Just a few more shop names to conjure with: Ashplants (toys), Hare and Hounds Pub, Birds Nest, Uncle Sam's burgers, numerous shoe shops including Timpsons, Sainsbury's, Bellmans, Co Op, Maynards. When I visit Brighton from Devon I'm always shocked at the sad decline of what was one of Brighton's better shopping areas.

You're quite right Martin, there has been a steady decline but hopefully things will turn around very soon. My memories of London Road in the 60s are quite clear. When I was a small boy we used to get the 13 bus down to Elm Grove and walk through Union Road as no buses went direct to London Road from Moulsecoomb where we lived in those days. There were always two routes into London Road, if it was a 'haircut' Saturday then en-route to London Road we would go to 'Youngs' in Baker Street, my Dad used to go to 'Coopers' as he had had his haircut there since the 50s. If we needed fish or meat then we would go through the 'Open Market' and then into London Road. 'Bellmans' was where we would go to buy our records, 6s/8d for a single and usually 33s/11d for an LP. You could get everything you needed in London Road as there were plenty of shops. Does anyone rember 'Wicks' in Ditchling Road at the top of the Open Market? I think most Brightonians bought their first train set or Scalextric there. I remember buying Airfix kits and Meccano there as well.

My sister, Sylvia, worked on the tea bar for some years and I'd often pop in to be treated to a milkshake & doughnut.

I remember the tea bar well, it was very popular. Early each morning before the store opened, the Manager and Floor-walkers used to stand at the tea bar having a drink. The store used to open at 9pm and us stockroom boys used to start at 8.30pm. One morning I was late and actually came in the door at the front and got on my hands and knees to try and get to the door leading up the stairs and avoid being caught but it was no use as they had seen the front door open, I accepted my telling off and was never late again.

I bought my first bra from that Woolworths, I remember it well -rosebuds on it although I probably didn't need one really, that must have been in 1961. I was most embarrased one day as I took my dog in there a couple of years later and he did a poo all over the wooden floor! As for Bellmans, my dad bought me a lovely swimsuit from there as I passed my 10 yds, it was red with a little skirt attached. My mum worked in a jewellers almost next to Bellmans on the corner but, I can't remember what it was called. The manager or owner had a fantastic train set upstairs, it filled the room! When I left Margaret Hardy, I worked for 3 weeks in De Marco Brothers ice cream parlour almost next to my school. Wonderful ice cream and all different flavours. I went to train as a sewing machinest after that at Claytons in Hove.I t's not quite as nice now on London Rd, I was down about 18 months ago; shame.

I remember the name of the jewellers now it was called "Gibbs"

I remember Wicks on the corner by the Open Market, as a lad it was the first place I headed for after getting off the 44 bus with my parents. As we walked through North Laine to catch the 1a bus back home, we always stopped in De Marco Bros for a drink. When I was older I attended the Technical College on The Level, so my lunch time drink was in the Elephant and Castle pub on London Road by the Open Market. The pub was knocked down some years ago and a new parade of shops was built in it's place.

I started with Woolies in Lewes in 1973 before moving on to Western Road and Hove. My friend Terry Allen worked in London Road though I think it was after you as he was at Hove in 1975. I have pictures here: http://www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk/page_id__10002.aspx

I managed a shoe shop in London Rd called Easiphit before that worked at Sainsbury along the road. Dearest price of shoes was £4.19.11. Those were the days, they say good ole days.

I worked at 'wallstyles' [crown paints] late 60's near the Preston Circus end, my brother David was head/only projectionist at the Dukes and his best mate was a leading fireman, all in a square quarter of a mile.

Hi Alan your friend David you mentioned above who was at The fire at Preston Circus can you find out if he remembers Burt Carpenter my dad who was a Fireman at that station thats if you are still in touch thankyou Pam

I was a firewoman at Preston Circus in the early sixties, I was in the control room and I know there was a Fireman Scamell who worked alongside me,I can still recall the names of several firemen but I can't remember Burt Carpenter. Ann Allsop (nee Groves)

I was an Auxilary Fire (person) in 1957/58, Diana Bowyer then. I joined up with Pat Wright whose father was a fireman at The Circus Fire Station then. I went out on many calls with the crew but mostly my job was tea and comfort for the victims. My last call came on March 7th, 1958 at 11.50am. The telephone rang just as I was leaving in my wedding dress for the church. My father answered the phone and apologized saying that "I'm sorry but Diana cannot come as she is busy just now!!!" Pat and I worked at the telephone exchange then. greetings from Canada

In the late fifties I worked at 55 London Road - Sainsburys. We went for training in London for a week,it covered all aspects of counter service including learning to cut cheese with a cheese wire,using wooden butter paddles to weigh out the correct amount and wrapping it neatly into paper parcels for the customer. The deli counter was always the busiest and I think her name was Daphne Bish who was just brilliant,she was so quick and efficient. I worked on the cheese counter and loved it,we only had a small selection of cheese in those days,mainly cheddar. We had a clean uniform twice a week provided by the live in Housekeeper.We had our own tills which we were responsible for,the admin staff worked in a small section at the back facing the shop and customers.They were good days,long before self service supermarkets.

Anyone remember Barrie's ladies' hairdressers along near Rosehill Terrace? I used to work there in the sixties and early seventies. It was a no appointments system, just walk in and wait your turn. We did quite a few of the factory girls from Allen West etc. on Saturdays. Brilliant times and lots of laughs. They moved along the road to Preston Road in the early seventies and continued here till around the early eighties.