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

Villains, antique dealers and colourful language

zoom
Looking up this old town street from the corner of Ivory Place. It provides a good view of Sussex Street School, built in 1872. Also seen is the Lion and Unicorn Inn in the distance c1962
Image reproduced with kind permission of The Regency Society and The James Gray Collection

The ‘Blue House’

My grandparents, Harry and Mary Gregory owned the so called ‘Blue House’; I cannot remember from when. I was born in Buckingham Road hospital in 1964, and they had the pub then. I remember me and my cousins growing up in the back room of the pub, as my mother and her sisters worked there. Growing up we saw many of the goings on as the pub was frequented many of the villains and antique dealers of the Brighton area.

Regular pub brawls

I have so many memories about that time, not least of all of the regular pub brawls. I was always led to believe that the pub was rightly called the ‘Blue House’ because of the blue tiles but also, very aptly, the foul language. Sadly my Nan died in the pub around 1972, and although my Grandad carried on, he sadly died not long after. I have a childhood of memories of the pub and am proud to say that I now own the original pub sign which I purchased from the buyers before they converted it.

Could write a book

I spent all of my childhood growing up there, and now own two pubs in the Sussex area myself, I could write a book on the goings on that happened in the Blue House, I wish I had the time, it would make a blooming good read. Who knows, one of these days I might just get around to it.

Categories
Lion and Unicorn (2)
Page created
17/03/2013

Comments about this page

  • I remember the Lion and Unicorn (blue house) my mother use to be a regular there for years and I used to stand in the long passage. I think at that time the landlord was a Mr Hardy who had a daughter called Pat and one called Janet I think, and as the other person said a lot of the barrow boys used to go in there.

    By Kathleen Catt (27/04/2013)

  • I remember very well. me always outside, whole family inside – Bessie, Tommy, Uncle Bill, Aunt Nora etc.

    By moya golds (01/05/2013)

  • Hi there,
    I live here now and we feel like we are always being touched in our sleep and often get shivers in the basement. We think maybe your Nan is still here in spirit!

    By Morgan (16/04/2021)

  • I seem to remember painting the Front piano a nice shade of pink in the late 60’s, Harry was a character, Our G J Kings crew painted the Pub, maybe a Brewery Changeover?

    By Richard Windsor (31/10/2021)

Add a comment about this page

Your email address will not be published.