The couple in the photo are my great grandparents John and Georgina Wood. Kelly’s Directory has John Wood living at that address from 1911 through to 1923. If I were to guess, I would assume they had it taken at Christmas soon after they moved in (if you look closely it looks like bunches of holly hanging outside and a frieze round the middle of the windows depicting snow). When World War One broke out, other family members came to live at this shop. Had the photo been taken from 1914 onwards, they might well have been in the picture.
There’s an interesting story about Mr A. Puddick, whose name is over the shop. My uncle told me he used to run an illegal bookmaking operation from the back room of the greengrocers. It was the days before Gamblers Anonymous! There are stories of well dressed gentlemen coming into the shop to place bets, who would eventually be reduced to poverty by their losses.
The shop has hardly changed. The present tenants told me the left hand window was only replaced about three years ago.
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I used to work at the Co-op dairy at the bottom of Islingword Road maintaining the milk floats and lorries back in the late 1970’s. I also went to school at the Hanover Terrace School in the early 1970s when it was the Secondary Technical School.
Don’t mind me saying so, but shouldn’t that be Islingwood Road instead of Islingword Road?
It is definitely Islingword Road (not ‘wood’). My parents had the grocers shop at No.118 during the War and I remember going up to the greengrocers on the corner of Grant Street. I believe it was then called ‘Chapmans’. We lived at 118 until the late 1950s. Next door, on the corner of Lincoln Street, was an ironmongers owned by an elderly Mr Dumbrell. On the other side of us was a sweet shop which I think was called Yorkstones.
My great great grandfather lived at number 71 at the time of his death in 1896. Does anyone know what the area was like at this time?
I live at 115 islingword rd and that shop which was next door is now a engineering factory but will soon be redeveloped into flats.
Just want to add something to David’s story. In 1891, before the Woods owned the shop, the census shows the shop keeper was Sarah Ann Yeates nee Figg, the widow of Alfred Yeates. This is interesting to me for two reasons. The first reason, is Alfred Yeates was the brother of my ggg grandmother Mary Yeates who married Henry Stunell. The second is that Sarah Ann Yeates and Alfred Yeates were relatives of David Carrington. Note to Sarah Latimer, Sarah Ann Yeates was was the name in the directories at Brighton library as well as being on the census. The shop was a general shop.There is not much doubt your great great grandfather would have got his daily groceries from relatives of mine and David’s. Lastly Alfred Yeates was one of the witnesses to his sister Mary’s wedding, my ggg grandmother.
The picture of the shop is of interest to me for two reasons. The first reason is that the shop was run from 1891 by Sarah Ann Yeates, nee Figg. She was the widow of my ggg grandmother’s brother Alfred Yeates. My ggg grandmother was Mary Yeates, born 1834. Mary Yeates married Henry Stunell and Alfred was a witness to the marriage. Second is that Alfred Yeates and Sarah Ann are relatives of David. David tells me the shop was a bootmakers before 1903. After 1903 it became a general shop, so my apologies to Sarah Lattimer if my other message appears and I say that her ancestor would have got his general shopping there. He wouldn’t, he may have got his boots there though.
Do you know whether Alfred Yeates and Mary Yeates had any other brothers or sisters as the dates and names fit with members of my family?
There were at least three other siblings. There were two sisters Eliza or Cecilia [not sure of correct name] born about 1829 and Sally born 1839. There was also a brother called Robert born in 1841. The parents were Thomas Yeates and Sally Paris.
A couple of years ago I purchased a stamp album with the name Katherine Creighton, 18 Islingword rR written in the front. Does anybody know the whereabouts of her as I have her stamp album. It would be very interesting to know how this stamp album managed to get to Stockton on Tees,in 2000. The book is dated 1947
Does anyone have pictures of the former bakery at 103 Islingword Road? It stands at the corner of Islingword Road and street and has been the site of my business premises for 15 years. We are currently putting together new promotional material and are looking for early photographs. Obviously we would credit any contributor and also promote the My Brighton and Hove site as our way of saying thanks. We know that the proprietors were the Ashdown family (Amos Ashdown) from 1890’s. Any info / pics would be greatly appreciated.
This house looks familiar as I’m sure a family called Brewis lived here in the 60’s. They had an adopted daughter, Pat, & moved here from Cowper St in Hove about 1960.
I remember the bakery at 103 Islingword Road. (I used to live at no 45 from 1966 until 1982). I am sure it was called the Perthshire Bakery and baked lovely cakes and bread. I loved their seed cake! I can’t remember when it closed, but I think a launderette opened there.
My dad Stan Jenkins had the shoe repair shop for many years here, it was just up the road from Cobden baths on the left hand side. And I can remember there was a newsagents / sweet shop a bit further up on the right – I think it was called Vidlers? I also remember people called Crossweller (Roy)? Many years ago now though.
Hi Jill, Small world. I remember a Crossweller who was a tram conducter and lived at 23b Albert Road in the early 30s. I lived above at 23a. An odd name and I wonder if it was the same person. He had a son, Fred I think, about 7 or 8 yrs old.
I remember the shoe repair shop and Vidlers the newsagents. A crippled man used to go around on crutches delivering the Argus from there. I lived in Islingword Place.
Hi Ken, I used to work in the newsagents at the bottom of Islingword Road for the disabled man; his name was Frank. I done a paper round for him from the age of 11 until I was 15 – that’s when I started full time work. I used to do some shopping at times for him after his wife died. He was a nice man. I don’t know when he died though, as I emigrated to Australia a short while later.
I have such fond memories of spending my holidays with my aunt and uncle in their bakery in the 1960s – can’t remember exactly where but nor far from the station. They retired to Surrey St and ran a bed and breakfast. Seth and Olwen Llewellyn. Can anyone remember them?
My dad Jack worked at the Co-op dairy as a milkman when I was a kid in the early ’70s. I remember his supervisor was Jerry and I think the manager was called Vic. Some of my best memories are of going on the Kemp Town and Hollingbury milk rounds with him. He died a year ago and I’d like to have a reminder of those days. Maybe a model Co-op milk float. Any ideas? I live in Brisbane now, as I’ve done for 24 years. Cheers ~ Mike
Hi Mike, I used to play around the Co-op depot when we were waiting for the Evening Argus to be delivered to Frank’s newspaper shop. I also went to Brisbane a few years later in 1969. I think the old days in Brighton were priceless then. How things have changed looking at the street view google map of Brighton.
I remember the name Stan Jenkins. My mum and dad were Rose and Roy Crossfield and we lived at 94 Islingwood Rd a few doors down from Vidlers. My dad initally worked for Grant Currys who owned the factory behind our house and then for National Batteries when they took it over. I also remember a hardware store called the Up Keep.
Hi Sandra, well that must be your dad I’m thinking of as I can remember he worked there. I remember he was quite freindly with my dad and went in the shop for a chat with him and as soon as I saw the name I realised I had it wrong. This was so long ago as I’m now 64 and Dad passed away 36 years ago. Lovely memories though eh? Nice to hear from you, take care.
Hi, in 1927, 105 Islingword Rd was run by my grandparents – not sure whether it was the Steedmans, the Atrells or the Marshalls. Some of my grandparents lived at 52 South Hampton St.
I remember Kathleen Catts hardware shop on corner of Lincoln street. I lived at no 39 with my parents Dorothy and Bill Bailey who ran a greengrocers shop. As I remember opposite us on small crossroads were two shops Thyers and Clems? We lived there till mid sixties then moved to Bonchurch road. Then moved to Yorkshire (my dad’s birthplace) I now live in York.
In 1986, I received a diploma for working ten years as a milkman at the Co-Op Dairy. For a tiny man like me, it was quite strenuous work, but, as ex-colleagues, and customers, will know, I loved to talk, so I enjoyed meeting all those people. Perhaps this should be on a special ‘milkman’ page, as I remember little about the street; though my first abode in Brighton, around 1970, was in Washington Street.
Seeing the shop on the corner of Grant street brings back some great memories as I was born and lived at no 8 until I got married in 1962. Just down from it was a bookmakers with a cafe next door and on the corner of Lincoln street was a sweetshop. In them days a bathroom was unthought of and we used to go up to the Cobden bath house – those were the good old days. I have the photos of the Grant street 1953 party when the Queen came to the throne and one of the people in the front is Mrs Dundar who owned the sweetshop, I don’t know if the owner of the shop on the corner is in it.
Does anyone remember Frank the Newsagent at the bottom of Islingword Road? He was a wonderful old man, he was badly disabled and used to walk backwards and forwards to work each day on his crutches. It must have been so hard for him especially walking up Islingword Road. I think he lived in Coleman Street,or the road above it. I had an evening paper round at his shop for around 4 years. There was about 5 of us working in his shop,and he either called us BOY, or GIRL. never by our names, which we all thought funny. That was all so many moons ago, I am 65 now.
To John Henry Was the newsagent called Vidlers. If so see Ken Burts message in July 2011.
Hi would Percy Yeates have been a relation who married Minnie Rolf?
Hi Amanda
I know Alfred Yeates and Sarah Ann Figg had a Grandson called Percy Arthur Yeates born in December 1897.
Does anyone know anything more about the rumours of the illegal betting shop out back of the greengrocers? Albert Arthur Puddick was our ancestor and this might make some sense!
Hi Sandra Rogers. My mum and dad, Bryan and Doris Ball used to be dear friends of Rose and Roy. I remember visiting Islingword Road many a time as a child with my brother, Ian.
I used to live in Hove and, as a teenager in 1970, attended Brighton Technical College on Lewes Road. I was interested in motorcycles and heard about an Islingword Road motorcycle spares shop choc-a-bloc with old engines, gearboxes, salvaged cycle parts – even overflowing from the shop down into the cellar, filling that too. Am I right in thinking it was this shop – number 114? And that it really was that full of spare parts?
Hello Lawrence. Yes, it was that shop at 114 Islingword Road, on the corner of Grant Street. I remember it as Larry Stripp’s second-hand motorcycle / scooter parts shop. I’m not sure about the cellar, but the shop itself was never overflowing with parts when I saw it in the late 1960s – quite the opposite in fact! Perhaps it was towards the end of Larry’s occupation. It became an electrical motor rewind shop more recently. Regards, Alan
I lived at 95 Islingword Road for about three years from 1961. It was a funny shaped house as it was on the corner next to the pub The Constant Service. I well remember the newsagents just up the road Vidlers, and also the Islingword Road Mission which I attended. It was run by Mr & Mrs Waldron. As we had no bathroom we used the Cobden Road baths and I went to St Luke’s school from Sept 1961 to July 1962 where I took my 11 plus. I loved Queens Park and went there frequently.
Does anybody remember John and Rose Marshall who lived in Islingword road? He was a chimney sweep and rode around on a BSA motor bike with all his brushes in the sidecar. They were my aunt and uncle.
In 1972 my parents moved to 125 Ladies Mile Rd. Patcham, which still had a coal fire, they contacted Mr Marshall to come and sweep it. When he arrived he said to my mum that he had last been in the house in 1939 (the year it was built) when he was going to move to Patcham and buy the bungalow, but he thought it too far out so did not buy.
Hi all, I had family living at number 33 (Road) in 1881 and 71 (Road) (as does someone above) in 1881 and number 13 (Place) in 1901 all named Carpenter. I also have Yeats/Yeates/Yates in my tree. Anyone know if we are connected?
Wow what a picture. My family lived in Cobden Road, two roads up from Grant Street in Islingword Road from 68- 91 and I used to walk past the shop everyday on the way to school from 68-73. In those days it was a motorbike shop. I was crazy about bikes so I used to stop everyday to look in, always full of parts and bikes, amazing. I was born in Hanover Terrace in 56 and remember the Marshalls well, everyday Mr Marshall would pass by on his motorbike and sidecar with a big grin and black as the ace of spades because of the soot. I remember he had two young boys a bit older than me, their names escape me.
Hi to Jill Golds I do also remember your dads shoe repair shop and your dad Stan working in the window and who if I remember and if it is the same man was a little short on hair(I am trying to be polite here)with Millers greengrocer next door.I ran a heating company in Brighton for many years and I can recall one of my engineers Mark who I believe must be your brother?I am sure he said that Stan (your dad )was his dad also?Mark was a very good engineer and I think is still working today ,a lot younger than me.I was born and lived in Finsbury Road until the early 60s went to the Mission and also helped along with my twin brother Mike the man who ran the Grant Curry factory Roy Crossweller which washed vegetables before being packed for market I like to think we helped him ? we were only about 9years old at the time but he did give us bags of carrots to take home to mum Sadie.The factory was at the bottom of the lane between the mission and Vidlers news agents and sweet shop where we would spend all our sweet coupons during the rationing period after the Second World War.The lane runs along the back gardens of Finsbury Road up to what was Finsbury Road School now flats. During the winter months when it snowed we would use our sledges and hit the factory gates (a bit like my driving these days).During the summer the factory would store potatoes under tarpaulins which when the sun shone during all those lovely summers we enjoyed back then (memories)was just an unbelievable and unpleasant smell? I have very fond memories of the area and find this site so very interesting.If Mark is your brother then please remember me to him I was not a bad boss .
Hi Peter. The two Marshall boys are Richard (Rick) and Roger (my Dad)
Hi All, I was looking at my deeds and can see an Albert Arthur Puddick & Doris Winifred Rousseau are on them I think they were neighbours as an agreement about party walls was made between them, I googled the names and came to this site…I live in Hanover Terrace…
Hi all, john Marshall chimney sweep,got me (Peter Browne)my first job at W.f bannister engineering at Park Crescent Place. I use to sit in sidecar and have rides round. Garage where motorbike and sidecar was kept in Newark place ,next door to Joe Mitchell with the horsecart ,scrap metal and rags .l spent a lot of time round the garage. Few years later l took over the Garage and John Marshall had one of the 10 lock up garages opposite.About 1981 when John retired,l bought motorbike and sidecar. John kept the lock up garage because he cut wood in to bundles to sell in my Dads shop round corner 100 Southover street (Measor’s) green grocer.
Any one know of a Lilian Deveson who is thought to have worked in the Greengrocers on the Corner of Lincoln Street & Islingwood Road from around 1946 onwards?
My grandad and my nan owned the pirthshire bakery on the corner to Grant Street. I see some comments mentioning it I would love to get some pictures if anyone has anything.
Hi all,
Recently moved to house on the corner of Lincoln Street and Jackson Street. Deeds say built in 1880 and was a bakery until converted into a house in the 60s. Does anyone have any other information about it? Would love to know more of its history!
My Grandfather Thomas J Stephens had a wireless and electrical shop bearing his name throughout 1930s at 97 Islingword Road to start with, then 100 Islingword Road. My Grandmother, his wife – Doris Stephens had a dress shop in the same road we think but haven’t any photos or info about that. The shops both closed by early 1940s. Google earth shows 100 Islingword Road as a residential house now, no longer with any shop frontage.
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