Hove in the Past: Hove Esplanade

Judy Middleton 2002 (revised 2023)

copyright © J.Middleton
Although this postcard is captioned ‘Queen’s Gardens’ it is actually a marvellous snapshot of Hove Esplanade with invalids taking the sea air, plus an elaborate perambulator in the background

The esplanade runs from the Brighton boundary to Western Esplanade, Aldrington. Today, it looks so much of an entity that it is difficult to imagine the long and tortuous road the Hove authorities had to travel before the esplanade was laid out to their satisfaction, and as we see it today.

It must be remembered too that the old boundary of Hove, like Brighton, once extended further south than it does today, but was lost to the sea in ferocious storms and general erosion. John Constable (1775-1837) painted some lovely scenes depicting a Hove beach that was long and shelving with sand rather than shingle plus small, irregular cliffs.

A Sea Wall

copyright © Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove
A lithograph print of Brunswick Terrace by C. Derby c.1841, showing no sea wall to protect either the esplanade or road.

Some sort of sea wall had been constructed in 1738 but nothing much else was done. In fact Mr Gallard built the first proper sea wall in the 1870s to protect Medina Terrace. Then on 29 April 1882 a great gale caused considerable damage to the eastern foreshore and it became obvious that something would have to be done to protect the valuable properties in Brunswick Town. Therefore Hove Commissioners engaged the services of Sir John Coode, an eminent engineer, who produced an elaborate scheme but when the commissioners realised that it was likely to cost at least £15,000, they had second thoughts. They wondered if they might possibly get away with just extending the groynes. Meanwhile Sir John was becoming impatient, and finally he stated that if Hove Commissioners did not implement his plans, he would no longer take the responsibility of a consultant engineer. Thus in March 1884 Sir John laid the first concrete block.

copyright © J.Middleton
This postcard gives a good idea of the spaciousness of Hove Esplanade in the part fronting Brunswick Town

Hove Commissioners liked to employ men who were at the top of their profession – thus they selected Alfred Waterhouse to be the architect of the impressive red-brick Hove Town Hall, and Sir John Coode (1816-1892) to design the sea wall fronting Brunswick Town. It is interesting to note that Coode used concrete for the Hove works, and he had been responsible for the first lighthouse in the British Isles to be built of reinforced concrete – it was at Le Corbière in Jersey. Coode was awarded a knighthood in 1872 as an accolade for his tremendous work at Portland Harbour, which provided the deepest artificial harbour in Britain and therefore was of national importance, taking 23 tears to complete. Coode was also kept busy as a consultant engineer for works in South Africa, Australia and India, and indeed his harbour at Colombo was regarded as his second greatest work – he travelled to these places too. Coode died at Brighton on 2 March 1892, but was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery.

The Hove works were completed by 1888 and in the same year the Kent & Sussex Tar Paving Co won the contract to lay the surface of the esplanade.

First Extension (from Medina Terrace)

The next part of the esplanade to be constructed was around 1,000 ft stretching from Medina Terrace to the east boundary of the Vallance Estate, situated to the west. It was a complicated undertaking because first of all, rights to the foreshore plus sufficient land to create a public esplanade with a width of 70 ft had to be acquired. There was also a group of old buildings in the way. This meant the demolition of structures south of Sussex Road, and Victoria Cottages as well as Lewes House and St Aubyns Mews.

Mr Gallard was the owner of the west wall on the part of the esplanade known as the Quarter Deck, but matters were delayed when Gallard was declared bankrupt. Finally, in October 1888 Hove Commissioners approved plans for a sea wall and Medina Esplanade extension.

Part of the scheme included the construction of public baths, the Medina Baths, to be built by a private company. This allowed Hove Commissioners to keep overall costs down, and to expend around £2,000 on buying the land involved. The excavation for the baths, and the material from the demolished properties were used to build up the level of the esplanade.

The new wall was 327 ft in length and connected Medina Quarter Deck with the existing wall opposite St Aubyns Mews, known as Tooth’s wall. The esplanade stretched to a distance of 956 ft with the width varying from 70 ft to 60 ft. There was a footpath on the north and south sides, while the carriage road was 23 ft in width. There was an ornamental iron fence with openings to the steps leading down to the beach, and a row of lamps was placed on the north side of the south footpath some 80 ft apart. The cost of the works, which included new groynes, came to £8,520, but the wages due to the clerk of the works, plus legal matters brought the final total to £11,000.

Mr D. Marchin was given the task of tarring and sanding the esplanade because he had submitted the lowest tender, estimating the cost at one penny and one farthing per square foot.

Seats were placed on the esplanade, and no doubt there were complaints about troublesome sea breezes because in 1892 the surveyor came up with plans to fit windscreens of ironwork and glazed panels at either end of the seats.

Second Extension (west to Hove Street)

The next step was to lengthen the esplanade further west to the foot of Hove Street. There was some initial difficulty because permission had to be sought from the Admiralty to set back their boundary some 15 ft, which would mean the Royal Naval Reserve gun shed and the semaphore being moved. There was also the issue of Hove Street South, which needed to be raised by around 2 ft at the south end, and the same applied to the Board of Trade structure housing life-saving apparatus.

The new portion of esplanade was 76 ft in width and the style of cast-iron fencing already in use was continued along a new granite coping. Six new lamps were placed on the north side of the south footpath.

At the west end there was a flight of granite steps leading to the beach, as well as an inclined slope to the beach to facilitate the use of the Coastguard Station's boats – this was opposite to land belonging to the trustees of the Vallance Estate.

copyright © J.Middleton
This view shows the inclined slope to the beach for the use of lifeboat-men wishing to launch their boat.

Messrs J. Parsons & Sons carried out the works and the esplanade was finished by 1897. The following year the final cost was put at £10,922-17-11d.

In July 1897 it was stated that carriages, equestrians and cyclists would not be permitted to use the esplanade, but the prohibition did not apply to horses or other animals being led into the sea to bathe.

Although some seats were provided, there was soon a petition bearing the signatures of 457 people requesting sheltered seats to be provided on the esplanade. However, the works committee was unmoved by the petition, and considered any action undesirable. The men also probably thought there had been enough expenditure already.

Third Extension (east to Fourth Avenue groyne)

copyright © J.Middleton
This photograph shows the extensive gardens belonging to Courtenay Terrace stretching down to the beach that prevented the esplanades from being joined up.

In 1899 Hove Council proposed building an esplanade from Mills Terrace east to the Fourth Avenue groyne. (Mills Terrace was an old group of houses and Courtenay Gate was later built on the site). But nothing happened.

In 1907 Alderman Isger stated that the only part of Hove seafront not in the possession of Hove Council were the gardens belonging to Courtenay Terrace. The houses, built in the 1830s / 1840s, enjoyed the luxury of their gardens stretching to the beach. Naturally, the owners were reluctant to part with such a privilege. Hove Council opted to place compulsory purchase orders on the owners of numbers 1, 2, and 3 Courtenay Terrace for a portion of their gardens and beach. However, the owners were not going to submit quietly and the result was that in June 1908 a Sheriff’s Court was held at Hove Town Hall in order to determine the amount of compensation that Hove Council ought to pay. Mr Bartlett, deputy sheriff for Sussex, presided over the court, and the special jury included Edward Lloyd, the famous tenor.

The total cost of compensation eventually paid by Hove Council came to £2,363. The Council considered that on the whole the outcome was satisfactory – the original offer had been £1,150 whereas the owners wanted £5,400.

It appears that Hove Council had already purchased in 1903 a 6 ft strip of land plus the foreshore belonging to number 4 Courtenay Terrace for £100.

The new esplanade was created in the same style as the rest of it, and the width opposite Fourth Avenue was 90 ft. At the same time, an extension was made opposite Medina Lawn (128 ft in length and 37 ft wide) to provide a shelter without encroachment on the promenade. The cost of all these improvements was put at £28,000. Hove Council made an application to the Unemployment Grants Committee in the hope that some money would be forthcoming to enable employment of men without jobs.

Fourth Extension (west to point opposite Langdale Gardens)

In 1885 negotiations between Hove Commissioners and the Vallance Estate began, but no agreement was reached. This was principally because the Vallance Estate was asking between £6,000 and £7,000 for the Vallance Lawn. Hove Commissioners thought the price was far too high, but when in 1890 the price was dropped to £4,000, they agreed to purchase, The Vallance Lawn measured around 3½ acres with an average depth of 200 ft. There were some strings attached, such as no capstan being allowed on the beach, and children could not play ball games. By 1910 the esplanade reached as far west as a point opposite Langdale Gardens.

Improvements

copyright © J.Middleton
In 1903 a granite kerb and iron fence was installed between Brunswick Lawns and the esplanade.

Meanwhile, in 1903 the old wire fence at the south side of Brunswick Lawns was removed, and a granite kerb with an iron fence was substituted. The kerb was 9 in wide and 11 in high, and opposite each lamp on the sea wall, there was a recess to accommodate a seat, 10 ft in length and large enough for six people to sit on either side. A glazed screen supported by ornamental ironwork was placed at the back and sides of the seats, which were made of teak.

These seats must have proved popular because in 1906 a further sixteen were ordered. at a cost of £330.

Also in 1903, another shelter was placed on the esplanade opposite Sackville Gardens, similar to the one already provided.

In 1923 John Every of Lewes agreed to supply seven cast-iron shelters to be placed some 400 yards apart in the centre of the esplanade from the east boundary to Wish Road.

Lamps

copyright © J.Middleton
A postcard view from 1905 shows the old lamp standards that were once placed in the middle of the esplanade

In 1923 it was stated that the lamps had not been lighted since 1914 when blackout restrictions had been introduced in coastal towns shortly after the outbreak of the First World War. There were 35 lamps on the sea wall and east and west approaches spaced 70 ft apart, which had been in use since 1885. There were eight on King’s Esplanade between St John’s Road and Fourth Avenue placed 190 ft apart, which had been in use since 1902.

The lamps were 9 ft and 3 in tall, and the lighting was provided by high-pressure burners, the gas being compressed by means of two water motors situated in chambers underneath Brunswick Lawns – one opposite Brunswick Square, the other opposite Adelaide Crescent.

However, by 1923 the whole system was corroded, and it was suggested that new electric light standards should be erected instead. The standards would be around 20 ft in height, and spaced around 180 ft apart. Some 32 lamps would be needed (instead of 43) and the cost was estimated at £1,035. The well-known firm of John Every of Lewes secured the contract to provide to erect 20 cast-iron electric-light columns for £512.

New Sea Wall

On 14 August 1927 a fierce storm damaged the esplanade between the groyne opposite Hove Lagoon to the groyne opposite to Glendor Road. The damage was so severe that at one point the esplanade was reduced to a width of 11 ft.

Although the storm was an isolated incident, it was obvious that coastal erosion on this part of the seafront was accelerating, and by 1935 it became clear a new sea wall was needed. The Borough Engineer, T.R. Humble, oversaw the whole construction, and although there was only a low parapet with no railings, the project still had an estimated cost of £29,000.

Second World War

Perhaps it was just as well that Mr Humble had been so busy with the new sea wall, because during the Second World War the sea-front was off-limits to the general public and no conservation work could be done. This, together with preparations for an expected invasion by the Germans, meant that Hove seafront descended into a terrible condition. Hove Lagoon, the esplanade and beaches became part of the Defence Area. Soon barricades of barbed wire were rolled out, while parts of the esplanade was dug into to provide for the erection of machine-gun emplacements. A number of 8-ton blocks were placed along the front to act as tank traps. The beaches were mined.

After the War

Erosion again threatened the western beaches because groynes had not been attended to during the war and shingle had drifted away, leaving the beaches vulnerable.

In March 1945 the public was allowed to visit parts of the esplanade again. The re-opened areas were from the Brighton border to Lansdowne Place, and the Western Lawns from Princes Crescent to Wish Road. However, it was not quite the same as pre-war days because there were still only lanes of access and not all the esplanade was open. There were still treacherous holes where the gun emplacements had been, and the surface was littered with pebbles, and sand and mud from split sandbags.

Shelters

In October 1984 Michael Ray, Hove Planning Officer, stated that the shelters were in poor condition, and that eighteen ornamental seats (known as cucumber frames) were in need of repair.

But it was not all gloom, because the twin shelters at the foot of Grand Avenue had been restored, instead of being demolished. The round shelter, also once considered for destruction, had also been restored and turned into a store for the parks department.

In October 1991 it was decided to replace the shelters at the King Alfred, the Western Lawns and Hove Lagoon with cast-iron replicas costing more than £25,000 each. The old brick and concrete shelters opposite Brunswick Terrace would also be replaced.

In 1992 the shelter near Medina Terrace was damaged by fire and was set to be demolished.

In April 1996 Mayor of Hove, Bernard Jordan, and Alistair Smith of Southern Water, officially opened a new shelter near the Medina groyne. Specialist firm Dorothea built the shelter in Victorian style, together with the ship motif from Hove’s coat of arms, to match the others. The new shelter cost in the region of £100,000 and was a gift from Southern Water by way of compensation to Hove for the disruption cause by the construction of the new storm water tunnel. The shelter also cleverly masked a ventilation shaft for this tunnel.

Armada

On 19 July 1988 Mayor of Hove, Jim Buttimer, lit the replica Beacon on the esplanade south of Hove Lagoon to commemorate the 400^th anniversary of the projected invasion by the Spanish Armada.

The plaque on the Beacon runs as follows: In 1588 a beacon near this site formed part of a nationwide network used to alert the public against the Spanish Armada. In fact, the original beacon was situated on a small cliff at an area then known as West Aldrington, later as Copperas Gap, then as Portslade-by-Sea, and nowadays as the south part of Portslade.

City of Brighton and Hove

There is no doubt that the amalgamation into one city has had an adverse effect on the maintenance of Hove Esplanade. Where once it was a regular occurrence to see workmen re-painting the cast-iron railings, today to spot a workman wielding a paintbrush, or even a broom to return pebbles to the beach, is a rare sighting.

The presence of pebbles thrown onto the promenade by storms is a particular grouse of Hove residents, and especially when the shingle on Brighton promenade receives prompt attention. The following are a few grumbles:

In February 1988 it was said to have taken seven weeks to remove shingle thrown up by New Year storms.

In January 1999 the council stated it was their policy in winter to maintain a 3-metre pathway, and leave the rest of the shingle where it was.

In February 2000 there was still shingle on the esplanade caused by storms before Christmas. Local councillors were calling for action.

Hove esplanade and beach were well patronised during the hot summer of 2018 – this view was taken on 15 July.

copyright © J.Middleton
This photograph was taken on 21 September 2018 on an extremely blustery day from the part of the esplanade that juts out onto the beach and was once known as the Quarter Deck

West End Café

copyright © Shoesmith & Etheridge
Although the West End Café was popular it does not appear on many postcards. This one dates from the 1930s

There has been a cafe or restaurant on the esplanade for almost 100 years. It started off in a relatively small way in July 1920 and no doubt owes its origin to Hove Bandstand, which had been up and running since 1911, and was directly opposite. The first café building was a timber-framed kiosk 21-ft in length, 11-ft in width, and 8-ft 6-in in height. The structure was match-boarded outside and the interior was lined with asbestos sheeting – the roof was concrete.

In 1927 the Borough Surveyor reported that the kiosk had been kept in a good state of repair, and gas and water had been laid on: he estimated that the cost of construction had been around £464. It seems that Hove Council wanted to take over ownership, but rather meanly offered to purchase it, plus all the contents, for a measly £300 from Mr Bloom. It seems likely that Mr Bloom was Harry Bloom who lived with his wife and four sons at 13 Medina Villas. The second oldest son was Lieutenant Marcus Bloom (1907-1944) who became celebrated as a Jewish hero of the SOE (For more details please see under Hove and the Second World War). Marcus helped his father in the running of the establishment. They were not going to let Hove Council have possession for a knock-down price, and Mr Bloom’s solicitors itemised the cost of establishing and equipping the restaurant as follows:

Erecting the structure & laying on water and gas £700

Perpetual hot-water boiler, around £25
Soda fountain, around £200
Cash register £120
50 chairs and 20 tables

Mr Bloom offered to let the council have everything for £500. Hove Council had an agreement with the First British Travelling Buffet Company who supplied refreshments for the restaurant, but the agreement ran out on 31 December 1927. When Mr Bloom applied for an extension, his request was turned down. It seems that Mr Bloom then agreed to sell.

New Café

Hove Council lost no time in coming forward with plans for a new café. In January 1928 it proposed to replace the existing structure with a ‘refreshment hut’ placed over the sloping bank on the south side of number 4 lawn, between the glazed screen and the west end of the lawn. There would be 7-ft wide verandah on three sides, partly enclosed by a glass screen, and teas could be served under the projecting roof. The structure was to be roofed with copper at a cost of £347. The underneath part would serve as storage place for tools used by the council gardeners who looked after the lawns.

Also in 1928 Hove Council awarded a three-year contract to James Manison of 26 Portland Avenue to supply the refreshments. He was to pay the council £100 in rent for the first year, followed by £200 a year for the next two years.

The West End Café remained a popular place for many years, except of course during the Second World War when the seafront and beaches were off-limits to the general public.

Another building

In 1965 the lovely old bandstand was demolished, and with it went the end of an era. Old postcards show the area around the bandstand to have been a delightful spot, with flowers, shrubs, ornamental lamps, and various shelters. Today, the only reminder of former times are the flint-adorned bases of the lamps. Nowadays, there is just an expanse of grass, which during the long drought of 2018 turned the ground into something resembling concrete.

copyright © J.Middleton
A seemingly ‘scorched earth’ view from The Venue on 15 July 2018 when the grass had stopped growing during the drought

It is interesting to note that in 1965 a Mr W. E. Kelsey was recorded as being the tenant of the West End Café. He was granted a new long lease in October 1965 on condition that he re-built the structure, the rent being £1,200 a year. But from another source, it is stated that David Kelsey, and his son, also David Kelsey, purchased the West End Café, and rebuilt it. David Kelsey, senior, bought Howard’s Restaurant, Brighton, in 1945, and both Kelseys went on to acquire the Sackville Hotel, Kingsway. David Kelsey, senior, died in 1980. David Kelsey, junior, took over the Royal Crescent Hotel, Brighton, in May 1982. In June 1985 while on a business trip abroad, David Kelsey, junior, died suddenly at the age of 46, leaving a widow and two sons.

On 27 May 1969 Councillor Leslie Sykes, Mayor of Hove, opened the new West End Restaurant and Marine Bar. Fitzroy & Partners were the architects, and G. Watts & Co. the builders – the cost of construction came to around £50,000. Hove Council gardeners carried out the floral landscaping of the terraces – those were the days when at least four or five gardeners were permanently based on the Western Lawns. The former iron colonnade on the westward side was replaced by a brick-built structure. The Marine Bar was situated underneath the restaurant.

Every Friday night the Don Stuart trio provided live music.

Recent Times

The café held a licence between 1983 and 1992. By August 1993 the establishment was no longer the West End Café but was called Beaches. In the same year Hove Council asked the owners to tone down its sign.

In September 1994 an application to turn the café into a night-spot came before Hove councillors. Residents living in three nearby blocks of flats (Langdale Court, Bowen Court and The Channings) objected to the plans. New owners Tidezone pledged to install effective sound-proofing while Kenneth Sinar, managing director, said they were aiming for a more mature clientele. It was stated that the place had been semi-derelict for some time. Kenneth Sinar, aged 48, lived in Dyke Road, Hove, owned a yacht, and drove a jaguar with a personalised number-plate.

The plans were passed and some £300,000 was spent on the refurbishment - the place being owned by a family trust. The grand opening took place on 11 November 1994 and renamed The Island. The restaurant and night-spot were on the upper floor while the extensive bar was on the ground floor. Phil Vigor was the manager, and David James was the chef. There was red mullet on the menu, as well as venison, duck and sirloin steaks. Unhappily, the new venture did not last even one year because in June 1995 there were reports that the business had gone bankrupt with debts of half a million pounds. In retrospect, it does seem daft to open a high-class restaurant on the sea-front in the depths of winter when customers are more likely to encounter a gale rather than blue skies and balmy weather.

The firm Pub Promoters were waiting in the wings. One week the place closed down – the next week it opened under new management. For a week after it opened a huge blue laser light mounted on the roof swept the skies.

In the 1990s the establishment was called the 0273 Bar.

In August 2005 the owner was stated to be Ali Kosari who had purchased the building five years previously and re-named it the Babylon Lounge. Mr Kosari might have been impressed with the sea-front locality of his purchase, but he was underwhelmed by its appearance, calling it frankly ‘the ugliest building in Hove’. Unhappily for him, the plans he produced for improvements were turned down by the planning inspector in 2004. Nothing daunted, he submitted new plans drawn up by LCE Archimed, a Brighton-based firm responsible for the design of the Jubilee Library.

The Babylon Lounge and Ed Mitchell

In 2007 the Babylon Lounge suddenly found its name splashed all over the newspapers, both local and national, with TV camera crews in attendance making a film for television. This was all because Ed Mitchell who had once enjoyed a glittering career as a television presenter and pundit on financial matters, had been discovered rough-sleeping on a bench outside the Babylon Lounge. There was a photo of him, reproduced many times, lying full-length in his sleeping bag with a blue woolly hat pulled over his head. People wanted to know how such a thing could have happened, and a famous quote from the subsequent story was that everyone was just three pay cheques away from being homeless. It turned out to be a more complicated story involving debts, gambling and alcoholism.

Mitchell and his wife started out in a top-floor flat at Palmeira Square,Hove, before purchasing a semi-detached house in Braemore Road, Hove, where they stayed for twenty years. They had two children and Mitchell commuted to London for his work. Debts began to pile up and it was decided to release the equity in their house by selling it and moving somewhere cheaper. They re-located to Portslade Old Village where Mitchell found a handy off-licence, and enjoyed visits to the Stag’s Head to have a drink and play chess with members of the Chess Club.

However, jobs became difficult to find, his marriage collapsed, followed by divorce, the house being sold, then there was bankruptcy, and by mid-2006 he found himself out in the cold. There was a short, unsuccessful spell at Emmaus in Portslade, when he and he and ‘companions’ used to imbibe a drink or two in Easthill Park, but after that it really was a matter of rough sleeping.

The TV documentary film was entitled Saving Ed Mitchell. The upshot of all the publicity was that Mitchell went to the Priory in London to sort out his alcoholism. He came away determined to get his life back on track, and eventually he returned to television, albeit with a stumble on the way; he also married again. He wrote a best-selling book about his experiences, which was published in 2009, with a paperback edition appearing in the following year. In 2020 he he re-told his story in What Doesn’t Kill You.

Since then of course all the benches and garden seats around the Babylon Lounge have been removed in order to deter rough sleepers.

Update

By 2011 the venue had been re-named The View. Although Ali Kosari was still on the scene, he was now described as part-owner. The building had undergone six months of restoration, and could boast 150 covers, while outside picnic tables provided enough space for a further 180 covers. It was also claimed to be the only licensed venue on the sea-front from the West Pier to Shoreham able to sell alcohol. The name was later changed to The Venue.

By October 2019 the place was boarded up, and the following month removal trucks arrived.

In the Argus (3 December 2019) there was a two-page spread headed ‘Ambitious Vision for the Seafront.’ The article stated that Mark Davis, a 40-year old millionaire investor of Langdale Gardens, planned a total refurbishment of the cafe that would cost in the region of an astonishing £2,250,000. His vision also includes the immediate outside area too. Mr Davis stated, ‘I used to walk past this place with my wife and kids seeing the potential this site could have with some TLC.’ Apparently, he just phoned up the owner and expressed the wish to purchase the building.

Mr Davis wants to make the café an inclusive place, and definitely not a night club, envisaging a ‘civilised space with cocktails and music’. The food would be varied and of good value, and naturally because of its setting, there would be a variety of ice-creams on offer. An innovative idea is that food and drink could be delivered to people enjoying a day on the beach, or sunning themselves outside their beach huts. Another interesting idea is that there would be a viewing platform plus a roof-top terrace. He is even thinking of initiating a cinema club with big-screen showings in the north part of the building. His attention has also been drawn to the green area immediately adjacent – perhaps there could be a playground for children and a re-planting there.

To his credit, Mr Davis is one developer who is open-minded about his venture, and more than happy to hear suggestions from the local community as to what they would like to see there. Councillors Chris Henry and Carmen Appich, who represent Westbourne Ward, have been working with Mr Davis on how to regenerate this part of Hove, which has been sadly neglected by the Brighton-centric bias of the city council. They would like to see family-friendly activities, play equipment, and community space. The West Hove Seafront Group Action Group also supports the proposals.

Mr Davis states the name of the new venue will be chosen from three possible choices, and people will be able to have a vote on the matter. It is hoped the venue will be ready for launching in March 2020.

copyright © J.Middleton
The six new shacks are called, from west to east, Back to the Future, Shoreshack Redemption, Shack Attack, Snack Attack, Jim’s Shack and Hove Sh’Actually

The new enterprise is to be known as Rockwater Hove, and perhaps as a tantalising taste of things to come a new addition was opened on 20 June 2020 at a time when surely everyone needs something to be cheerful about. They are known as Shacks by the Shore and to celebrate their opening Mr Davis uncorked a bottle of champagne. The shacks are designed to provide locally-sourced food such as seafood platters, cheese boards and charcuterie. You could buy coffee and cakes from 8 a.m. and at noon alcohol can be sold with the licence allowing the latter to continue until 3 a.m. (Argus 20/6/20)

Igloos

Some extraordinary structures suddenly made their appearance on the land in front of Rockwater to the surprise of Hove residents. It is the latest brainchild of entrepreneur Luke Davis who found inspiration for his igloos from the United States. There are 30 igloos that cost £160,000 and claim to be Covid-19 secure pods. Intriguingly, there is a service button inside each pod, which when pressed causes the igloo to assume a red glow. It was a great disappointment when, on the very day the igloos were supposed to be open for business, there came news of the latest lock-down in November. Mr Davis said, ‘It’s an absolute shame for people who have worked hard to comply with the rules to have the rule-book changed.’ He added that the igloos had been fully booked.

However, a group of Hove residents were less than thrilled by the development, and raised objections with Brighton & Hove City Council, there also being concerns about planning permission. It seems that that some retrospective permission was involved, and in August 2020 planning permission was sought for a series of alterations, including to the first floor on the roof of the building. But the majority of Hove people were in support of Luke Davis and his innovations, especially since the council has made no investment in Hove seafront for many years, and indeed the Rockwater development and the new Medina House are funded by private money, while improvements in such green spaces as Hove Lagoon and Wish Park owe a great deal to the action of residents. Hove esplanade has never been so busy as it has been during lock-down because local people, unable to travel to foreign parts, have been re-discovering the amenities on their own doorstep.

By 1 December 2020 the petition to save the igloos had received 9,000 signatures. Unhappily, so great was the support for Rockwater that on the weekend of 28/29 November 2020 there was something of a melee outside the Shacks by the Shore, which of course was against the rules, and Mr Davis said they were ‘completely overwhelmed’. As a result he is stepping up security. (Argus 4/11/20 / 20//11/20 / 1/12/20)

On 26/27 December 2020 Storm Bella rolled in, and amongst the damage caused were some of the unfortunate and controversial igloos. The storm tore off plastic covers, and flattened structures leaving a sorry sight of dereliction. Strangely enough, the most damage occurred in the eastern part of the site. It must have been a great disappointment for Mr Davis who has spent so much time and money in providing something novel on Hove sea-front. The decision was then taken that the igloos were finished for good because the combination of storm damage plus the Tier 4 Covid-19 restrictions were just too much. The undamaged igloos could be purchased for £1,300 each. For your money, beside the igloo, you would also have fairy lights, a floral display, sheepskin rugs and six chairs. A few days later it was announced that the Shacks on the Shore would be shut down because they were so popular that there were issues about social distancing. Just a few hours later Boris Johnson announced the third lock-down. (Argus 1/1/21 / 4/1/21)

But Luke Davis was still full of new plans for Rockwater, and it seems the councillors were on his side. After all, with the present difficulties why turn down an offer to invest private money in a scheme to re-vitalise Hove esplanade? It has certainly made the powers-that-be wake up and have another look at Hove sea-front to think of improvements that might be made, and invite local people to put forward their suggestions.

In January 2021 councillors went against planning advice by giving permission for a glazed roof-top extension to Rockwater, a ground floor pergola, and a fire-pit area. There were objections of course, but there were also 588 letters of support. (Argus 15/1/21)

Just three months later, Mr Davis stated he was set to launch a wellness and fitness hub to be called Rockwater Life. This was inspired by the success, during the difficult summer of 2020, of holding open-air fitness classes. He has also installed a new grass lawn on the north side of Rockwater, copiously watered to give it a head start. Then there are other new clubs in the pipe-line such as open water swimming. (Argus 23/3/21)

Rockwater even got a mention in the august pages of the Sunday Times. Of course the name ‘Rockwater’ was not spelled out but with the sentence ‘a stylish new beach bar in Hove’ what conclusion would you draw? Anyway, the humorous columnist, Matt Rudd, seems to have enjoyed his experience, and he was indeed fortunate to have a lovely sunny day although he did worry about people not wearing sun-block. But he relaxed with friends and wrote ‘we drank and ate and million-people-watched’. (Sunday Times Magazine 13/6/21)

In September 2023 it was announced that Luke Davis (of Rockwater fame) was investing £1million of his own money in a new venture in Brighton. It is interesting to note that it will be called ‘Helm’ thus recalling the ancient name of the town – Brighthelmstone. Mr Davis has high hopes that it will become an artistic landmark, and it has gone ahead in conjunction with Eden Maseyk, a curator friend. The new venue opened on 9 September 2023.

Helm is situated in a strategic place on the corner of North Road and Jubilee Street. The concept is unique because as well as being an art gallery, it will also house concerts, talks, classes, and other events to make the place an artistic hub. Moreover, there is a unique touch in that there is a bar, no doubt to enhance the experience.

Mr Davis was proud to announce he is associated with three art galleries because there are already art collections at Rockwater, Hove, and Rockwater, Bournemouth. People will not have to think twice about visiting Helm because it is open every day of the week. (Argus 7/9/23)

Hove Deep Sea Anglers

Alderman A. W. F. Varley was one of the original members of the Hove Deep Sea Anglers, which was founded in 1909. In his youth he was a keen sportsman winning over fifty prizes for sailing, rowing, fishing and cycling. In 1907 he joined Hove Council, and in 1938 he was elected an alderman.

Hove Deep Sea Anglers has enjoyed a presence on Hove beach for many years. The original hut was already in place when on 8 January 1912 the ownership was transferred from H. W. Stenning to the club. Hove Council agreed to the deal, already having an interest because the hut stood on council-owned land and the club were obliged to pay rent of £1 a year.

copyright © Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove
The above Connaught Hotel article is a paragraph from the
Brighton & Hove Graphic’s guide to Hove Street.

In 1917 the hut was described as 60-ft by 9-ft 6-in, and 7-ft.

In 1922 a slightly larger hut replaced the old one. The new hut was still 60-ft in length, but it was now 20-ft in width and 12-ft in height.

In March 1929 Hove Deep Sea Anglers held a joint annual dinner with Brighton Deep Sea Anglers at which many anecdotes and jokes about fishing were related including the classic verse known as the Fisherman’s Prayer.

‘Lord, give me grace to catch a fish

So large that even I

When talking of it afterwards

May never need to lie.’

In 1929 P. E. Beaumont was president of Hove Deep Sea Anglers.

In 1933 during Safety First Week, a demonstration took place on 7 October, which involved the Shoreham lifeboat ‘rescuing’ a stricken boat. The ‘wreck’ was lent by Leo Evershed, secretary of Hove Deep Sea Anglers.

In 1937 there was a membership of around 300.

In the 1930s it was stated that most members were car-owners, and in the happy position of parking their vehicles opposite the club. But somebody on the council must have suddenly woken up to the fact that such parking was in fact illegal. The practice was therefore stopped to the great disgruntlement of the membership. It is interesting to note that in the later years of the twentieth century the club did have a small hard-standing near the hut for members’ cars.

New Addition

In 1983 the architect Christopher Dodd designed a new extension for the clubhouse. It was certainly an original piece of work because he designed a £18,000 replica of a Martello Tower. The tower was 25-ft in diameter and housed the staircase. It was built of red brick with three broad, contrasting bands. In 1983 the tower won a Best New Building award, organised jointly by Hove Council and Hove Civic Society.

In January 1996 council officials became concerned because stormy seas had eroded the shingle on the south side of the clubhouse. Although Hove Council was not responsible for the building, as a gesture of good will they arranged for a fleet of lorries to take shingle off some better endowed beaches and place it in front of the clubhouse.

Even so in late October 1996 gales demolished part of the clubhouse – the roof caved in, walls collapsed, the snooker room was flattened, and the clubhouse was left under 2-ft of water. It was an exceptional storm with gales gusting at 70 mph. Weather experts pronounced the storm was caused by the tail-end of hurricane Lili. The repair bill was put at around £20,000 but fortunately there was a healthy membership of 450.

Caveat

Eagle-eyed readers might notice that the above text bears an uncanny resemblance to the history part of the Hove Deep Sea Anglers website, all except two paragraphs. In fact, the text comes from my Encyclopaedia of Hove and Portslade published in separate parts from 2000 to 2003.

The Hove Plinth

The Hove Plinth is a marvellous idea celebrating Hove’s independent artistic heritage. It was fitting that the concept emanated from Hove Civic Society in 2012. At first the idea might have seemed like pie-in-the-sky and of course it took a great deal of work, finding sponsorship and fund-raising before the project could get off the ground.

The Hove Plinth aroused much interest and the public were invited to vote on which work of art should be displayed on the plinth for a period lasting from 12 to 18 months. The various submissions were of a high standard, and the winning design by Kent-based artist Jonathan Wright was called Constellation. It incorporated many ingenious factors. An orrery inspired the basic design – an orrery being a working model of the solar system. The unusual name derives from the man for whom the first orrery was created – John Charles Boyle, 4^th Earl of Orrery (1676-1731). But whereas the first orrery moved by a clockwork mechanism, Constellation, mounted on a pivot, relies on sea breezes for movement. The design also carries echoes of a ship’s compass and a camera.

There was further popular involvement in the project because people were invited to suggest objects that encapsulated Hove’s identity. Instead of the solar system, there would be objects, or ‘icons’ to sum up Hove. The nine gold-leaf covered subjects are as follows:

Amber Cup

Queen Victoria

An old-style camera (for the Hove Film Pioneers)

Hove ship (from Hove’s coat of arms)

West Blatchington windmill

Elm tree (to celebrate Hove’s magnificent and rare elm trees)

Cricketer

Seagull on beach hut

Skateboarder

It is fascinating to note that the large teacup looks so modern in design whereas the unique Amber Cup is so very ancient.

The Hove Plinth was officially launched on 21 April 2018, and fortunately the sun shone on the event.

A New Sculpture

Hopefully, a new sculpture will appear on the Hove Plinth in the summer of 2023. There has to be a tremendous amount of behind-the-scenes work before such an event can happen, not the least being Hove Civic Society’s mission to raise the money to pay for it. The sculptor has been working on the project since 2019.

The sculpture is entitled the Flight of the Langoustine and it is pleasing to know the art-work was chosen by a public vote. The sculpture features a rounded steel grid with a broken section through which four bronze figures are attempting to flee; the bronze figures will be life-sized. The inspiration for the design came to Pierre Diamantopoulo, a Brighton-based sculptor, when he saw a broken lobster pot on the beach. Perhaps it indicated that any lobsters trapped inside had managed to escape, and the theme of the sculpture could be interpreted in many different ways by people young and old.

copyright © D. Sharp
The Flight of the Langoustine, in October 2023, with Queen Victoria's Statue and Grand Avenue in the background

The creation of a bronze figure is a complex one, passing through many stages. It is fascinating to note that one of the rites of passage is the romantic sounding lost wax or cire perdue, a traditional method used by the ancients when a mould is formed around a wax model, and then melted. (The Hoverian October 2022)

By May 2023 the figures had already been cast in Surrey, at the Milwyn Art Foundry. The next move was to fix the figure into the steel grid and ring, and this was taking place in the Midlands, at Art Fabrications.

It has been a difficult task raising money for art in these hard times. Of course it does not just end with the unveiling of the new sculpture; there is also the matter of the re-location of the artwork already occupying the Hove Plinth, which will grace the garden at Hove Museum. (Hove Civic Society, June 2023)

At last the new sculpture was ready and it was placed on the plinth in September 2023 with the formal unveiling enacted on Saturday 17 September. It could not be more different from the previous exhibit, and indeed Mr Diamantopoulo admitted his work was energetic and somewhat bizarre. An object for soothing contemplation it is not. It is more of a portrayal of mankind’s restless struggle in this world.

Visitors may be surprised to find that the four figures are sexless and faceless. This is so they can be imagined as either sex, although the torsos seem somewhat masculine. Mr Diamantopoulo states that faceless figures have been his signature work for over 35 years. But these faces look as though a helmet has been rammed onto their heads. People may remember the many small figurines cast in resin designed by the American Susan Lordi, and marketed under the ‘Willow Tree’ tree title; they were also without facial features but more rounded in form.

The total cost of the new Hove sculpture came to an astonishing £161,000 – all from voluntary donations. (Hovarian October 2023)

The Rampion Wind Farm

The Rampion Wind Farm is a new addition to the horizon and can be seen

from Hove beach in good weather. But quite often it is obscured by mist

or heat haze. There are boat trips from Brighton Marina

for those wishing to have a closer look.

A Welcome Windfall

In late October 2021 there came some welcome and unexpected news from the Autumn Budget. Chancellor Rishi Sunak had decided to award the magnificent sum of £9.5 million to be used in the regeneration of the long-neglected Hove sea-front, covering a section of one kilometre stretching from the King Alfred to Hove Lagoon. The project is called Kingsway-to-the-sea, and Peter Kyle MP for Hove and Portslade who submitted the bid, said he was ‘totally thrilled’. Apparently, obtaining the funding for such a project had become something of an obsession for Mr Kyle.

Tribute must also be paid to ward councillors Robert Nemeth and Garry Peltzer Dunn who first came up with the idea, and they were supported by local community groups such as Hove Beach Hut Association, Friends of Hove Lagoon, West Hove Forum, and West Hove Seafront Action Group. All sorts of exciting things are planned, and of particular interest are more facilities for families and young people involving sports and other leisure activities. (Argus 28/10/21 / 30/10/21)

Storm-Water Tunnel

In July 1992 Southern Water submitted a planning application for a £30 million civil engineering project. Its aim was to prevent storm overflow discharges polluting the sea. At that time there were four storm overflow outlets in the area – Hove Street, Medina Terrace, Norfolk Terrace and near the Palace Pier. The main entry for tunnelling was at Black Rock and the tunnel extended for three miles to Hove Street.

There were delays in the plan being accepted and it was not until July 1993 that work started. A party of dignitaries including Andrew Bowden, MP for Kemp Town, the Mayor of Brighton, and the Deputy Mayor of Hove, Arlene Rowe, gave the signal for work to commence.

In October 1993 it was reported that work was about to begin at Hove with two large shafts being sunk near Hove Street and Medina Terrace. In December 1993 news came that some 30 lorries were about to leave Glasgow bound for the south coast laden with sections of the £2 million burrowing machine. Originally this impressive machine, designed by Glasgow engineering firm James Howden, was constructed to dig service tunnels for the Channel Tunnel. But it was refurbished for action at Brighton and Hove. The machine weighed 500 tons and was 100-ft in length; it was re-named the Brighton Belle, re-assembled underground, and by May 1994 it was ready for action. Alexander Vernon, a nine-year old tunnel fanatic, gave the signal for boring to commence.

Tunnelling was not easy because the conditions encountered were worse than expected, and it was the first tunnel of that depth to be driven through flinty chalk beneath the foreshore. Problems were caused by the large amounts of water present, and the flints blunted the cutters of the machine. Indeed, in the same year of 1994 the Brighton Belle broke down, and there was a delay of several weeks while it was repaired.

The storm tunnel was supposed to have been finished by the close of 1994 but in the event by January 1996 it has just reached Adelaide Crescent, the project being seventeen months behind schedule. It was not until 3 July 1996 that the end of the tunnel finally made it to the Hove end. On the surface, the Mayor of Hove, Les Hamilton, gave the signal by mobile phone to the miners 100-ft below to break through into the shaft; a small crowd of interested spectators cheered the action.

The storm-water tunnel was sited some 40 metres below the beach, it was 6 metres in diameter, and had a storage capacity of 150,000 metres. During the excavation work, some 175,000 cubic metres of chalk were removed and used to landscape Sheepcote Valley. Taylor Woodrow were the contractors. The storm-water tunnel – Europe’s largest – cost £40 million in the end, but it was ready just in time.

In November 2000 there had been a period of continuous rain, and the Wellsbourne, Brighton’s ‘lost’ underground river, began to flow again at a rate of 25 million litres a day, which was the equivalent of half of Brighton’s daily water supply. The tunnel was designed to hold 155 million litres of water, and was already seven-eights full. It is interesting to note that the designers never envisaged the tunnel would be so full. However, the tunnel has saved the city from extensive flooding and reduced pollution in the sea. In July 1996 it was hoped that the £17 million Aldrington storm-water scheme and tunnelling would soon start from Hove Lagoon.

In May 1994 Hove Council were horrified when Souhern Water came up with plans for a large building at the foot of Hove Street some 60-ft in length and 30-ft in width, to provide a garage for a cleaning vehicle and a ventilation shaft. The council stated that a building that size was completely unacceptable. Eventually, the problem was solved by the construction of an acceptable new shelter in Victorian style near Medina groyne. The innocent-looking structure incorporates a ventilation shaft, and nobody would ever know. The building cost £100,000 and was a gift from Southern Water as compensation for the all the disruption caused.

Shaun the Sheep on Hove Esplanade

There are 40 individually designed sculptures of Shaun the Sheep displayed around Brighton & Hove’s streets, parks and other public areas from the 9 September until 5 November 2023, in connection to a fund raising event for the Martlets Hospice.

Sources

Argus – 2/8/05 / 18/12/11 /

Daily Mail (8/6/20)

Dermendzhiyska, E. editor What Doesn’t Kill You: Fifteen Stories of Survival (2020)

Hove Council Minute Books

Middleton J, Encyclopaedia of Hove and Portslade

Mitchell, E. From Headlines to Hard Times (2009)

Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove

02 June 2018

Hove Esplanade