A family Home
The Sussex photographed in 2009
Photo by Tony Mould
The Sussex in East Street, was the family home of my Mother Ena Woolley, the eldest of four children, Joe, Thelma and Sheila who were the children of my grandfather Maurice Woolley and my grandmother Elizabeth (Bessie) Woolley.
Closed in WWII
They owned the Sussex in the 1930’s. They eventually had to close it during the early part of WWII as East Street was under a night time curfew, and they could no longer run the pub. It became a favourite drinking place in my late teens for me and a variety of school friends, along with the Pavilion (The Pav) a little further along East Street.
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Although I haven’t lived in Brighton (my home town) for five years, I was a regular visitor to this pub. Although I lived in Hove, I worked in Brighton and would always come here after work. Lovely decor and friendly staff, in a great location. I last visited Brighton a year ago, and took my Brazilian girlfriend to ‘The Sussex’ to give her a taste of a typical Brighton pub, and she loved it too.
The Sussex. I and my brother used to drink here, it was our first port of call before continuing on for a pub crawl every Friday night (this in the late 60s). The landlord and lady were an extremely friendly couple whose names I believe were Jim and Eileen- they knew my brother and me by our names, Rod and Keith. Rod being five years older than me, we meet our respective friends in the Sussex and would then go our separate ways, meeting up again at closing time to go for a curry at The Bombay just up from the clock tower going towards Brighton Station. I can remember some nights filling this curry house with our two groups. Happy Days
I started working here in ’89, got to live above the pub with other staff sometime in 1990, til ’94, when I left. Great times. The back of the back of the pub is on another article/photo on this section of the site, ‘The Sussex Hotel’.
In the 1960s I used to drink in the Pav and get the addresses of parties. We, almost, never used the front entrance, onto North Street, but “snuck in” the back in Stein Place. I “bought” an Ariel Square Four engine in there from a nephew of Lord Bootheby for a large G&T but next week he renaged on the deal!!!:(
I also well remember ‘The Pav’ from the 1960s and 70s. There was a restaurant upstairs or next door where we occasionally used to have supper.
Ariel Square Four engine; That’s a rare beast today!
I suspect he got a lot more money for it than the cost of a double G &
T which in the 60s would have been about 6/-. (30p in todays devalued currency)
Naturally it was cheap mate; I had “bought” a Gold Star from him in a similar deal. This one I got but it was in orange boxes and had side-car gearing!
Fred was a joker!!
ATB.
Joe.
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