Since I moved to Westfield Crescent I've always been curious about its history. Our house is is one of the red-brick three-bedroom semis facing west.  I understand that the council had these built before the majority of the rest of the estate was built.  The houses are not of the usual council house appearance and I have heard they were built for the council's employees.  Ours is reported to have been sold to its tenant fireman. I'm interested to know the truth of this.

I used to do electrical maintanance in about fifteen houses in Westfield Crescent in about 1978 to 1982.  These were army houses (married quarters) and were different from the others. They were situated at the bottom end on the down side. The Ministry of Defence sold them off in the 1980s.

I lived at 96 Stanmer Park Road during the war. I had afriend Johnny Hinds, where is he now? I had an older brother David who went to the Intermediate. I think the corner shop was kept by Mr. Tuck.

Westfield crescent and Eastfield crescent were police houses and classed as married person's accommodation in the 1960s. I am also looking for information about Larkfield way

I too lived in one of the three bed semis (bay windows) facing west in Westfield Crescent. These were originally built as corporation houses and the vast majority were sold as and when they became unoccupied. My house was bought privately in the 70's. The houses at the end of the road towards Wilmington Way were the MOD houses and indeed, still are!

I currently live in Eastfield Crescent, my Mum has been living in the house since she was 6 (51 years!). I never knew that a lot of the area was once police houses. Two policemen and their families live in the road at present!

We moved out to 22 Petworth Road, Hollingbury, in the winter of 1947. The estate only consisted of Midhurst Rise and Petworth Road then, and even included a small pig farm. The bus service was by the Number 35 or by the 5 to Mackie Avenue and from there you had to hoof it up and over the hill. There was no Carden School or factories and many of the labourers building the roads at that time were fomerly Italian prisoners of war from Lewes Prison. With the war over some 18 months earlier, I could never understand why these men had not been returned home.

My family lived in Eastfield Crescent from 1965 ish until 1983. We rented at first from a trust, I thought from the builders Braybon who had built these houses and were held in trust for family members and /or employees. We eventually bought the house as it was released from the trust but can't recall many details. We had a very happy time and the many children in the Crescent had a wonderful time growing up here.

It was lovely to read the comment from Helena Wojtczak. I used to live next door at 58 Rotherfield Cresent.  I was born in the house and Helena and I went to Carden School together and were very best friends until 1965 when we moved up to Shropshire where i still live to this day. I did pass the house a few years ago and I would have liked to have had a look around the inside my old house too.  I lost contact with Helena 43 years ago and would love to get in touch with her so if anybody knows any information could you please pass it on to me.  I was told a few years ago that she was trying to get in touch with me but nothing happend.  It is both our 50th birthdays this year and it make our 50ths to remember.

Woo woo Denise! My sister Ros just this moment told me you'd posted here, so I came straight here! I have a photo of us together on this very computer I'm writing at! Your brother and I are liaising to organise a double-family reunion at Rotherfield Crescent in the near future, so we'll all be meeting up after 43 years. As the genie said "your wish is granted!" Exciting times, eh? Helena. If you'd Googled my name you'd have found my website, email and phone number.

I too lived in Rotherfield Crescent. I remember the long walk down Rotherfield to my home in ALL weathers. It wasn't till later they introduced a bus that went right along Rotherfied and past my door.
I remember the old trolley buses that frequently came off the rails at the top corner turn of Carden Hill. It was quite a sharp turn and at an angle so if the raod was slippery it didn't help. The conductor would have to nip outside with a very long pole and try to hook the trolly pole back on to it's wires. Good memories.

One trolley bus conductor, something of a wag used to say "Any More Lolly for the Trolley", instead of "Any More Fares Please". This was in the 50s. I would have been 9 or 10 at the time.

I have only just discovered this excellent site that has brought back many happy memories of my childhood and teenage years in the 50's and 60's in Hollingbury. We started off in Lyminster Avenue (No 63) and then moved up the hill to Hartfield Avenue. School at Carden then on to Varndean. It was great to see the pictures of trolley buses and to read the memories of Carden School.

I lived in  Hollingbury Park Avenue and I had Lots of pals in the Avenue (1939 onwards) Can any one remember me?

Lovely to read these comments. I moved into Chelwood flats in '56 from emergency accommodation in Eastern Road, Brighton. Best day of my life. I loved the flat, the area and Hollingbury complete. My brothers and I used to press our ears to the metal pole at the bottom of the hill because you could hear the trolley buses long before they came. We then moved to 79, Fernhurst Crescent, our first whole house! We three brothers all went to Varndean school in the days of the best headmaster ever, Mr Hutchings. I shall keep a look out on this page.

To Jonn Booker. I did not live in Hpa, but would like to find Beverley Simmons who lived about 6 houses down from the church.

Nostalgic trip to Hollingbury. Used to live in Crabtree Avenue from 1949 to about 1970. My Mum and Dad lived there until Dad died around 2001. Went to Carden and Dorothy Stringer. Last time I visited Crabtree Avenue I could not believe the cars parked up the road. We used to play kerb football in the road, no chance of that now. Very many happy memories of childhood and youth around Hollingbury. Be happy to swap memories with anyone.

I lived in County Oak Avenue until 1974 when we came to Australia. I went to Carden School and to this day love Brighton and have fond memories of growing up there. I am in contact with a few school friends. Think anything about Brighton is great.

What a joy to find a website devoted to Hollingbury, my birthplace. I was born at home in Larkfield Way. There was a war on at the time and all hospital beds were needed for the war wounded. Confinements occurred elsewhere. Primary school was Balfour Road, Carden was still in the near future, in fact one of my earliest memories was of seeing POWs working on road building at the top end of what would become Carden Hill. Then on to Varndean, also during the reign of the unforgettable "Butch" Hutchins. In 1958 it was off to Australia. Thirty five years later I returned to Hollingbury, and I confess that I was amazed at how little had changed. You still caught the 26 bus up Ditchling Road, almost no development at the top of the hill, just a service station had been built in the interim. The trolley buses had gone of course and the the golf course had a new clubhouse in a new location. I'd be pleased to hear from anyone else who spent some, or all of their formative years in Hollingbury, especially Angela Horton who is also here in the "wide brown land."

Does anyone know anything about the history of the Lyminster Methodist Church? In particular why the stones next to the front door hold the names of the other methodist churches? Also does anyone know why this spot was chosen for a church to begin with?