79-81, North Street, Brighton

Image: © Simon Carey Taken: 27 Sep 2015

Numbers seventy nine through to eighty one occupy the eastern wing of the former Sopers store that had been built in the 1870s, see Image Before the rebuild seventy nine had been mainly been a ladies and children’s outfitters; eighty a butchers and eighty one a tobacconist. Sopers originated as a drapery business at number eighty before extending soon after into eighty one and eighty two and eventually seventy nine a decade later. It became a mini department store that operated until the 1940s when it was taken over by Leesons who had previous links with Vokins, see Image Leesons closed in 1954 and the shop was separated into individual units once more. Number seventy nine was a waterproof retailer, a newsagent, a lingerie seller and the second stop for Fun Learning who moved here from Image then onto Image and Image The shop has been empty ever since. Number eighty became an outfitter, general store, TV and video rental store and for a dozen years an optician. After that it became a succession of short term leaseholders until 2015 when the Metro Bank opened extending into this former shop from number eighty two. Eighty one was a small shop on the corner which spent nearly thirty years as a pair of shoe shops sandwiched by a couple of ladies clothes shops. The last, Mathilde K, closed in 2014 to for Metro Bank. OLD IMAGES Numbers 78-81 as part of Sopers c.1911 - http://regencysociety-jamesgray.com/volume21/source/jg_21_042.html OCCUPANTS 79 1845-1846 - AUCTIONEERS (Charles Phillips & Co) 1848-1852 - BOOT & SHOE MAKER (Henry Hibling) 1854-1876 - LADIES & CHILDREN’S OUTFITTERS (SH Foat) 1877-1954 - DRAPERS (Sopers 1877-1940, Leesons 1947-54) 1958-1974 - WATERPROOFS (Direct Raincoat Ltd) 1983-1989 - NEWSAGENT (Smokemart) 1999-2004 - LINGERIE (Knickerbox) 2007 - ACCESSORIES (Art of Fashion) 2011-2013 - TOY SHOP (Fun Learning) 80 1845-1856 - BUTCHER (John Elliott) 1862-1954 - DRAPERS (Sopers 1862-1940, Leesons 1947-54) 1958-1960 - OUTFITTER (Gordon Murray) 1976-1978 - GENERAL STORE (Connection Variety Store) 1962-1981 - TV RENTALS (Southern Rental Ltd) 1983-1987 - VIDEO RENTALS (World of Cards) 1988-2000 - OPTICIAN (Melson Wingate) 2001 - BEAUTY SALOON (Spazone Ltd) 81 1845-1854 - TEA DEALER & TOBACCONISTS (William Warmingham) 1856-1861 - WINE DEALER & TOBACCONISTS (W Wynn) 1862 - BUTCHER (WD Elliott) 1865-1954 - DRAPERS (Sopers 1865-1940, Leesons 1947-54) 1958-1970 - LADIES OUTFITTER (Lewis Separates) 1971-2009 - SHOE SHOP (Ziggy Shoes 1971-87, Faith 1988-2009) 2009-2014 - LADIES WEAR (Mathilde K) 2015 - BANK (Metro Bank)

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