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Richmond Buildings

Photo: Illustrative image for the 'Richmond Buildings' page
Living over the shop
From an interview with Beatrice Kessler

My father, Harry Croydon, opened a newsagents shop in Richmond Buildings in 1912, and he stayed there until Richmond Buildings and the area round it were con­demned in 1958.

Some of the people in the street during that period were: Harry Sinden, undertaker; a greengrocer; fish and chip shop; cat and dog's meat shop; wholesale clothing; barber; secondhand shop; haberdasher; grocer; another secondhand shop; another fish and chip shop; boot repairer; gas fitter; watercress seller; herbalist; Mrs Wragg, secondhand clothes; sweet shop; Gates, timber merchants; Lennox Arms Pub; greengrocer; another greengrocer; another boot repairer; retail clothing; tailor; butcher; tin smith; another boot repairer; hairdresser; another boot repairer; another sweet shop; Dr John Vance's surgery; John Marshall, chimney sweep; St Peter's Church Hall; watch repairer; secondhand clothing. The Boys Brigade met at St Peter's Hall; when they paraded in the street they would march blowing their bugles.

I was born in 1911, and my father moved to number 53 Richmond Buildings in 1912. We lived above the newsagent's. We had the shop and an office behind, two bedrooms above, a big living room below the shop, and a kitchen and outside toilet. In the office at the back we did all our booking and took bets, before betting was legal, it was all under the counter, we even took bets off a policeman, and he said un­less they had complaints they didn't do anything. We always kept our punters hap­py because in those days it was only sixpences.

Reproduced with permission from 'Back Street Brighton' published by QueenSpark Books and the Lewis Cohen Urban Studies Centre
This page was added on 03/11/2006.

Comments:

What a family the Croydons were. I was a paper boy in the early fifties and the area covered by the boys stretched from Sussex Street, right across to Islingword Road and up to Queens Park Road. The Croydons were well known for their cricket team which at times had eleven Croydons on the team sheet. As I used to score, it was a difficult job at times. Their home pitch was at East Brighton Park and they played on sundays with all the families. It was just a good social afternoon. I was paid sixpence and given free tea for scoring.

By D Redgrave (23/11/2006)

I lived in Richmond Buildings from 1951 until 1954. We were Pat and Christine Marshall.  We were fostered by Mrs Cooper who had a son Michael and she also fostered David and Freddie Perkins.  John Marshall, the sweep, was my uncle.  That's where my Granny Marshall lived.  My father was Len Marshall.  I remember a Julie Patmore - they had a bad fire at their house and Julie had to jump from the bedroom window.  Does anybody remember us?

By Pat Richards (18/06/2007)

Hi, trying to get in touch with anybody who remembered my grandad John Marshall or my gran Rose.

By Glen Marshall (27/06/2007)

Hi Glen, John & Rose Marshall were my uncle and aunt; I'm the daughter of Marjorie, one of your grandad's sisters. I remember cleaning brass for my Aunty Rose and I remember Uncle John's motorbike and sidecar. My mum now lives in Haywards Heath and I'll let her know I've seen your message and posted a reply.

By Wendy Marshall-Dilloway (06/08/2007)

Hi Glen, I must be your cousin. my dad Len Marshall was John Marshall's brother. I can remember when he was a sweep he used to have a trailer on the back of his push bike with all his brushes in and he would come home black and everywhere he sat would be black. The other brother Bert had a garage on Albion Hill on the side of the house, you had to go down in the basement under the house for the toilet it was so dark and damp down there. I didn't know Rose very well,we went to live in Somerset and lost touch. I heard about them from time to time from my dad, but i did meet John's two sons at dads funeral.

By Pat Richards nee Marshall (19/08/2007)

In 1916 a relation of mine George Richard Jefferies was living at 59 Richmond Builings. In 1859 his father George Richard Jefferies a direct ancestor was living at 8 Richmond Buildings.

By adam dennis (26/03/2008)

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