Photos and articles about Brighton and Hove in the time of coronavirus. See our collection and add your own!

Old Village and beyond

In about 1975 I was given permission to go up on the roof of Le Carbone the former Smithers’ brewery, and took these photographs of the Old Village in Portslade.

The first view is looking down into South Street and beyond, to the allotments in Camp Close. Marlen’s fruit and greengrocer shop is clearly visible, I do not remember the shop next door. The landmark chimneys of the laundry and Brighton ‘B’ power station on the seafront can be seen in the distance.

The second view is looking east and shows St Nicolas Church and the St Marys Convent building to the left, now the home of Emmaus, a charity providing shelter and employment for the homeless.

Portslade Old Village
From the private collection of Ray Hamblett
St Nicolas Church Portslade
From the private collection of Ray Hamblett

Comments about this page

  • I think the power station is Brighton A power station with the smaller Flynn’s dye works and dry cleaners’ chimney to the left.

    By Michael Brittain (26/02/2015)
  • I was a child in the Old Village and lived at No 36 High Street which was opposite the George public house. I went to St Nicholas school at Locks Hill. I grew up there and eventually, after other jobs, worked in Le Carbone in the reception office and met the man I married in 1959 and we were together till he passed away in January 2018. I am now 84 myself but so many memories of Brighton and the village. I now live in Somerset. I could go on for hours I think, but I am going to leave it at that.

    Hello Pat – I would love to hear about your memories. If you care to share them, email me and we can get organised.
    Thanks – Jennifer jennifer@mybrightonandhove.org.uk

    By Mrs P M Burnham nee Bentley (25/03/2019)
  • The grocers, Marlens, went out of business a few years later when the first Tesco’s appeared in Boundary Road. He used to deliver groceries all around the area. Next door was the post office, now a coffee bar. Out of frame is the bookies and the fish & chip shop, with only the fish & chip shop still being used in the same way.

    In the foreground the first building was Garrett’s newsagents & sweetshop, now just a convenience store that sells papers. The bus stop that used to be outside has moved around the corner to be outside the George pub.

    What’s remarkable is if you look towards the back of the picture, the Old Shoreham Road hadn’t been built yet, and Applesham Way (sp?) runs right up to the road. It was widened the next year, I remember as a child watching this ‘huge’ road get built, which has since been replaced again by the by-pass.

    The old Le Carbone building is currently being converted into flats. It’s looking a lot sharper with a clean up and some paint lately!

    Thanks for sharing, a great pic!

    By Mat (26/09/2022)
  • The Old Shoreham Road “hadn’t been built yet”? The OSR was there, long long before I attended Portslade County School for Boys from 1960 to 64. I take you meant it hadn’t been widened yet, Mat? Also, what you refer to as Applesham Way was actually an access road for the allotments, as shown in the photo. Applesham Way is out of picture.

    By Alan Phillips (26/09/2022)

Add a comment about this page

Your email address will not be published.