44-47 Gardner Street

Image: © Simon Carey Taken: 25 Sep 2011

With the exception of buildings lost to road widening at either end of the street this is the only rebuild that has occurred here since the 1820s. Numbers 44, 45, 45a, 46 and 47 were demolished in 1965 by the occupants of number 44, Tesco to build a modern supermarket. See http://regencysociety-jamesgray.com/volume25/source/jg_25_143.html for an image taken in 1965 prior to demolition and one taken in the early 1970s http://www.flickr.com/photos/rpm-brighton-hove/5987512565/. With the growth of motor car use particularly in relation to weekly shopping habits Tesco decided that the building no longer served their needs and moved out around 1979 though I imagine they were kicking themselves when trends began to move back towards smaller local stores in the late 1990s. Tesco did managed to get themselves into the North Laine in 2005 as part of the new Jubilee Street development a couple of streets to the east. After a brief period as a discount store the building remained empty until 1984 when it reopened as the Jubilee Shopping Hall containing a number of stalls on a number of different floors as well as a separate shop given the number 44. One of those who traded in the hall, Borderline, now operates from Image The shopping hall remained in place until the late 1990s when Komedia, a comedy venue who had outgrown its original premises on Manchester Street put forward plans to develop it as a small comedy venue and restaurant combined. This duly opened in 1998 along with a new shop at the eastern end of the building given the number 47 and other than a change of restaurant has largely remained the same ever since. OCCUPANTS 44-47 only 1965-79: SUPERMARKET: Tesco 1980-81: DISCOUNT STORE: Keen Prices 1982-88: SPORTS SHOP: Alpine Sports (44 only) 1984-97: INDOOR MARKET: Jubilee Shopping Hall 1998-2011: ARTS VENUE: Komedia 1998-2011: RESTAURANT: Curve Bar (1998-2005), Gourmet Burger Bar (2008-11) NUMBER 44 From 1845 until its demolition 120 years later the shop saw a large turnover of businesses coming in and out with only the 36 years of Thomas Castleden the only long tenure of note. AE Kent had traded at Image before the war. OCCUPANTS 1845-48: CURRIER: Josiah Lane 1862-71: TAILOR/DRAPER: A Morrison (1862-65), H Denham (1867-71) 1884-1920: CARVER/GILDER: Thomas Castleden 1921-22: PICTURE FRAMER: Alfred Gates 1923-26: PROVISIONAL MERCHANT: AW Moxey (1923-25), Mrs Artus (1926) 1927: OUTFITTERS: Mrs Brockes 1928-29: GRAMOPHONE DEALERS: J West 1930: CYCLE DEALER: Joseph Westrich 1931-34: OUTFITTER: L Smith 1936-38: GOWNS: Blue Arcade 1939-40: BOOK REPOSITORY: Chain Libraries Ltd 1947-60: BISCUIT MAKER: AE Kent & Co 1962-65: GROCER: Tesco NUMBER 45 A private house until the 1890s 45 was the polar opposite to 44 with just two shops here in 72 years. The national chain of Freeman, Hardy & Willis also had a shop nearby at 83 North Road which continued trading into the 1960s, whilst Aird & Co had originally been founded next door at 45a and had expanded into this shop just before the war. The firm moved to 14 Bond Street in 1965 amalgamating with another tool shop called Swift & Co and are still trading there today. OCCUPANTS 1893-1939: SHOE SHOP: Freeman, Hardy & Willis 1940-65: TOOL SPECIALIST: Aird & Co NUMBER 45a Like 45 the building remained in residential use until the early 1890s after which it briefly became tailor when a tool dealer called William Aird. Aird and his successors were to trade here for the next 67 years, expanding into neighbouring 45 in the process and moving to 14 Bond Street once plans for demolition were put in motion. OCCUPANTS 1893-96: TAILOR: Samuel Atkins 1898-1965: TOOL SPECIALIST: William Aird (1898-1911), Aird & Co (1912-65) NUMBER 46 Like 44 the shop has had a huge turnover of businesses passing through and only started settling once 46 had been combined with neighbouring 47. OCCUPANTS 1879-80: TOY DEALER: M Trower 1881: FISHING TACKLE: A Stoner 1883: DRAPER: A Grinstead 1884-90: OUTFITTER: A Pawson 1891-95: HOSIER/HATTER: G Cottrell 1896-98: TRUNK MAKER; Holway Bailey 1899-1907: HOSIER: Barnard 1911: CONFECTIONER: C Johnson 1912: WARDROBE DEALER: Thomas More 1913-15: TAILOR: Ailion (1913), Charles (1914-15) 1916-17: TOOL SPECIALIST: Aird & Co 1918: MILLINER: Gina Harris 1919-27: CUTLERS: FN Vivian & Co 1928-65: GREENGROCER: Frederick Carter (1928-31), English & Colonial Fruit Store (1934-40), HA Silverthorne (1947-65) NUMBER 47 see Image

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