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1960s

Photo:Blind Lemon Alley, Middle Street, Brighton

Blind Lemon Alley, Middle Street, Brighton

Photo by Peter Groves

The Cottage Coffee Bar
By Peter Groves

In the 1960's and early 1970's there was a 'cool' coffee bar at the bottom of what is now Blind Lemon Alley (although it was not called so at that time).  The alleyway had no name when hippies frequented 'The Cottage' coffee bar forty years ago.

Blind Lemon Jefferson
I believe that its 'relatively new name' pertains to Texan blues musician 'Blind Lemon Jefferson' (1897-1929) whose life is shrouded in mystery; even his date of birth cannot be confirmed.  Although the name Lemon sounds strange, it was not unusual at that time in Texas.  He influenced many musicians, including Lead Belly, (Pick a Bale of Cotton) additionally, and more relative to The Cottage, Bob Dylan and Van Morrison.

A den of iniquity?
To parents The Cottage was a den of iniquity and drug taking. I don't believe that the phrase 'sex and drugs and rock'n-roll' had been invented, and by today's standards it was actually very tame.  I never witnessed any drug taking there, and probably the teenagers who frequented it, like sex, thought they were the only ones missing out, when in fact everyone was!  I probably spent 2 or 3 evenings a week in there over a two year period, (before I found alcohol and the King and Queen pub) and never witnessed a police raid, although according to parents it happened all the time!

A cool meeting place
Apart from thinking that everyone who went there was very cool, the lure of The Cottage jukebox was prevailing, and the music influential.  At the time most 16-year olds listened to chart music, with hits like Sugar Sugar, by The Archie's and All Kinds Of Everything by Dana firm favourites, but it was music I didn't care for.  My taste was 'progressive music' and this was in abundance in The Cottage!

A taste of the continent
Mainly the group I hung around with drank coffee, listened to the Juke Box and occasionally had something to eat. It was probably in The Cottage that I had my very first taste of continental food, spaghetti bolognaise, which was a speciality.  That was a huge contrast to cooking at home which was very plain English food, bangers and mash, shepherds pie etc.

Remembering the music
The Juke Box had a wonderful selection of progressive music, mostly never played on commercial radio, which was in its infancy.  The 7" vinyl records on the Juke Box at that time, would by now be collectors items, the whole selection probably worth quite a lot!  It would be good to be able to remember all the tracks; I'll start the ball rolling, who can add the rest?

White Rabbit - Jefferson Airplane!

This page was added on 20/04/2008.

Comments:

I remember the juke box well Peter. They had Chestnut Mare on it if I remember correctly? I also went there on a regular basis for around 2 years in the very early 70's. I bought a second-hand afghan coat and felt the bees' knees going to The Cottage in it. It used to smell terribly of sheep but I didn't care! Like you, I remember that the place was reknowned for drugs, etc., but I don't remember witnessing anyone taking part - although I probably would not have known if they were in those innocent days. My friends and I would devour huge fried meals there when we could afford to - think I put on a stone in two years! The tables and floor were never clean, so dread to think what the kitchen was like. I remember there was a private door leading to the upstairs where staff used to stay. I wonder The Cottage remained after much of the area had been demolished many years before? Does anyone know the history before it was a coffee bar?

By Jacqui Woollven (21/04/2008)

We used to go in The Cottage after we had been to the Half Moon (or was it the Full Moon?) for a few drinks, and we used to listen to the juke box and, yes, I do believe we used to have spaghetti bologniese too -but it wasn't as good as the cafe further down Middle Street!

By Sandie Waller (21/04/2008)

Hi Jacqui. Spot on with Chestnut Mare, The Byrds, definitely on the juke box. I've got another: Hi-Di-Ho - Blood Sweat & Tears, remember it?

By Peter Groves (23/04/2008)

The Half Moon, now wasn't that the scrumpy pub, my was that strong! I'm not sure what coffee bar I used to go to, it was around that area and up a narrow twitten, but it was upstairs.

By Josie Campbell (23/04/2008)

Josie - It sounds like The Cottage - it had an upstairs floor, up some very steep narrow stairs!

By Peter Groves (24/04/2008)

Hi Peter. I have thought of another - White Room by Cream.

By Jacqui Woollven (27/04/2008)

Yep, White Room was there no doubt at all. What about Memo To Turner, single released in 1970 by Mick Jaggar, some of the Stones were involved in the recording, along with others. I think there is some doubts over who wrote it, could be Mick and Keith, perhaps just Mick? By the way, tickets for the Stones concert at the near-by Big Apple were sold from an independent record store, it can be seen just on the left hand side of the photo, but I can't recall the name of the store. I queued all night in Middle Street to get tickets when they went on sale in the morning. Probably about 1971.

By Peter Groves (01/05/2008)

I remember the Cottage, I used to call on the little record shop on the left of the alley. I worked for RCA Records at the time and they sold progressive music Jefferson Airplane, David Bowie etc.

By John Desborough (01/05/2008)

I think the Cottage was formerly (1950's) called Billy's Cottage Cafe (reputed to be favoured by a gay clientele). Oh, and Blind Lemon Jefferson's life is now believed to be from 1893-1929.

By Ian Tracy (01/05/2008)

I remember the Cottage well from the period 1972-1974, when I hung out with a collection of charactors from my school (Westlain Grammar/Falmer High School), Patcham Fawcett and Dorothy Stringer. Most evenings we would meet up in the King & Queen, then make our way to the Lanes (Hennekys, the Posada, the Queen Anne), finishing at the Cottage for a meal. I recall they did an excellent Paella. One of the waitresses for a while was Sue Sharp, who was in the Sixth Form with me at Falmer. The jukebox at that time included King Crimson's "In The Court of the Crimson King" - Parts 1 and 2 (i.e. the song was split onto two sides of a single; Neil Young's Cinnamon Girl and The Doors' Riders on the Storm. Great memories.

By John Wilkin (07/05/2008)

I too spent most Saturdays in The Cottage circa 1970. Trust me there were drugs in there, albeit not too overtly.
Mandrax.. say no more, what was I thinking!
Cinnamon Girl is a great one to remember from the Jukebox, well done. Anyone remember 'Song For Our Ancestors' by Steve Miller Band. It was the track that sounded like it had foghorns at the start of it and was on all the time. Trust you are all well

By Adrian Faulkner (27/05/2008)

Great memories! I was also at Westlain Grammar, and frequented the Cottage between 1961 and 1967. Another favourite was the Zodiac in St James's Street. I remember the spaghetti bolognese very well. The owner was Ian Muzio. I've eaten in the restaurant that now occupies the site and apparently Ian still pops in there from time to time. Ian got a television from somewhere and we watched most of the 1966 World Cup there! By the way, does anyone remember the hot pie shop in St James's Street in those days?

By Peter Dunk (01/08/2008)

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