Are there two policemen in this photo?  It looks like there is another one just a few yards down.

I remember in the late fifties I was at Avondale College for girls in Hove and I had a friend who's father had a drapers shop in James Street, it was called Harris's. We used to go there after school, it was a fantastic shop with lovely old counters and glass and wooden cabinets. It sold everything. There were two adjoining shops and underneath there was a huge cellar and upstairs a flat where her grandmother used to live, decorated in a very Victorian style.

Between Sainsburys and Dewhursts was Clark's Bread Shop. An alley-way to the left led up to the back of Dorset Gardens Methodist Church. There was also a Spiritulist Church up on the left. I lived over Clark's Bread Shop from 1947-1954. My parents bought a lease and it had about 60 years left. I was amazed to see the photo taken in the 60s. Mead Brothers was similar to Dewhursts. I would think that where I lived, was built early 1800s and had been at its time quite 'posh'.

Diane, looking at the photographs of St James's Street I came across your comment about my father's drapers shop Harris's. I wonder if you are my friend from Avondale College. If so, it would be great to hear from you after all this time.

I went to Avondale from 1946 to 1958. I would love to find someone from those days. I have completely lost touch.

I went to Avondale College from 1951 to 1955. Headmistress was Mrs Cobbold and we had a lovely teacher Mrs French. Has anyone got any photos of Avondale College?

Interesting to see the scooter going the "wrong way" down St James Street. I do remember it being a two way street, but how? Remember taking the "provident" vouchers to (Browns?) on the corner opposite the new Starbucks to buy my Levis/Ben Sherman and Sta Press. Remember old Fortes tea rooms at the bottom on the left going up.

Hi Barry, The shop you refer to on the corner of George Street was Silvers. I used to buy my Levis and Ben Sherman/ Leon Patten shirts there. My shoes, brogues and loafers, were from Ravels on Western Road. It's hard to believe that buses used to pass each other on such a narrow St James's street that was full of shoppers. There were very few cafes and second hand shops then, it was a proper shopping street with butchers, fishmongers, grocers, bakers and of course Woolworths.

I remember the spitualist church that Jennifer Goddard mentioned above. I was 10 years old when I went there. 1956 that would have been. Every Tuesday afternoon I visited my Grandmother by myself n the holiday period. On one of these visits Nan said to me, 'Come along, Ducky, we are going out'. We took the bus to the Old Steine and walked a short way up St. James Street. Turning into a narrow alley on the left side of the street we approached a wee little church and went in. There was just a small group of us and a lady who sat by a table. She invited us to place something personal on the table. There was a variety of rings and watches there so I followed suit and took off my watch and placed it on the table. There were no names attached so I watched closely so I would see when my watch was picked up. The woman proceeded to give a short reading for each person. I am not conscious of what she shared with me but I do remember feeling totally at home with such an event. It was all very calm and peaceful and clearly people were there to recieve help. The following Tuesday we made the same journey to the wee church. This time there was a lady giving hands-on healing to each person present. Again I had no particular questions about this. It all seemed natural enough. It was what it was. Grandma had been quite poorly for many years although not one to show it. I took it that she found comfort is these proceedings and feel certain comfort came. I don't recall thinking about this any further than that but at the age of seventeen I began my own interests in the spiritual aspects of life. I began to dig very deeply and found I had a very natural talent and true feeling for it all. It was not scary nor was any of it airy-fairy. It was something that required serious study, lots of practice and an openess for real adventure of the best kind. Today I have my own practice helping people with many issues and that is what has carried me since that tender age of seventeen. I found something that made total sense to many sides of life that without it would have remained quite boring and really very disconnected. So sweet Grandma was not just having to take me to a meeting because I happened to coinside with her church days. She was actually sowing seeds for my future work. Niether of us would have thought about it at that time but this was clearly my very own particular calling. Thank you Grandma.