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Do you recognise this shop?

Does anyone know where this shop was? The photograph was taken before 1947.  Please leave a comment below if you can help.  Many thanks.

Unknown location
From the private collection of Marion Goodwin

Comments about this page

  • I am sure this photo is 85 Portland Road, Hove.

    By Julie Annets (03/04/2007)
  • The shop next door is most likely what was Sadlers the Chemist. F.W. Sadler was a minister at the Stoneham Road Baptist Church.

    By David Perkins (05/04/2007)
  • The shop looks like it was in Portland Road and I went to Stoneham Road Baptist church. I am only 28 years old but I have been told all about the Sadlers.

    By Clare (13/11/2007)
  • I have a 1931 Kelly’s diretory which has the following entry listed on page 845, Commercial Directory section:
    Brighton Brothers, confectioners, Davigdor Road; 85 Portland Road, Hove; 107 Western Road, Hove & 7 George Street.
    In the Street Directory section, page 83, Davigdor Road all at the same address: 99A Greycoat Press Ltd. (The), printers; Bassett T. W. builder; Hall & Co. Ltd. coal merchants; Brighton Brothers, wholeslae confectioners; Cripps Richard Augustus F.I.C. analytical chemist & public analyst to the Borough of Bournemouth (laboratory); Cripps R. A. & Son, wholesale chemists; Langton Limited, motor engineers (Wick motor works); National Association of cycle & Motor Cycle Traders Ltd; Hove Engineering Works (William Hawker proprietor); Whitbred & Co. lim. wine & spirit merchants (general offices); Field & Cox, builders (works); Austin Wm. Hy. (The Cottage); Hanningtons Ltd. furniture depositories.
    Page 253 – Portland Road with next door neighbours:
    83 Sadler F.W. & son pharmacists; Sadler, John Kenneth; 85 Brighton geo. Fredk; 85 Brighton Bros. confctnrs; 87 Star Laundry Co. Ltd. (receiving office).
    Page 368 – Western Road, Hove, including immediate neighbours:
    106 Swift & Presswell Ltd. dyers & cleaners; 107 Brighton Bros., confrs; 108 Flatman Frederick John M.P.S. dispensing chemist Telephone No. Hove 4163.
    Page 126 – George Street, Hove with immediate neighbours:
    6 Foreman Alex. D. photographer; 6 Waller Miss Sylvia photographer; 7 Brighton Brothers wholesale confectnrs; 8 British & Argentine Meat Co. Ltd. Butchrs.
    Obviously these entries only refer to the approximate time period but they may mean that the shop was either 85 Portland Road, or 107 Western Road – as both these had chemist shops next door. I hope that helps a bit.

    By Helen Shipley (28/07/2008)
  • In the 1950s Brighton Brothers were still operating at 119 Davigdor Road. Next door at 117 was Wilkes the chemists, and also a private dwelling at the same number as Brighton Brothers. So this could be the premises.

    By Harry Atkins (05/08/2008)
  • I am almost certain it is Portland Road, Hove, next door to old Mr Sadler the chemist of Stoneham Road Baptist Church. Peter Brighton has only recentlly died. He, together with his brother Eric, were the sons of Mr Brighton Snr., and were members of Holland Road Baptist Church and sang in the choir in the 1940’s.

    By Howard Hacker (10/12/2008)
  • I am sure this is Portland Road in Hove. I believe Mrs Sadler was a supply techer who came to teach us at the Knoll Girls School before it separated from the Boys School next door, in Old Shoreham Road. A few doors away from Sadlers, was a confectionists where my Gran would buy me either a Fry’s Five Boys bar of chocolate or a green ice lolly, depending on the time of year. This would have been in the mid 1950s for the sweet shop but early 1960s for the Knoll School.

    By Lyn (09/01/2009)
  • This is definitely 85 Portland Road, Hove. My father, John Caperon, recognised the shop as he worked next door as a dispenser for Mr Sadler the pharmacist. My mother can remember buying sweets in the shop when she was a child.

    By Angela Emmerton (16/03/2009)
  • I have clothes hanger with the company Swift and Presswell Ltd. It states it’s head office is London W3.

    By Karen Tinsley (19/07/2010)
  • I believe Brighton Brothers had a sweet factory in Davigdor Road. One of the brothers ran our Boys Brigade outfit – the 18th based at Holland Road Baptist church.

    By Robert Bovington (23/09/2010)
  • My first job after leaving school was storeman at Brighton Brothers (now Wholesellers), therefore I know they still existed at 119 Davigdor in the mid 60s as well as the on site sweet factory managed by a Mr Bill Large. I can still remember his “Old Bil’ls Specials”. Far as I can remember, there was a car repair workshop next door.

    By Mike Wolstencroft (09/10/2010)
  • If anyone has any more photos or information about the shop in the picture or Brighton Bros please post here or forward to me. The shop was part of Brighton Bros established by my great grandfather James Brighton and one of his brothers Bert back in 1905 so any stories, history or memorabilia would be very interesting and appreciated.

    By Tim Brighton (17/01/2011)
  • Tim. I have a couple of pictures. My Gt Aunt was Beatrice G. Somewhere I think I’ve seen a picture of Bertie’s wedding. email me c/o beeoliver@ntlworld.com

    By Pipncox (08/08/2011)
  • I have recently been given a copy of the above photo. My dad Basil Brighton was part of the family company & I am sure I can remember visiting my Grandparents George & Flo Brighton through the door to the left of the shop, which was their home.

    By Barbara Tomes ( nee Brighton ) (31/10/2011)
  • My father, Peter Brighton, his brother Eric and their cousin Leonard, ran Brighton Bros when my grandfather, Bert, retired. I have no memories of the shop but I used to be taken, by my grandfather, to the factory in Davidor Road. Tim – perhaps you could contact me to discuss? hilarybrighton@btinternet.com

    By Hilary Brighton (31/10/2011)
  • My ex-husband was a delivery driver at the wholesalers in the early 70’s – Glen Clamp. Anyone remember him?

    By Jill Aberdeen (17/06/2013)
  • When this picture popped up on my screen I thought briefly that I was looking at the hardware shop in Portland Road, Hove, which has recently changed hands. Most of those shops on the north side haven’t changed much at all, and I’m sure that particular front door and steps to the flat looks just the same as the day it was built (1900’s?).

    By Brian Hatley (18/06/2013)
  • One of the Brighton Bros also ran the Sea Scouts?/Cubs at the Holland Road Church. Of course he also always brought some of his sweets to our meetings. They were a really nice pair of chaps! Their only desire was to do good.

    By Dennis Fielder (19/06/2013)
  • I think it’s whats now the laundrette in Portland Road, I’ve checked and the stairs are identical, the brickwork is identical as are the mouldings on the brickwork at the top. The semi-circle window is also the same. Most of these buildings would be unrecognizable now due to having gaudy modern fronts and PVC windows and doors. All of this parade must have been identical (the two to the left, including the locksmiths, still have their original fronts) but the number of steps leading up to the door seems to vary on each one; the locksmiths having two, this one having three as in the picture and the laundrette today.

    By Bradley Taplin (10/12/2013)
  • I concur with Robert Bovington. I used to know a Mr. Brighton who had a sweet factory in Davigdor Road Hove and was the leader of the Boys Brigade group of which I was a member at the Holland Road Baptist Church in the early 1970’s. He used to live in a nice detached house on the corner of Old Shoreham Road & Montefiore Road, or was it Avondale Road? At any rate a very nice & cultivated gentleman of whom I have only good memories.

    By Mark Roberts (23/02/2014)
  • I used to go to lifeboys at Holland Road Baptist Church at the age of nine years and it was run by Brighton Brothers then. I never knew if the two gentlemen who were in charge were really brothers or not.

    By John Davis (11/08/2015)
  • I remember Mr Large, my mother worked in the factory, I was young at the time and was at Davigdor Infants school. I was looking to see if the company was still in business, clearly not. Think they had a brand called Hovena, could be wrong, 50 yrs ago I’m thinking back. 

    By Taylor Johnson (05/10/2018)
  • Kings Cuts, Hair Shop and Barbers, now occupies these premises at No 85 Portland Road, Hove. (The launderette is at No 93).

    By Alan Hobden (07/10/2018)
  • Brighton Brothers. I remember this shop so well. I was born in Hove 1943 and for the last three years of WW2 lived in my maternal grandmother’s (Gran Smith) house in Ruskin Road. 39. After I and my parents as well as other family members left the house we all met up on Fridays after work and school at No. 39. Brighton Brothers was the sweet shop where we spent our ration coupons for sweets until the end of rationing. One terrible Friday, having left the bag of sweet rations in Gran’s front room, we found on picking them up before leaving for home that mice had been very busy eating enough of each sweet (I remember nibbled coconut squares especially) to make them impossible for us to eat. Tragedy!

    By Phil Redford (20/06/2023)
  • I worked for this company in 71/72? in Conway House? in Conway St. My memory is not what it used to be so I may be wrong.

    By Chas Mugridge (17/09/2023)

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