First up!…….Cinemas in Brighton & Hove of the ‘sixties’. In alphabetical order: ACADEMY: (West St.) ARCADIA: (Lewes Rd.) ASTORIA: (York Place) CONTINENTAL: (Sudelely Place) CORONATION: (North Rd.) COURT: (New Rd.) CURZON: (Western Rd.) CINEMA DE LUXE: (North St.) DUKE OF YORKS: (Preston Circus) ELECTRIC THEATRE: (George St. HOVE) EMBASSY: (Western Rd.) ESSOLDO: (Imperial) (North St.) GAIETY: (Vogue) (Lewes Rd.) GRANADA: (Portland Rd.) ODEON: (WestSt.) ODEON: (Denmark Villas) ODEON: (St. Georges Rd.) PALLADIUM: (Kings Rd.) PANDORAS BOX: (Kings Rd.) PARIS: (New Rd.) PRINCES (Jaycee) (North St.) REGENT: (Queens Rd.) ROTHBURY: (Franklin Rd.) SAVOY: (East St.) The ‘golden-years’ for the cinema was ‘between the wars’ and onto the ‘fifties’ & ‘sixties’. I would say….outside of LONDON…BRIGHTON probably had more cinemas than any other town! (the only ‘original’ one left is: DUKE of YORKS!) Many,many stories can be recalled about these cinemas…of course people of a certain age still remember when the ‘little’ ODEON in Kemp Town was bombed in ‘1940’ the great loss of life. The availability of cheap television-sets in the ‘sixties’ sounded the death knell for movies and many were turned into ‘Bingo-Halls’ to help to make money. 2).’SHOPS & SHOPPING’: Brighton’s shops underwent many changes throughout the ‘sixties’. Many well known stores: ‘HUDSONS’/SWEARS and WELLS’/’WADES’/’HILLS’/’BARRANCE and FORD’..were closed down for good and often replaced with ‘tatty’ establishments of residential buildings. Times were changing at break-neck speed as the ‘sixties’ moved on apace! The political climate changed dramatically and the U.S.A. had an ever inreasing effect on all of our lives. ‘BRIGHTON SQUARE’ was opened in: 1966 in the heart of the LANES (partly sponsored by HANNINGTONS) In the meantime many shops, there have come and gone but…only one ‘original’ remains: ‘Record Roundup’ (originally ‘Fine Records’) Years ago ‘Fine Records’ decamped to George St. HOVE East Street was once a prestigious area for shopping, did you know!!! ‘HUDSONS’ the quality butchers/deli etc. closed down in the sixties… after that many established shops ‘shut up shop’ throughout the seventies! ‘BEALS’ the bookshop/record-shop went and it wasn’t until the eighties that the ‘council’ engaged a developer to build: Regency Arcade(at least it was ‘undercover’!) Western Rd. started to change in the sixties..mainly with the opening of CHURCHILL SQUARE in April 1968.Somewhat of a novelty at the time this development caused about ’26 nearby-streets to be demolished! and with it a passing of a lot of history of old-Brighton. To date all of the prestige-shops in Western Rd. have disappeared although…it is sometimes possible to chance on a few clues of days gone by. (Check out the pavement near Starbucks (lansdowne Rd.) and you will see the reamins of the ‘mosaic-pavement’ outlining ‘HILLS OF HOVE’!) Other memorable shops..of course inclide: the famous ‘Pie Shop’ on the corner of St. James st. and Chapel st….was there ever a better ‘pie-shop? Joe Lyons chain of ‘corner-cafes’ in London also appeared in Brighton. My favourite was at the bottom of St. James st. (remember the spoons on chains?) Sainsbury’s…also in St.James st. was a favourite with shoppers. Staff actually sliced and packaged the: butter/cheese etc. before your very eyes!!! Who could not forget the ‘Cork Shop’ in the North-Laines…Belmanns in London Rd…where many a latest ’45 record was purchased for ‘7/6’ on a Friday evening. Also ‘Woolies’ did very well in the sixties selling nearly everything! (although…Maynards sweets were better!!!) Now….onto the’Transport’ section: The start of the ‘sixties’ saw the demise of the ‘Trolleybusses’ (1961) This brilliant,cost-effective form of transport took over from the scrapping of the old ‘Trams’. (1939). Of course diesel-buses have reigned supreme ever since but they are souless form of transport..originally manned by a driver and conductor…but since 1970 have been the sole-responsibiliy of the driver. ‘Inspectors’ and conductors were made redundant in: 1970 and sonn after problems started with ‘customer-aggrevation’ violence and general chaotic scenes…still in evidence today..on some routes!!!
via Part: 5..Cinemas;Shops& Transport of the ’60’s’ | All About Brighton.com.