Jubilee Street

James Gray: 108 Church Street, at the corner of Jubilee Street, facing New Road, in 1897. For about 40 years up to the mid-1950s, this was used as a restaurant. jgc_25_083

2018: 107 and 108 Church Street were demolished in 1972, shortly after the Central National School next door. In Jubilee Street, the road and pavement are both wider than in the original photo and the ground floor of the corner building (1 Jubilee Street) is now Carluccio’s. (Photographer: Chris Nichols)

James Gray: Old Houses in Jubilee Street, photographed in January 1957. Until quite recently the houses on either side of the main building were still inhabited. They were known as 29 and 30, Jubilee Street, on the left and 33 & 34 on the right. At the beginning of the 19th century a Mr Scrase farmed this land and loaned his field for a dinner to the poor of the town in 1809, at the time of George III’s Jubilee. The field became known as Jubilee Field and later, when a road was driven through it, this also took the name Jubilee. Gradually buildings replaced the farm, but there were livery stables, corn and forage stores here for many years and until just a few years ago, a court a few yards to the south was named Old Farm Place. These buildings were fenced off in 1958 and demolished in October 1959. jgc_25_103

James Gray: Looking south and showing the east side of this street. jgc_25_104

2018: Nothing visible in the James Gray photograph remains. Both sides of the street show an array of modernised buildings and restaurants. (Photographer: Alice Jackson)

James Gray: From Regent Street, looking at the backs of the houses in Jubilee Street. jgc_25_105

2018: All the buildings in the James Gray picture have disappeared. Today there is only one spot in Regent Street where the newer buildings in Jubilee Street can be seen. The east side of Regent Street was replaced by just two huge commercial buildings and between them is a ‘cat creep’ (a steep stairway running between two streets). The 2018 photograph shows the top of these steps in Regent Street leading down to the My Brighton hotel and Chilli Pickle restaurant on the east side of Jubilee Street.  (Photographer: Alice Jackson)

James Gray: A few yards to the east, the cleared site of Jubilee Street, looking towards North Road, with the backs of buildings in Regent Street to the left. Apart from the car park, what has Brighton gained from all these demolitions? The long awaited redevelopment, when it comes, may provide some reward.  Additional Information: This site has at last been developed in 2005.  jgc_25_110

James Gray: The Crown Auction Rooms at the North Road end – period early 1900s. Empty now and derelict this building still stands (1966) but will soon be swept away before redevelopment. jgc_25_112

2018: The Crown Auction Rooms were at 20 Jubilee Street (according to Pike’s Street Directory 1901) on the west side, approximately two-thirds of the way down from the Church Street end. The whole street was redeveloped and it can only be an approximation where the Auction Rooms were originally situated. This photograph shows the most likely site, in the parade of shops where the YO! and Las Iguanas restaurants are now. (Photographer: Alice Jackson)

James Gray: Two photographs of this street on 6th December 1964 taken in anticipation of their early removal as part of a comprehensive redevelopment of a large area including Church Street and North Place. After many properties had been acquired and closed, the project was deferred indefinitely probably for financial reasons so it is anyone’s guess how long the remaining buildings will stand. Meanwhile Jubilee Street presents a woebegone, derelict appearance and is of little use. jgc_25_113

James Gray: [See caption for jgc_25_113 above.] jgc_25_114

2018: The whole of Jubilee Street has been widened and redeveloped. None of the buildings remain. The 1964 photograph was taken looking part way down the street, looking south. The low building on the right is shown in photograph jgc_25_104 from 1960. The building at the end, on Church Street, is also missing. The Jubilee Library and open square in front of it have replaced the shop called ‘Gallery’. (Photographer: Alice Jackson) 

James Gray: Contrasting photographs [see also jgc_25_116] of the same premises, with many years between. In this photograph there were stables on either side, some for brewery horses, while at the far end was the forge of Burton Bros. Shoeing and general smiths. jgc_25_115

2018: This very old photograph is redolent of a vanished age. The stables have completely gone and are now the site of the backyard of the Church Street public houses and the rear of My Hotel sited in Jubilee Street. (Photographer: Alice Jackson)

James Gray: In December 1972 when this photograph was taken, all the stabling on the left had been removed, along with the roof, giving a much clearer view of the end building, but horses were still stabled on the other side. The buildings are still here (1977), but will soon be completely cleared for redevelopment. Additional Information: This site is now occupied by the hotel, built in 2007.  jgc_25_116

2018: Burton Brothers were at 61 Jubilee Street, but had disappeared from the street directory by 1905. This photograph was taken at the western end of the My Hotel building. (Photographer: Chris Nichols)

James Gray: Photographs taken during November and December 1972, which show buildings at the southern end of this street, and part of the erstwhile stables tucked away behind the Waggon and Horses. In July 1977, all these buildings, except the Inn, were demolished. The stables still remain, for how long who can say? jgc_25_118

2018: The cleared site behind the wooden palings is now occupied by a widened Jubilee Street and the distinctive Carluccio’s restaurant. As Gray predicted, the stables behind the Waggon and Horses were demolished. My Hotel now stands on the site. (Photographer: Alice Jackson)

James Gray: Two more photographs of the old stables hidden behind Jubilee Street and of the old houses which masked the entrance to them. jgc_25_121

2018: Gray’s 1972 photograph was taken across the cleared site towards the soon-to-be demolished stables. Today, the building housing Carluccio’s obscures everything apart from the windows to the rear of the Waggon and Horses public house. This photograph has therefore been taken from Jubilee Street rather than from Church Street as was the original. (Photographer: Alice Jackson)

James Gray: A long forgotten advertisement comes to light just prior to the removal of a building on which it had been painted, many years ago. This was at the north eastern end of Jubilee Street, very near to its junction with North Road. It was demolished in the late 1950s. Mr J Sayers, Brass finisher, Hot water & Sanitary engineer, had learned his trade under the guidance of Mr D T Bostel, founder of the well-known firm of Bostel Brothers.  jgc_25_163