85-88 North Road

Image: © Simon Carey Taken: 30 Oct 2011

Number 85 to 88 refers to the all the building except that part on the left which was originally number 84 but since the 1970s has been addressed as 40 Kensington Gardens. Originally began life as a provisional merchants run by the Lynn family who were to be involved with the store until the 1920s. The Johnson Brothers would move to a larger store in Western Road where they would continue trading until the end of the 1970s never quite having recovered from a disastrous fire caused by a stray firework that burnt their store to the ground in 1970. A brief stint as a foot hospital was followed by a return to furniture and home furnishings until the 1970s when a DIY merchant spent a decade here before the building was converted to a good old fashioned timber merchants and joinery which has survived for 25 years. OCCUPANTS 1845-73: PROVISION MERCHANTS: John Lynn & Sons (1845-70), Lynn & Lomas (1871-73) 1874-1921: WHOLESALE GROCERS: Walter & Lynn 1922-34: HOUSE FURNISHERS: Johnson Brothers 1938-39: HOSPITAL: Brighton District Foot Hospital 1940-51: HOME FURNISHERS: Tacey's House of Value 1954-66: FURNITURE DEALERS: Henry's 1968-71: HOME FURNISHERS: Martin Lee 1972-82: DIY STORE: Gunns 1983-2011: TIMBER MERCHANTS: Brighton Timber Company (1983-86), North Road Timber (1986-2011)

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