Photos and articles about Brighton and Hove in the time of coronavirus. See our collection and add your own!

Photographed in May 1957

Elder Street
Image reproduced with permission from Brighton History Centre

Comments about this page

  • My grandmother, Mary Sullivan, lived at 8 Elder St in the 1950s with her husband Leslie Baldwin. Mary’s first son was my dad, George Harold Sullivan (b. Brighton 1918) then she went on to marry Leslie and had three daughters Maureen, Eileen and Marie and a son Leslie. I remember the house as being dark and narrow, with no electricity upstairs. It opened directly onto the street. I am doing some research into the Sullivans in Brighton so if anyone out there has any information, I would like to hear from them.

    By Jan Sinkfield (20/09/2008)
  • Hi Jan
    I have just had a page published titled “St Bartholomews Choir” and one of the pupils is named Marie Baldwin. Could this she be a relative of yours?

    By Fred Hards (24/01/2009)
  • Fred – just saw the message about Marie Baldwin. She was my late dad’s step sister. If you would like to contact me my email is jansinkfield@googlemail.com

    By Jan Sinkfield (10/06/2009)
  • HI JAN. HAVE YOU SEEN ANY MENTION OF THE FOX FAMILY DURING YOUR SEARCH?  I WAS BORN AT No 50 ELDER STREET AND REMEMBER WELL, SITTING IN THE BASEMENT WATCHING PEOPLE PASSING ABOVE THROUGH THE METAL GRATING ABOVE US. I HAVE BROTHERS AND SISTERS STARTING FROM THE TOP,,,,CEDRIC, PAT , JUNE, DEREK, DAVID, BABY ALAN AND OF COURSE, ME LINDA. WOULD LOVE TO KNOW IF ANYBODY WILL REMEMBER US?

    By LINDA BAKER/NEE FOX (22/02/2010)
  • I remember the Ancell family also the Stevens. They were customers at our White Hart pub.

    By Barrie Searle (08/05/2011)
  • Hello Jan, my Grandparents lived at 27 Elder Street; I also lived there with my mother and father from 1947 until 1950. My grandparent’s names were Henry and Meg Lawrence. I too remember Bostock’s fish and chip shop and how big it was inside and also Rolf’s. I used to go into the little shop just down the street from us and also the sweet shop on the corner of the street opposite the pub. There was a family called Tucknott as I remember.

    By Peter Guy (22/12/2011)
  • I remember Elder Street very well as I lived opposite in Campbell Road. I lived there from 1953-1965 and had some friends that used to live over there, can’t recall the names. What I do remember is Bostocks, they had crinkly chips. I preferred Rolfs & I didn’t have to cross the road. My Dad always had huss & chips & I would have 6d chips. I remember a sweet shop on the corner, they used to sell 1d lollys that they made themselves. Can’t remember the name of the pub but ,my school friend Glynn Hillman lived there and his dad ran it. After Elder Street was pulled down we always had our bonfires over there on Guy Fawkes night. Looks quite different round there now,it was over a year since I visited last.

    By Anne Newman (23/12/2011)
  • I would love to hear any more memories about Bostock’s Fish shop, as it was my great grand-fathers shop and sadly we know very little about that side of the family. Many thanks.

    By kate woodfield (24/01/2012)
  • My nan and grandad lived in Elder St – Harry and Isabel Walder. I remember going there early 50s, they still had gas lights.

    By David Hunt (04/02/2012)
  • Hi to the Fox family, I was born in at 20 Elder Street in 1945 and left about 1954. Remember the fab coronation street party 1953? I used to play with the “foxes” we went to St Barts. My sister’s boyfriend was Andy Rolf at the local fish shop and she also served as an usherette at The Duke Yorks cinema. Dad was Charlie, Mum was Jessie, my sisters, Jess, Irene, Jean, myself Alan and my younger bro John. How about a grand reunion for all us Elderites? Fond memories, Alan.

    By Alan Cribb (25/04/2012)
  • I used to live at No. 19 Elder Street with my mum and seven brothers. It was a lovely place to grow up. I remember the street party when the queen was crowned – it was a great day. Love looking back in time.

    By Jackie Anscome (30/05/2012)
  • Hi, I am tracing my family history. My grandmother Edith Rose Harris was born in 1895 at no 59, she then married Frederick Finley, who was from Steyning, they subsequently moved to Selmeston. I am anxious to know if she had any other family. Please email me if you know anything grahamfinley@yahoo.com

    By Graham Finley (06/06/2012)
  • I just love looking back through long lost streets of Brighton. Does anyone have any memories of Wilmshurst Bros. Ltd, in Elder Street, and do you have any photos? This is now my husband’s business, and his father’s before him. We saw a photo of the premises about 20 years ago in a book or a newspaper cutting, but can’t remember what happened to it. Would love to see it again. The business moved to New England House, and is still going strong, and I think we are the only company that moved there that’s still trading from there! Email emery4uk@yahoo.co.uk if you have any photos of the old premises. Thank you.

    By Sandra Emery (26/09/2012)
  • My Great grandfather George Hill lived at 57 in 1871.
    He was a chimney sweep, then worked on the railway as a wagon and line inspector.

    By Chris Cook (16/08/2019)
  • My Great Grandfather George Edward Benfield was living at 24 Elder Street according to the 1901 Census with his wife Mary as well as 2 of his children George Edward and Percy Albert this was before my grandad was born.

    By Julie Gillam (12/06/2020)
  • Hi to all Elderites. I lived at 20 elder street, opposite the Fox family and next to the Ascome’s. Went to same class as Brian, Jackie’s brother. I met Jackie several times and she worked in a shop near florence Avenue.
    Does anyone have photos of the tiny shop with owner Miss Hall. She still had all gas lamps etc and had a giant fig tree in her back yard. she died about 1950.
    Alan Cribb.

    By Alan Cribb (21/12/2020)
  • My Great Great Grandfather was born at number 72 in 1855.On the 1861 census he lived in New Shoreham.

    By Steve McIntosh (09/01/2021)
  • My great grandmother lived at 2 Elder street in 1913, we have just found some letters addressed to her there. Her name was Elizabeth Cosham. Would love to hear if anyone else knows of more Cosham’s in the area!

    By Shani (15/03/2021)
  • Hi, I have traced my family tree and a cousin related to me by the name of George Rowe was living at 17 Elder street in the 1891 census, I believe he was a victualler which is a publican but later became a carman, he passed away in 1912.
    I would like to know if anyone knows the name of the public house?

    By Angela Reading (16/09/2021)
  • I have Kellys directory for 1914 as the earliest in my collection, but it does not show the pub name,it may have been a lowly ‘beershop’, but the Kellys shows that as at 18/19 Elder St.was Horace Frank-‘Beer retailer.

    By Dr Geoffrey Mead (16/09/2021)
  • My nan and grandad, Bill Stevens used to live here.then they moved to Belton Road when it was being demolished. They had 2 daughters, Betty and Joan.

    By Ron (19/03/2023)
  • I also went to school with Anne Newman and Glen Hillman. Happy days. we always
    ate huss and chips too.
    Does any one remember a little shop called Hazeldines??

    By Rosemarie edkins nee alsing (20/03/2023)
  • Hello! My father David Fox was born at 50 Elder Street in 1948. Does anyone remember a Bertie Dunk who was possibly a credit collector for an outfitters company and which company that would have been? Many thanks!

    By Dawn Fox (23/11/2023)
  • This is a long shot, but at that time there was a credit drapers/clothiers along at York Place opposite St. Peters, it was Polkinhorne’s. I do not know any names connected with the firm but that may be a start. Kelly’s Directory 1954 has them at #23 York Place as ‘outfitters’.

    By Dr Geoffrey Mead (23/11/2023)

Add a comment about this page

Your email address will not be published.