The Cobbler's Thumb, New England Street: then and now
Photograph of The Cobbler's Thumb
Image reproduced with permission from Brighton History Centre
Photograph of The Cobbler's Thumb, 2004
Photo by Mike Snewin
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This was originally the New England Inn.
Yes it was & it says so above. My St. Bartholomews school friend lived there in the ’50s with his family. His name was Glynn Hillman, not sure how long they had it as we lost touch when we went to Margaret Hardy & Fawcett.
This has just closed and is boarded up and fenced off. There are signs saying unsafe structure. Guess that’ll be the end of the building, and the last piece of the old New England Road.
I did not think there were plans to demolish the pub; the yard behind is due to be the site of the new scheme to house some of the street-people in the city by providing shipping containers fitted out as temporary homes. It is a scheme which has been tried out in The Netherlands quite successfully. I would hope the pub would be something like a community hub for the residents.
As a young boy in the ’50s. we lived in Boston Street just around the corner from what the pub was called then – The New England Inn. Shame it never kept it’s name. My family used the pub in those days and it would be a sorry day if the building was pulled down. The other pubs that were around New England St area then have all gone, so I hope it can be saved (I am sorry to report that the pub has indeed been pulled down. Comments Ed)
Very sad to hear of its demise. Another great old Brighton pub gone. This was a regular venue after the Duke of York’s – good place to discuss the film over a pint.
I heard that the council forced the demolition through, saying the building was unsafe, but my mate (a surveyor) said that account was a load of rubbish!
Interestingly the top photo looks to be late 1970’s or even early 1980’s, but note the grassy bank to the left, but in the 2004 photo the scrap merchant’s building is there!
Hello Peter. I think it’s just a trick of the camera angle. If you look at this old photo (copy and paste!):
http://www.regencysociety-jamesgray.com/volume10a/source/jg_10a_131.html
You will see that what looks like a grassy bank is in fact the Geo Richardson building!
My friend’s father used to work at that scrap metal merchants in the 1960s. Regards, Alan.
Well done Alan, it looks like you are correct!
Yet another traditional old Brighton Pub now sadly gone supposedly in the name of progress? The top photo was almost certainly taken in the mid 1980s or later. The white car in the shot is a Mk 2 Vauxhall Astra Hatchback first introduced in the UK October 1984 although I keep looking at the dark coloured Estate Car heading up New England Road and the more I look the more familiar it becomes for the life of me I can`t think of the make.
The New England pub was owned by our neighbours in New England Street Lillian and Bert Burrell in the 70s.
The street had three pubs at one time, The Fitters at the top end and The Harriers in the middle by Boston Street.
Lillian and Burt Burrell were my nan and grandad; remember the days I played billiards and sat at the sports bar at the back and dunked my crisps in my glass of coke.
I used to run the football team in the 60’s. The landlord and his wife were Bert and Lil Burrel. What a great pub it was in those days.
Had my first pint in the New England.
I was an apprentice at Dolphin press in New England house my senior printer Jerry Deasy (not sure of the spelling) brought me a brown and mild.
Bert was a great landlord.
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