James Gray: Just across the road in York Avenue stood this lovely house, Wick Villa, hemmed in by the laundry premises. I do not know when it was built but it is shown on maps of the 1880s and is probably much older than that. Always associated with laundries it could have had some connection with nearby Wick House, demolished in 1936. Wick Villa was removed in 1989, to be replaced, inevitably, by flats. A sad day for Hove. Why do we allow these demolitions? jgc_11_109
James Gray: See caption jgc_11_109 above. jgc_11_110
2018: The original buildings were in York Avenue and Wick Villa was a listed building. However it was de-listed in August 1988 and demolished in 1989. The site is now occupied by The Vineries – a sheltered home complex with a main entrance around the corner in Nizells Avenue. (Photographer: Dave Lane)
James Gray: The warehouse of A Smith (Brighton) Ltd., at the corner of York Avenue, photographed on 10 February 1974. Known as Goldsmid Villa with the adjoining Goldsmid Mews (through the archway) it was built in the 1890s and first occupied by Taylor & Co. Jobmasters. Mr Smith took over in 1920 and had a long occupation. The buildings are still here occupied by Jehovah’s Witnesses, address, 2 Osmond Road, Hove. jgc_11_108
James Gray: Two photographs [jgc_11_106 and, on the St Ann’s Well Gardens page, jgc_11_107] of buildings which once formed part of this laundry, though when they were taken on 10 February 1974, the buildings were listed as in Osmond Road, at the corner of Nizells Avenue, see photo. Wick laundry started as a commercial undertaking in the 1900s, but one wonders whether its origin was as a laundry of the Wick Estate, which included what is now St Ann’s Well Gardens. Support for this is provided by the firm’s advertisement in the Brighton Directory. The buildings were removed in 1989, and the inevitable flats have replaced them. This photograph shows the frontage in Nizells Avenue. Additional Information: Southern Vineyards. jgc_11_106
James Gray: A photograph taken from a front window of the house, The Pines, Furze Hill, soon after it was built in 1902. Beyond the roadway of Furze Hill, was a large field on which sheep can be seen grazing. This was used as the playing field of nearby Wick School, and it is now covered by the houses in the lower part of the York Avenue, built later in the 1900s. At the extreme left can seen the backs of the large houses in Norfolk Terrace. jgc_11_101
2019: The view across the south side of Furze Hill is now largely obscured by a slab block of flats, Aylesbury (address York Avenue). (Photographer: Dave Lane)
James Gray: At the top of the hill, at the corner of York Avenue. Photographed on 5 March 1961. Standing in a large garden, this substantial house [called Helouan] had a short life being built in 1911 and demolished in 1963. On the vacant site has since been built a block of terraced houses, known as York Place. jgc_11_090
2018: The 2018 photo shows the whole York Place terrace. The road as a whole, including these houses, is now called York Avenue but the houses in the York Place terrace have the address ‘York Place, York Avenue’ and a separate postcode from the rest of the road. (Photograph: Hugh Robinson)