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Sydney Street

Bakers butchers shop, Sydney Street, Brighton, 1994

The tale of a butcher's boy

By Geoff Mead, local historian

When I was a boy there used to be (I think) five butchers' shops in Sydney Street. There is just one shop left now, Baker's. It was run by a chap called Ernie Baker. My first job when I left school was as a butcher's boy in Sainsbury's and I worked with his wife. When I said 'How come you work in a butcher's, but you don't work with your husband?', she said: 'It would be too dangerous with all those knives around !'

Image and text from the 'My Brighton' exhibit

This page was added on 22/03/2006.

Comments:

About 40 years ago I worked for a company called Transatlantic Plastics in Sydney Street. I remember well on a Saturady afternoon meat being knocked down by Bakers. It was usual to hear the calling out of the meat prices which went on between 3pm and 6pm. Many bargains were to be had and the street was often filled with regulars who came down just for the meat sale.

By David Broad (18/12/2004)

In fact there were at one time, seven butchers' shops in the street. Five were owned by Frankie Share and two by Freddie Baker. I was manager of one and my father was manager of another. The meat and poultry we sold were of a second class nature but, for people on a limited income and who knew how to cook properly, it was a God-send.

By brian hussey (23/07/2005)

I also remember all the butchers' shops in Sydney Street back in the 1974 when I was first married. We lived in Upper Gardener Street and as we didn't have much money I used to buy all my meat in one of the shops (usually when it was being sold cheap). I don't live in Brighton any more but still enjoy visiting Sydney Street. I find it's changed beyond belief though. It's lost all its cheap shops and is now much more trendy and expensive. Still good fun though. Much better than Churchill Square and Western Road which are like all other main streets in every town in the country.

By Marilyn Coates (15/12/2005)

My mum, Eileen Dowds, used to work for Fred Baker in Sydney Street back in the 1950s. Does anyone know if he's still alive?

By Bridget (13/03/2006)

A wonderful street - I loved to go there on Saturday afternoons to meet my mates and buy meat for the week that only cost a few pennies.

By Colleen Cox (08/08/2006)

My father Bill Blake, known to most as 'Len', was Frankie Shares' manager and worked in all of his shops at one time or other. I remember that Frankie Share had a 'cooked meats' shop opposite his butchers shop under the name of Elsie Share. Saturday afternoons in Sydney Street in the 60s was a thriving, bustling environment and the offers being shouted out from around 3:30pm onwards drew all sorts of strange deals. But the everlasting memory is the smell from the sawdust and meat...happy memories.

By Malcolm Blake (27/08/2006)

Does anyone know how to trace a bookshop at 28 Sydney Street, Brighton in 1946? Who was the proprietor etc?

By Trev (17/10/2007)

Does anyone remember a greengrocer by the name of Carlsson? She had 5 children and would be in her 80s today. One daughter was called Sandra and I am trying to trace her. Any information would be very welcome. Thanks.

By Zara (04/12/2007)

My husband's great grandfather owned RB Lane butchers in Sydney Street in the early 1900s (now Off Beat Cafe) also one in Bond Street (now Badgers). Does anyone remember them?

By Philippa Lane (27/07/2008)

When I left school in 1961 I worked in the Corkshop for a year. It was also an ironmongers come general store. We sold mops, brooms and all kinds of cleaning goods plus wine making equipment. The manager was a Mr Watkins, I guess he would have been in his fifties then and had been there since leaving school at fourteen. He was a really nice guy and a pleasure to work for, full of wisdom and knowledge about old Brighton. They were good days, but the wages I seem to remember were only £2. 7/6
To the right of the shop was an Fishmonger, a big man with a red face, he used to arrive each morning with a handcart loaded with fish from the market. To the left was a secondhand shop which I think was called Houzegoes which was run by an old Jewish man who always reminded me of Fagin. It always seemed to me that by walking into the street you were stepping back a century.

By Barry Plank (24/08/2008)

I lived in Gloucester Street (No. 29) from 1955 to 1975. I can remember the fishmonger in Sydney Street, John Rolf, eventually he sold out to MacFisheries. Does anyone remember Warmingtons the grocers? The Warmingtons moved up to Hangleton, probably about 1961. Or Heads the cigarette and sweet shop, sold out to Mr & Mrs Gorwood?

By Roger Green (01/09/2008)