Photos and articles about Brighton and Hove in the time of coronavirus. See our collection and add your own!

The Model Railway in Hove Park.

I came across this old and not very clear photo, of the railway in Hove Park in action.

The lady with the glasses is my wife Joyce, with our two younger children, Alan and John.

Anyone else have memories of happy times on this wonderful ride?

A family day out 40 years ago
From the private collection of Ron Charlton

Comments about this page

  • Hi Ron. I was interested in your picture but I think that you have the location wrong. I have been associated with the miniature railway in Hove Park since 1970 and, looking at the construction of the raised track in your picture, I would say that it is not a form that has ever existed at Hove. The concrete supports with the anti-tipping rail have not been used at Hove until relatively recently. Also, the design of the passenger riding cars is not of a type that we have used at Hove Park. It may be that the picture you have was taken at Beechurst at Haywards Heath. Is this possible? Best wishes. Mick, Chairman, Brighton & Hove Society of Miniature Locomotive Engineers

    By Mick Funnell (28/11/2009)
  • Hi Ron, Ken Barrington here, your wife Joyce used to work for my Dad at Millwards in Portslade. My mum Poppy and Joyce have been on holiday together many times over the years and I worked in Hove Park Yard just behind the railway for 29 years. We now live near Nottingham.

    By Ken Barrington (28/11/2009)
  • Hello Mick Funnel. Sorry but I am absolutely certain that the picture was taken in Hove Park. In fact, I know of no other model railway in this part of the world. Well, it was forty years ago. The little lad is now a forty five year old paramedic in Devon.

    By Ron Charlton. (09/01/2010)
  • Hi Kenny. Just found your comments, also your photo of Millwards. Brings back happy memories. Remember the X Ray machine in the shop? No health and safety dictators in those days. Love to Poppy, all the best.

    By Ron Charlton. (09/01/2010)
  • The Hove Park track c.1960s and current can be seen here: http://www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk/page_id__9978.aspx and as you will see they are both different to that shown in the above photo.

    By Peter Groves (28/03/2010)
  • I don’t think it’s Hove Park either. I’ve known the Hove Park railway since the early 1960s and the raised track was not like the photo at that time, additionally its only since the 1987 storm that the ‘similar’ but not the same, concrete structure was introduced.

    By Peter Groves (28/03/2010)

Add a comment about this page

Your email address will not be published.