Judy Middleton (2003 revised 2024)
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copyright ©
Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove Early 1900s view of Station Road with the Railway Inn on the right |
Early Days
Until the nineteenth century this road was no more than a
farm track known variously as Aldrington Drove, Aldrington Lane or Red House
Drove. The Aldrington no doubt referred to mediaeval times when West Aldrington
was located in what later became known as
Copperas Gap and then as
Portslade-by-Sea; Red House Farmhouse was located on the site now occupied by
the United Reformed Church.
The Railway Arrives
The railway arrived in 1840 and a
small station was erected at the north end of the road to serve Copperas Gap.
The census of 1861 simply referred to the few dwellings as being situated in
The Drove; there was a blacksmith and four brick-makers, including the
well-known James Clayton, living there.
Some Fine Villas
There were some substantial
villas at the south end, north of the junction with
North Street. In 1889 the
houses were called (from north to south) Hope Villa, Russell House and Havelock
House. These villas were built in the 1860s before there was such an amenity as
main drainage. In April 1995 Tony Fines, a 34-year old hospital worker, was
digging in the garden of the property formerly known as Havelock House when the
earth caved in revealing a brick-built cavern around 6 feet in diameter; this
may well have been the cess-pit.
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copyright © J.Middleton
Havelock House,
now 67 Station
Road, is the taller building with three upstairs windows. |
Between Havelock House and the
junction with North Street, there was a small terrace that was marked on the
1873 Ordnance Survey Map. It is interesting to note the 1878 Directory only
lists twelve private residents living in Portslade-by-Sea, including the vicar
of
St Andrew’s Church and the residents of Havelock House, Russell House and
Hope Villa.
Houses not Numbered
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copyright © J.Middleton
In this lovely old postcard
the Railway Inn can be glimpsed behind the tree but the west side was
still occupied by private houses while there were some shops on the east side. |
Although by 1889 the title
Station Road was in use the houses were not numbered but defined by group
names. Thus in the 1889 Directory were Courtney Terrace, Fuller’s Place, Garden
Cottages, Eastern Terrace plus Stanley House and Stanley Cottage. There were
only three indications of commercial activity; there was R. Goble, baker, somewhere
between
Halfway House and
Blue Anchor, further up the road was a
chicken dealer, and a market gardener and florist.
Stanley Cottage
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copyright © Royal Pavilion & Museums
A painting of Henry Hudson's daughter,
Sarah Ann, aged 6 years old in 1844 |
Joseph Philip Donne (1844-1919)
was born in London, but in around 1869 his father came to live in
this cottage in Portslade. His son used to visit and spend weekends
with him, and this proved to be an added bonus for him because one
Sunday at church he met the young lady who would be his future wife.
She was Sarah Ann Hudson, known as Annie, and the couple married on
23 April 1870 – they lived in London. J. P. Donne earned his living
as an engraver, and it is interesting to note that he engraved many
of the stall plates for the Knights of the Garter in St George’s
Chapel, Windsor. Hove Museum holds some of his drawings, paintings
and engravings. Donne also had a passionate interest in Elizabethan
and post-Elizabethan literature, and in particular, the works of John
Donne (1573-1631) poet and Divine, although it is not known whether
or not he was a descendant of the great writer. His daughter Miss
Marian Donne lived at 28 Denmark Villas, Hove, and in the same year
that he died, she began to donate much of his collection to Hove Library. It started in 1919 with 290 volumes, followed in 1920 by by
223 volumes, and finally in 1927 she presented the Donne Collection
of 41 volumes consisting chiefly of rare and valuable editions
relating to John Donne.
Providence Place
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copyright © J.Middleton
These four houses were once known as Providence Place
and were built on Brick Kiln Field.
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This was a group of four houses situated between
Wellington Road and North Street and they were built on what was formerly known
as Brick Kiln Field or Drove Field containing 6 acres, 1 rood and 38 perches
and marked 114 on the 1840 Tithe Map. When Station Road was re-numbered in 1901
numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 Providence Place became 75,76,77 and 78 Station Road. It
is interesting to note that in 1911 William Samuel Parnacott, auctioneer,
valued number 76 at £260.
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copyright © J.Middleton
This postcard dates back to 1906 and shows a wonderful old bus with
open top and open staircase trundling up Station Road
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Some Residents
In the 1890s Grune & Duncker,
surgeons, occupied Havelock House but by 1904 Dr Duncker lived in a newly-built
house called St Neotts on the corner of
St Andrew’s Road. It is interesting to
note how long this house was the preserve of the medical profession; for
instance in 1974 Wilfrid Williams, physician and surgeon was the occupant.
Next door to his residence on the
south side were two more white-brick villas called Maycroft and Casa Roja.
These houses boasted beautiful plasterwork and St Neotts featured a figure
playing a harp. There is a pathway of fine tiles leading up to the front door,
just like the many Victorian houses built in Hove with a similar pattern of
tiles.
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copyright © J.Middleton
These fine houses are near St
Andrew’s Road. The one on the corner with the dome was once called St Neotts
and
for over 70 years was occupied by members of the medical profession. |
In 1861 43-year old builder James
Bayley lived in Hope Villa while in 1891 55-year old Robert Powell lived there
with his two daughters, Amelia aged 28, and Augusta aged 23. Mr Powell did not
follow a profession because he was able to live on his own means.
In 1891 John Blaker lived in
Stanley House with his 40-year old wife Ann and 13-year old servant girl Lily.
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copyright © J.Middleton
Photo left:- This imposing doorway with its
fine plasterwork is the entrance to St Neotts, now 59 Station Road and no
longer a single residence. Photo right:- Next door to St Neotts was a
house of similar style called Maycroft. |
At the south end, south of the Blue
Anchor there is a terrace with the word ‘The Market’ at either end and an
ornamentation of plaster drapes in the middle plus the date 1898.
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copyright © J.Middleton
Photo left:- Next door to where Halfway
House once stood is St George’s Laundry Services. There is no doubt about
when these houses were built because the date ‘1898’ is proudly displayed
above the plasterwork.
Photo right:- This close-up shows the lovely plasterwork, which looks
in remarkably good condition after 116 years.
The photograph was taken in 2003.
Unfortunately in recent times half of the elegant plasterwork has been painted
grey. |
Courtney Terrace and Revd R.W. Enraght (1837-1898)
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copyright © D.Sharp
Fr Enraght's former home photographed in
2006 when it was Sussex Lighting Outlet Centre |
The most notable resident of Courtney Terrace (now 5
Station Road) was Revd Richard William Enraght. He became famous
internationally for the courageous stand he made on behalf of his religious beliefs,
which ultimately led to him becoming a prisoner of conscience. Father Enraght
arrived in Portslade in 1871 with his wife Dorothea and their children. In
total the Enraghts had seven children and their fifth child, a daughter called
Grace, was born while they lived at Portslade.
Father Enraght was appointed curate-in-charge of the newly
created parish of St Andrews Portslade-by-Sea and St Helen's Hangleton. Although
the Hangleton church was a venerable structure, the Portslade church was brand
new, having been built in 1864. The latter was also unusual in never charging
pew-rents. Pew-rents had been a standard practice in the Church of England for
many years but Father Enraght was greatly opposed to it because he thought it
was unfair to poorer folk.
Father Enraght had been greatly inspired by the Oxford
Movement. It is difficult for us to understand the passions aroused by attempts
to introduce some Catholic practices. The Protestant wing was very powerful and
some newspapers like the Brighton Gazette vilified the Anglo-Catholic
movement. This antipathy was not confined to letter-writing or pamphlets
either. At Brighton, both Father Wagner and Father Thomas Perry were beaten up
while Father John Purchas was prosecuted for using vestments. It is interesting
to note that Father Enraght served as a curate to Father Wagner at St Paul’s,
West Street, Brighton from 1867 to 1871.
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copyright © J.Middleton
St Andrew's Church, Portslade-by-Sea |
In 1870 Father Enraght published a powerful pamphlet
entitled Who are True Churchmen and Who are Conspirators? He argued that
the Anglo-Catholics were in fact true heirs of the universal Catholic Church as
it was laid down in the Church Settlement of 1662 and that it was the
Protestants who had strayed from the true path. However, this did not mean that
Anglo-Catholics embraced later Roman Catholic doctrines. In 1872 when he was
still living in Courtney Terrace Father Enraght produced another well-argued
piece entitled The Real Presence and Holy Scripture. It is a relief to
know that his writings were well regarded in some quarters.
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copyright © D.Sharp
The "Rev Richard Enraght bus"
in Station Road |
Father Enraght and his family
left Portslade in 1874 and moved to Birmingham where he became vicar of Holy
Trinity, Bordesley. While he was in charge, his church attracted large
congregation but his stance on Anglo-Catholic topics caused alarm to those in
positions of authority. The culmination was that Father Enraght was accused of
breaking the law. He refused to attend the court because his conscience would
not allow him to accept its authority and so it was in his absence that on 12
July 1879 he was convicted. It became a celebrated case and was known as the
Bordesley Wafer Case. Lord Penzance, the presiding judge at the court, sought
to have Father Enraght arrested but he did not succeed until November 1880.
Father Enraght served 49 days inside Warwick Prison where even the official in
charge stated he should never have been sent there. Father Enraght’s woes were
not over when he was released because he lost his position and he, his wife and
family were evicted from the vicarage. The Enraghts came to Brighton to recover
and lodged near the church of St Michael and All Angels.
In September 2006, Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company honoured Revd Richard Enraght’s memory by naming one of their new fleet buses after this former Priest of St. Andrew's Church Portslade. His name joins the extensive list of locally and nationally famous people who have contributed to the City's life in some way over the past few hundred years with a Brighton and Hove Bus named after them.
For more information on the life of Fr Enraght see the
Parish of Portslade & Mile Oak website
Re-numbering
It seems Station Road was
re-numbered in 1901 and in 1902 the houses were listed from north to south,
instead of south to north, and the numbering was reversed. This meant that
Havelock House, once number 8, became number 67; the Blue Anchor, once
number 4 became number 81; while A. Lewry, who ran a greengrocer’s shop at 1
Providence Place now found himself located at 75 Station Road.
Hove Chooses a New Name
Both sides of the street were
once called Station Road but in 1903 Hove Council decided to rename their
portion on the east side,
Boundary Road. This was to end the confusion of
people who expected Hove Station to be situated at the top of the road named
Station Road, Hove.
Portslade Council decided to stay with the name Station
Road.
The division between the two
authorities ran down the centre of the road. It is amusing to note that for
many years the lamp-posts were painted in Cambridge blue (Portslade, west side)
and leaf green (Hove, east side).
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copyright © G. Osborne Station Road from the centre facing north
With thanks to Mr G. Osborne for granting permission for the
reproduction of the above photograph from his private collection.
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Some Incidents
In August 1910 there was
considerable excitement when a runaway carthorse galloped down Station Road
while still attached to Mr J. Wrapson’s empty tip-cart. Alfred Grinyer was the
driver and Mr Wrapson was a contractor with premises in Richardson Road, Hove.
The horse took fright near
Portslade Railway Station and galloped southwards,
colliding with and demolishing a lamp-post on the corner of Franklin Road,
nearly running into the window of Mr T.W. Tubb, the well-known photographer, at
number 39, and knocking over greengrocery boxes outside Mr E.W. Kippen’s shop
at number 40. Police Sergeant Gilham and others eventually succeeded in pulling
up the horse. The lamp-post was replaced and the bill presented to Mr Wrapson.
On another occasion, a bull on
his way to the slaughterhouse in North Street broke away and charged into a
nearby estate agent’s office, bellowing at the staff cowering behind the
counter.
Digging for Bodies
There was a great deal of interest in Portslade when
police descended on the former Havelock House in July 2010 and began to dig up
the garden searching for bodies of young girls.
It transpired that a convicted serial killer had lived at
six different addresses in the Brighton and Hove area between 1969 and 1989.
They were Dyke Road, Regency Square, Chadborn Close, Eastern Street, Grand
Parade and Station Road. In 1994 Peter Tobin was convicted of drugging and
raping two 14-year old girls and later on he was convicted of murdering three
girls – Angelika Kluck aged 23, Vicky Hamilton aged 15 and Dinah McNicol aged
18. Sussex detectives believed he had killed more women and Professor David
Wilson quite expected there to be some clues at Portslade.
The police dug 14-inch deep test trenches in the garden,
searched the brick cavern, which they said was a well, drilled through a
breezeblock extension and drilled through a concrete floor in the basement but
nothing was found. The search at Portslade lasted for nine days and ended on 20
July 2010. It had covered both shops in Havelock House with Essential Hair and
Beauty being in the south shop. A tent screened the site in the garden from
curious viewers.
When Peter Tobin was at Portslade, he lived with 16-year
old Cathy whom he met at the Hungry Years at Brighton in 1986. The following
year they had a son and later married. Cathy ran a tea-shop but Tobin did not
like the enterprise because it made her too independent for his taste and the
venture only lasted nine months. Then the couple moved to a council house in
Brighton. In 2011 Cathy commented that she really did not know how she got out
of the relationship alive because he beat her, threw plates at her and at times
drugged her. A 17-year old girl who worked in the hairdresser’s shop below
Tobin’s flat said she always found him weird.
(Argus 4/12/08 - 15/7/10
- 17/7/10 - 19/7/10 - 21/7/10)
Twitten
In the 1936 and 1951 Directories the twitten running north
west from Station Road to Gordon Road was named as Station Road Pass. In 1936
there was a boot repairer there and you could reach the Quaker Hall from the
twitten. At one time it seems the twitten was called Dyer’s Drove.
The twitten is part of an ancient
footpath running through Portslade and up to the Downs and parts are still
extant. In recent times Tesco ran into difficulties when they wanted to build
their store and needed to deviate the footpath slightly on its way to Gordon
Road. It was because the twitten was a legal right-of-way and not to be
tampered with unless the correct legal procedures was followed.
Street Lighting
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copyright © G. Osborne Station Road looking north from the St Andrew's Road junction, It must be admitted that a present day person might have some difficulty
in recognising this image as Station Road in the past
With thanks to Mr G. Osborne for granting permission for the
reproduction of the above photograph from his private collection. |
Until the 1930s Station Road was lit by gaslight at night,
which meant the ministrations of a lamplighter were necessary. He turned the
gas on and off by means of a long pole with a tip at the end and he became very
skilled at performing the feat without having to dismount his bicycle. In 1911
lamplighter George Alfred Steele lived at 79 Station Road.
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copyright © J.Middleton
This old view was posted on 24 April 1905 and gives us a glimpse of
the old gas street lights
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On 30 July 1935
Portslade Council
took the decision to install electric lighting to replace the old gas lamps.
House, Pub and Shop Notes
Athena B Fish Bar
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copyright © J.Middleton
Athena B, Fish & Chips is located next to a
shop occupied by the British Heart Foundation charity shop. The latter is in an
extraordinary building and so out-of-scale. It was once home to Sainsbury’s in
the days when you had to form separate queues to buy butter, bacon and cheese. |
The
business was named after a famous cargo ship that ran aground on Brighton beach
on 20 January 1980 and became a major tourist attraction. The Greek-registered
ship was actually spelt
Athina B.
In February 1998 there was a fire
at the fish bar that started at 10.30 a.m. as Makram Galdas prepared to open.
Police were obliged to close the road and divert traffic while fire-fighters
tackled the blaze.
In September 2009 Oakley
Commercial were instructed to sell the
Athena B of 27 Station Road
because the owner was retiring; they sought offers in the region of £385,000.
The fish bar has been trading for 20 years and there was a self-contained flat
above the shop.
In 2021 it was stated that a mother-and-son team were running the restaurant. They are Mary Goznan and Matthew Konen. Matthew grew up on the premises and says that he has been peeling potatoes since he was eight years old. Trading has been difficult during the pandemic, but they hope that with the recent refurbishment better times lie ahead. They are also in the running for the Best Fish and Chip Award. (Argus 24/9/21)
By
January 2022 there was a large notice in the window announcing that
the cafe was the winner in a competition organised by the Argus,
and
thus had been voted the best fish and chip shop in Brighton and Hove,
and Portslade of course. The following month a smart, outside eating
area was created.
However,
in January 2023 prospects were looking anything but rosy. This was
because of rising costs, and people having to tighten their belts
while facing the escalating cost of living. Indeed, Matthew Coren and
his mother Mary, who have been running the establishment since 1996,
have had to reduce opening hours from seven days a week to five. They
have also stopped opening at lunch time because of many people still
working from home. Mr Coren said that the price of fish had doubled,
potatoes were more expensive while oil costs had tripled. Whereas a
standard piece of cod used to be sold for £4-80, it now costs £6.80.
Some of the time they have to live off their savings just to keep
going. Mr Coren has a neat phrase for the situation ‘It’s the
most imperfect perfect storm.’ Their experience is not unique, and
it is feared that many traditional ‘chippies’, mostly small
family businesses, will be forced to close down, and with them the
end of a long tradition of the nation’s favourite dish. (Argus
16/1/23)
Gateway
Women’s Centre
– This new venture is situated at number 52 and opened on 1
December 2022. People might be familiar with the name because there
is another Off the Fence / Gateway at 37 Portland Road, Hove. The
Portslade Gateway can be seen as a beacon of hope because funds for
the project were raised in under two years from a multitude of
sources when times have been very difficult to say the least. The
building in Station Road was purchased and re-designed and the amount
of money expended was an incredible £540,000. The centre is intended
for women who might be going through a difficult time or in need of
friendship or help of some kind, and it is promoted as a welcoming
safe space run by women.
Blue Anchor – There are
some interesting theories regarding the name. The spare anchor carried aboard a
ship was called the hope anchor while blue was the colour of hope. An anchor
was also a Christian symbol as St Paul in Hebrews wrote ‘which hope we
have as an anchor of the soul’. Some pubs have been given the name Hope and
Anchor while there is a Hope Anchor in Rye and an Anchor Bleu at
Bosham.
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copyright © G. Osborne The Blue Anchor in the 1960s
With thanks to Mr G. Osborne for granting permission for the
reproduction of the above photograph from his private collection.
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According to Dick
Williams, landlord of Blue Anchor Inn on the north west Somerset coast,
fishermen riding out a storm in Blue Anchor Bay would find afterwards that
their anchor flukes were covered with the local blue clay. (Daily Mail 5/10/1988).
In Islington, London
there was a Blue Anchor Alley dating from 1761 where foundries were situated
that made anchors and ‘blued’ them for long life and strength.
In the 1890s the
Portslade pub was known as Blue Anchor Inn. In 1891 there was a youthful
landlord in charge. He was Richard Goble, aged 27 who was born at Hove. He
lived with his wife Kate of the same age, their two-year old daughter Edith and
young Frederick who was only one month old when the census was taken. There was
also a resident servant called Rose. It is interesting to note that a Gilbert
E. Goble was in charge of nearby Blue Anchor from the 1930s to the 1950s
and that Goble’s ran a greengrocery shop in North Street for many years.
By 1899 R. Wood ran
the pub and in 1902 the owners, Rock Brewery, made some alterations and
additions.
By 1905 Albert
Barnett was landlord and he stayed until the outbreak of the Great War. By 1915
Sidney Kemley was mine host.
The next landlord
was Albert Marshall who arrived around 1930 but he did not stop long because by
1935 Reginald Power was in charge.
Edward Monnery kept
things running through the years of the Second World War and afterwards. By
1951 Mrs A.A. Noble ran the pub.
In 1960 George and
Pat Dennis took over and they must be the longest serving landlords. Although
Dennis died in the late 1970s, Pat continued to run the pub with the assistance
of her daughter Leila until 1983. In 1980 it was stated that there was a
stunning display in the lounge of around 100 foreign dolls, most of them
wearing national costume, built up by Pat and regulars from their travels
abroad.
Also in 1980 the Brighton
& Hove Gazette stated the pub regulars played a game called Morelles,
most commonly known as Nine Men’s Morris, an obscure board game dating back to
the Middle Ages, and the only pub in Sussex where this game was played. But
apparently this was not so. One of the regulars brought in the board game for a
laugh and maybe to add a touch of class. But nobody could fathom out the rules
of the game. Pat Dennis retired in February 1983 and the regulars presented her
with a colour television as a leaving present.
In 1996 C.A. and
J.M. Burtenshaw were the proprietors.
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copyright © J.Middleton
The recently painted premises of the Blue Anchor photographed
in December 2014. |
In 1998 Des Childs was owner of
Blue Anchor and he
had been running it for almost four years. There was a special occasion in June
1998 when people crowded in to view the England/Denmark football match that
ended in a 1-1 draw. There was a party atmosphere and everyone had a good time.
The next day Mr Childs was furious to find someone had torn down his strings of
St George flags outside the pub and the lights surrounding the pub sign were
damaged.
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copyright © J.Middleton
The interior of the Blue Anchor still has this
marvellous panorama of Brighton sea-front. Note the West Pier in all its glory
on the left. |
In 2014
Blue Anchor had a makeover. Not only was
the outside painted, but also the saloon bar was refurbished: Thai food was
served there from Monday to Saturday at lunchtime and in the evening at
reasonable prices. The resident chef is Supaporn ‘Apple’ Manchit who has lived
in the Brighton area for ten years although she came from Bangkok originally.
It is pleasant to see that one cherished part of the interior remains and that
is the giant panoramic black and white aerial view of Brighton sea-front in the
days when the West Pier was still flourishing.
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copyright © J.Middleton
In 2023 the pub received another makeover with a giant anchor painted
on the exterior. The red bricks have been submerged in blue
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Broadley’s
For many
years a gentleman’s outfitters occupied number 39. In 1938 James Edwards ran
the business and because it was a familiar name in the neighbourhood, it
continued to be used after G.H. Broadley purchased the business. The firm run
by the Broadley brothers was established in 1875 at East Grinstead; during the
1920s. G.H. Broadley purchased the business of James Edwards who ran an
outfitters and tailor’s at 157 Church Road, Hove, on the western corner of
George Street. This Hove shop lasted longer than the Portslade shop, which was
sold off in the late 1980s. During the 1940s the Portslade shop shared premises
with photographer Stacey Ward. Previously, H.W. Tubb, a well-known Portslade
photographer had run his trade from this address.
Carla Lane’s Charity Shop
– It opened at number 2 in 1997 and it was her first shop. It was still there
in 2003. Carla’s second shop was in St James’s Street, Brighton and opened on
13 September 1999.
Later on the shop was occupied by
animal charity Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy Land. Lucy Fensom, a former
air-hostess from Hove, founded the charity in around 2000 and by 2014 was
caring for some 200 donkeys in her West Bank Sanctuary. By 2014 the Portslade
shop was empty.
Floral Hall – This was a
glass structure located on a large piece of ground next to number 17.
Portslade Council used to hold their meetings in this hall before they moved to
Ronuk Hall, later re-named Portslade Town Hall. The Floral Hall once belonged to the
Smith family (see under Merlin Lodge) and was previously a granary and potato
store while underneath there was a mushroom cellar.
George the Chemist – A
substantial property called Merlin Lodge was demolished in 1936 and in its
place a new parade of shops was built. George the Chemist occupied number 21 of
this parade.
George’s employed a character
called Bill Mower as an errand boy to deliver medicines on his bicycle. It was
claimed he was the oldest errand boy in the land because he did not retire
until 1951 when he was aged 82. Mower had served an apprenticeship as a
wheelwright and he worked for 20 years with Baker & Son, undertakers and
coach-builders. He spent another 20 years working for John Broomfield, market
gardener at
Mile Oak.
In 1992 George’s moved across the
road to more spacious premises in Boundary Road and at that date Mike and
Gwynedd Jones ran the business.
Halfway House – The pub
was supposedly named after the fact that it was halfway between Brighton and
Shoreham. Old time stevedores working at the harbour used to stage races
carrying a 12-foot length of 3-inch x 9-inch timber on their shoulders from the
Halfway House to Shoreham. The prize was a pint or two of free beer.
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copyright © G. Osborne The Half Way House in the 1930s
With thanks to Mr G. Osborne for granting permission for the
reproduction of the above photograph from his private collection.
|
When the pub was built, the
occupants did not think of themselves as living in Portslade but in Copperas
Gap. Likewise, there has been some confusion over its address. In 1891 the pub
was stated to be at 1 Station Road but in 1901 the road was re-numbered and
then the pub’s location was 88 Station Road. Later on it was numbered at 1
Wellington Road.
Benjamin Orchard was the landlord
of
Halfway House in 1858 and he was also a wine and spirit merchant. By
the time of the 1861 census he had died and his widow, 39-year old Mary Ann,
ran the business with the assistance of her son 20-year old Frederick Orchard.
A nephew and a lodger completed the household.
One
can only feel sympathy for the Orchard family, and especially if Mary
Ann was already a widow, when a major fracas occurred at the pub in
December 1860. It seems some of the local talent took against two men
who had recently come into Shoreham Harbour after a spell of oyster
dredging aboard the Colchester-registered fishing smacks Sir
Robert Peel and
the Caspian. No
less than eleven men set about the two fishermen, which was hardly an
equal contest. The police attended the scene, and the result was that
local men Samuel Mott and Charles Virgo found themselves serving one
month in prison for violent assault. (Matthews, K. Down
Channel: The Smacks and Mariners of the Shoreham Oyster Fishery 2021)
By 1862 the Orchard
family had gone and Robert Barge was the landlord. He did not linger long
either and in 1867 James Lightfoot was the publican. The 1871 census records
him as being aged 47 and living in Halfway House with his wife Ann, his
sister and two nieces. Ten years later, the household was the same, except for
the sister.
Lightfoot had gone by 1887 and in
1891 Manchester-born George Styan aged 32 was the landlord. His wife Jane was
31 years old and there were two children, 10-year old George and Edith aged
one. But Styan did not stay long and some rapid changes ensued with Edward
Walls in 1895, W.G. Pendleton in 1896, Henry Ambrose Bellringer in 1899 and
Jack Tullet in 1902. At least Tullet stuck to his post for eight years before
the next landlord W.N. Walker arrived in 1910. J.H. Hill took over in around
1920.
At last in the 1930s a publican
arrived who was determined to keep his feet under the table for longer than his
predecessors. His name was Gilbert E. Goble and he was still behind the bar in
the 1950s. It is interesting to note that Bert Goble and his sons ran a
greengrocer’s not far away in North Street. Then there was a Richard Goble who
was running Halfway House in 1891, and an M. Goble was killed in the
Great War.
Brighton Brewery owned Halfway
House until 1900. Despite its name their brewery was in fact located at the
top of Osborne Villas, Hove. Tamplin’s took over Brighton Brewery in 1900 and
continued to own Halfway House until the 1960s.
In 1935 it seems part of the pub
was converted into a shop.
In 1979 Ray Smith became
landlord. He found an old yard full of derelict sheds and rubbish. He started
to clear it out in his own time and eventually he was able to create a
Spanish-style garden including a pond with a central statue, hanging baskets
and tubs of colourful flowers. The result was so good that in 1981 he won a
Watney’s Southern competition for best beer garden. The prize was an all
expenses-paid holiday for himself, his wife and two children at Fort
Lauderdale, Florida.
In 1985 the licensee was Dee
Truman.
|
copyright © J.Middleton
A few days after this photograph was taken on 6
December 2014 work started on the demolition of the old Halfway House pub |
In December 1994 TV star Chris
Ellison hammered open half a dozen bottles full of coins donated by regulars.
The result was £720 for Kids Appeal. Ellison was pictured with licensee Paul Gasson.
People interested in local
history were fascinated by the sudden appearance of a large hole outside Halfway
House in August 1998. The utility companies stated that the cavity was
nothing to do with them. Old folk remembered the stories of secret underground
passages in the area and the landlord went outside to peer down the cavity. He
said he saw what looked like passages leading off. Perhaps they should have
alerted archaeologists. There was always rumoured to be a secret passage near
the old Crown Pub situated not far away south of the coast road with the
entrance being in the bank of the canal. Confirmation of this story occurred in
1940 when Mr Edwards, road sweeper, was going about his work in Wellington Road
when there was a rumble and he fell through into an underground passage.
Unfortunately, as there was a war on and dangerous pockets of gas in the hole,
it was never explored properly and was quickly filled in.
Halfway House closed in
September 2009 and eventually a business called Waggie Tails, a dog grooming
enterprise, took over the premises. But they did not stay long because they
found a smaller base in Boundary Road. By 2011 Phase Photography run by Faye
and Claire was established in the former pub. Enchanting billboards promoting
their special offers to photograph small children as fairies or elves appeared
on the pavement. But Phase Photography also moved northwards higher up Station
Road. To deter squatters, somebody came to live there although no business was
being run. A large notice advertised the building for sale with planning
permission to convert/build around 14 self-contained flats and was in place for
many months. On 9
th December 2014 demolition work began. It was sad
to think of lovely little details such as the small coloured glass windows
being lost.
|
copyright © J.Middleton
This photograph was taken on 15 August 2023 and shows the white,
curved building that replaced the pub
|
Help the Aged – In
December 2002 this charity shop located at 21C celebrated fifteen years of
service by giving customers a slice of birthday cake and a balloon.
Hill’s Radio
|
copyright © J.Middleton
Hill’s Sound and Vision is one of the oldest
established businesses in the Station Road/Boundary Road area. |
Frederick
Charles Hill founded the business in around 1928 with his brother Arthur at 42
Boundary Road, Hove, next door to the
Co-op. There they remained until 1939
when they were called up into the armed forces. After the war was over, Arthur
decided he liked the military life and he stayed on in the Army while Fred came
home to pick up the reins of business life again. He could not return to the
old premises because the lease had been given to someone else; he was obliged
to open his business at 25 Boundary Road. But Fred Hill always considered there
was more trade to be had further north up the road and by the 1950s he was to
be found at 35
Boundary Road and by 1956 he was installed at 36 Boundary Road.
In around 1963 the business moved
across the road and occupied number 41 Station Road. Today the greatly expanded
business is still flourishing under the name of Hill’s Sound and Vision and
Fred’s son Andrew Hill manages the enterprise.
Long gone are the days when a
black and white 9-inch television was thought to be the height of
sophistication and a radiogram in a polished wood case was the preserve of the
wealthy.
In 1997 Hill’s took over the next property to the south,
formerly occupied by Spectrum Furnishers, to expand the shop area.
There was some excitement in
November 1999 when a man tried to steal a £1,400 digital camera from a window
display. Alert assistant Sally Gunn noticed his action and demanded he gave it
back. He did so but tried to bundle her aside but she locked the shop door. The
man then ran to the back of the shop and up the stairs for two floors but
everything was locked and he was held until police arrived at the scene. Owner
Andrew Hill praised his staff and thanked the ten customers who were also
locked in for their patience.
In April 2000 it was stated that
the Catalogue Shop and Hill’s Sound and Vision had decided to share a full-time
security guard to foil shoplifters because Hill’s had lost £5,000 worth of
goods within three weeks. Initially, the scheme ran for an experimental six
weeks but it proved to be such a success that it became a permanent fixture and
operated for six days a week. Soon other traders joined in and the guard was
able to reach any of the shops involved within minutes.
Huckle’s
|
copyright © G. Osborne Huckle's entrance is on the left, photograph of a procession down Station Road to mark the coronation of 1911
With thanks to Mr G. Osborne for granting permission for the
reproduction of the above photograph from his private collection.
|
|
copyright © J.Middleton
The former Huckle's building on the corner of Franklin Road in 2014. |
It was a
well-known furniture store occupying the entire building on the north corner of
Franklin Road and Station Road. It traded for some 70 years before closing down
in December 1984. The premises were sold at auction on 22 October 1986 at
Hove Town Hall.
Lloyd’s Bank
– It has stood on the corner of St Andrew’s Road at 57/58 Station
Road for many years. It was the very last bank in the Boundary Road /
Station Road area, and now will close for good on 9 November 2023.
Soon the well-known sign featuring the prancing black horse will no
longer be seen in St Andrew’s Road and Station Road.The usual excuse has been wheeled out that digital banking is becoming the norm etc. The bank even had the nerve to state that there was another branch ‘nearby’ when that branch is situated in Church Road, Hove – hardly ‘nearby’ for old folk who catch a bus to shop in Station Road. No doubt the nearby Post Office will have more custom. (
Hovarian September 2023)
The
Madeira Cafe, also known as Bites and Slices, has been a fixture at
28 Station Road for some years. In November 2021 there was a lovely
piece of news when it was announced that the cafe had received a
grade 5 rating for hygiene, which is the highest mark. (Argus
1/12/21)
Merlin Lodge – It was a
large house numbered at 21 that was once named Zion Lodge. Douglas Sundius
Smith of the
Britannia Flour Mills lived there with his family. Douglas was the
son of Richard Smith (1843-1912) and he was baptised at
St Andrew’s Church,
Portslade on 3
rd December 1882. His father was so keen that his son
should learn the milling business from the bottom upwards that he was
apprenticed to a northern milling firm. The experience gave him an appreciation
of the lives of working people.
|
copyright ©
Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove
Brighton Herald 15 February 1913, a notice for the sale of
Zion Lodge from the estate of the late Richard Smith |
When Richard died in 1912 Douglas took over the
family firm.
Britannia Flour Mills was only the second mill in England to be
electrically driven. At one time the Smith family owned most of the land
between
Church Road and Station Road. Douglas also found time to be Chairman of
Portslade Council from 1922 to 1930. In around 1930 Britannia Flour Mills were
sold to Messrs Mark Mayhew Ltd and demolished in 1936.
|
copyright © J.Middleton
This postcard is not included by mistake – for Portslade people the
interest lies in the person and address –
Miss C. Smith, Zion
Lodge. The lady in question was Miss Christabel Margaret Crommond
Smith, who was baptised at St Andrew’s Church, Portslade, on 7 March
1880, one of the five children born to Richard and Mary Ann Smith.
The message reads ‘Will you come to lunch with us at 12.00 tomorrow
– Madge is having a fit of hysterics after bathing!!
I must rush
and put something cool on her head – went today simply delicious,
Sybil.’
|
On either side of Merlin Lodge
there were large greenhouses and in 1926 additions were made to the house.
Plans for a sun-room were approved by Portslade Council in October 1931. The architect
of the sun-room was F.W. Avert and it covered an area of 69 feet; A. Pierce
& Son built the structure.
A fire broke out in the nursery
wing in May 1933, which proved difficult to fight because it was in the space
between the ceiling and the roof. It took fire-fighters one and a half hours to
subdue the outbreak.
Merlin Lodge was demolished in
1936 and a new parade of shops was built together with premises for Vine &
Lee.
PDSA – In 1952 Captain
Bately opened a new clinic of the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals at
number 54. People used to take their pets there without an appointment and wait
their turn in the waiting room. On warm summer days the room became somewhat
pungent because there was a large basket for collecting tin foil to be sold to
raise funds. Unfortunately, most of the tin foil consisted of milk bottle tops
and people would neglect to wash them first.
The place was one of the oldest
PDSA clinics in Sussex. But the PDSA said that because the building was old, it
was not capable of being upgraded although the annual caseload numbered 12,000.
The clinic shut its doors on 1st July 1993.
It is interesting to note that
when the premises were being upgraded in 2014, the old name-board came to
light; it carried the information that Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent was
patron. The café Time2Taste now occupies the site.
Pierce & Son
|
copyright © A.Pierce |
In
around 1909 the Pierce family moved to number 24 and Albert Pierce established
his ironmongery business next door at number 25 in 1916; they could also undertake
building work. In those days Station Road was more of a residential road with
Portslade’s main shopping area being in
North Street. But business must have been
good for Albert because in around 1927 he decided on expansion by knocking out
the front room of the family home and creating double-fronted premises.
Thirteen-year old Bert assisted his father; by rights he should have still have
been at school but he much preferred to help in the shop.
|
copyright © A.Pierce |
The shop sold all manner of
ironmongery from metal dustbins at 7/6d to tin baths and there were all sizes
of nails, screws, bolts and hooks. They sold Vesta paint that came ready-mixed
in tins, or they could make up paint for a customer using materials such as
white lead, linseed oil and terebene plus a small pot of colour. Upstairs there
was a carpenter’s shop. A branch of Sussex Stationers later covered the site of
the shop.
Portslade Hall – It stood
back from Station Road and was reached by a side road that still runs beside
Tesco’s on the north side. The building was a three-storey structure and there
were rooms on the two top floors that could be hired. Portslade Social Club met
on the ground floor.
|
copyright © D. Sharp The former Portslade Hall (now a single storey building) Portslade Hall was used for Portslade Urban District Council meetings in the 1920s-1930s |
Legend has it that Portslade Hall
started out as a farm building with the ground floor divided into cow stalls;
there was access from
Vale Road and the old
cattle arch.
In 1985 it was stated that the
buildings at the back of 18, 18A, 18B and 18C were formerly occupied by
Southern Rentals Service Department and Rediffusion Sound. A new addition was
planned, which would be numbered 18D.The building is now the premises of Specialist Herbal Supplies.
Post Office
|
copyright © J.Middleton
In 2014 this large shop was converted into Papa
John’s. The building was once home to Portslade Post Office while older people
will no doubt remember it when it was a showroom for South Eastern Electricity
Board. |
In the 1930s
the Post Office was situated on the corner of St Aubyns. But it moved to new
premises in Boundary Road when the old
Co-op building was demolished. It
remains in use to this day but as a delivery depot rather than a Post Office.
The Post Office proper moved across the road again to occupy 37/38 Station Road
and opened in March 1996. It had extended opening hours and one of the first
customers was local M.P. Tim Sainsbury. Later on the business was given a
makeover and there were a variety of stationery goods on sale with just a small
exterior sign to indicate it was a post office too.
|
copyright © D. Sharp Portslade Post Office moved to this new location at 8 Station Road in 2024 close to the Vale Road junction. |
|
copyright © G. Osborne
History
has turned almost full circle, the ‘new’ 2024 location for the
Portslade Post Office is only a few doors away from its Edwardian
location, by the Vale Road junction.
|
C.M. Print at 61 Station Road has a small garden at the back of their premises. In 2003 printer Andy Jarred embarked on a tidying up session and all was going well until he started to dig. He came across a relic probably from the Second World War; it was an 8-inch rusty-looking shell. The police were taking no chances and the southern part of Station Road was cordoned off until specialists could confirm there was no risk to the public. (Argus 11 April 2003)
Railway Inn |
copyright © G. Osborne Early 1900s view of Station Road with the Railway Inn on the right
With thanks to Mr G. Osborne for granting permission for the
reproduction of the above photograph from his private collection. |
See the
Railway Inn page.
Red House Farm – The farmhouse
was situated in what later became Station Road, occupying the site now covered
by the United Reformed Church and part of
St Aubyn’s Road.
It is interesting to note that
one of the owners of Red House Farm was Edward Austen Knight. You
might not have heard of this gentleman but it is likely you have
heard of his famous sister Jane Austen. The reason he has a different
surname is somewhat unusual.
Edward
was known in the family by the nickname Neddy. He was a lively soul,
and good looking as well. In fact he made a great impression on one
of his father’s cousins – Thomas Knight and his wife Catherine
who first set eyes on Neddy when he was aged twelve.
The
Knights were landed gentry, owning an estate in Kent called
Godmersham Park, besides another estate in Wiltshire and a mansion at
Chawton. Neddy went to stay with them now and again as he grew up and
the relationship strengthened, especially since the Knights were not
blessed with children of their own and there was no heir.
By
contrast, the Austens were a large family and money was fairly tight.
The Knights wanted to adopt the young man as their heir. Although his
parents were reluctant to let him go, Mrs Austen in particular, could
see the great advantages Edward would enjoy. Edward was officially
adopted in 1783 at the age of sixteen, and thus never joined his
brothers James and Henry at Oxford University.
In the Sussex Room,
which formerly existed in
Hove Museum, there was an old kitchen dresser from
the farmhouse made in 1817 by a Portslade carpenter for farmer Henry Hudson.
Nearby was an old watercolour sketch showing the original position of the
dresser in the kitchen of the farmhouse. Henry Hudson’s grand-daughter, Miss
Marian Donne, presented the dresser to Hove Museum in 1927. She also donated
six drawings of the farmhouse, goffering irons used in Portslade, a Sussex
stoneware pitcher (12 inches in height) and a Sussex stoneware pickle jar (10 ½
inches in height).
The farmland covered 75 acres, 3
rods and 39 perches in Portslade plus 383 acres, 3 rods and 25 perches in
Aldrington. The Portslade property also contained six cottages and there were
nine separate holdings, one of them being
Cow Hayes of just over 6 acres while
a 3-acre holding in Aldrington was called Ram Croft.
Ownership of the farm also
carried the right of pasturing 200 sheep and four bullocks on Tenantry, part of
the common lands of Portslade.
Hugh Fuller was the tenant and
farmer of Red House Farm from 1816 and in 1833 he purchased the property from
Edward Knight for £15,000. Hugh Fuller employed Henry Hudson from 1816 and in
Fuller’s will dated 1st March 1851 he left his ‘chief and good
servant Henry Hudson’ the freehold messauge of Red House Farm, together with
growing crops and a piece of Cow Hayes. Fuller also bequeathed £100 to Nicholas
Strudwick. The rest of Fuller’s land, including Aldrington Farm, was bequeathed
to his cousin Hugh Ingram of Steyning.
The 1841 census records 45-year
old Nicholas Strudwick living at Red House Farm with his wife Frances, 35 and
their children Richard 10, Nicholas 7, Henry 5, James 3, and four-month old
Caroline. In 1851 39-year old agricultural labourer Henry Gillam lived in the
farmhouse with his wife, five sons, one daughter and four lodgers.
In 1861 Henry Hudson still
occupied the farmhouse. He was described as a 63-year old widower, a farmer of
60 acres, employing six men and one boy. His son, another Henry Hudson, also
lived in the farmhouse, as well as his daughter Sarah aged 23; there was one
servant. Henry Hudson, junior, was there a decade later and although he only
employed five men and a boy, he now farmed 70 acres. His sister acted as
housekeeper and there was one servant. Several family members of Henry Hudson,
senior lie buried in
St Nicolas churchyard, Portslade, including the
following: Two-month old daughter Ann (died 11 February 1831)
Two-day old son William (died 4
March 1836)
One-year old daughter Ellen (died
28 September 1841)
Wife Mary Maria aged 50 (died 23
March 1850)
Daughter Elizabeth aged 26 (died
5 April 1854)
Son John aged 35 (died 15 October
1860)
Son Henry aged 38 (died 11 June
1871)
When Henry Hudson died on 29
December 1879 he was unable to join the rest of his family at St Nicolas
because it had been closed for further burials and so he lies in
Portslade Cemetery.
It seems that after the Hudsons,
Red House had become disassociated with its agricultural past because in 1881 a
33-year old commercial traveller was in residence. His name was George Phillips
and he lived with his wife Charlotte aged 30, and their children George Harry
aged 8, Charlotte aged 7, Lydia aged 3 and six-month old Alice.
In 1891 Red House was numbered at
13 Station Road and Revd Patrick Duffy aged 49 lived there with his daughter
Edith aged 21, and his sons Charles aged 19 and Philip aged 18.
Four years later Joseph Tomlinson
lived in the house but in 1899 the building became a private school run by
Tomlinson’s three daughters, the Misses Annie, Monty and Nellie Tomlinson. This
business venture could not have been a success because it only lasted until
1903.
Mrs Lilian Bately, wife of
Captain Bately, was of the opinion that some land once belonging to Red House
Farm survived until 1960. This was a beautiful garden stretching from Station
Road to Gordon Road, which was full of trees such as apple, pear, chestnut, may
and laburnum. The garden was so secluded and peaceful that even a tame cuckoo
lived there. The garden was attached to a building used as offices by Portslade
Council. The Batleys rented it from 1934 to 1960 but unfortunately they were
not allowed to purchase it.
Seeboard Shop
It was on
the corner of
St Aubyn’s Road and stood on a site formerly occupied by a farm
building belonging to Red House Farm. The old Post Office was once here too.
The Seeboard shop had a range of electric cookers and fridges on display and
many Portslade customers would choose what they needed here.
Tesco’s – Jacob ‘Jack’
Cohen (1898-1979) founded the firm. In 1926 he teamed up with T.E. Stockwell
and the name Tesco was formed from a combination of their surnames. At first
they ran market stalls; their first lock-up shop opened in 1929 at Edgware and
their first self-service store opened in 1948 at St Albans.
|
copyright © J.Middleton
Tesco Metro, Station Road |
By 1951 Tesco had
35 self-service stores and its first supermarket opened in 1956 at Malden. In
1961 there were 185 stores and Green Shield stamps were introduced. By 1966
Tesco’s turnover reached £88 million and there were 834 stores. Its first
superstore opened in 1969 in Crawley and its first hypermarket opened in 1976
in Manchester. But no business is invincible and the recession led to 200
stores being sold off while the Green Shield stamp scheme was dumped. In 2014
the news from the Tesco front line was not good. Its ventures abroad had not
been a success while at home discount stores and German-owned businesses such
as Aldi and Lidl were racing ahead as cash-strapped customers sought the most
competitive prices. There was also the little matter of ‘creative accounting’
and Tesco’s published profit figures were not what they seemed.
In January 1975 planning
permission was granted for a new retail store at Station Road, Portslade,
despite strong objections from 123 residents. By December 1976 plans for a
Waitrose store had been submitted and 200 residents were consulted about the
scheme but there were still 40 objections. In the event nothing came of it and
Tesco stepped into the breach. Before building could even start, action had to
be taken about the old twitten leading from Station Road to Gordon Road. Legal
sanction had to be obtained for it to be diverted.
|
copyright © J.Middleton
The 6th December 2014 was
exceptionally sunny when the Salvation Army was pictured playing carols outside
Tesco’s. |
Tesco’s opened in Station Road on
17 February 1981 and at 9 a.m. there were at least 40 shoppers waiting outside
plus 20 more waiting at the car park entrance. The store had 21,600 square feet
of shopping space, there were 20 checkout points and 150 car spaces. Fergus
Daly was the manager. In January 1990 high winds whipped off part of the roof,
sending debris crashing down. The damaged roof was directly above the staff
canteen and workers having lunch received quite a shock when part of it blew
off and the floor shook. The store was evacuated. Strangely enough the roof had
been strengthened after the Great Gale of 1987.
In October 1993 it was announced
that Tesco would be introducing charges for trolley hire. By 2002 the upgraded
store was known as Tesco Metro.
T.W. Tubb
|
copyright © E.Masters
Marie Mitchell smiles proudly wearing her uniform as
a
Southdown bus conductor in this portrait by T.W. Tubb. |
Many of the
photographs of Portslade events and people have his signature at the bottom
right-hand corner. He ran his business at number 39 from at least 1910 and he
was still there in 1924.
United Reformed Church
|
copyright © J.Middleton
The banner and cross shows where the old entrance was
to the United Reformed Church. |
The history of this church goes back to 1884 when Joseph and Philip Hannington
(brothers of the famous Bishop Hannington) used to conduct services aboard a
whaling ship in Aldrington Basin. In those days it was known as the Fishersgate
Mission. The Mission was affiliated to Sussex Congregational Union with
outstations at North Street, Portslade and in a large house near St Nicolas’s
Church, Portslade. Before the church was built, the Mission erected a lecture
hall and school in 1903 in St Aubyn’s Road. There was a note in Portslade
Council Minutes to the effect that the porch was to be permitted to extend
beyond the main wall of the building.
Mr Pierce had an allotment next
door to the hall during the Great War and because he had to remove two
cartloads of flints before gardening could start, he concluded the site must
have been part of the old track to Red House Farm.
In March 1927 a Band of Hope was
formed at the church. This was a popular temperance movement for young people,
which provided activities and an annual treat besides promoting the avoidance
of alcohol at all costs.
W.A. Hounsom and William Stevens
were trustees for many years and they both gave generously towards the building
of the church in Station Road in the 1930s. Mr Hounsom also donated money to
build Rutland Hall, Hove and when that building was sold for £2,000, the money
went towards the building of
Hounsom Memorial Church in Nevill Avenue.
There are two foundation stones
at the Portslade church on either side of what used to be the entrance. William
Stevens JP laid the stone on the north side on behalf of Sussex Congregational
Union and Andrew Harmes laid the south stone on behalf of church members.
On 5th October 1972
the Congregational Church and the Presbyterian Church merged to become the
United Reformed Church.
Church member Edward Miles of
Southwick died aged 78 in June 1994 and left the Portslade church £20,000 in
his will. The minister Revd Tom Dyer said the legacy would be spent on
extensive repairs, modernisation and re-decorating. The church also purchased
the next-door property at number 52 and in June 1994 sought planning permission
to build a new entrance foyer, to remove the existing entrance doors and to
replace them with a stained glass window above a brick panel. The window
depicted a blue cross with a stylised fish in ochre, the fish being an early
Christian symbol. In April 1995 the Mayor of Hove, Councillor Leslie Hamilton,
cut a ribbon to mark the end of the expansion work.
In July 1995 it was stated that
with the help of church leader Easton Wells, the church had set up the 52
Project, which aimed to develop outreach work pioneered by Mr Wells. Joy
Dillon, an East Sussex community health worker, would lend assistance. As well
as being used for youth work, the premises would provide a meeting place for
older people and particularly carers.
On 9th April 2000 the
2nd Portslade Girls’ Brigade held a 65th anniversary
service.
Varney’s
|
copyright © J.Middleton
Frank Ernest Varney opened this shop in 1941 and it is
still going strong. |
Frank Ernest
Varney was born in Jersey, Channel Islands. By the 1930s, he was based at
Singer’s Sewing Machine Shop on the seafront at Hastings. Then the shop closed
down because of the war and Varney decided to move to Portslade because his
parents lived at Brighton. In 1941 he opened his shop at number 56 Station Road
and it has been there ever since, making it the longest established business at
the same address in Station Road although Hill’s has been in the area for a
longer time but has moved about. Varney’s son Laurence later ran the business
specialising in sewing machines and knitting machines and it also sold baby
equipment. In around 1986 the upstairs part was converted into two maisonettes
numbered 56A and 56B.
|
copyright © G. Osborne
With thanks to Mr G. Osborne for granting permission for the
reproduction of the above photograph from his private collection. |
They were
a firm of motor and cycle engineers. The firm was established in 1907 at 28A
Station Road but by the 1930s they were numbered at 19, 20 and 21; by the 1950s
it was 19 and 20. At the height of their business success, there was enough
space in their garage for 300 cars and they were agents for Morris, Austin,
Standard, Lanchester, Daimler and Humber.
In 1910 Mr Vine requested
planning permission to store petrol on the site. In 1925 plans were passed for
twelve lock-up garages, a motor showroom, a flat plus a workshop at the rear.
In 1927 permission was granted for a temporary building; in 1930 there was a
new workshop while in 1937 alterations were made to the showroom. The layout of
Vine & Lee consisted of a large showroom at the front and behind the
showroom there was a square, surrounded by twelve lock-up garages that were
rented out, plus the workshops.
|
A 1915 advert placed in the Brighton Graphic |
During the 1930s it was stated
that all repairs were carried out on the premises under the personal
supervision of Arthur Lee. Arthur Lee’s son Kenneth Arthur Gordon Lee lived at
19 Station Road and worked for his father in the 1930s. Kenneth was educated at
Brighton, Hove & Sussex Grammar School. On 10 September 1938 Kenneth
married Pamela Mary Reilly of Hove Park Road at the church of the Sacred Heart,
Norton Road, Hove. Both bride and groom were members of the Pavilion Lawn
Tennis Club and the Avondale Badminton Club and she had played tennis for the
Sussex team. He was a popular member of Haywards Heath Rugby Club while she
taught ballroom dancing. In 1945 it was reported that Lieutenant Colonel K.A.G.
Lee, not yet 30 years old, was commandant of the Middle East Mechanical School
in Palestine.
|
copyright © G. Osborne
With thanks to Mr G. Osborne for granting permission for the
reproduction of the above photograph from his private collection.
1930s view of Vine & Lee's petrol pumps on the left, the Railway Inn can be seen in the distance |
From the Great War it is
interesting to note the names T. Lee and R.H. Vine on
Portslade’s War Memorial
and Robert H. Vine is also listed on the memorial in St Andrew’s Church,
Portslade. Corporal Arthur Cyril Lee and Sergeant Thomas Lee, of the Rifle
Brigade, were killed and their names were recorded in the brass panels in the
vestibule of
Hove Library
Vine & Lee remained in
business until 1974. After demolition, Tesco was built on the site.
Willett, Berry
His real
name was Beresford Willett but Berry Willett was the name shown above his
shop-front at number 30. In 1994 it was stated he had run the family jewellery
business for 30 years and he had his own workshop on the premises. He started
out in a small shop in the adjacent twitten but when number 30 became
available, he moved there. Berry was a large man with a genial personality and
he was fond of chatting with his customers. He retired in the 1990s and sold
the business. He died on 3
rd October 2002 at Worthing Hospital after
ten days in the coronary care ward.
|
copyright © J.Middleton
Berry Willett’s jewellery shop was here, right by the
twitten. It is still a jeweller’s now run by James Ross. |
Directory 1936 (commercial
premises only)
3. Howard Brothers, furniture
removals
4. Model Hat Shop / Clark’s
Domestic Agency
5. Morris & Sons, radio
dealers
8. John S. Horsley, furniture
dealer
9. Grant’s, drapers
10b. Sussex Printing &
Publicity Service
10a. ND Libraries
10. G.S. Butt & Co, estate
agents
11. Cooper Bell Engineering
Company
11. Deacon & Co, auctioneers
12. William Montague, Aldrich
& Andrewes, solicitors and commissioner for oaths
13. West Hove & District
Permanent Building Society (Harry Oliver secretary)
13. Harry Oliver, estate agent
14. Harry Retallick, ironmonger
15. Stanley Harold Chalcraft,
furniture dealer
16/17. Portslade Urban District
Council offices; Ernest Harper Kempe, solicitor and clerk to the council;
Frederick William Parnacott, rating officer; D.V. Howard, surveyor and sanitary
inspector; W.E. Rudgley, assistant surveyor; Edward Brassington, registrar.
17. Boxall & Kempe,
solicitors
18. William Goff, second-hand
books
18a. Reginald Jackson, electrical
engineer
18b. Sidney Gilbert Orme,
provisions
18c. Portslade Hall; Portslade
& West Hove Rifle Club
19/20/21. Vine & Lee, motor
engineers
22a. Verrall & Redfearn,
drapers
23.Young, Henderson & Sadler,
auctioneers
24/25. Lawlor & Hooper,
confectioners
27. John Ford, fried fish shop
28. Percy Hardwick, dairy
29. Walter Frank Winchester,
music stores
(Twitten to Gordon Road)
30. George Cotsworth,
confectioner
31. William Moore, printer
32. Coe Brothers, fishmongers
33. Archer Edward Plumb,
confectioner
34. Gigins, bakers
35. Huckle’s, house furnishers
36. Lloyds Bank, A.D.S.
Robertson, manager
37. Walter Massett, chemist
38. C. Elliott, boot maker
39. George Broadley, gent’s
outfitters
40. Pearce & White, drapers
41. Charles William Trevitt,
tobacconist
43. Band & Co, newsagent
44. Rex H.B. Camps, music dealers
44. Post Office, Charles T.
Smith, postmaster
Congregational Church
59. Charles Graham Meade,
physician & surgeon
62. Mrs Caroline Wilson,
furniture dealer
64. Guest & Son, drapers
64b. Miss Maud Fyle, general stores
65. Reginald Jackson, electrical
engineer
69. Milward & Sons,
boot-makers
79. Mrs C.A. Pearson,
confectioner
80. Thomas Cecil Holmes, fried
fish shop
81/82. Blue Anchor
83. Arthur William Drew, coal
merchant
84/85. C.W. Hinson, gents’
outfitters
86. L.W.G. Ransom, draper
Halfway House
Directory 1954 (commercial premises only)
3. World’s Stores
4. Brighton Co-op hardware store
5. Hills, Oliver & Co, builder’s merchants
6. Channel Laundry Services
7. Leslie Ritchie, gent’s tailor
7a. Freeman, Hardy & Willis, boots and shoes
8. Portslade Ice Cream and Milk Bar
9. Ivor Stacey, showroom
10. G.S. Butt, estate agents
10a. ND Libraries
11. Deacon & Co, auctioneers and estate agents
(Portslade Social Club upstairs)
12. Aldrich, Andrewes & Myers, solicitors
13. Harry Oliver, auctioneer and estate agent
14. Retallick, ironmongers
15. Milward & Sons, boots and shoes
16/17. Portslade Urban District Council offices; W.
Lonsdale, registrar; E.F. Allfrey, local fuel overseer; Civil Defence.
18. Flinn & Son, dry cleaners
18a. Reginald Jackson, electrical engineer.
18b. Sidney Gilliat Orme, provisions
18c. Albert Hill, florist
19/20. Vine & Lee, motor engineers and dealers
21. Bellmans
21c. Frank Perry, decorator’s merchant
21d. Maypole Dairy
21e. Harrington & Son, baker
21f. S.F. George. Chemist
22. Awlcar Accessories
22a. Verall & Redfearn, drapers
23. Young, Henderson & Sadler, estate agents
24/25. Bellmans Food Market
26. J. Sainsbury, provisions
27. F.D. Ford, fruiterer
28. Belgravia Dairies
28a. Frank Hamlin, butcher
29. County Cleaners
30. Fred Mussell, jeweller
(Twitten to Gordon Road)
31. Hove Printing Co.
32. I.M. Gibson, fishmonger
33. Plumbs, confectioner
34. Gigins, baker
35. Huckle’s, furniture store
(Franklin Road)
36. Lloyd’s Bank
37. Brighton Co-op Chemist
38. Noel Courtney Elliott, boot-maker
39. T. Edwards (G.H. Broadley)
40. Joyce (Parkin & Lawrence) drapes
41. Hart, Son & Ashton, funeral directors
42. Brighton Co-op butcher
43. Band & Co. (John Edward Heath, proprietor)
44. Post Office (Charles T. Smith sub-postmaster)
Congregational Church
52. Baker & Son, funeral directors
53. T. & A. Boden, furniture dealers
54. PDSA clinic
55. Miss Dorothy Watson, milliner
56. Varney’s Sewing Machines
(St Andrew’s Road)
59. Wilfrid Williams, surgeon & physician
60. Ministry of Food (H.W. Lake, officer in charge) /
Customs & Excise (Samuel MacLintock, officer)
61a. Mee’s Wholesale stationers
61.Parrott’s (Mrs R.E. Moncrieff) grocers
62. Handy Stores (A.T. Spurgeon)
64. Grosvenor House Restaurant (H.A. Pedrick,
proprietor)
64. H.J. Smythson, antique and furniture dealer
69. Low’s (Portslade) Ltd, chemist
(North Street)
79. J. Blower & Son, café
80. Charles Vince, toy shop
81/82. Blue Anchor
83. Success Printing Co. (J.R. Hooker, proprietor)
84/85. Collingwood William Hinson, gent’s outfitters
87. Kenneth Funnell, hairdresser
87. Gilbert Goble, wine & spirit merchant
Directory 1974 (commercial premises only)
Railway Inn
3. Portslade Market Stores
4. Modique
5. Hills Oliver & Co, builder’s merchants
6. Rival Carpets
7. Leslie Ritchie, gent’s tailor and outfitters
7a. Freeman, Hardy & Willis, shoe shop
8. Laundrette
9. Smith & Brown, clothiers
9a. Edward Chapman, hairdresser
(Vale Road)
10. G.S. Butt, estate agents
10a. Portslade Card Centre
10b. Plumridge & Howell, solicitors
11. Deacon & Co, auctioneers and estate agents
12. Aldrich, Andrewes & Myers, solicitors
13. Lance Lister, estate agents
14. Wimpy, café
15. Milward & Sons, boots & shoes
16/17. Finefare, grocers
18. Kay’s Wools
18a. Reginald Jackson, electrical engineers
18b. Boundary Café
18c. Southern Rentals, stores and service
21. Bellmans Wool Shop
21d. Flinns. Dry cleaners
21e. Knowles & Sons, dry cleaners
21f. S.F. George, chemist
24/25. Key Markets, supermarket
27. F.D. Ford, fishmonger
28. Ernest Ward (Fruit) ltd
28a. Mrs E. Hamlin, butcher
29. C.T. Television
30. Berry Willett, jeweller
(Twitten to Gordon Road)
31. C. & B. Nameplate Co.
32. R. Yeates, Fruiterers
33. Plumbs, confectioners
34. Clark’s Bread Co
35. Huckle’s
(Franklin Road)
36. Hove Frobel Shop. DIY
37. Brighton Co-op Chemist
38. London Boot Stores
39. Broadley Brothers, gent’s outfitters
40. Metro Cleaners
41. Hill’s Radio (WRVS upstairs)
42. Beryl Ivory, florist
43. Band’s, confectionary
44. South Eastern Electricity Board showroom
(St Aubyn’s Road)
Congregational Church
52. Baker & Son, funeral directors
53. Young, Henderson & Sadler, auctioneer and estate
agents
54. PDSA clinic
55. George Anthony, ladies hairdresser
56. Varney’s Sewing Machines
57/58. Lloyd’s Bank
(St Andrew’s Road)
59. Wilfrid Williams, physician and surgeon
61/61a. M. Wilson & Son, furniture dealers
61/66. South Coast Motors
67. Studio 67, second-hand goods
67. Laurie’s, fruiterers
69. Boundary Supply Stores
73. White House, antique dealer
75. Haxted Motor Co
R. Trissiman, antique dealer
79. Maxine’s Café
81/82. Blue Anchor
84. Steve’s Wander-In
85. Mat’s Bargain Mart
86. Hove Surplus Stores
Henry B. Zucker, dentist
February 2003 (commercial premises only)
Whistlestop Inn
3. Carla Lane’s Animal Charity Shop
5. Bonners, music shop (formerly Brighton
Organ Studies)
6. Ladbroke’s
7. Golden Grill, café
8. Bairstow Eves, estate agents
9. Boundary Books (formerly Sports Corner)
(Vale Road)
10. Tingley’s, estate agents
11. GM2 Mortgage House
12. World Choice
13. Age Concern, charity shop
14. Wimpy, café
15. Lunn Poly, travel agents
16. Empty shop
17. Peacocks, clothes shop
18. Facets, jewellers
18a. Kismet, hairdressers
18b. Empty shop (formerly Squirrels)
18c. Southern Grill, café
19/20. Tesco Metro
21. SDS, bargain goods
21c. Help the Aged, charity shop
21d. Johnson, dry cleaners
21e. Best Wishes, card shop
21f. Health Link
22/23. Superdrug
24. Discount Express (everything £1)
25. Sussex Stationers
26. All in One (Everything £1)
27. Athena B, café
28. Bites & Slices, sandwich bar
29. Moran Brothers, butcher (formerly Hamlin)
30. James Ross, jeweller (formerly Berry Willett)
(Twitten to Gordon Road)
31. Sandwich Hut
32. R.A. Manchester, greengrocer
33. Paws & Claws, pet shop
34/35. Alliance & Leicester Building Society
(Franklin Road)
36. Mishon Mackay, estate agents
37/38. Post Office
39. Catalogue Clearance Shop
40/41. Hill’s Sound & Vision
42. Panorama, travel agent
43. Dillons, newsagent
44. South Coast Catering Equipment
(St Aubyn’s Road)
United Reformed Church
53. Porky’s, café
54. Quercus, plant shop
55. Sweeny Todd’s, hairdresser
56. Varney’s Sewing Machines
57/58. Lloyd’s Bank
(St Andrew’s Road)
61. CM Print
62. Kwik Fit
67. Charlie’s, barber
67a. Essential Hair & Beauty
Christies
(North Street)
PJ’s Café
81/82. Blue Anchor
83. St Luke’s Studio
84. St George’s Launderette
Halfway House (numbered in Wellington Road)
December 2014 (commercial premises only)
Whistlestop Inn soon to revert to original
name Railway Inn)
3. Empty shop (formerly Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy
Land, charity shop)
4. Station Road Bakers
5. Empty shop
6. Ladbroke’s
7. Golden Grill, café
8. Empty shop
9. Smart Shop Convenience Store
10. Sawyer & Co, sales & lettings
11. Zigzags (Image Fancy Dress)
12. Elegant Nails
13. Sparkles
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copyright © J.Middleton |
14. Chicken Cottage, café (formerly Wimpy’s)
15. Extra Time
16. Cash Converters
17. Peacocks, clothes shop
18. Threading Bar
18a. A Cut Above the Rest, hair specialist
18b. Empty shop (formerly Mish Mash)
18c. Boundi Café
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copyright © J.Middleton
Boundi Café |
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copyright © J.Middleton
Boundi Café and Tesco Metro in 2019 |
19/20. Tesco
21. SDS
21c. Age U.K. charity shop
21d. Station Launderette
21e. Best Wishes, card shop
21f. Health Link
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copyright © J.Middleton |
22/23. Superdrug
24. SuperMulti Stores
25. Cash Generators
26. British Heart Foundation charity shop
27. Athena B, café
28. Madeira Café
29. Fairydust Flowers
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copyright © J.Middleton |
30. James Ross, jewellers
(Twitten to Gordon Road)
31. Oliver’s Café
32. Green Station, greengrocer
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copyright © J.Middleton |
33. Paws and Claws, pet supplies
|
copyright © J.Middleton |
34/35. Santander, building society
(Franklin Road)
36. Mishon Mackay, estate agents
37/38. Portslade Cards & Gifts / Post Office
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copyright © J.Middleton |
39. Cartridge World
40-42. Hills Sound and Vision
43. Martin’s, newsagents
44. Papa John, pizzas
(St Aubyn’s Road)
United Reformed Church
53. Empty shop (was Porky’s)
54. Time 2 Taste, café
55. Sweeney Todd’s, hairdresser
56. Varney’s Sewing Machines
57/58. Lloyd’s Bank
(St Andrew’s Road)
61. CM Print
62. Kwick Fit, tyres
67. Scizzor Sisters, hairdresser
68. Empty shop (was retro female clothing)
69. Reeves flooring, carpets
(North Road)
Christies, electric cookers, freezers, fridges, spares
P.J.’s Café
81/82. Blue Anchor
83. St Luke’s Studio, art works
Entacom, electronic security sytems
84. St George’s Laundry Services
Demolition in progress (was Halfway House)Sources
Sources
Argus
Census Returns
Brewery Deeds
Council Minute Books
Directories
Encyclopaedia of Hove and Portslade
Mr G. Osborne
Worsley,
Lucy Jane Austen at Home
(2017)
See also
Boundary Road, Hove, the east side of Station Road, Portslade.
Copyright © J.Middleton 2015
page layout and additional research by D.Sharp