70-71, Western Road, Brighton

Image: © Simon Carey Taken: 25 Mar 2016

Number 71 was the original store of Hetherington’s the drapery which opened in 1874 and expanded into neighbouring 70, Image as well as Image and Image closing in 1950. Prior to Hetherington’s arrival the store had spent much of its previous life as a drapery with the exception of a couple of years as a mourning warehouse. When the store closed it was replaced by Dorothy Perkins who remained until the late 1970s though it continued retailing clothes into the 1980s. After a decade as a film developers it became a mobile phone store belonging to Orange until it merged with T Mobile into EE and the store was deemed superfluous. Since 2011 it has been a second hand electronics store which dealt with computers, laptops, tablets, mobile phones, computer games and various accessories. Judging by the posters on the window it has now closed or will close soon. Number 70 first appears as a food store before becoming a drapers in 1879, first as Hawley & Hunter and then Hetheringtons. When the latter closed in 1950 another firm, Chipperfield & Butler took over, see Image, until they closed the store in 1968. A period as a shoe shop was followed by another as a boutique, then a mobile phone store before a decade as an optician who made moved from Image Since 2013 it has been retailing goods for parties. 70 1845-1877 - DAIRYMAN, FRUITERER, GREENGROCER (William Evans 1845-65, Mrs Wyer 1867-77) 1879-1968 - DRAPERS (Hawley & Hunter 1879-80, Hetheringtons 1883-1950, Chipperfield & Butler 1951-68) 1969-1976 - SHOE SHOP (Peter Lord) 1978 - FASHION SHOP (Made in Heaven) 1980-1996 - BOUTIQUE (Denim Den) 1999-2001 - MOBILE PHONES (The Pocket Phone Shop) 2005-2012 - OPTICIAN (Optical Express) 2013-2016 - PARTY GOODS (Partido) 71 1845-1867 - DRAPER (Henry Gould 1845-64, J Sayers 1865-67) 1868-1870 - MOURNING WAREHOUSE (Kelly & Craig) 1871-1873 - LINEN DRAPER & SILK MERCHANT (William Plumer) 1874-1950 - DRAPER (Hetheringtons) 1951-1974 - LADIESWEAR (Dorothy Perkins) 1978-1982 - CLOTHES (Jean Machine) 1983-1986 - LADIESWEAR (CB Cash & Carry) 1985-1996 - FILM DEVELOPERS (Bonus Print) 1999-2009 - MOBILE PHONES (The Orange Shop) 2011-2016 - SECOND HAND ELECTRONICS (Replay)

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