Western Road (4)

James Gray: The horse bus bound for the remote destination, Carlisle Road, Hove, stops for passengers just short of the corner of Preston Street. Hetheringtons, after 80 years of trading in Western Road, finally closed down in 1950. jgc_19_004

James Gray: View westwards, from Hampton Place 1903. jgc_19_010

2019: This image taken from Hampton Place shows that retail is still operating at ground level with residential dwellings above. No 87 Western Road on the corner of Sillwood Road used to be occupied by Godfrey Pianoforte manufacturers. The site is now occupied by William Hill Bookmakers. (Photographer: Denise Taylor) 

James Gray: The empty Ministry of Labour buildings, 130a, Western Road, on September 8th, 1963. Together with the adjoining cinema it was built not long before the 1914-18 War on the site of West Hill lodge, seen in other photographs [see jgc_19_016]. One time motor showrooms, it was opened by the Ministry during that war and remained the Labour Exchange for more than 40 years. jgc_19_012

James Gray: Priory Lodge, originally known as the Gothic House, was built in the early 1820s. Although the entrance doorway was in Western Road, the house formed part of Western Terrace and was, for many years, in private occupation. In later years, professional men used it and in 1880 a further Gothic extension was made by Mr W H Stevens of Crouch, Stevens & Co., who occupied the adjoining premises as Auctioneers and House Agents. The ground floor was first used as a shop in 1898 by Mr Sharman, a draper, and finally in 1920, the property, with several others adjoining was acquired by Plummer Roddis Ltd. Since then the whole of the lower storey has been cut away to form a shop front with an extension eastwards covering the whole site of the garden. The photograph probably dates from about 1890, but one cannot be more exact. jgc_19_013

James Gray: A photograph of 94 Western Road, on the other side of Western Terrace as it was in 1897. This house was erected about 1830 by Amon Henry Wilds and was originally known as Western Pavilion or 9 Western Terrace. Additional Information: The upper floor is now a single glass window. jgc_19_014

2019: This building was originally part of Western Pavilion and adjoins Western Terrace. It has been a retail premises since the middle of the 19th century and subsequently absorbed into the street address of 94 Western Road. (Photographer: Denise Taylor)

James Gray: Compare the photograph above with that on the previous page [jgc_19_013]. Probably of the period 1910-14, it shows the original shop front of Sharman’s built out over the side garden in Western Terrace. jgc_19_015

2019: The two-storey building concealing the side view of Gothic House at 95 Western Road was designed by Henry Ward for the department store Plummer Roddis in the 1920s. (Photographer: Denise Taylor)

James Gray: Looking west along Western Road, from the corner of Sillwood Road – 1908. This photograph shows clearly the new building line, which was established in 1906. In that year the corporation acquired the long gardens that ran down from the houses in Codrington Place, used part of this land for street widening and leased the rest for the building of shops. Hitherto the northern edge of the road had been in line with the trees of West Hill Lodge in the background. Later the extensive garden of this house was acquired and the labour exchange and cinema erected on this site. jgc_19_016

James Gray: View from the top of Bedford Place, in July 1899, as the crowd awaited the approach of Barnum and Bailey’s Circus. The photograph emphasises the narrow road of this period and shows very clearly the large trees in the gardens of Codrington Place. jgc_19_018

2019: Still clearly visible are the bow fronts of the original houses, the ground floors now clad with modern shop fronts. See also jgc_19_009 on Western Road (5) page. (Photographer: Denise Taylor)

James Gray: A photograph taken in 1897, of a house at the corner of Western Road and Montpelier Road. It was built in the 1840s as a private residence and was later used for professional purposes. At the time of the photograph W. Harris, Dental Surgeon occupied the house. In 1935 it was absorbed into Plummer Roddis’ shop premises. jgc_19_019

2019: 98-99 Western Road have merged and Taj supermarket has occupied the premises since 2005. (Photographer: Denise Taylor) 

James Gray: The house was demolished in 1964 together with large shop premises in Western Road. The size of the garden can be seen from this photograph. jgc_19_021 

2019: This image shows 135 Western Road Brighton and is now a Chinese restaurant. The premises next door were demolished in the late 1970s to make way for the extension of Waitrose which still exists on the site and is numbered 130-134 Western Road. The former garden at the rear is now used as the supermarket car park. (Photographer: Denise Taylor)

James Gray: After the introduction of talking films in 1929, the cinema was reconstructed and modernised. For a time in the 1930s it was renamed, the Regal. Finally it became the Curzon, and the above photograph of 1956 shows the building in its present form. Additional Information: Danny Kaye – The Court Jester. jgc_19_029

2019: 130 Western Road. Renamed the Classic Cinema in 1970 it closed in 1979 and Waitrose supermarket extended into the area and now occupies nos 130-134. (Photographer: Denise Taylor) 

James Gray: Western Road, from Montpelier Road, eastwards, decorated for the Silver Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary. Additional Information: Ministry of Labour. Tamplins. jgc_19_030

2020: Today the Montpelier Road junction decorations are funded by local businesses as part of the area’s Business Improvement District scheme. The controversial mobile phone masts on top of Mitre House were erected in 2005. (Photographer: Denise Taylor)

James Gray: A photograph of the old, narrow road opposite the top of Preston Street. This photograph was taken about 1900 and shows the road devoid of traffic. Additional Information: Hetherington, Deeble & Co. jgc_19_031

2019: Western Road has been widened since the original photograph was taken. The original buildings on the north side of the road were demolished. The buildings on the south side are the same – just with different businesses occupying them. (Photographer: Nick Eastham)

James Gray: A photograph of the old, narrow road opposite the top of Preston Street. This is a later view with crowds watching a loyal procession, judging by the flags. I have no information as to the date or the occasion. jgc_19_032

2018: See caption for jgc_19_031 above. (Photographer: Nick Eastham) 

James Gray: Western Road, between Montpelier Road and Hampton Place, in 1925. Apart from the new cinema façade the north side is little changed now, but Plummers store has since absorbed all the buildings in the right foreground. Additional Information: Nazimova ‘My Son’ playing at the cinema. jgc_19_033

2018: The buildings to the east have all been replaced by what is now a Waitrose supermarket. (Photographer: Nick Eastham)

James Gray: Looking westwards from Dean Street towards Preston Street. It is interesting to note that the business of Carter Bros, Stationers, is shown in both photographs (see previous) though in different premises. jgc_19_035

2018: The buildings on the north side of the road have all changed since the original photograph was taken.

James Gray: On the south side of Western Road from the top of Preston Street, in 1895. jgc_19_036

2018: No comment. (Photographer: Nick Eastham)

James Gray: At the turn of the century. View of the same area of Western Road, but showing the north side of the road, in 1901. jgc_19_037

2018: The buildings that were originally on the north side of Western Road, running east from the corner of Hampton Place, were demolished and replaced with Mitre House.

James Gray: This view shows Carters in their temporary premises – the old Bon Marché site in 1926. jgc_19_047

2019: The building on the corner of Spring Street and Western Road is the east end of Mitre House, built in 1935. It has private flats above and shops on the ground floor. (Photographer: Nick Eastham) 

James Gray: This block comprised Nos 143 to 156 Western Road. It consisted of several small shops, and one large store, the Bon Marché premises. At this time, this was occupied temporarily by Boots whose own building in the next block was undergoing reconstruction. jgc_19_050

2019: The buildings between Hampton Place and Spring Street were demolished in the early 1930s, with Mitre House opening in 1935. (Photographer: Nick Eastham)

James Gray: The passage of three years has brought fresh tenants to some of the shops but structurally the building have not changed. Boots new premises having been completed, they have vacated the Bon Marché store, which is now occupied by Wades who have moved down from Nos 188-191 whilst the rebuilding of their store at the corner of Regent Hill is in progress. jgc_19_051

2019: The view is now dominated by Mitre House. (Photographer: Simon Cooper) 

James Gray: February 1928. View from the other end of the block. Boots are in occupation of the old Bon Marché store, which largely consisted of the ground floors of old private houses. jgc_19_052

2019: Another view of Mitre House. (Photographer: Simon Cooper)

James Gray: These two photographs [jgc_19_053 and 054] provide a contrast in traffic conditions. In the earlier one, an uncomfortable bottleneck persisted opposite Water’s shop, while the widened road shown in the next photograph helped the smooth passage of traffic past the junction with Preston Street. jgc_19_053

2018: In both 1928 and 2018 (90 years apart) the view shows a busy shopping street. With the rise of online shopping, what will remain in the future? (Photographer: Simon Cooper) 

James Gray: [See caption jgc_19_053 above.]  jgc_19_054

2018: Many of the buildings in this view are still recognisable, though their functions have changed. (Photographer: Simon Cooper)

James Gray: Demolition of the block has begun, the Bon Marché premises have gone and the roadway has been widened. It is easy to see from this photograph that the buildings were originally private houses and that shop fronts had been built out over the front gardens. jgc_19_055

2019: The picture is now dominated by Mitre House. (Photographer: Simon Cooper)

James Gray: December 1933. Waters’ new building at No 143 has been completed and the old shop, which projected in front to the old line of the pavement, has been taken down. Only a narrow strip of roadway remains to be widened and traffic lights have been installed at the junction with Preston Street. The temporary premises at the far end of the block are used by Staffords department store for the sale of Christmas toys. jgc_19_057

James Gray: July 1934. The Central has received a temporary new lease of life and acquired a fresh shop front. The entire site is to be let on a building lease, while the removal of the old houses has revealed trees in back gardens, of whose existence most people were unaware. Additional Information: Cinema posters; Gracie Fields at The London Palladium; Betta biscuits jgc_19_058

James Gray: View of the cleared site from Hampton Street. After the removal of the trees and the temporary buildings, work commenced on the construction of Mitre House, which occupied the whole site except for Waters building on the corner of Hampton Place. jgc_19_059

2019: This photograph is taken from more or less the same angle as the original. The buildings at the rear of Mitre House now obscure the view. (Photographer: Simon Cooper)

James Gray: December 1926. Boots’ original premises during the bargain sale just before Christmas. In the New Year, the stock was moved to the Bon Marché premises at the other end of Spring Street, and in May, 1927, the old premises came down. Very extensive alterations then had to be made for the basement of the new store, and the depth of these excavations aroused much comment at the time. Building of the new premises continued throughout 1928 and the new store was opened to the public in December of that year.

James Gray: [See caption for jgc_19_061 above.] jgc_19_062

2019: The entire block was demolished and replaced by the current building. (Photographer: Simon Cooper)

James Gray: Two stages (see following) in the building of Boots new store. Above, erection of girders, 2 September 1927. jgc_19_063

2019: The building site is now occupied by a large retail building used by Argos and McDonald’s. The new image shows the buildings on the southern side of Western Road which are visible in the photograph. Above street level they are still recognisable. (Photographer: Simon Cooper)

James Gray: Exterior [of Boots] nearing completion, February 1928. jgc_19_064

2020: No comment. (Photographer: Simon Cooper)

James Gray: [See caption for jgc_19_067 above.] jgc_19_069

2019: The image was probably taken from the upper floor of a property on the south side of Western Road. The new image encompasses the original view. The distinctive art deco style windows of the new building are clearly visible in both images. (Photographer: Simon Cooper)

James Gray: The block beyond Boots is now in the course of being cleared. Pavement on the south side of the road is being widened and the lamp standards removed in readiness for the installation of new lighting suspended from overhead wires. jgc_19_072

2019: The block located between Spring Street and Dean Street, 157-163 Western Road was demolished in 1927.

James Gray: A much later photograph, taken solely for the purpose of recording the Classic Cinema, then closed and about to be demolished. This building had been used as a cinema under various names since about 1908. See photographs of this on other pages. Date of this photograph – 28 October 1979. Additional Information: See jgc_19_027 and jgc_19_029 [for earlier images of the cinema mentioned here.] jgc_19_157