Schoolboy's memories of '60s Kemp Town
St Georges Terrece looking east
From the private collection of Michael Brittain
10, St Georges Terrace
From the private collection of Michael Brittain
A business card from the Carol Ann Guest House.
From the private collection of Michael Brittain
The move from Birmingham
By Michael Brittain
In 1961 when I was 6 years old my family lived in Saltley, Birmingham. The area was dominated by heavy industry; almost next door to our home were the smelly Saltley Gas Works and the noisy Saltley Locomotive Works. My mother decided she wanted to be near her twin sister, Evelyn Hodgekinson. My Auntie had moved to Brighton with her husband Clifford and son Clifford-John a few years earlier, after visiting and falling in love with Brighton on their honeymoon.
Purchased a guest house
My Auntie and Uncle purchased a guest house at 35 Upper Rock Gardens, they called the guest house ‘Evercliff’ This name was chosen because it was the combination of both their first names, the name has now been changed to “Amblecliff” by the present owners. We moved from Birmingham in the autumn of 1961 and purchased the Shangri la Guest House at 10 St Georges Terrace. The first thing my parents Harold and Marjory Brittain did was change the name of the property to the ‘Carol Ann Guest House’.
Named after my sister
The guest house was named after my eldest sister Carol Brittain (later Mahoney), who was to work there as chamber maid. Bed breakfast and evening meal was £1.00 and the advert for the guest house stated that there was hot and cold water in all rooms. My other sister Susan Brittain (later Meacock) was still of school age and was to attend Queens Park C.S.S, I was sent to attend Queens Park Infant School.
Conversions in the 1970s
Lots of houses in St Georges Terrace, like many of the mid-sized Georgian and Victorian properties not far from the centre of Brighton, were converted into either guest houses or split into residential flats. There were several guest houses along the terrace, some of which are still there, like ‘Roland House’. Our guest house which was number 10 is now divided up into flats, this probably happened because the rooms were too small to be converted into modern en suite guest house facilities. Flats probably made sense for the then owner of number 10 in the property boom of the early 70s.
This page was added on 19/11/2009.