The house with painted windows
This intrigues me, and intrigues visitors. It’s a house that is completely painted over – even the windows. I live nearby and my visitors are horrified: ‘How do they see!’. I think it was painted during a Brighton Festival in the early 90s, but I’m not sure. I never thought it would last so many years.
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According to my partner Zosia, who’s lived here longer than me, “It was done by an artist called Pierpaolo Inga known as Pop. He owned the house with his girlfriend Maryjane Stevens. In the summer of 1995, he was at the end of his first year at Brighton University/Art College studying sculpture. He and his fellow students searched in vain for a venue for their end of year show, then decided to use the house, 88 Hanover Terrace. It was emptied of nearly everything domestic, and the students installed their pieces of work. It was a fab exhibition – appropriately called Housey Housey – and of course the face (“Pretty Little Angel Eyes”) attracted a lot of local and tourist attention for years and most of his neightbours were amused or intrigued by it too. It’s gone now, painted over in 2006 by the new owners of the house.”
I lived at no 37 from 1956, opposite the alley in the middle. Can name many a neighbour if anyone is interested. I rememebr the Hanover School at the end of the road. There was a sweet shop in the middle and Ambrose general shop at the end. They had everything lined up in old jars. A shop around corner had open sacks of food. Oh those mice!
My father, Charles Bodle, lived at 58 Hanover Terrace from his birth in 1912. His parents were Charles and Emily. His father worked as a brewers’ cooper at Phoenix Brewery (later Tamplings) and they later moved to Newark Place.
Well, I have lived there all my life since 1990. I lived in London for four years prior to that but I don’t remember much! Hanover Terrace is arguably the hub of the artistic movement and always new students! I live at number 73.
Shame on the new owners – this is what makes Brighton a great place to live!
I lived at number 27 with my brother Kevin. I loved my days as a child there and remember Val at number 37 and loads of other friends too. The little shops and the school too.
If you would like to get in touch, Val and Jen would love to hear from you.
Val and Jen. I sure would. I’ve only just found your message. If you see this try in get in touch, are you on facebook ? I am, I will check each week from now on.
I lived at number 11 Hanover Terrace and on the corner of our house was the Simpsons who had a tv/radio shop. Across the road was Mr and Mrs Ambrose’s sweet shop and around the corner in Southover Street was the fruit and veg shop Gaypins. The Landlady of the pub on the corner of Newhaven St and Southover St was my sister’s Godmother. My mother used to get her hair done at Jean’s Hairdressers. I can remember some families’ names from those days: Marshall, Thorp, Mathews, Curry, Willie, Sebage, and one from Hanover St: Summerford. I wonder if any of the families still live in the Terrace. Our old house number 11 had a very big celler and used to have three bakers ovens in the wall, at some point before my family moved in, it used to be a bakers, and the coal was dropped through a coal hole in the pavement just left of the front door. Oh happy days.
I was looking on the Google street maps yesterday 28/06/11 and noticed that where I used to live is now number 11 Southover Street. I was wondering if anyone can tell me how this can be, because it used to be number 11 Hanover Terrace, the Simpson TV/radio shop attached to our house used to be 11 Southover Street.
Well I’m blowed, Donald Waller – you were my teenage crush. Didn’t you go off to be a sailor? I remember your cellar and Tony Sanders and being locked in there till we screamed the place down. Old Mr Ambrose. Wasn’t it dirty, but we loved it all the same. I remember when he was closing and dad sent me up there to buy all the erinmore tobacco which he promptly flogged at Allen West. It was definetely 11 Hanover Terrace but also 11 Southover Street – very confusing. Do you remember the Bradburys? I heard before xmas old Mrs Bradbury died recently, but Christine is still fine. My sister Jen has bumped into her in Brighton sometimes Val Harber (hall from no 37).
I grew up on Hanover Terrace from 1960-1978. I remember all the shops mentioned and the old school at the end of the road that one of my brothers went to. It was a brilliant road to grow up in. I also remember Val, Christine, and my family were great friends with the Jacobs at no 73. Great days in a great street….
I grew up there from 1962-1987. Hello Pat, Val and Christine, I’ve got to say that all your comments are touching. Andy No 73
Hi Valerie Harber. What a shot out of the dark you are, I can remember you and Tony screaming like mad in our cellar to be let out. To me it was great fun to lock people down there as we were told that the house was haunted by Mrs Gappings Dad who feel down the stairs and broke his neck and was supposed to walk all over the house and down in the cellar! If I had known I was your teenage crush I would not have locked you down there. I do remember the Bradbury’s and I am sorry to hear the old Mrs.Bradbury had passed away. It would be nice to meet up one day and chat about old times. Take care Val very kind regard’s Donald Waller. P.S. I will put a message for you on the message board.
A thought just came to mind, Can anyone who lived in Hanover Terrace remember the name of the very old lady who had a bright red brick wall around her front garden? As children a lot of us used to call her “the old witch” and would chase you away if you were playing outside her house in the street.
I think you mean Mrs Watts, she was next door to us at number 36, and her really old mum who was a sweetie lived with her. The old lady was late nineties when she died and Miss Watts used to foster owns syndrome boys, who would serenade my sister Jen when she came home from work. Miss Watts used to moan like mad when we sat on her wall, or the ball went over. Donald hows your sister? can’t think of her name, she was older than you and working? Ambrose sweetshop, opposite your house, all those filthy sweet jars, and I remember your sister teasing us about the ghost in your cellar.
Mrs Gapins had the shop around the corner and all the flour, salt, sugar, etc was in huge sacks on the floor, with mice turds abounding. Eggs sold by one not a box, and I had to carry it home – so precious I once went in the back room of the shop and, what a sight, Mrs Gapins’ old drawers hanging up by the fire amongst the stock. You couldn’t move in that shop, and you had to stamp on the floor boards loudly when you went in so that the mice would run away from the stock. There was a clangy old doorbell and a few cats.
Andy Jacobs – well I’m blowed! I remember the day your mum came home with baby Adelle, you were chuffed to bits but really wanted a new bike. Me and Carol would sing the songs from the Sound of Music, wheeling down the roads on our bikes. We would go to all the jumbles with Ron and Win Berry from No. 38 every Saturday at Adastra Hall in Hassocks to get dressing up clothes – what a sight we looked! Carol often came in to play. Ron drove a massive National Rambler, bright red, then a big Chevy. He was so kind, loved kids, never married, his sister Win kept him on a tight rein and was so mad when he made friends with your mum and dad, and would pop down the basement for a cuppa. Win made all his shirts cos he was a big bloke. He was a builder and had the yard next door to his house and we would often play in the yard and steal a pear off his tree. He had Judy his beloved dog, and he’d sit on the step in the evenings with Mario Lanza blaring on the gramophone and chat to us kids. I was at home when he had a heart attack at only 42 and Win raced into my dad to get help, sadly he died in the ambulance and I was at the bedroom window watching the paramedics trying to get him going cos our window overlooked the ambulance. It broke my heart, he was like surrogate uncle to me, he made me a Cindy wardrobe once – cool – and he took the stabilizers off my bike, I’d shout ‘Vatch me Von’, I was about 4! Funny how times change, in this world he’d sadly be called all sorts even though it was all so innocent then – a kind man. Afterwards Win was so alone and we got closer, she taught me how to knit and when I was 16, I met a soldier and I used to go in and use her phone every night to ring him in Northern Ireland – a young crush! Andy – I played footie with you on the level, and you said I was a pretty good goalie for a girl – I was 10, you made my day! Now I’d be lucky if I’d fit in the goal! I had a 10th birthday party and you and Chris Packham came, and a lad called Michael who I was in love with at 10, he stayed with Mrs Mac at No 34 next to Tucknotts. We had to put Mum’s dinner table back in the room, and you lot were having a struggle but old tom-boy here picked it up and took it back. You were all amazed and I became one of the gang then! How’s Derek, and Carol now? Would love to hear from any of you.
Hi Val, My sister’s name is Mary and our two older brother’s names are Richard (Dick) and David. Mary now lives down in Cornwall with her daughter, David now lives in Portugal and Dick sadly passed away in 2011 and his wife Eileen passed away a week later. I can also remember Mrs Gapins’ old drawers hanging in the back room. My mum and dad used to make me do odd jobs for her in the house, shop and in the back yard. As for the lady with the red wall, you’re right it was Mrs Watts, but I don’t remember her fostering. Kind regards
This house is fascinating. I am working on a documentary about colour, does anyone live near that house and really admire it? Or do any of you know the history of the house and the people that were involved in it? Thanks
Mrs Watts: not only did she look after Down’s syndrome boys but do you all remember the dogs she had and the way she pushed them around in a pram? Such a lovely lady, I thought (although she didn’t like it if you were near her house).
Hi, I live at 18 Hanover Terrace and have for twenty years. Does anybody have any memories/history about the house before I was here? It is the house right next to where the old school used to be. It sounds as though you all had great fun when you were here growing up. Sadly It has changed so much.
Hi Kerrie. If I remember correctly a family by the name of Thorpe lived in that house, but I may be wrong, I know it was either the one you are in or next door to the school. Hope this helps.
Stumbled on this page again. Thank you Don Waller for your reply & Sorry for my very slow one.
Reading your memories again that you all have so beautifully shared…Do any of you have photo’s of the Terrace from back in your time here? x
Such wonderful memories of childhood.
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