all the other assistants were busy, she was permitted to sell a small item such as a beret. She worked in the junior outfitting showroom and by 1940 she was considered to be an experienced saleslady.

In the 1950s Hill’s had a clothes workroom employing seventeen girls full time.

It was considered a prestigious position to work at Hill’s, which was dubbed the Harrods of the South Coast; in its glory days there was a waiting list of people hoping to work there. The female staff had to dress in black or white and no cardigans were allowed while jewellery was expected to be discreet.

Mrs Ellen Hutchinson worked at Hill’s for almost 26 years. She told a delightful story about an elderly lady customer who was so shocked at seeing a bikini on display in the window that she marched inside and demanded to see the manager. She threatened to call the police if the offending garment were not removed.

In the 1950s the wonderful old-fashioned latticework lift – the sort associated with Parisian hotels – was still in operation. There was also a suitably impressive staircase. In the central part of the ground floor there was a jewellery counter where strings of poppets were to be found. These were all the rage at the time and went with flouncing skirts and ponytails. Poppets were small plastic beads that could be snapped together rather like Lego. Thus you could have a necklace as long or as short as you liked with a bracelet to match. They were in different colours with white or yellow being particularly popular. A nearby counter sold embroidery requisites where ladies of leisure could purchase cotton tray cloths or tablecloths stamped with attractive designs plus embroidery silks, hoops and needles.

In 1949 the Hill family sold their interest in the store and Debenhams took it over in later years. In around 1980 Plummer’s took over. Hill’s closed its doors on 18 December 1982 causing the loss of 70 jobs. The remaining stock was sent to Plummers in Southampton.

In February 1983 London developers Hollin House proposed to put in separate shops on the ground floor and make the upper floors into offices. But by November 1987 it was obvious there was no call for offices in this part of Hove because none had been let in four years while the ground floor shops had all been let. In November 1987 prospective purchaser, Alpine Property Hotels of Brighton, sought planning permission to convert the upstairs in to 43 self-contained flats, some with one bedroom, others with two. Architects Briault & Son of Hove submitted plans.

Number 61 – In the 1950s there was a celebrated bakery shop here called Zetland’s. A great novelty was a plaited loaf topped with poppy seeds, which seemed exotic fare indeed in those stark post-war times and people would queue up to buy one. Their bakery was originally at the back of the premises in the mews but by 1962 the bakery was in Stoneham Road.

Number 63 – See under Hove Pubs- Wick Inn

copyright © J.Middleton
The Wick Inn is a lovely Victorian building on the corner of Western Road and Holland Road
and was photographed on 3 May 2014.

Number 79 – Page & Miles.

copyright © Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove
A 1914 Brighton Season Magazine advert

They were a well-known firm of electrical contractors and they also had a workshop in Castle Street, Brighton. The two men were related, having married sisters. One of their earliest assignments was to provide electric lighting for the Middle Street Synagogue, Brighton. Their estimate of the cost of this undertaking came to £114-12s and was accepted. The Synagogue thus became the first place of worship in the area to be lit by electricity.

To celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897 Page and Miles garlanded the exterior of the premises with white china roses holding an electric lamp in the centre. Perhaps they thought it was a patriotic duty as well as a good advertisement because it must be said that decorations at Hove for this historic occasion were so muted as to be virtually non-existent.

Number 82-83 – Palmeira Stores.
The premises were built in 1862/3 as the Palmeira Hotel. But by 1866 the place was still unoccupied.

In the 1870s Brighton & Hove Co-operative Supply Association took over the premises and re-furbished them; the date stone ‘1873’ can still be seen on the top of the building on the east side. The store was opened in May 1873 ‘for the purpose of furnishing members of the association with provisions and goods of every description at economical rates, with expedition.’ The store owed its inception to the energy of Thomas Henry Gilbert and he remained at the helm for 23 years before retiring in November 1896.

Some idea of the range of goods on offer can be gauged from an enormous catalogue produced in 1891. People wishing to shop at Palmeira Stores had to be a member of the association and pay an annual fee; they were issued with the relevant card.

The following goods were itemised in the 1891 catalogue:

Building & House Repairs. Decorating and general repairs to the interior and exterior of houses, together with glazing, plumbing, bell hanging, copper and zinc work. Also on offer was ‘the new Diaphanies for decorating windows, the nearest approach to Stained Glass and not affected by the sun’.

Carpet Department. Oriental Art Squares made and kept in stock.

China & Glass Department. Well-known firms were represented such as Dresden, Sévres, Burmantoft, Leeds and Worcester.

Dessert Fruit. Crystallised and glace fruit, new figs, muscatels, dates, pears and plums. Confectionary and plum puddings.

Drapery Department. There was a stock of ladies’ and gentlemen’s umbrellas while ‘furs are greatly reduced to effect a clearance’.

Drug Department. Palmeira, a good and serviceable soap, was for sale in tablets / 6d for a scented tablet / 5/6d for a dozen scented tablets / 3d for unscented soap / 2/9d for a dozen unscented tablets. White lilac perfume was popular.

Fish Department. A specialité of the house was dressed crabs and lobsters plus a stock of Blundell’s potted lobsters. Oysters in prime condition.

Forage Department. Horses foraged by contract. Horse shoeing arranged.

Furniture & Bedding Department. As well as furniture and bedding, every sort of upholstery work could be undertaken. It was claimed ‘experienced men for Jobbing Work kept at the stores’.

Games Department. All the newest indoor games and mechanical toys.

Greengrocery Department. Choice flowers and baskets of fruit to order for table decoration.

Grocery Department. Currants, sultanas, valencias, plums etc. bottled fruits and jams, marmalade, sweet sliced mango at 1/3d per quart bottle. Field’s Cleopatra candles.

Ironmongery, Cutlery and Silver. Silver and electro-plated goods, cutlery, electroliers, brass church furniture, the latest designs in lamp and candle shades, gas fires and stoves.

Meat Department. New Zealand mutton and lamb, English and Scotch mutton, English, Scotch and American beef, veal, lamb, and Welsh mutton in season, dairy-fed pork, salt beef.

Poultry Department. Chicken, duckling, duck, wild duck, geese, turkey, rabbit, hare, pheasant, partridge, black game, widgeon, pigeon, wood pigeon and Bourdeaux pigeon.

Provision Department. A large assortment of cheeses, ham, brawn, tongue and sausages. Recently added to stock, Alfriston dairy cream in jars, pâté de foie gras in terrines, and tête de veau, truffled.

Refreshment Department. Dressed crabs, lobsters, tea and coffee, wines of every description, soups and salads.

Stationery Department. Strangely enough, you could also purchase pianos, banjos, guitars and mandolins in this department.

Tea and Coffee Department. Specially recommended Family Tea at 1/10d per 1lb and new Palmeira Coffee Mixture at in 1lb or 2lbs tins at 1/- 1/2d or 1/4d per pound.

Tobacco Department. Phillip Morris’s cork-tipped cigarettes, W.D. & H.O Wills, Gold Flake cigarettes, Saladin Egyptian cigarettes, etc. A large selection of novelties and walking sticks.

Wine Department. Attention is called to our champagne list, especially the best-known brands of 1880 and 1884 vintages. Delamotte pére et fils 1884 vintage at 64/- and Chateau de Condé at 63/- being strongly recommended.

In 1893 the magnificent annexe in Holland Road was erected to the designs of Thomas Lainson. It was built of red brick in Queen Anne style with charming roof details and terracotta embellishments. There were five floors containing lock-up depositories for household furniture and a strong room for plate. There were also general warehouses, stables and van houses at the back.

In July 1895 it was stated the association had to relinquish its retail beer licence in order to have a licence to sell game, this apparently being a legal requirement.

Auxiliary stores were opened on 23 July 1895. A reading room was provided ‘well supplied with daily and weekly literature’ with an adjacent refreshment room.

In 1897 Hove Council was presented with a petition signed by 54 people, all ratepayers and property owners, complaining of the ‘intolerable nuisance’ caused in Lansdowne Street by the loading and unloading of vans.

Also in 1897 it was stated that John Henry Sharp had been chairman of the company for fifteen years while John Adam Thilthorpe and W.E. Hughes were joint managers.

In June 1908 Hove Council approved Lainson & Son’s plan for a new shop front.

According to Mrs D. Martin, Edward VII once paid a visit to the stores, probably when he was on one of his visits to the Sassoons at Hove. Mrs Martin’s father earned his living as a coachman at the stores and as a child it was her task to take his dinner to him. The commissionaire would usually take care of the dinner and see it went to her father. But on one occasions the commissionaire said he could not help her because the King was inside the store. Shortly afterwards, the King emerged with a small terrier and climbed into the waiting car.

copyright © Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove
During the First World War there were many
fundraising events for wounded soldiers held in
Palmeira Stores. This September 1915 photograph
from the Brighton Graphic shows a Mrs Sutton Vane
with helpers, selling flags in aid of Serbian Hospitals

In the Brighton Herald (23 October 1915) there was a short piece about the re-furbished Palmeira Restaurant. It was situated on the upper floors and consequently there were lovely views over Hove. The chairs were of pale oak and the little electric lamps on the tables had red shades. When afternoon tea was served, customers would be regaled by live music from a lady violinist and a lady pianist and occasionally there would also be a singer. The restaurant used crockery especially made by T. Hayward of Manchester. The white crockery had a black and white chequered border and there was an oval medallion enclosing the words ‘Palmeira Stores Hove’.

On Sunday 14 February 1932 a fire broke out in the telephone room on the first floor and spread to the furniture department. Fortunately, it did not reach the chemical laboratory on the same floor. P.C. Stockwell raised the alarm at 7.30 a.m. After summoning the fire brigade, he rushed round to the home of Mr. W.N. Keech, general manager, who lived in Holland Road. At one time the whole building was under threat because the seat of fire was difficult to reach. It was necessary to hoist hoses over several roofs at the back of the building in order to reach the window of the telephone room. The commissionaire assured Mr Keech that the gas supply was turned off and it was safe for firemen to enter. Even so three firemen working on the staircase were overcome by heat and smoke and had to be rescued. After that incident, artificial respirators were used and it took two hours to quench the flames.

In the aftermath of the fire Mr Keech summoned motor drivers to collect around 100 staff members from their homes to come and sort out damaged stock. He also arranged for the wrecked telephone system to be replaced by a ten-line telephone board the same day. On Monday morning it was business as usual.

In 1940 the restaurant was included in a secret list of places suitable for use as an emergency rest centre should the occasion arise. There was a fully equipped kitchen where food could be cooked for 100 people.

In 1954 Palmeira Stores was re-organised and all the food departments were sited on the ground floor. Wine was still being bottled in the cellars and there was a special service whereby customers could store their own wine in the cellars. It was intended to build up the largest stock of carpets to be found at Hove. The store enjoyed a good reputation for the quality of its second-hand furniture and now it would sell new furniture as well.

Palmeira Stores closed down in spring 1962.

Local firm Smart & Duffy restored the building and in October 1962 the Mayor of Hove, Councillor W.E. Smith, opened the new branch of Maple’s; Gerald Holman, president of Maple’s, accompanied the mayor. It is interesting to note that Mr Holman’s great-uncle was Jeremiah Colman who was Mayor of Hove 1899-1902 and married a Miss Maple. In 1986 it was stated that Maple’s of Hove would be known as Gillow’s as part of a shake-up but evidently this was not followed through.

By the 1990s the firm was in trouble while there was a legal wangle over Palmeira House. Michael Norman purchased the premises from Guardian Royal Assurance some five years previously and based his antique business there. He said that in 1991 Maple’s had wanted to extend its 35-year lease but now they wanted to leave. Negotiations continued for a year but agreement could not be reached and the doors finally closed at the end of April 1993.

Graves, Son & Pilcher held a sale in July 1998 and there were several items of local interest including a stone hot-water bottle from Palmeira Stores.

By 2005 the ground floor was in use as a Tesco Express while the rest of the building had been converted into luxury flats. By this time the building had been given Grade II listed status. In February 2005 Tesco was coming under increased pressure to restore the windows to their former dimensions. The windows had been altered illegally to comply with the Tesco corporate image of dark blue plastic frames and the original brass frames had been removed. There was to be a Public Inquiry into the illegal alterations but this was called off when Tesco agreed to undertake remedial work. But the brass was gone and instead there were expected to be new aluminium frames coated with a brass finish. Tesco had also altered the size of the windows and lowered the ceiling inside. But this feature remained and it creates a somewhat surrealist effect with the lowered ceiling being clearly visible with darkness above.

Number 83 – Williamson & Co. In 1898 James Williamson (1855-1933) the famous Hove film pioneer moved from his previous chemist’s shop in Church Road, to larger premises in Western Road, Hove. When Williamson made the move the shop had the old numbering and was 55. In around 1904 Williamson sold the business to Sanders & Crowhurst who advertised the premises as being ‘late Williamson & Co’. The new owners continued in Williamson’s footsteps by describing themselves as photographic dealers and X-ray specialists.

copyright © Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove
1917 advert from the Brighton Season Magazine for No. 84,
Dame Clara Butt was a World famous English contralto who lived in Hove and was born
in Southwick, West Sussex.

Number 90 – William Prior & Son. They are a firm of estate agents and in April 1994 it was stated they had refurbished their offices at this address. There was a new entrance from Western Road and disabled access from Lansdowne Place. Prior’s have been at Hove since the 1930s and the founder’s grandson, Simon Prior, was a director.

Number 95 – Figure Shapers. In the 1990s this was a health and beauty salon. Mrs Trisha Gaskell-Watkins was the business owner and she had the temerity to erect three pink canopies outside the premises without seeking planning permission. This resulted in a two-year wrangle with Hove Council because the canopies contravened planning regulations in a conservation area. The result was a 222-page Council dossier on the subject plus a Public Inquiry held at Hove Town Hall with Mr D.J.T. Thew as the Inspector. In June 1992 Michael Howard, Environment Secretary, found in favour of Hove Council and decreed the offending blinds must be removed by 4 September. Ironically, the blinds would have had to be taken down because meanwhile they had been vandalised. In July 1993 Mrs Gaskell-Watkins was furious when British Telecom erected two telephone boxes just yards away from her salon; to rub salt into the wound, they were embellished with a pink stripe across the glass panel. Apparently, BT did not require planning permission for this installation but they did consult with Hove Council who raised no objections.

Number 100 – Lane & Stedman. This was a long established chemist’s shop. During the Great Gale of 1987 the shop window was damaged but it was carefully restored using traditional materials. In November 1991 the shop won an award for the best-maintained original shop front. Today the familiar carboys are still in place while the window is a delight with its unusual wooden swirls

Number109 – Mr W.H. Caddy ran his furniture making business from this address in the 1930s. He was well known for his wood carving skills and he also taught at Hove Technical School in the 1890s where in October 1893 he received £1-17-1d for woodcarving materials and clay modelling tools. In December 1893 he was paid £18 for his lessons in wood-carving and clay modelling.

In 1912 Mr Caddy carved a reading desk out of solid oak for the use of the headmaster of the Brighton, Hove & Sussex Grammar School to be installed at their new premises in Dyke Road. A Mr Caddy also made the wooden trestle tables and benches used at Hove College, Kingsway plus the war memorial plaque that used to hang in the hall.

Number 112 – William Hepper was an artist who suffered from asthma so badly that he moved to Hove in search of better health. From July 1952 to December 1953 he lodged with Mrs D. M. Hewetson in Farm Road, but then he moved to room 14 at this address. Although Felicity, the hairdresser, occupied the ground floor, the rest of the house seemed to have been let out as single rooms. Hepper’s room at the top of the house was most probably once the servants’ quarters, and was reached by separate, closed-in, stairs, while the rest of the house was served by a grander staircase. Hepper’s room was north-facing, which, being an artist was probably an advantage. David Bishop, the caretaker, had only one leg; he had a room in the basement, and in the boiler room was to be found the board containing spare keys.

Hepper’s artistic style was traditional rather than modern, and he used to exhibit his work at the open-air art exhibitions held on the sea-front during the summer. One canvas featured a voluptuous Spanish lady dressed flamenco-style in front of a bull-ring, but then his full name was William Sanchez de Pinar Hepper. At one time he had worked for the BBC as a translator.

Meanwhile, Hepper’s family remained in London, and a daughter, Pearl, had a best friend called Margaret Rose Louise Spevick, who lived nearby. Around Christmas time 1953 Margaret, aged 11, broke her wrist in an accident at her home in 12 Embankment Gardens. Hepper heard about the mishap and wrote a letter to her parents, inviting the child to spend a fortnight’s convalescence with him. He mentioned there was a trained nurse sharing the flat, and he would also be able to paint Margaret’s portrait, which he had long wanted to do. The parents did not think there was anything to worry about, and so on Wednesday, 3 February 1954, Hepper arrived at their house, collected Margaret and her mother, and off they went to Victoria Station. It was agreed that Mrs Spevick would visit Hove on Sunday to see Margaret, and she waved them off on the train.

Hepper killed the unfortunate child, and the case caused such a sensation that soon the house and that part of Western Road, was swarming with police, reporters shouting at one another, and flash guns popping off. In all the noise and confusion, some details were wrongly reported in the Press. For example, David Bishop, the caretaker, was not present at the scene of discovery, although it is not clear where he was.

At the time pregnant Mrs Martha Sheminant, aged around 34, and her five-year old daughter, Lesley, shared a room at the front of the house on the second floor. How this came about is also unknown because there was a strict ‘no children’ policy. Anyway, at that time, Mrs Sheminant cleaned the hairdresser’s shop, plus the common ways of the house, carried coals upstairs, and also temporarily filled in for Bishop in his care-taking duties. On one occasion her duties took her to the top floor and her daughter was with her. Making their way downstairs again, they encountered Hepper on his way up to his room. He greeted them in a friendly manner, touched Lesley’s blonde hair, cupped her chin, and declared her ‘Perfect for painting!’ Lesley still finds the memory disturbing.

Since Bishop was not around, it fell to Mrs Sheminant to fetch the spare key, and let tiny Mrs Spevik into Hepper’s room because there was no reply to her knock on the door. It was Mrs Sheminant, with young Lesley trailing behind her, and Mrs Spevik, who discovered Margaret’s body. It had a dreadful effect on all of them – poor Mrs Spevik had to lie down on one of the beds in the Sheminant’s room, and both Mrs Sheminant, and Lesley became ill afterwards. When men arrived to remove the body, Lesley was sent to hide in the lavatory situated on the mezzanine floor. She tried to watch events through a one-inch gap in the door, but she could not see much because the stairway was dark, and Margaret had been covered up before they brought her down on a stretcher. But Lesley did hear many softly-uttered ‘Careful’ and ‘Gently’ as though the child were still alive.

Margaret had been raped and strangled, most probably with the sling from her arm. There was an unfinished portrait of her on the easel nearby. Margaret was buried in the north part of Hove Cemetery on 12 February, and the time of the interment was purposely changed in order to avoid a crowd of on-lookers. Mr and Mrs Spevick, Superintendent Nicholson, and six Hove detectives attended the funeral. Later on, Mrs Spevik sent a letter to Mrs Sheminant thanking her for her kindness. Lesley still visits Margaret’s grave occasionally. (With thanks to Lesley Sheminant for her eye-witness account and for setting the record straight at last).

The hunt was now on to find Hepper, and for the first time television was used in an effort to locate his whereabouts. Hepper had fled to Spain, and although he was soon arrested, the police had to wait while extradition procedures were completed. On 12 March the Spanish government gave their permission, and Hepper, accompanied by two British police officers, set sail from Vigo aboard the Alcantara. The ship docked at Southampton on 23 March, and the next day Hepper appeared at Hove Magistrates’ Court. Hepper’s trial at Lewes took place from 19 to 22 July – the jury taking less than two hours to arrive at their verdict of guilty. On 11 August 1954 Hepper was hanged at Wandsworh Prison.

Number 114a – In 1898 the West End Billiard Saloon was to be found in these upstairs premises. The weight of a billiard table meant that the space was quite strong enough to become home to a gymnasium later on. For many years if you wanted to undertake physical exercise, the Rolts were the people you consulted. Percy Stuart Rolt started off his career at Hove by entering into a partnership with Captain Charles Hutton Moss, president of the National Society for Physical Education, who later became an instructor at Brighton College. They ran the well-known establishment called Moss’s Gymnasium in Holland Road. ‘Grecian games’, cycling, lawn tennis and every kind of athletic recreation could be indulged in.

Percy Stuart Rolt was also a member of the British Society for Physical Training, and had been a Lieutenant in the RNVR. He was a certificated pupil of Yukio Tani and Professor Vigny, and he specialised in fencing and wrestling. Later on he added membership of the English Folk Dancing Society to his credentials. Rolt went on to take over ownership of the building in Holland Road and ran it with Captain F.L. Rolt, assistant superintendent of Physical Training of the British Forces.

On 31 July 1929 Percy Rolt sold the Holland Road building for £5,500 to the trustees of the Hove Hebrew Congregation. The building was converted into a synagogue that opened in 1930. Captain Rolt continued with the business at 114a Western Road and was still there in the 1930s.

Number 120 – A. Esmé Collings (1859-1936) ran his photographic business from this shop from 1893 to 1916; in 1905 the business became a limited company. Collings was one of the Hove Film Pioneers; he knew George Albert Smith and James Williamson who were both based at Hove, and the engineer Alfred Darling who lived in Brighton and gave Collings technical advice. Collings also knew William Friese-Greene who came to live at Hove later on. Indeed the two had enjoyed a thriving business partnership in the 1880s with a chain of photographic studios, three in London, two in Bath and one at Brighton. Presumably Freise-Greene was the senior partner because the cabinet photographs they produced carried the legend ‘Friese-Greene and Collings’. However, after a blazing row, the men ended their partnership and split the business between them.

Collings was the first of the group to take up cinematography and he produced his first film in 1896 entitled The Broken Melody. It was a short, dramatic piece in which Paul, a heart-broken musician, seeks solace in playing his cello. As he plays, his estranged wife Vera enters the room but he is so absorbed by his music that he does not notice her. When he finished his solo, she touches his arm and soon they are locked in a passionate embrace. This scene always elicited loud applause.

Also in 1896 Collings filmed Bathers on the Beach at Brighton and the oldest surviving ‘blue’ film showing a lady removing copious outer garments, including stays and black stockings, to finally reveal a long, loose shift.

Restaurants, Cafés and Bars

Number 5 – In 2014 the Golden Grill was one of three kebab outlets in Western Road.

Number 6 – In 1985 when it was numbered 5/6 the restaurant was called Casbah; in November 1993 this business became bankrupt. After that it became the Cherubino, an Italian restaurant. But by 1998 it was called Pars and specialised in Goan food. By May 2014 there was both a Casba and Casba 2 in Western Road. By 2017 Casba had new ‘foodie’ neighbours Bee’s Mouth and Almoosh.

Number 9 – Keates’ Coffee House was here in 1898.

The Peking Restaurant was in operation during the 1990s and in 1992 Mr C. Lin was the proprietor. But by 2001 it had become Golden Palace restaurant serving Peking, Cantonese and Szechaun dishes. Linda and Jimmy Lai ran it with help from Wei Wei. The couple turned the business around into a popular venue within a year.

Number 10 – Space Gallery Café opened in 2002.

Number 11 – In the 1990s there was a Chinese restaurant called Mayflower. In 1992 Cyril was the proprietor; it had closed by 2002.

Number 12 – In 1935 this was home to Green Lantern Tea Rooms.

Number 15 – In 2002 there was restaurant called New Mermaid.

Number 16 – A restaurant named Gobbs was here in 2003.

copyright © D.Sharp
In this 1907 advert from the Brighton Season Magazine, Maynards
show the address of their Western Road branch as No.25.
By 1914 Brighton's 'Maynards' had expanded its operations to
160 branches and five factories in various parts of England

copyright © D.Sharp
This pre-1934 Forfar shop sign at No. 25 Western Road, Hove came to light in August 2016 when renovations were
being carried out.

Number 29 – The Hungry Elephant, Asian barbecue was located in these premises. In 1999 it became Gan Bei, a Chinese restaurant

Number 40 – In 1984 Twizzle’s was in business and it was owned by Chris Davies and his girlfriend Twizzle. By 2002 the establishment was the Naff Caff. By 2017 it had become Morella Zorella.

Number 41 – La Cave à Fromage. This is a high-class establishment specialising in cheese. It also provides a choice of foods from Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy, France plus local produce. In December 2012 David Deaves was the manager. In December 2014 a unique tasting event was held at the shop, the first of its kind on the south coast. A ticket cost £15 and for that as well as a taste of various cheeses you could expect crackers, butter and fruit; wine was also to be served. Dan Akers devised the event, which he said was to be run along the lines of a game show with contestants pitting their wits and their taste buds against each other. Dan Ackers was responsible for creating the popular Periodic Table of Cheese.

In May 2016 it was reported that David Deaves of La Cave would be supporting the popular Hove Food & Drink Festival by providing one of the highlights while at the same time attempting to break the world record. He proposed to create the world’s largest cheese board with over 100 different cheeses from all across Europe. On Sunday morning VIP guests would be greeted with a complimentary glass of Moët et Chandon Imperial champagne, before opening up the board to the general public. It seemed people were excited at the prospect and some 1,300 announced on Facebook that they intended to visit.

It was a great shock when La Cage a Fromage abruptly closed its doors on Thursday 8 August 2109. It was particularly traumatic for the loyal staff who knew the management were in difficulties, but had been assured their jobs were safe. They went to a staff meeting a 10. a.m. only to be told they had precisely two hours in which to pack up their belongings and leave the premises. It was not an easy assignment for the manager either who had the unenviable task of dropping the bombshell. It seemed such a cruel gesture when staff had worked long hours, and rallied around when the premises were burgled recently. Itsvan Dabronyi was in the shop on his own and was injured when the burglar attacked him. The other two employees – James Edwards and Alex Griffin – were said to be stunned at losing their jobs as well. The trio were also upset at not being able to say a proper ‘good-bye’ to their customers - ‘so many lovely people’. (Argus 10 August 2019)

It is pleasant to record that the premises re-opened in February 2020. The business belongs to the same owners as before, and David Deaves, former manager of La Cave, is also manager of the new venture, plus many of the staff have been re-employed. However, since the emphasis has changed, a new name was required. The new venture is specialising in British produce and so the new name is Curds and Whey from the old nursery rhyme Little Miss Muffet. Curds and whey both derive from milk but whereas whey is the watery part of milk, curds become cheese when solidified by acid. But Curds and Whey is not excluding cheeses from abroad, and will host guest cheeses from Europe.

There is also more choice of wine with an incredible roll-call of over 300 different varieties from all over the world, while Sussex is represented by some bottles of sparkling wine from the Bluebell Vineyard, near Uckfield. As for cheeses, there are some rare specialities from Sussex. For example, there is ‘Seven Sisters’, a cheese made from goat’s milk with a coating of seaweed, and ‘Burwash’ a cheese flavoured with English rose water. (Argus 28 February 2020)

Number 42 – Quentin’s. In August 1993. Quentin and Candy Fitch owned it and Jason Chaston was the chef. In January 1994 the restaurant offered a free taxi ride home for customers who reserved a table on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday nights and they could also have a free liqueur. Hove Police praised the initiative as part of the fight against drink driving.

In May 2001 it was stated that Anthony Sturge was the new proprietor and head chef. For ten years the restaurant was called Graze; then Kate Alleston and Neil Mannifield gave the place an extensive make-over costing £20,000 and re-named it Market. The dining area was smaller than formerly, mustering only 50 covers; instead there was a bar and kitchen running the length of the establishment. A retro look was achieved by the use of Victorian-style green Metro tiles. Graze finds itself in a ‘foodie’ area and La Cave à Fromage and Sage and Relish were neighbours. By 2017 Sage and Relish had closed.

Number 47 – Le Grand Cochon, delicatessen and sandwiches, was located here by 2002 and it is still in business in 2016. By 2017 the business had been re-named Hell’s Kitchen.

copyright © D.Sharp
T. Martin Linsdell ran his chocolate business from No. 47 in 1908
advert from the Brighton Season Magazine.

copyright © Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove
This advert from the Brighton Season Magazine shows No. 47 Western Road became a branch of Fuller's tea rooms in 1914

Number 60 – The Tea Planter’s Tiffin House was here in 1987. Tea Planters Restaurants Ltd., a company set up by Leicester Holdings, owned it. The same company also owned the Alexandra Hotel in Brunswick Terrace.

It was replaced by the Wall Street Brasserie, which opened in November 1988.

The Bar de la Mer was here by 1993; Gavin Marks ran it with Alex Halsey as the chef. Gavin Marks used to run a restaurant in Camden Town called Ruby in the Dust. It closed in 1995.

Aumthong Thai Restaurant opened in 1995. In May 2009 it was reported that the UK Border Agency made a raid on the premises and arrested a Brazilian national. The outlet was called Jasmine but by 2017 it was closed.

Number 62 – Grubb’s was there by 2002 and it is still in business in 2017. It serves both beef burgers and a vegetarian option.

Number 64 – An Italian restaurant called Sole Mio opened here in 1998. National Westminster Bank was the former occupier of the premises but it was tastefully converted into enough dining space to seat 75 customers with ease. It has changed hands at least a couple of times since then but in 2017 it is still a restaurant called Fishmerket.

Number 73A – Thai Bycee was there in 1992 and was still in business in 2002.

Numbers 79-80 – Almas, ‘Lebanese cuisine at its finest’ here in 2016.

Number 81 – Situated on the corner of St John’s Road this establishment enjoyed the distinction of being Hove’s oldest café, having opened its doors in 1884.

In the 1890s Albert Jury ran the Refreshment Rooms

By 1910 it was G.S. Samway’s Dining Rooms

By 1918 E.P. Birch ran the Dining Rooms

In the 1930s A. Gainsford Stott ran the Palmeira Tea Rooms

After the War Sidney Dawkins took over

By 1954 it was Dawkins & Porter

In 1960 it was Divall’s Snack Bar

In 1969 it was Ellison’s Café

In 1971 it was the Four Seasons

In 1973 it was Palmeira Café

In July 2006 it was stated that the establishment had been refurbished and a new lease was on offer. But you needed to pay a rent of between £25,000 and £30,000; in addition you could have a premium in the leasehold interest by paying in the region of £115,000. For all this outlay there was the café with just 50 covers, a cast-iron shop-front and period timber. By 2017 the outlet was called Buon Appetito.

Numbers 86 / 87

Patisserie Valerie was situated on the north side of Western Road. But it was not exclusive to Hove and was part of a much larger chain. It seemed to be well patronised and when news leaked out that it might have to shut, it came as a complete surprise. The problem no doubt arose from over-expansion, and in January 2019 the administrators announced that 71 branches of Patisserie Valerie would have to close down, including the premises in East Street, Brighton. Meanwhile, the branches in Hove, Eastbourne and Chichester would remain open in the hopes that suitable buyers might come forward. At Hove, that did not happen, and the premises were closed by the summer. (Brighton & Hove Independent 25 January 2019)

Numbers 102-106 – In 1976 Richard Curd opened Richard’s and originally it was a small place formerly occupied by a sandwich bar. Then in 1980 he enlarged his floor space by taking over the next-door shop. The establishment then became a restaurant specialising in English and Continental food and won mentions in the Good Food Guide and Egon Ronay. For two years running the restaurant won the top award in Les Routiers.

In 1990 Mr Curd transformed the premises into a continental brasserie. The business was expanded to cover numbers 101-106. In June 1999 it was said that champion boxer Chris Eubank was a regular at Richard’s and it was the place to be seen. Also in June 1999 Richard’s applied for retrospective planning permission for two long banners advertising the restaurant, which were already in place.

By 2002 there were plenty of chairs and tables outside the premises for customers who liked to sit in the sun. Sometimes there was live jazz too.

By 2015 the restaurant was numbered 102-105 – perhaps it had shrunk? It had become Hove Kitchen and was still very popular. By May 2015 it went under the name of The Good Food Club. By 2017 the name had changed again and for some reason it is called Six. It now boasts of being a health food café. There are chairs and tables outside, excellent for people watching, while inside the large space is divided up into separate dining areas with different menus.

copyright © D.Sharp
J. Ireland ran this unusual combination of a cutler and optician business from No. 103 in 1908
advert from the Brighton Season Magazine.

copyright © R. Jeeves
This elegant shop front at number 104 displays busts of two women sporting extravagant coiffures.
There was still a hairdresser here in the 1930s. Today a restaurant occupies this site.

Number 107 – This shop had a long tradition as a family-run business. It all started after the Second World War when Frederick Patten left the RAF. He had been busy for many years using his expertise in repair/maintenance for the benefit of the Military, and was once part of 103 Maintenance Unit, stationed in Aboukir, Egypt in the late 1903s. The top brass from the Middle Eastern Command certainly knew where to go when their precious watches needed to be repaired. In 1947 Frederick Patten opened his small watchmaker’s shop at 31 Church Street, Brighton, but from 1958 the business was located at 107 Western Road, where it remained for all of fifty-seven years. Patten’s son followed in his father’s footsteps in more ways than one. For a start, he shared the initial ‘F’ in his Christian name, although he was ‘Frank’ rather than ‘Frederick’. Then, after a stint in the RAF, he joined the family’s jeweller’s and clock-maker’s business. Frank Patten celebrated his 68^th birthday on 30 January 2015, and decided it was time to shut up shop. But probably, the art of watch repairing was too deeply ingrained to give up completely, and he resolved to carry working on-line. In 2021 this small shop is still in operation as a jeweller’s under the name of Jay’s.

Number 117 – The Doo Duck Inn was here in the 1990s but closed in 1997 and became Frogan’s Vegetarian and Organic Restaurant. This did not last long and closed in 1998. By September 1998 it had become P.J.’s Café.

Number 121 – In the 1950s there was a popular restaurant called the Daytona. In those days there was not nearly such fierce competition as there is today. In December 1992 a new restaurant opened called the Khary King and Syed Abdul Karim was the manager. By 2002 the restaurant was called Ipanema and had recently expanded to include the first floor of the building formerly occupied by a fitness gym.

By 2016 the restaurant was called Archipelagos specialising in Greek cuisine. TripAdvisor ranked it first out of 185 restaurants in Hove.

Number 130 – This was the former HQ of the Sussex Mutual Building Society. But it remained empty for many years and it was not until 1998 that Bar Med opened there. Surrey Free Inns carried out the conversion at a cost of £850,000. There was a dance floor, lounge and bar area. It was the fifth Bar Med in Britain but the first in Sussex. The opening night party was on 8 December 1998 and featured Surf FM’s Mick Fuller and Mike Pantelli. During the day a Mediterranean-style menu was on offer and in the evening the venue became a lively place for young people with DJs playing a selection of music. The location for Bar Med was especially chosen because there was no such place catering for younger people in the area.

In December 2000 it was disclosed that three former members of the French Foreign Legion were working at Bar Med. They were 40-year old Glynn Ford, former bodyguard to an Arab royal family and now operation manager of all Bar Meds in the south, and Dean Huish aged 39, both from Cardiff originally. The two men had been new recruits together in the French Foreign Legion in 1985 but had lost touch for thirteen years. When new security manager, Rick Cowland from Eastbourne, was hired, it transpired he too was a former legionnaire.

However, the bold venture did not last long and by 2002 it had become the Litten Tree. This too had a short stay and the builders were in yet again by June 2003. Then it became the Providence. It at least lasted longer that the previous two. In June 2010 it was rumoured that Tesco was interested in taking over the premises. Sally Adams, the Providence manager confirmed this; she was due to take over management of the Thomas Kemp in Kemp Town in July.

In the event it was not Tesco but the Southern Co-operative that opened for business there in December 2011; it is a separate business from the national Co-operative Society. In October 2016 it was reported that there had been no less than 40 thefts in the store and local people were inclined to blame the lack of visible police officers or PCSOs in the area.

Street Directory 1898

1. James & Parker, auctioneers and estate agents

2. Le Feuve, W.John, tobacconist

Fakler, V, watchmaker and jeweller

3. Thorn & Vosey, grocer & provision merchant

4. Rowe, A. wine, spirit and beer merchant

5. Downard, S.W. & Co. shirt-maker & hosiers

6. New Hudson Cycle Extension Co.

7. Webb, T.W. fancy fair & stationery store

8. Kilmister, T. Boot & shoemaker

9. Keates’ Coffee House

10. Banfield, Son & Co. furnishing ironmongers

11. Harvey, Charles, India rubber store

12. Leeney, H. & Son, tailors

13. Bennett, George, fruiterer, and agent for Royal Insurance Co.

14. Watts, Mrs Berlin wool warehouse

Watts, Charles, builder

15. Dennis, J. umbrella maker

16. Pears, Kilby & Son, pharmaceutical chemists

17. Brighton, Hove & Sussex Auxiliary Supply Association Ltd. wine & spirit merchants, L. Dorman, secretary

18. Mills & Pannett, drapers

19. Robinson, H.B. ironmongers & electrical engineers

20. Carden, C.R. hatter

21. Western Hotel, Bottrill

22. & 23. West End Millinery & Drapery Co. ladies outfitters

24. Bright, John, grocer & provisions

25. Clark’s Bread Company Ltd. bakers and pastry-cook

26 & 27. Combridge, J.M. butcher

28. Killick’s Dairy, W.F. Knight, manager

29. Diplock, Samuel & Son, china & glass warehouse

30. Salmon, F.W. & Sons, chemists

30a. Wilkinson, Son & Welch, auctioneers, estate & house agents, valuers, stock

brokers

Brighton Union Bank, Barclays, John Pocock Esq. Manager

30b. Masterton & Co. cigar importers

30c. Cripps, Walter, boot maker

31. Hart, Albert, hosier

31a. Banfield, Son & Cole, furnishing ironmongers

32. Lewis, Joseph, watchmaker

33. Florence, Henry E. butcher

34. Belgravia Dairy Co. W.B. Spikens, manager

35. Blackman, Charles, fishmonger & poulterer

36. Walser, James, booksellers, stationery & newsagent

37. Cheesman, R. & C.fruiterers

38. Robinson & Dredge, ladies & children’s outfitters

39. Freemason’s Tavern, George Hounsell

40. Gilbey, H. baker & pastry-cook

41. Rose, E.A. fishmonger, poulterer, & game dealer

42. Malin & Wright, grocers and provision dealers

43. Cobbold & Co. wine & spirit merchants

44. Bailey, Edward, watchmaker

45. Co-operative Coal Association, C.M. Perkins, manager

46. Madame Tryphenè, corset maker

Berners, F.L. electrical engineers

47. Smith & Co. auctioneers & house agents

48 & 49. Nell, W. fruiterers

50. Cross, W.E. stationer, librarian & printer

51. Hunter’s Dairies & Provision Warehouse, J.R. Hunter, manager

52. Evershed & Sons, jewellers

53. Hrebicek, A. ladies tailor

54. Frowd, C.F. Central Dairy

55. Stone, C. Barrington, surgeon, dentist

56. Hamilton, A.B. ladies outfitter

57. Pearse, G. Herbert, sanitary woollen depot

57a. Ford, W.A. Chiropodist

58. Hill, W. general and fancy draper

59. Diplock & Son, house agents

59. Madame Elise, dressmaker

60. Brown, T. & Son, tailors

61. William Watts & Co. colliery agents & coal merchants, Mr J.C.H. Terry, manager

62. Herbert, Joseph, butcher

63. Wick Inn, J.T. Hall

64. London & County Bank, Mr H. Rashleigh, manager

65. Long, H. chemist

66. Barbellion & Buè, French coos & confectioner

67. Shoreham Shipping Co. (coal department) Mr C.E. Banger, manager

68. West End Registry Office

69. Bushell, T. umbrella maker

70. Watkins, James, fruiterer

71. Dale & Co, tailors

71a. Maynards Ltd. confectioner

72. Cowley’s Dairy

73. National Standard Bread Co. Ltd. Mr C. Robertson, secretary

74. Home & Colonial Tea Co. Ltd.

75, J.P. tobacconist

76. Palmeira Window Cleaning Co.

76. Anderson & Grey, corn merchants

77. Anthill, A.E. gilder & picture frame maker

78. Smith, G.B. stationer, bookseller & printer

79. Page & Miles, Electric light engineers & contractors

80. Shepperd, T.W. boot & shoe-maker

81. Jury, Albert, refreshment rooms

82. & 83. Brighton & Hove Co-op Supply Association Ltd. Palmeira House, Mr J.A. Thilthorpe and Mr W.E. Hughes, joint managers

84. Brighton, Hove & Sussex Auxiliary Supply Association, Mr L. Dorman, secretary

85. Cresswell, H. decorative tile, iron & marble merchant

86. Muddle, E.J. furnishing ironmonger

87. Creswell, A. surveyor, builder

88. Frowd, J. Lansdowne Dairy

89. Vernon, J. Tobacconist & cigar merchant.

95. English & American cycle agency

96. Boniface & Son, builder

97. Cottis, Mrs & Midd, scientific dressmakers

98. Devereux, F.O. photographic artist

98. Boatwright, M. dressmaker

99. Collings, Mrs A. governess & domestic agency

100. Headland’s chemist’s stores

101. Walker’s Dairies, Mr. A.J. Marks, manager

111. Cheesman, Messrs C.T. & Co. coal & coke merchant

111. Agents, Portland cement

112. Smith, Miss E. Bank House, boarding house

113. Dudney, Son & Co. brewers, wine & spirit merchants

114. Ashdown & Co. dyers & cleaners

114. West End billiard saloon, Mr C. Poundsberry, proprietor & billiard table furnisher

117. Herring, Son & Daw, auctioneer, surveyor & estate agent

118. Flinn & Son, steam dyers, cleaners & plumassiers

119. Hilton, Joseph, estate agent

120. Collings, A. Esmé, photographer

122. Newington & Pepper, coal, coke, lime & cement merchant

123. Post Office & Postal Telegraph

124. Nye, C. & Sons, coal merchant

125. Bridle, Henry W. boot & shoe maker

127. Humber & Coventry cycle agency

128. Sayers, M. model dairy, Roedale Farm

129. Brighton & South Coast Railway booking & parcel office

Street Directory 1934/5

1. Tivoli, cinema

2. Chapman, S.R. tobacconist

3. Sainsbury, John Ltd. provision merchant

4. Findlater, Mackie & Co. Ltd, wine merchants

5. Downard, S.W. & Co. shirt makers and hosiers

6. Bradshaws, cycle dealers

Farman Street

7. Breach, Robert, solicitor

7. & 8. Andrews, W.M. trunk & portmanteau dealer

9. Early & Son, dealers in works of art

10. Lennox, John, fancy draper

11. Forward & Son, boot makers

12. Green Lantern, tea rooms

13. Murray, J.W. confectioner

Waterloo Street

14. March, Miss, confectioner

15. Sports Shop (B.P. Cook) racquet specialists

16. Jackson, F.C. dispensing chemist

17. Foster, T. & Co. wine & spirit merchant

18. & 19. Madame Evelyn, milliner

Upper Market Street

20. Arthur & Co. costumiers

21.Western Hotel, Edlins Ltd.

Brunswick Street East

22. Post Office

22. National Insurance Audit Dept.

23. Grey, Jane, milliner

24. International Tea Co’s Stores Ltd. grocers

25. Forfars Ltd. bakers

26. Maison Francis, ladies hairdresser

27. Lawleys (1921) Ltd. china shop

28. Madame Strong, modes

29. Ring’s, complete house furnisher

30. Salmon, F.W. & Sons, chemists

31. Limpus & Son, builders

30a. Hole’s & Davigdor Hygienic Dairies

30b. Barclays Bank Ltd. R.C. Harvey

30b. Finlay & Co. tobacconists

Brunswick Place

30c. Maynards, confectioners

31a. Cook, L. & Co. Ltd. fruiterers

31. Yeomans, F.W. Ltd. hosier

32. Rayner & Keeler Ltd. dispensing optician

33. Parks, Joseph Henry, butcher

34. Lansdowne Domestic Agency. D. Crawford I. Bromwich

34. Petty, George E. confectioner

35. Wilson’s fishmonger

37. Breach, William, fruiterer

39. Freemason’s Tavern, Frank Dickerson

Brunswick Street West

40. Gigins Ltd. bakers

Bush, Henry T. sign-writer

42. Wright & Son Ltd. grocers

43. Robins, E. & Son Ltd. wine merchants

44. Palmer, Ernest, tobacconist

45. Leon et Cie, costumiers

46. Tulley’s (C.B. Tulley) estate agent

47. Frowd & Hardwick, dairy

Lansdowne Road

48-59. William Hill (Hove) Ltd.

60. Brown, T. & Son, tailor

61. Frowd & Hardwick, dairies

61a. Conway & Awcock, upholsterer

61b. Stroud, E. upholsterer

63. Wick Inn, William Urquhart

Holland Road

64. Westminster Bank, Mr H.F. Buss, manager

65. Sharmans, Davis P. Estate agent, surveyor, auctioneer

65. Brighton Window Cleaning Co,

65. Humphrey, R.C. accountant

65. Premier Stamp Co.

66. Jacquery, E. confectioner

67. Madame Chazalon, art needlework

68. Packett, J.A. Ltd. shirt makers

69. Prince, K.W. boot-maker

69a. Field, M.J. employment agency

70. Winter, F. fruiterer

71. Maison Eade, ladies hairdresser

71a. Maynard’s Ltd. confectioner

72. Lambert & Whistlecroft Ltd. radio dealers

Palmeira Square

73. Pride, T.L. opticians

73a. Burkett, E. tobacconist

74. Home & Colonial Stores

75. Kirby’s Health Food Stores, H.G. Smith

77. Valting tailors

78. Walser, J. stationer

79. Antill, A.E. picture-frame maker

81. Palmeira Tea Rooms, A.G. Storr

St John’s Road

82. & 83. Palmeira Stores

84. Brighton & Hove Wine Co. Ltd.

84a. Selig, J.R. hairdresser

85. Day & Sons, auctioneers, surveyors, valuers, estate agents

86. & 87. Baxter, R. fruiterer

88. & 89. Hall & Co. Ltd. coal merchant, builders’ merchant

90. Pickfords Ltd. shipping agents

Lansdowne Place

92. Midland Bank, Mr A.C. Alexander, manager

94. Hewett Brothers, motor-cycle agents

94. Quick Service dry cleaners

94. Peggy’s wool shop

94. Southern Publishing & Advertising Co.

96. Dixey’s Ltd. ophthalmic opticians

97. Ogden, H. confectioner

98. Electrolux Ltd. vacuum cleaners

98. Sayers, Miss ladies hairdresser

99. Blaker, J. newsagent

100. Lane, Sidney W. pharmacist

101. Belgravia Dairy Co.

Farm Road

102. Grenville, W. antiques

102a. Duly’s typewriting service

103. Gainsboro, milliner

104. Jackson, J. hairdresser

105. Walser, J. stationer

106. Swift & Presswell, valet service

107. Brighton Brothers, confectioners

109. Caddy, W.H. furniture maker

Brunswick Place

110. New London & Brighton Estates Ltd.

111. Lowman, A.R. confectioner

112. Felicity, ladies & gentlemen’s high-class hairdresser

112. Madame Jardine, milliner

113. Delphine, milliner

114. Ratcliffe, H. costumier

114a. Gymnasium Captain F.L. Rolt

115. Moody’s Motors Ltd. auto engineers & agents

117. Shoreham Shipping & Coal Co.

119-120 – Stonehams (Hove) Ltd motor showroom

121. Coastal libraries

122. Jacob, Mary, modiste

123. Singer Sewing Machine Co.

123. Hoover Ltd. vacuum cleaners

124. Nye C. & Sons, coal merchants

125. Bridle, S.R. bootmaker

Brunswick Road

126-127. Banfield’s Ltd hardware store

128. Johnson, Miss, florist

129a. Augustine, dressmaker

129a. Partington, L.Gg linen agent

130. Southern Counties Princess Laundry

131. Madge, A. coal merchant

131a. Piper, L.H. watchmaker

York Road

132. Ellis, W.J. tobacconist

133. Baynard, L.B. Ltd chemists

Boundary Passage

Sources

Census Returns

J.Middleton Encyclopaedia of Hove and Portslade

Directories
Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove

Thanks are due to Robert Jeeves of Step Back in Time 36 Queen’s Road, Brighton, BN1 3XD for allowing me to reproduce five of his photographs

page layout by D.Sharp

11 July 2017

Western Road, Hove