Everybody was in the same boat

Mrs Edith Annie Taylor, owner of 21 Blucher Place, Brighton, which now stands on its own on land used as a car park, was claiming £850 compensation from the Corporation for the loss of her home when it is compulsorily purchased and demolished

Image reproduced with kind permission of The Regency Society and The James Gray Collection

Churchill Square development

Before the area was devastated for the Churchill Square development, my family lived at 18 Blucher Place on the car-park. We did not have a washing machine, a fridge, a freezer or even a telephone.. We never used the front room, which had a piano nobody could play. Stew was very often on the menu, which probably included cheaper cuts of meat like scrag end of lamb. My nan who lived three doors down at number 21 only had an outside loo in the yard

Last resident of Blucher Place

None of us had much and we all struggled; everybody was in the same boat. Mum did char work for Molly Lacroix, who had a convenience shop top of Russell Street and for Bertie Bassett, who was very well known as Brighton’s Breeziest Butcher. We moved to Manor Farm in 1957 but Nan was the last resident to move out of Blucher Place in 1960, after a long fight with the council. I was astounded to see a picture of her outside her house on James Gray Collection; if you follow the link you can read all about her.

Do you remember Churchill Square being built? Please share your memories by posting a comment below

Remembering the shops

The shops that I can remember in Western Road were Dorothy Norman’s, a ladies dress shop and Home and Colonial, where they used to pat the butter with the wooden blocks. There was a coffee shop on the north side, which emitted a lovely smell of coffee being roasted. Woolworth’s was very popular with the children because of its wide range of really lovely sweets. Wonderful memories of very happy days.

Page created

10/07/2015

Comments about this page

Fascinating slice of Brighton history!
By Douglas d'Enno (12/07/2015)
I found this even more fascinating as I have just discovered that my G.G.G.Grandfather (Phineas Jupp) bought part of this land and property (East Side) back in approx 1817 for £375. Not sure if these were the same houses as then or if they were rebuilt. Here is the ‘official report’;
“Francis Still of Brighton, builder, to Cornelius Shrivell of Brighton, builder and his trustee Phineas Jupp of Brighton, victualler
Land on the N side of Blucher Place, Brighton (plan) with the houses and buildings erected by CS (E: land sold by FS to PJ; W: land leased by FS to Joseph Bowell and others; N: land of CS, part of a two-paul piece of land, late Scutt and Whichelo; S: Blucher Place, formerly 15 but now 20 feet wide)
Covenants concerning the making up and maintenance of Blucher Place, the measurement of areas and the height of railings”
I have no idea what happened to all his money and property but he was an interesting person from what I have researched. He died in 1833.
By Ivor WIlliams (05/02/2020)
I used to walk down Russell Street every morning on my way to school at St Pauls that was further down past the meat market. I remember going in Dorothy Norman’s and the Home and Colonial with my mother. It was approx 1958, and I have a rough memory of Russell Streetand the space that had already been cleared. There was a little sweet shop on the right, then a large open space but I can’t remember Mrs Taylor’s house or the remains of Blucher Street.
By Susan barnes (04/10/2020)
My great-great grandmother, Rachel Lankstead lived at 27 Blucher Street until she died in 1951.
I’ve only just found out that Churchill Square now stands where it once stood.
By Barbara Graysmark (07/02/2024)