Steve and I and our 6 children have lived in the avenue for the last 21 years. Couldnt think of anywhere else I would like to live. The whole area has changed much over the last 10 years or so, it's now students paradise. No young families playing on the green, for me it's sad there are no families around here anymore (there are some but not many). Incidently, Steve Dollimore died a few years ago, he was our friend, great man much missed, have seen Ian Niblett many times over the years, nice chap.
My husband Steve spent many happy times in the avenue as he was growing up as his grandparents and aunts lived at 44, (we are at 40 strange) his parents worked and he was looked after by the family, he has many fond memories of many people around here, i came down from Coldean,
oh to be a kid again.

I drive the 49a [10] (Bus)  up here every day and have to say I love this estate. Ok the cars speed a bit but eveyrone says hello It's a real pleasure

I lived at 34 The Avenue, with a lovely family called Redhouse when I was six years old in 1965. I went to the Bevendean Primary school and have great memories of the area. I remember playing in the woods just before school and walking home after school. I left in 1967 to live with my father in Nigeria. I am now married, have a lovely family and live in the US. I would love to re-connect with the Redhouse family, and especially give my gratitude for their looking after me at a very vulnerable point in my life. I remember David and Gloria Redhouse who were the children of Mr and Mrs Redhouse. I believe at that time Gloria was 19, she was very kind to me.

I visited Brighton in summer 1984. It was a kind of exchange of students, I was 15 and visited a private language school during this weeks to improve my English. I guess it didn't help. All students lived with local families and 'my' family had their small house on Manton Road (I remember it was blue and my host father was a painter - never asked if he painted it by himself). It was a wonderful family, I loved Brighton and I still remember this holiday. Every morning I had to take the bus to school and so I had to wait on the Avenue. I recognized the pics and had to smile. So I write you this comment and maybe I can visit Brighton again. I love this town and will never forget it. Thanks for the memories Mr. and Mrs. Kelly
Editor's note:
Hi Alex: maybe you could write down some of your happy memories of Brighton and we will publish them? If you need help contact me:jennifer@mybrightonandhove.org.uk

I grew up here from 1968 until I got married in 1982. We lived at number 68, Mick Wilson, at number 69, was my best man. Also I remember Rob Thorpe was at 65, and the Norths further down by the path. It was the best street in the world to live on with football and cricket on the green every day of the year and building camps in the woods behind our house. Does anyone remember the dry grass slope behind the old people's home in Heathill Ave? A bit of cardboard box and away we go! Kids today are missing out big time. Can't wait to finish that time machine...

How great to read all these memories. I too have some real memories of the Avenue where I lived at 65 after Robin Thorpe untill I married in 82. I am now divorced but getting married again in September to my childhood friend and neighbour Ian Niblett whom I live with. He shares lots of happy memories and sees Robin all the time whilst working as a cabbie in brighton.

That first comment above regarding the aeroplane landing also takes me back to that time. I'd heard about it before schooltime commencement and decided to dash along and have a look. It was a large (to me) silver coloured passenger biplane and I just stood and gawked! Never before had such a huge monster from the sky been so close. Sequel - late for school and usual strap punishment.

Just realised. Where is that promised pic of the aeroplane?  I'd love to see it. From later experience I'm guessing it was a DH passenger aircraft.

I did not live in the Avenue but I knew a Kelvin Healey and spent some time working with him and played a lot of football on the Green as I was growing up (its all at the Co-op). Remember me Kelvin? Darts got any better?

Further to my earlier comment regarding the De Havilland Dragon Rapide that landed in the Avenue on 16th May 1939, I raised this subject with the staff at Shoreham Airport whilst enjoying a visit there some two years ago. Whilst they had no immediate knowledge of the incident they later contacted one member of their staff who apparently is an aviation historian. He delved into the details of the flight and kindly telephoned me to advise that he had established that the aircraft was owned by a company 'Air Dispatch', it was on loan to the military and on that date it was on a night flight from Doncaster to Croydon. In the relatively poor weather conditions it missed Croydon and found itself at the coast. Apparently the pilot, a Mr J.H. Chappell, initially attempted a landing on Hove lawns before flying to the Avenue where he managed a brilliant landing, only damaging the wing tips on one side where he clipped a tree at the end of his landing run. Like Mr Spicer above, I too managed to view the aircraft before arriving at Moulsecoomb Infants School, but, unlike Mr Spicer, I managed to avoid the 'strap' or 'tawse' as it was often called.

Hi, Paul Smith, I can remember you from my days at Moulsecoomb School. You bused to do lots of space type drawing (great imagination). My friend  Ross Poulton and I always played football near the shops (start of the Avenue). My elder brother Tony used to go around with Allen on their scooters. I lived at 41, The Highway. All the best.

Hi Clifford, are you Pat Marlow's brother? She used to live at the bottom of The Avenue and we went to school together in the 50s. Can you tell me if it is her?

Hi Pamela. Yes, my elder sister is Pat. Still going strong in Portslade. Cheers.

Hi Clifford. I remember when Pat had her appendix out and Miss Dawson told us not to eat pomegrannet seeds as that is what causes the problem. I went to your house with some fruit minus the pommies. As far as I remember you had that lovely round window at the top of the stairs. I thought it was real posh. Give Pat my best and  ask if she remembers me.

Does anyone remember me? I lived at 71c The High Way. I went to school from 1958 -1966. I remember Mr Drapeford who loved to give you the cane and the P.T. teacher whose name I have forgotten. I went to the 67 Centre with Dave Prodger. I now live in Lewes with my wife and two sons.

Hi to all who may remember us. We lived at 78 The Avenue. Reading other entries brought back many memories of my younger years with brothers Paul and Jeff. We lived next door to the Dollymores and couple of doors from the Williams. I am sad to say my brother Paul passed away a couple of years ago. I remember all the Williams and Dolleymores. I was sorry to read about Steve- the motor scooter era was a special time. Tony Marlow and Dave Nichols (who had a moter bike) were among these I remember well, also Ron Townsend and the Marchent family who lived next to each other by the Jaccobs Ladder path.

Hi Alan. I lived in Walmer Crescent. Do you remember the Baines family?  I went to school with Maureen. She would be nearly 68 now. Can you help? Thanks and a Merry Christmas.

Hi Pam, sorry but I don't remeber the Baines family. I went to Moulsecoomb School and left in1963. Wishing you a Merry Christmas.

Thanks Alan for replying - it was just a chance Wishing you a very Happy New Year.

Hi, just wondering if my old scooter mates are still around, Bob Eley from Colbourne Avenue and Allen Brill from Lower Bevendean. Any information contact marlowdec@yahoo.co.uk

Curious to find out what a Dutch Arrow was, I Googled it. For others as ignorant as me, it's a missile shaped like a conventional arrow but with a notch just in front of the flights so that it can be thrown with a loop of string, rather like a sling or an Aboriginal spear-thrower. No wonder the vicar was in mortal danger.

I enjoyed reading about people that lived on th Avenue. I lived on Southal Ave and went to Moulsecoomb School from approx. 1949-1953. I knew the Banks that lived on The Avenue. I would like to contact some of my old school chums from that area. These would be there maiden names. Brenda Lambert, Yvonne Tait, Pat Epps, Valerie Wingham, Jean Savage. Would love to hear from any of you. My maiden name was Sylvia Watts, I went to Coombe Road School also. Please contact me.

I live along Colbourne Avenue and when I go out me and my mates spend most of our time at the Avenue. It's quite a nice place to chill - loads of boys like to play football on the Green at the Avenue. All of us children like to play in the woods at Jacobs Ladder - I was surprised how old it is. I went to Moulscoomb Primary School and do any of you remember Falmer High School may I ask?

I am a distant relative of Michael, Colin, Christopher, Margaret and Jennifer Thomas who lived at 67 The Avenue in 1982. Does anyone know the whereabouts of any of them now? My email address is sahutchinson@fsmail.net We are trying to make contact as an aunt has recently died.

Message to Pam, Hi I am Maureen's youngest brother, she now lives in Uckfield. This is the 1st time I have been on this site, nice to see familiar names. I know Cliff's brother Malcolm, was it you Cliff who had the classy push bike and sold it to my neighbour Donald Carr? You also made the best Dutch arrows.

There is a concrete circle approx 20 feet in diameter, north of the water reservior at Bevendean and between the cow field back of Moulsecomb. Does anyone know what this once was (looks like a mini cycle track)? I found it whilst out running, looking for a short cut to the new Brighton football stadium at Falmer. Once on top of the hill you can see the new arched roof of the stadium.

Hi Bob. How nice to hear from you, sorry I took so long. I went to school with Maureen - she set me up on a blind date with a lad at The Regent and we went to the Odeon to see 'Wind through the Everglades' Can you ask her if she remembers me? I will look again soon. Thank you so much, Pam.

Concerning the comments from Peter Bartlett, Paul Smith and Ron Spicer from 19/08/2006 foreward. The airplane that landed in the Avenue was indeed a mail plane in use by the military and my father and his brother (Leslie and Albert Catt) who lived in the Avenue at the time heard the plane circling, obviously in trouble and got their motocycles out to shine the headlights down the green to guide the plane down. This incident was covered by the press and in our family photo collection should be the original cutting. I will make enquiries and hopefully track it down.

For Bob Baines (18/10/2010). Hi Bob, if you are referring to the bowl shaped mound that is located approx 100yds up on the left of the track that runs from just before the junction of Heath Hill Road and Norwich Drive over to Falmer - it used to be a Dew Pond but when we were kids it was grassed over and there was no concrete on view. Hope this helps.

My uncle and aunt, Bill and Nellie Evans, lived at 89, The Avenue until my aunt died in 1966. Uncle Bill helped form the AUEW branch at the Brighton railway works. He worked for the railway most of his life. He started when it was the London, Brighton and South Coast railway through its grouping into the Southern railway and finally British Rail. He retired in 1953 and passed away in 1973. He was a staunch Labour voter yet he opposed nationalisation of the railways. His sons both worked on the railways. One at Eastleigh and the other at Derby.

Looking at the picture of the Avenue and the green brings back happy memories of visiting my nan and granddad Edwards who lived at 107 as a little kid growing up (born in 53) - they lived near the silver car on the far left in the picture. My Nan had the maiden name 'Deacon.' My dad Robert (Bob) Edwards (deceased) and his two brothers Jack (deceased) and 'young Frank' Edwards who now lives in Warwick and in his seventies I think. I loved going to see my nan which we did most weeks - my mum dad and myself all lived in Mile Oak where I grew up - there was still quite a lot of my dad's toys and things and I loved to play with them at my nans- warships, planes from WW2, trucks and things, all hand made, Or go out on the green to play ball. My memory is the same - I cant remember anything except sunny days. I loved the stories my dad told about the fighters over head near the end of the war and the time a spitfire wing seemed to float down like a leaf and then buried itself in the ground there. My nan and granddad were the only people we had who had a B&W TV and there was things like the Royal Variety performance on and World at War, Coronation Street with Mini Caldwell and Ena Sharples. This was back in the 50s and 6's. They are all dead now including my mum and dad and my grandparents. Only my dad's youngest brother Frank Edwards survives now- I'm still in touch with him and my cousins. I can only assume that they - my dad and his two brothers - went to the local Moulsecoomb schools so some of you must have know them? One of the things that sticks in my mind as an innocent young boy growing up in the Brighton area is that I never saw any violence, I was totally unaware of it, not like nowadays, maybe I was protected or something but I was always happy and relaxed, I don't remember a single incident of any verbal abuse, swearing, threats at all as a kid, not like now - I was horrified years ago to read that they actually had riots and car burning in the area. Unbelievable! I do remember my uncle Jack Edwards telling me "They'd nick your bike if you left it out!" 

Hello Brightonians. Does anyone have any memories of The Rolf Family, living at 32 the Avenue from 1967 - 1970 the 1970s? All the best Lee Rolf.

I lived in Manton Road from 1968 to 1985. I've loved reading all your memories. I loved growing up in Bevendean. I also loved the dry grass with my mum's tea tray. Lee - did you have a sister called Zena, also lived couple doors away from Jackie Moon? Happy times.

I have very fond memories of growing up as a kid in the Avenue. I was always playing out on the green at the bottom by the shops with all the other kids from the neighbourhood. I lived at number 24 just up the road from the shops. During my time here I saw so many changes. Even though I was young I can still remember Alex the green grocer, Marilyn who used to own the convenience store and Margaret who owned it afterwards, Brian and Rena with the post office/ sweet shop- it's a shame they all got sold and turned into Nisa. Does anyone remember Pat who used to work in the sweet shop? I think my fondest memory of the Avenue is my dog Elsa- she used to take herself off for walks. I can remember her being chased by the dog catcher on several occasions. She was well known by many people in the neibourhood. The Avenue used to have such an amazing family community feel to it especially when the church had its summer fair on the green. It's a shame that it's all changed.

Dear Alison, sorry for taking a time writing back. I'm not sure about the Jackie Moon family but I do remember the Turner family. Yes I have sisters Kim, Sherrie and Zena and a brother called Christopher. We lived at 32 the Avenue 1967 - 1974. I have been trying to find out on this site if any one here had any memories of the Rolf family living in the Avenue, between those years. (lrolf9@me.com )  All the best 

Tayo Ibikunle, Hi Tayo I have just read your message.  I also went to Bevendean school and have strong memories of that time.  I lived at 32 The Avenue from from early 1967 -1974. Did you manage to make contact with the Redhouse family ( David and Gloria)? Do you remember the Rolf family, (Christopher, Lee, Kim, Sheree, and  and my mother Rose)? with care, and all the best lrolf9@me.com

Love all these memories on here. I grew up in Manton Rd, number 10 and had the happiest years of my life there. I was friends with all the Middleton kids, Carol Shipton who lived in the house next to Jacobs Ladder, Pauline and Julie Croucher who lived at 27 the Avenue, oh I knew too many people to mention on here. We spent all our time either on 'the green' or in the woods behind our houses. I had a bad accident in the woods when i was about 6 where someone set up a horrible trap, they dug a deep hole in the ground, smashed a glass bottle of lemonade and stuck it in the ground with the jagged end up, then covered this over with grass. I slipped down this hole and ripped my kneecap out, had hundreds of stitches. I have a brother called Gary Breden and a sister Sharon Breden, and we lived here from the early sixties till 1980. We all went to Bevendean school, which was a fantastic school, then moved on to either Falmer or Moulscoombe school. My sister still lives in the Avenue and has done for over 30 years, and my brother has moved from the Avenue to Bodium Avenue. I remember taking my big piece of cardboard up the fields and sliding down the steep hills, it was such great fun. The only real bad part about living in Bevendean, and a lot of you will probably remember this, is when my sisters husband hung himself in the woods behind our house, near to Jacobs Ladder, he was only 18 years old. If anyone remembers me my email is cazajacks@yahoo.co.uk

I am still trying to locate some of my school buddies from..............

Dear Sylvia
Sorry but we have had to edit your post. We are no longer allowing the posting of requests to find third parties, as sharing information like this breaches their privacy. We recommend you try Friends Reunited website if you want to track old friends or neighbours.
Comments Editor