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Shops and Businesses

Hayllars Music Shop

By Patricia Silsby

The Music shop in Queens Road was originally owned and operated by Mr B H Hayllar. My father always referred to him as Harry but I'm not sure what the B stood for.He was an electrical contractor and set up the original shop in Surrey Street.

Haylar's old shop in Surrey Street

From the private collection of Patricia Silsby

Relocation to Surrey Street
From having one or two small musical instruments dotted around the shop, mainly for decoration I think, it evolved to a full blown music shop. I'm not sure when the relocation to the 7 Queen's Road site was. His daughter Mary grew up with the business and took it over after his demise.

Fred and Mary Neale (nee Hayllar)

From the private collection of Patricia Silsby

Mary is still living locally
My father, Fred Neale was a silversmith and he rented the basement of the building for his work, also doing some instrument repairs. He and Mary married and together they ran the business until they retired. Although still living locally, they have both become quite fragile,with Fred recently suffering a stroke. He is in good spirits though.

This page was added on 14/11/2009.

Comments about this page

Interesting update to my 'Harmonica Shop' thread on this site, Patricia! All we need now is a picture of the whole shop frontage in Queens Road, to complete the story............

By Stefan Bremner-Morris (15/11/2009)

Hi Patricia, Bertram H. Hayllar sold musical instruments and was also listed as an electrical contractor at his shop at 7 Queens Road from around 1936. He had moved there from a similar shop at 50 Gloucester Road, at which he had started as a piano tuner, following in the footsteps and taking over from Reuben Hayllar just after WW1. Reuben had moved to this shop just before the war and was previously a piano tuner and repairer at 21 Kensington Place. There was also a B. Hayllar briefly listed as an electrical engineer at 15 New Dorset Street in the mid 1930's. I regret I could not find any reference to such a shop in Surrey Street.

By Andy Grant (15/11/2009)

Hi, I had doubts about my geography for a minute there. However, on checking a street map of Brighton, it was definitely Surrey Street where Dad pointed out where the shop used to be. Mary has spoken of a cousin who was a piano tuner so perhaps Reuben was an Uncle. The particular photo here was taken on the Jubilee, May 1930 something. Anyway, thank you for the insight. I'm afraid I have looked but have been unable to find any pictures of the Queens Road shop, Stefan.

By Patricia Silsby (02/12/2009)

Hi, I am a Hayllar from Australia. I have a very musical family and would love to know more. Is this shop still open? Patricia were you also a Hayllar?

By Lynette Galvin (Nee Hayllar) (23/01/2011)