The Express Dining Rooms

Showing the 'high pavement' on Queens Road
©Tony Mould: all images copyrighted

My parent’s restaurant

I lived in Queens Road, at my parent’s restaurant – this was situated at number fifteen, and was called The Express Dining Rooms. We used to open at 5.30.am on Bank Holidays to serve the early arrivals on the excursion trains from the Midlands. Next door at the corner with Church Street was a shoe shop; Freeman Hardy and Willis.  Number 14 was Girling’s cycle shop where I bought my first bike for 2/6d per week (30p today).

Do you remember any of these? Share your memories by posting a comment below.

Watching the machines

Next to the pub was a bespoke tailor, then there was a pawnshop, and next to this the office of Durtnalls, removals and storage. On the high pavement was the doctor’s surgeries. There was Dr. Frazer whose practice was private, and Dr. Corr who looked after those who paid through a friendly society. Windstons’s the printers, was a couple of doors up in the semi-basement where I could see the machines through the window. I used to watch them for ages – it was fascinating.

Comments about this page

  • Having been born in 1939 and lived all of my young life at nearby Mount Zion Place, I thought I knew all about this area. My doctor was Dr.Frazer while my dad went to Dr Corr at his Seven Dials surgery.

    I definitely don’t remember Freeman Hardy & Willis at all in Queens Road. I lived there until 1964 and remember Tomlinsons toy shop on the Church St corner and the Milk Bar just up the road.

    By Peter Guy (23/07/2016)
  • I have looked at various Kelly’s street directories for the period either side of the business’s mentioned and can find no FHW in Queen’s Rd; however in 1949 at 51 there was ‘Rawlinson & Wehrli Ltd boot and shoe dealers’ this was on the west side north of North Rd. The 1964 edition has ‘JM Footwear Ltd’ at 36.

    By Geoffrey Mead (24/07/2016)
  • 2/6 in old money equates to twelve-and-a-half pence. Thirty pence equates to 6/-.

    By Jester the Clown (25/07/2016)
  • The 1938 Kelly’s lists a FH&W at 16 and 17, Queen’s Road. In fact, there were about a dozen branches of the shoe shop in Brighton and Hove at that time! 

    By Janet Beal (26/07/2016)
  • Hi Peter and Geoff. The writer of the article is quite correct; Freeman, Hardy and Willis were exactly where he stated, 16-17 Queens Road, throughout the 1920s and 1930s right up until 1939. Regards, Andy

    By Andy Grant (26/07/2016)
  • Thanks Andy, I did not go back far enough with the dates obviously!

    By Geoffrey Mead (27/07/2016)

Add a comment about this page

Your email address will not be published.