A busy shopping day
George Street
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WOW! I remember getting fitted out for school uniform at Broadley Brothers on the corner there in the photo. How my parents ever afforded it for my sister and I on a fireman’s wage I’ll never know…and the blazers itched.
..and there’s Stuart Norris (not sure of the spelling) on the opposite corner to Broadley Bros. It was a lovely department store that to my small child’s eyes was a repository for all sorts of magical things, especially at Christmas.
I went to St. Andrew’s School in George Street in the 1960’s, this school has since been demolished and re-built. I absolutely loved that school. At lunchtimes we were allowed to play in the graveyard and we attended St. Andrews church for a service every Wednesday morning. Mr. Jones was the Headmaster and my favourite teacher was Mr. Edwards. After school we used to go into the ‘Wimpy’ and have chips with tomato ketchup. The Wimpy used to be the Fire Station and it had pictures of the station hanging on the wall. I still return to George Street when I can, I moved away some eleven years ago.
I went to St Andrew’s in the ’60s and remember going in the churchyard at breaks. I used to help look after the school guinea pigs and would sit in the chuchyard with them. Billie Gregg was the school bully and the first girl I fancied was Ruth Dempster.
Does anyone remember the little record shop along the left hand side of the road? I remember it from the sixties and seventies and often spent time there looking at their budget labels. It was a funny little place and looked as if it had been there forever. Alas I cannot remember its name.
Was the record shop Wickham, Kimber and Oakley? Or is my memory getting mixed up?
I remember a record shop on George Street. I never bought any records there but I used to spend time in there listening to the latest pops, and I always bought my Melody Maker there as it used to have the words to the latest songs.
Wickham, Kimber and Oakley it is! As I recall, they also had an electrical store (same name) on the opposite side of the road – it must have been near the fish and chip shop – Shippams, I think.
Wickham, Kimber and Oakley certainly had a fairly large record shop, which also sold sheet music and musical instruments in Carlton Terrace, Portslade. I’m not sure if they also had a shop in George Street though.
Yes, the record shop WK&O was about two-thirds down on left hand side. I am 65 and live in Wales but have many memories. Does anyone recall my favourite bookshop in Blatchington Road, Hove – “Lane’s”? Really nice man – always remember him in a tweed coat and pipe. Nostalgia.
I went to St Andrew’s School in George Street in the early 60s and stayed until we left for secondary school. The headmaster, Mr G. Holder-Jones, was lovely and his wife was the secretary. The music shop across the road was where my Mum bought my recorder. I remember making a flag for when the Queen came to open George Street. Great school and lots of good memories.
I bought a book from ‘Lane’s’ in the late eighties I should think. I lived in Sackville Road, on the corner of Blatchington. ‘Lane’s’ became a ‘7-11’then something else (also of the convenience-store type), and I believe it then reverted to ‘7-11’. But I could be wrong.
There used to be a wet fish shop in George Street; I think it was called Blackmans. I remember seeing the fishmongers gutting the fish in full view of the public and also boxes of live shellfish which used to be cooked on the premises; this was in the fifties and wouldn’t be allowed today.
I don’t remember Blackmans – but I definitely remember Coe’s. It was on the east side, about midway down the street (maybe slightly closer to Church Road?) It was a fishmonger/butcher, and I distinctly remember the layout; it was double fronted, with fish being sold at the north end, and meat/poultry at the south. You chose your fish/meat, and took it to the cashier in the central raised “bubble”, and paid there. Coe’s merged with Gibsons (a butcher?) at the northern end of George Street, and traded as “Gibson and Coe” – butcher. I’ve moved away from Hove, so I don’t know whether they are still going.
Gibson and Coe’s has now ceased trading, they didn’t merge it was still the same family that ran Coe’s. What happened was Alan Gibson is the son in-law of one of the Coe brothers and he ran Coe’s with his wife. When the shop ceased trading, they brought a new shop just up the road and kept the Coe’s name running as it was so well known in the area.
I went to school with Paul Barnes’ brother Michael and remember the school very well. I only lived round the corner in Hove Villas and actually went out with Ruth’s sister Belinda for a while. Had my first bike accident one Sunday riding into the window of Stuart Norris. Does anyone remember the old coffee shop with the tumbler for roasting the beans on the counter? I was there until ’71 I think, and have tried to get hold of some of my old mates, but I now live in Dorset and am soon to be moving to France so I doubt it will happen now.
Hi Paul. The fish shop I remember was a wet fish shop only. This was around 1951/2 so the memory is a bit cloudy. But it was interesting to see the amount of attention it raised.
I attended St Andrews school in George Street and left in 1963 to move to Australia. Mr Jones was the headmaster and I still have my autograph book that he wrote in. I was a very good student and he encouraged my enthusiasm for learning. I remember the toy shop and all its wonders and the record shop where I ordered my records 45s and LPs in those days not like our CDs today. I queued many times on a Friday night with my Dad to get Fish and Chips at the fish shop and also went for fourpence worth of chips and a pickle onion after brownies on a weeknight. I have lost contact with all my English schoolfriends from then but my cousin Jean Lines still lives in Hove and we are in contact by email.
Lanes – that shop (and the lovely man who ran it!) have a lot to answer for! I have many fond memories of Saturday mornings spent in Lanes clutching my pocket money. I own lots of books still with ’10p’ written in his neat handwriting. I am now an author myself, and my lifelong obsession with books started out in Lanes on Blatchington Road.
I remember the bookshop ‘Lanes’. I used to go in there with my mum. I bought all my Famous Five books in there, some I still have. We lived in Connaught Terrace and did most of our shopping in George Street. I remember Michael Barnes, he was in my class at St. Andrews along with Belinda Dempster. I visited George Street in March this year and saw that Broadley Brothers is now Coffee Republic. (The coffee was awful by the way).
It’s great to hear all your comments about the shops in George Street. I work at St Andrews School and we will be celebrating the 150 anniversary of the school in September. I would love to hear from pupils who attended the old school. Maybe you have some interesting stories or old photos we could use in an exhibition we are putting on.
My wife, maiden name Joan Leggett remembers putting the bottles of milk in front of the fire to warm them up in the winter at St Andrews school in the mid 1930s. She later worked in Kent’s Biscuit Shop in George Street 1950-53.
Hove Town Centre was a wonderful place to me as a child. My Grandmother would take me shopping down George Street every Saturday. And we would go into the Wimpey Bar for my Saturday treat of Burger and Chips topped off with either a Strawberry Sundae or Knickerbocker Glory. Bliss – served by a lovely lady called Barbara / Babs. I still get a warm glow of happiness from the memory. This street was an Aladdin’s cave of unusual shops full of wonderful things – the hub of the town. The record shop I remember selling it’s 48s and Stuart Norris a real old fashioned department store – entered with awe and delight as a child. My grandmother knew so many people that often our outings took longer than normal as she would stop and chat to people she knew. How wonderful it is to step back into one’s childhood and remember it as place of simple pleasures.
I went to St Andrews School in George St and have very fond memories of the teachers – Mr Edwards was my favorite. I also remember Mrs Newbury, Mrs Golding, Mrs Mitchel, Mr Chambers and of course Mr Jones who gave me the cane a couple of times! Can anyone remember any more teachers from the mid 60s to mid 70s? The school bully back then was Paul Batchelor, I wonder what happened to him! I once bumped into a former pupil and remembered his name, he could not believe it as he had not been in Sussex for over thirty years (his name was Carlos). I had a friend called Pierre Black. Does anybody remember him?
Does anyone remember losing the class guinea pig down under a gravestone? I was at St Andrews School until 1970, the headteacher, Mr Jones, changed my life. Mrs Johnson was a dream of a teacher. And does anyone remeber the broken biscuit shop in George Street?
Pleased to have the comments and memories re Lane’s bookshop. Does anyone know when Mr Lane died?
My late grandad Mr Keith Swift used to be the window dresser and outfitter at Broadley Brothers on the corner for years. They were the best windows I’ve ever seen (maybe I am biased?). Everyone knew him and I was so proud he was my beloved grandad. Happy and cherished memories. How I miss him.
My mum used to work in Stuart Norris and recalls serving Leo Sayer who bought a linen basket from her in the early 1970’s. I remember buying scoops of ice cream dipped in chocolate hundreds and thousands from a little shop close to Stuart Norris. Mum and dad also used to take me to a cafe called the Penny Farthing which was about half way up George Street on the other side of the road. In the 70’s I seem to recall there being a very early branch of Sainsbury’s on George Street too which had sawdust on the floor and a deli counter-service.
Does anyone know anything about Hove Wednesday Swifts football club (1914)? My granddad played for them, i have 2 photos but want to know more about the team, was it a school team?
My dad, Ken Lewis, used to own Hayes fishmongers in George St in the early 1970s, opposite what used to be the Wimpy Bar. We used to smoke our own fish and we used to have fresh game and live eels for sale. We had many a well known personality ‘pop’ in for their fish. But I remember Leo Sayer was a regular, as was Jack Warner, (Dixon of Dock Green), who never got a parking ticket for being on the wrong side of the road It was a wonderful old shop and it is a shame those days are long gone.
To Adrian. I remember all those people and I can’t work out whether you were there before or after I was. I left to go to Nevill in ’71, so I definitely remember all those teachers. Mrs Golding was famous in those days for the yardstick thing on the blackboard, shouting “Wake up, England” and Mrs Mitchell took us for country dancing – oh the embarrassment! Mr Edwards was definitely the best. His real name was Edward Jones so, to avoid confusion, he became Mr Edwards. I too received the cane once or twice from Mr Jones and remember them banning British Bulldog as a game in the playground. My fondest memories of the school have to be the churchyard. It was wonderful to sit out there during break times and watch some of the girls trying to contact the dead using a plastic beaker and a piece of foolscap with letters and numbers written on it. Those were the days…
I bought ‘Rumours’ by Fleetwood Mac in the record shop in George Street. I remember smelling the roasting coffee half way up the street. Getting loads of photos printed at Boots photo shop. Going into the Tesco clothes store, which later became the Sainsbury’s freezer centre. I think that was on the site of the old school which I vaguely remember. Lilly, our cleaning lady had gone to school there. I spent many hours in George Street. School uniforms, going for tea and crumpet after prayer meetings at the cafe. The fruit and veg shop at the top. I even remember being able to park a car in George Street! A great shopping experience.
I too am an author now. I too spent a lot of school holiday time in the late fifties, early sixties, in Mr Lane’s bookshop buying anything and everything, in a very serendipitous way, thus reading a very wide range of books, which is just as it should be. I too owe a debt to Mr Lane with his pipe, Hove library, and also Bric a Brac, in Portland Road for my literary education.
I remember every Saturday morning catching the bus from the Southern Cross in Portslade to go shopping with my mum. We always spent the whole day there either checking out the jumble sale stuff or sitting in De Marco’s. What memories.
I attended there for my grade 1 year, 73/74. I remember Mr Jones and Ms/Mrs Powell. Playing in the graveyard amongst the headstones is a strange memory nowadays. I lived on Westbourne Gardens, not far away I think. Many years have passed and the memories are hard to distinguish from simple imagination. I remember being so heartbroken when my new rubber ball was lost down a drain at the school. A fence kept me from catching it. I could only smear the tears as I watched it disappear into the nothingness of that hole forever. Wow, stirring to sit here and reminisce about the fading memories of a young boy. Glad I found this site. I may have some photos to contribute from the 73/74 year. If anyone has old photos of the original school, please add them! It would sure bring a sort of sense of wholeness to my mind, anyhow. Thanks.
How lovely to see so many nice comments about my dad, Ken Lane from Lanes bookshop in Blatchington Road. I grew up living above the shop so worked in there from time to time. I also was fortunate to be able to ‘borrow’ whatever books I fancied reading so the choice was always huge! My parents left the shop back in 1985 when they retired and moved to Portslade. Sadly my dad passed away nearly 2 years ago now but he would have been absolutely delighted to have known that so many people had good memories of the shop and of Mr Lane, the man with the pipe!
George Street in Hove always a place to go when I was a kid, when I was young with a family, even now I sometimes go armed with my bus pass. Sainsbury’s had a counter for every different need and when you finished they used to put your bill and money in a pulley and send it through the air to a lady behind a glass window who then would send your change by the same way back to the sales man. Also remember the Balerina coffee bar just below Woolies. I used to get records at WK&O as well and listen to them in a little booth in the shop. Oh good old George Street I say.
To Adrian Stemp: we may have been at St Andrews around the same time. The name Pierre Black definitely rings a bell though I have the feeling that he could be from my secondary years. We moved to Hangleton from junior days and I went on to Neville County Secondary. Paul Batchelor I remember very clearly. In fact I still have a picture of his face in my mind’s eye. I don’t think he ever bullied me although I was probably ripe for it: mixed race, tall, skinny and with a funny name. In my class I can still remember the name Penelope Glynde. This must be over forty years ago. Good Lord. Like other comments I loved St Andrews too – especially the walks in the graveyard.
I attended St Andrew’s School in 1939 and remember putting the strips on the windows for air raid precautions. My father was a chimney sweep and my mother was born at No, 68. There were two cinemas and fire station on the west side, and one of the first self service shops. Woolworths was built at the top with a water tank for air raids. Headmaster was Mr Rimmer and Mr Leeney (who lived in Hassocks) walked down George Street each morning to school.
After a swim at the King Alfred in the late 40s, I’d buy sheet music at WK&O. In the 70s I worked in Hove and we finished early on Fridays. I would go for a coffee and cake at a cafe on the west side of the street, about half way up. It had an Irish name that I forget. Opposite this was a shop called Fine Records, with a good selection and knowledgable salespeople.
Way back in these comments, Jane Drummond (nee Butler) mentioned the Wimpy Bar down on the west side of George St. and the fire station photos. The sepia tint photos on the walls always held a fascination for me, I remember they showed hand drawn and operated fire pumps as well as horse drawn pumps and pictures of the building as it was. I actually contacted the Wimpy organisation a long time ago regarding the whereabouts of these pictures and although I received a courteous reply a total lack of interest was shown. A pity as copies of them would have made a good addition to the social history of Hove. A funny incident happened in the Wimpy Bar back in the early 80s. I was sitting enjoying a cup of Lemon Tea which they always served in very tall chrome framed glasses with an even longer spoon poking out the top, at that moment the door swung open and Judy Tzuke entered with a friend or minder, Judy was very beautiful and had the most amazing long hair, way down below her bum! In my haste to turn for a better look my sleeve caught the spoon and I knocked the whole glass of steaming tea into my lap! Fortunately although unable to alleviate the pain the staff supplied plenty of towels to help dry my trousers. I did not venture into the street for some while after that. I guess Judy may have been performing locally as she had recently charted with “Sports Cars”. So, George St and the Wimpy Bar had more than one fascination for me!
Hi, I remember starting the first football team and training in St Andrews cemetery, and being the lead singer in the choir 1969 / 70.
I remember Bonny Deane and her best friend I think was Kirsten. I started up the football team and was the lead in the choir with a lady teacher (can’t remember her name but think she was Canadian). We used the church yard for football practice. Wondered if anyone can help my memory.
My Grandad Thomas Gold worked at Coe’s fishmonger all of his working life. I remember every Christmas we would have a large turkey from him – Mum would always be worried that it wouldn’t fit in our oven! I also remember the record shop and the Ballerina coffee bar listening to the juke box. It all seems very tame now, but it was such fun.
Wasn’t Cobleys just opposite George Street (other side of Church Road)? I remember getting my Hove College uniform there – there was a lady sales assistant who was always so friendly.
I worked as a secretary at Cobley’s in the early 60’s. I worked with someone called Michael Brown who until very recently had his own men’s outfitters in Haywards Heath. Anyone know what happened to all the Cobley family? Remember the furniture and gift shop called Harcourt’s in George Street?
I’m always reminded of George Street every Christmas when I get the tree and decorations down from the loft. The fairy for the tree is a platic doll in a home made kind of angel’s costume decorated with tinsel and curtain netting. It belonged to my parents and was brought out to go on top of the tree for as long as I can remember. It’s still in it’s original envelope with George Street written in pencil on it. It was originally from the Rediffusion shop where my Auntie Lee Burt worked and I guess it was given to her when the shop closed down and she then gave it to my Mum and Dad.I wonder if anyone else remembers the shop?
What I remember well is doing a week’s shopping in Tesco in 1966 and filling the shopping trolley for £5.00.
Does anyone know or remember Spaghetti Junction in Blatchington Road – first of its kind – a take away offering something other than fish n chips? No record of this establishment on line. Where are you Chris?
When I got married to my first wife in 1964 we lived at 34 Sackville Road. We spent many happy hours shopping in Blatchington Road and George Street on Saturday mornings. George Street had as many shops as you could need for almost everything. There was a second hand shop in Blatchington Road where I spent most of my pocket money buying bits and pieces for the home. I worked at Hall & Co. in Davigdor Road as a coalman delivering coal and coke.
My late father used to be manager of Dewhurst the butchers, on the left of George Street looking down from Woolworths.
I went to George Street school from 1959-1963. I remember a teacher called Mrs Potter who used to bring her two daughters in school sometimes. Happy memories when the Queen visited in 1962, every child made a flag, I can still feel the excitement now. Yes, those were lovely times.
I too remember going to Lane’s Bookshop with my brother on a regular basis. I always bought Enid Blyton and my brother always bought Ian Fleming’s James Bond Books – always 10p a go. We still have some of them in the loft! I too remember the smell of fresh coffee the whole way down George Street. I live in Winchester now and miss Hove dreadfully!
I was born in Church Road, above Findlater’s wineshop in 1950 and spent my boyhood years in and around George Street area. I can remember buying sweets from the Candy Shop, going to St. Andrew’s school from 1957 -1962, broken biscuits, butter from the Maypole at the top of the road, the curved windows with the mirrors at each end in Shaw’s Stores. I also clearly remember a square brass sign in the pavement outside the old fire station that said ‘Omnibuses Stop Here’, a relic from the horse bus era. I wonder what happened to that? Happy days.
I also lived in Church Road, above Findlaters Wine Store, as Peter Williams’ brother, and George Street was our hub. Attended St Andrews CofE School between 1954 and 1957. Remember playing marbles in George Street road gutter after school (no traffic!). Opposite the school was Lesters toy shop (plenty of window shopping), a newsagent for comics, Gunns the greengrocer for bruised apples at a penny each and Browns ironmongers (for pink paraffin). Also DeMarcos for ice cream, Candy Shop for sweets and fizzy drinks also for a penny! And Wickham, Kimber and Oakley for records (78 rpms!) – remember the listening booths. Further down George Street on the school side was Roslyns, ladies haberdaisery and a general provisions shop. A simpler and quieter life back then.
Having lived in this area as a child in the 50s (I lived in Blatchington Road) and attended St Andrew’s School I have been searching for old pictures of the area for some time. I was delighted to find some excellent photos of George Street and area and of the old St Andrew’s School in particular in the James Grey Collection of the Regency Society . The images of the old school which we usually called George Street are the best I have ever been able to find and are in the Hove Central part of the collection from Image 109 onwards but there are many other pictures of George Street and surrounds in the Hove Central part of the collection. For anyone interested in the area I strongly recommend a look.
I was born in George Street in 1942. My parents ran the fish and chip shop. I have seen many changes to the street over the last 70 years. It is a shame that our main street has lost so many traders over the years. I used to love De Marco’s ice cream parlour, Miss Gunn’s greengrocers next door to them and also the biscuit shop, Shaws Stores and the original Sainbury’s shop at the top, where Boots is now. Our streets have changed so much, with many of the major companies moving out of town.
My first job, after leaving school, was at the TV and Radio shop of Wickham Kimber and Oakley. My job was repairing small electrical items, Irons, toasters and fires etc. I sometimes helped out in the shop. In 1967 I saw colour television for the first time there. I think I was too good at my job as I slowly become responsible (for no extra wages) for almost everything, stock, ordering, even seeing the sales reps etc. They didn’t like it when I gave my notice in!
My first full time job, after leaving school in 1957, was with Lesters in George Street. I worked in the lino and furniture shop, near the top of the street, and almost opposite the Ballerina coffee bar. The Lester family also had a pram shop and a toy shop in George Street.
Broadley Bros. was where I hired a morning suit for my nephew’s wedding. I had left it late to hire one in Brighton and as it was a ‘posh do’ down in Dorset I could not turn up in a business suit. I found one at Broadleys but the only one my size was in a dove grey; Broadleys fitted me out with suit, necktie and a tie pin, plus a cumerbund! I was the only person in a light grey amongst all the darks so stood out well in the photos! The two places I recall best of all in George St area are the much talked of Lanes Bookshop, what a treasure trove there was in the Bargain Basement trays outside, and nobody has mentioned Bradshaws, who also had a branch in London Rd, where the latest Dinky Toys would be the window display alongside their bike collection.
My dad ran the furniture shop (Jack Howard’s) next door to Ken Lanes, so I remember it well. I was often next door browsing the books. I have quite a few Famous Five books kicking around from his shop which my kids now read. Sorry to hear Ken Lane passed away in 2008, he did well to get to his 80s.
My dad used to be manager of Dewhurst the butchers in George Street during the 60s. Does anybody remember the shop or my dad? His name was Harry Raynsford.
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