The Traveller's Rest

The Traveller's Rest, Middle Street

One of my favourite places is the Friese Green Traveller’s Rest, Middle Street. I love the little backpacker scaling the building. I expect that this place has housed many colourful Brighton visitors.

Comments about this page

  • In the early 1960s I was a waitress in the Connemara Cafe; owned by Trudy Lynch, an Irish lady. The Connemara Cafe is now the Friese Green Travellers Rest. I still have a menu from then.

    By Jennie Allport (11/02/2004)
  • This William Friese Green house is where 2 brothers lived with whom I went to school – the Tapsells. We went to Middle Street School in the late 40s.

    By Ashlea Simpson (11/10/2004)
  • The Backpackers Rest was originally the Brighton home of William Friese-Greene, who is credited by many as the inventor of cinema.

    By Peter Groves (28/10/2004)
  • I passed this house – or what is left of it today (6th May 2005). I could weep – it stands next to a building site and has had all character stripped from it, only the sign remains. Are there no laws to protect our buildings in Brighton?

    By Geraldine Lord (06/05/2005)
  • I currently work in this building for a digital media company. Geraldine might be pleased to know that, although it’s being used as offices now, it has been very nicely restored with many original features being retained including a beautiful, curving staircase.

    By Karl (15/07/2009)
  • As a distant relative of William Friese-Greene I was interested to visit his Middle Street Studio site. I’m wondering if there are any old images of the studio or of William in Brighton?
    [Editor: If you haven’t seen it already, you may be interested in this page about William.]

    By Phil Mullane (12/10/2009)
  • Hi Ashlea Simpson.  Just found this comment.  Alistair (my twin) and I lived at 18 Middle Street  just down from the house where Freise-Green worked and I remember watching the ceremony celebrating this inventor with a plaque.  I have forgotten what the bakers opposite were called but Geoffrey Matthews lived there. My mother set up an Antique Shop at no. 18 to help make ends meet and eventually they had 4 in Brighton.

    We went to Middle Street School and then to Brighton & Hove G S on Dyke Rd. Alistair still lives in Brighton and I live in Northampton.  

    This posting was some time ago so I wonder if is it still being monitored. Lots of memories awoken by the many comments on this site.

    By John Tapsell (28/10/2018)
  • I lived at Friese Greene Travellers Rest for 10 months when I was 19 – we had the best time ever! I have photos of the building inside and out at the time if there is any way to share them?

    Editor’s note: Hello Symone, instructions for sharing photos can be found here: https://www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk/get-involved/contribute.

    By Symone Hart (26/11/2019)

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