Another of my many jobs as a teenager was working at the Brighton, Hove and District bus garage in Conway Street. My job was not a very clean occupation, I was a chassis cleaner. When the buses came in for their five year overhaul they were stripped right down to the bones and refurbished. My job after the axles and all the other bits and pieces were taken off was to scrape the mud and all the detritis from underneath and clean it ready for painting. It never took me long to finish as I was a hard worker, even more so when I learn't that I could help the mechanics cleaning and stripping down axles, gearboxes and loads of other interesting bits of work. It stood me in good stead as I have been a mechanic all my life from then on, I have never had to take any of my long list of cars and lorries to a garage to get fixed. I also met a lad that I sat next to in school. He worked in the laundry in Conway Street, and we went to the same school in Woodingdean, St. John The Baptist, later Fitzeherbert. So Joe Downey if you are still out there somewhere, hallo.

Mick Peirson

I remember a strange incident in Rottingdean when a mobile crane ripped away large sections of a BH&D Lodekka. I've never understood how this happened - anyone know the circumstances and causes?

Yes, I recall the incident at Rottingdean. The victim was one of the cream Bristol Lodekkas (No 1, OPN 801), but with its roof on rather than off. The back offside was indeed ripped open by a crane which had run away. The bus was happily empty apart from the crew and no-one was injured (though shocked I daresay!). I have a photo of the bus from the "Brighton and Hove Herald"; the vehicle was later repaired and returned to service. I also saw something very similar happen at the Old Steine many years later, when a crane appeared to have jumped the lights northbound and went through an empty Bristol VR doubledecker outside Electricity House, No 619 I think. This was also repaired. Tough buses in those days!

Thanks for the update Martin. Re Rottingdean I'd remembered The Argus reporting that the crash could never happen again, so if the crane ran away that would explain it.Presumably it was involved in work on either the White Horse hotel or the clifftop area?

We seem to be getting rather off the subject of Conway Street. There is of course more even today to the street than a large bus garage, with a Salvation Army citadel at the west end and a flight of steps at the east end, which lead up to (near) Hove Station. The site was chosen for a bus garage, at least partly because the railway bridge over Sackville Road was originally low, unable even to let open-topped horse buses to pass. That was rectified in the immediate pre-War years, and services like the 5 could be extended to the growing areas of West Hove, such as Hangleton, as double-deckers.

Has anyone any photos of the row of houses in Conway Street that have since been torn down? My granny lived in No. 100 and my dad owned the butchers shop (I think a dry cleaning shop was nearby near the railway bridge in Sackville Road). We left UK in 65 so any photos would be fantasic. I spent many a Saturday afternoon watching the train shunting back and forth.

I lived at 6 Conway Place until October 1964. I think Conway Place was completely demolished a couple of years or so later. When we left, the demolition of some of the houses in Conway Street had already started and I remember cars being parked on the remains of these houses when BHA were playing at home. Conway Place was a close with one end backing on to the playground of Goldstone School. I can remember my grandad picking me up as a young child to look over the wall and watch the children playing. I remember a small parade of shops just around the corner from where we lived - there was Bullens the sweet shop and also a bakers further down on the corner. Happy days!

As a child in the 60s, i lived in Ellen Place which ran north south between Conway Street and Ellen Street. We got moved out of there as the demolition work crept ever closer, I recall the empty space between our road and the school, just an expanse of rubble. At the rear of our house was a courtyard used by a builder, in between the houses was a small car body repair shop, at the northern end was a cafe and at the southern end was a disused shop. I also recall the popular laundry at the western end of Conway Street, Bullens on the eastern corner, the concertina doors of the bus depot, which incidently is where I now work. I attended Goldstone Junior School, now a car park. The only reminder there was ever a school on that site is the safety railings at the playground entrance at the western end of Ellen Street. If anyone has any photos of Ellen Place I would love to see them.

I remember you Martine - the clever 3 year old that could translale English into Italian for her granny. The lady who lived there before you was a Miss Burns. I lived in No. 5 from 1944 untill 1961 when everybody in the street had to move because the houses were due for demolition. If I remember correctly your family moved to Hangleton, I moved to Stapley Road. The name of the bakers was Holders, the parade of shops was in Sackville Road. Like you I have great memories of the area.

Hello Dennis Brand, I used to live at 109 Conway Street and used to play with Harrold and Tony Brand. If I remember they had brothers called Johnie and Peter and also an older sister. Are these your brothers and sisters? If I remember Harold married Sylvia Canning who also lived in Conway Street. Definitely the slums of Hove but I loved living there and have very happy memories.

Derek Tanner, I used to go out with Sylvia Canning in the late 40s/early 50s. I also remember well Harold Brown who I believe lived in Sackville Road at the time. I also attended Ellen Street school in the late 40s, when we were living in Portland Road. John Do you remember the Bakery at the western edge of Conway Street?

Hi, I remember John Brand very well, lived next door to us in Ingram Crescent. Also lived in Ellen Street above the sweet shop that my Mum worked in. Also lived in Conway St, Clarendon Road (no 3), also went to Goldstone School in Ellen St. I have just had a letter from John Ford who lived at No 69 Ellen St, his Mum and Dad being Dick and Rose Ford. Anyone remember my family, Joe and Doreen Hatherillo?

When was the Conway Street bus garage built?

Hello Derek Tanner. Do you remember me, Allan Floyd? I lived at No. 8 Conway Place with my parents, sister and grandparents from 1939 to about 1949 or 50 when we moved to Hangleton. I have lived in Brisbane since 1973. What state and suburb are you in? I also have fond memories of my childhood during that time.

Hello Allan Floyd. Yes I do believe I remember you. If my memory is correct you had a sister named Pat and you lived next door to Peter and Brian? Costick. If I am right I had a crash on your bike riding through Hove Park. After the crash we took it to Jack Denny's bike shop. He could not fix it. Also at your end of Conway Place lived the Martins and the Howicks? and the other end the Brands. I have lived here in South Australia since 1964 and before that at Poynings Drive, Hangleton.

I remember Conway Street and Elleen Street. My nan and uncle and auntie lived in Conway Street opposite the bus garage at number 32. We used to go there on a Sunday on the number 3 bus. My dad would put my younger sister and brother on in St James Street and we'd have to get off at Hove station and go down a flight of steps next to the pub where two of my aunties worked doing the cleaning. I believe the steps and pub are still there. My nan's surname was Hanny. When they were going to pull those houses down a lot of the people were moved to Crawley which is were my uncle and aunt moved to, then emigrated to Austraila. That was about 1961 I think. My other two aunties lived in Ellen Street, they were identical twins. Their family names were Patching and Stephenson. Does anyone remember these? kathleencatt@yahoo.co.uk

I have found out that my great-grandparents (Arthur and Charlotte Gibbs) lived at 102 Conway Street in 1881 (Census) and then they moved to 125 Conway Street in 1891 (Census). After my great-grandad died, my great-grandmother moved to 121 Conway Street where she was the housekeeper. They had 7 children. My grandfather, William married Fanny Breden in 1896 at St Barnabus Church and they went to live in Wordsworth Street, Hove and then in 1900, when my father Frederick was born they moved to Grange Road. My father was one of eight children. I know it was a long time ago but if anyone remembers that perhaps their nan and grandads lived nearby or has any information I would love to hear about it.

My grandfather and great grandfather used to live at no 26 in the 30s and 40s. Surname of Banks if anyone remembers them.

Hello Dennis Brand, would you happen to remember the Banks family who lived at no 26 - George and Daisey who had 4 sons most of them taxi drivers. Harold, Ron, William and Sydney who unfortunately died on the HMS hood in 41.

I was born and brought up at 64 Ellen Street when there were still houses there. My dad Oscar Wakefield worked in the bus garage at different jobs as driver, conductor and fitter, over the year. Does anyone remember him?

Did you, or someone in your family live in ELLEN PLACE, Hove, just after the war? I lived in Ellen Place from 1947 until 1951, at the northern end on the right hand side. My parents Bill and Audrey Wade had a flat above a wood cutter's yard, and I was told we shared our home with many other unwelcome creatures - rats and mice! My Dad told me they stored a lot of photos and personal documents in suitcases and trunks, as space was at a premium, but sadly, when they moved to Poynings Drive in 1951, they discovered the precious contents had been used by our little friends to nest in and on opening the cases they found that everything had been shredded, including many old photos and important documents. Whilst living at Ellen Place, we had a chimney fire and the ceiling in the one bedroom I shared with my parents, apparently collapsed onto my cot - thankfully I wasn't in it at the time! Goodness, those days must have been so hard for my Mum and Dad, though I suppose because it was just after the war, they were lucky to have a place to live. I am sure when they were eventually given a council house in Poynings Drive they must have been ecstatic. My father used to commute daily to London, via Hove Station and I have on occasions, climbed the much worn steps at the end of Conway Street, taking me up towards the station. Whenever I do this it always takes my back in time, wondering just how many other people over the years have climbed those steps, as they made their way to Hove station? I am trying to remember who lived opposite us in the terraced houses. Did you live there or know anyone who did, as the names escape me. On the southern, right hand corner, there was a bookmaker - Buddy Holland's, with steep steps upto the entrance - does anyone remember this? Lastly, if anyone has any old photos of Ellen Place it would be good to see the street again. Ann Gilmour (nee Wade).

The name of the bookmaker was in fact Bunny Holland, not Buddy - whoops!

Hi Liz. My grandad Brand lived at 84 Ellen street and workrd in the bus garage. He had a wooden leg and one day he slipped on oil and a bus reversed over his leg, lucky for him it was his wooden one. They may haved worked together. My cousins lived in the same house their names were John and Ann Richardson. Their house faced Albert Street. Dennis.

Hi Mary-Anne Paul (nee Hayler), I remember your family from the 50s and 60s. If I am right, Arther Hayler was a keen photographer and took photos at my grannies 84th birthday. You will get photos of Conway Street on the website, search for the James Grey Collection, Volume 14. Dennis.