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Grocer store photograhed in 1952

A.H. Paul’s grocer store was at 295 Ditchling Road.  This photo was taken in 1952.  Do you remember this store?  Was it your local shop?  Please tell us about it in the comments below.

AH Paul's grocers store at 295 Ditchling Road.
From the private collection of Kenneth Paul

Comments about this page

  • If this is the store I think it is, it’s not far from Prince’s Crescent where we lived and I used to get provisions there in 1954-57. I had a morning and afternoon paper round for Daltons Newsagent which was further up the road. Now living in Australia. Thank you for the great web site.

    By Roy Prentice (07/06/2007)
  • 295 Ditchling Road (Fiveways, corner Ashford Road) is now Tilleys Stonemasons. The facade has not changed much since the photo was taken, nor have most of the other shop fronts in Fiveways.

    By L. Brew (22/10/2007)
  • I seem to remember the store in the 1950s / early 1960s being very dark with bare wooden floors and large, open boxes of biscuits in front of the counter where you could buy a bag of broken biscuits very cheaply – no packets or packaging in those days!

    By Ruth Mitchell (10/12/2007)
  • I also remember the shop with open boxes of broken biscuits—they were a great treat! A change from home baking!

    By Sally Atkinson (04/09/2010)
  • I think all the comments on this are great. I lived in Princes Road and went to school at Ditchling Road school. The name changed to the Downs in, I believe, 1948. I also worked as a paper boy for Johnstons newspaper shop - morning and evening rounds. They were a great couple Mr and Mrs Johnstone, sadly they both died within a few weeks of each other. I used to save my money in the post office on the corner of Princes Road and when I wanted to draw it out to purchase a bicycle I was told to get my mother to come and authorise the transaction,  she was a right dragon the post mistress and I never went back. On the opposite corner was a bakers shop Giggins, I think it was called, great tasting buns for a penny in those days. I miss those places and here in Australia we have no places with the character of those old shops

    By Garry Lockwood (24/02/2011)
  • My brother Michael Brown and myself both lived in Princes Road since I was born, and left around 68/69. We both went to The Downs School and our Grandmother ussed to live in Princes Crescent where we used to visit almost every day. I do remember the grocer shop where we could buy broken biscuits and the butter and cheese was cut by wire. I used to shop for my mother there. I remember Roundhill Tavern as my Grandfather used to play on the piano in the late 40’s and 50’s and all the off licences were at the side of the pubs in those days. My friend Ann who lived in Crescent Road used to work at Giggans on a Sat. I used to go to the brownies at St. Saviours Church, which was a lovely church don’t know if it is there today. I remember the Cats Creep where my friend Judy used to live in Roundhill Crescent, ok going down was easy but hard work walking up when you were tired after playing all day in the woods behind Sylvan Hall flats. (I think they were called that). I do remember the post office where the lady lived upstairs. We somtimes caught the bus to the open market where we always got our Christmas tree but usually we walked everywhere. Happy memories especially the snow in ’66 it was up to my knees, getting up the hill from the level to home was a nightmare, snow was in drifts. Best wishes to all, Linda.

    By Linda Strickland (nee Brown) (26/10/2012)
  • Just come across this page and, sorry Len (comments 2008), but the picture does show 295 Ditchling Road on the corner of Ashford Road before it became Tilley’s Stonemasons. I lived in Roundhill Street from 1971-1981 and the building on the Ditchling Road / Princes Crescent end of Roundhill Road, opposite the Roundhill Tavern, was a launderette in those days. I think it had a change of use a couple of times since then, maybe a television shop at one time and is now private accommodation. Not sure what it was before we lived there, can anyone help? I went back recently to show my little grandsons where their Mum and Dad used to live and the whole road was just a bumper to bumper car park. Sign of the times. Great site, very addictive.

    By Elaine (30/03/2013)
  • Apologies Len L. Have just re-read your comments and realise that I had skimmed through quickly and mis-read things and you that had answered my query about the shop on the corner of Roundhill Road / Princes Crescent. Wish I could remember Sheaths as it sounds great, as you say, a real Arkwrights! Funny, I would have passed it every day on my way to / from Downs County School in 1950/51 but I was only 5 years old and would have been on the other side of the road and it did not register. Do recall St. Saviour’s Church – it was demolished and sheltered flats built on the site in the early 1980s I think. My daughter used to attend Brownies there (2nd Preston) before the group was moved to St. Augustine’s Church, Stanford Avenue. Kind regards and thanks for the information.

    By Elaine (31/03/2013)
  • I remember this store well, it was for a time called Mortimer’s as it was owned by a Mr Mortimer, it became a ‘wavy line’ general store in the 60’s. I lived in Dover Rd all my childhood (1958-1972) which is the next street to Ashford road where this store is. Mr Mortimer was in a relationship with Mrs Mitchell who lived on Dover Rd too, a few doors down from us. Not sure if they were married. Glorious memories.

    By Charlie Stokes (04/02/2021)

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