99.5-100b, Western Road, Brighton

Image: © Simon Carey Taken: 25 Mar 2016

Located on the south western corner of Montpelier Road is this curious collection of shops. 99 and a half is the small shack on the left, whilst numbers 100, 100a and 100b have been built into the side of what was a residence in Montpelier Road. Number 99 and a half makes its first appearance in a directory in 1936 and was built in the former garden of 34 Montpelier Road. It was a florist up to the Second World War and a fountain pen shop after before spending twenty years as a card shop. I’ve found nothing beyond 1985 until current occupants, El Taco, a Mexican takeaway, moved in during 2006. The remaining three stores were converted from a residential property in the mid 1890s, number 100 began life as a stationer, spent a decade as a fancy draper, and another 24 years as a small grocer. During the 1970s it was a travel agent and fruiterer later becoming a ladies wear store and for 18 years an opticians. Since 2007 it has been an off licence. 100a has been a cafe, the Green Tomato, since around 2009. It was originally a draper then hosiery before becoming a drapery again. A ladies wear shop straddled the Second World War whilst a menswear store operated here from the late 1950s to the beginning of the 1990s. Unfortunately I’ve been unable to find who operated here in the 1990s the first record i have is of a sandwich store around 2004. 100b has been a newsagents for its entire life though I’ve been unable to find out exactly who operated here between 1985 to 2009 99.5 1936-1940 - FLORIST (Teresa) 1947-1962 - FOUNTAIN PEN SHOP (AA Croney 1947-49, Clifford Ullman 1951-62) 1966-1985 - GREETING CARDS (The Card Shop) 2006-2016 - TAKEAWAY (El Taco) 100 1894-1923 - STATIONER (Grist & Co 1894-1913, Ernest Farnoll 1914-16, Alfred Wood 1917-21, Alex Clayton 1922-23) 1924-1934 - FANCY DRAPERS (Wicker & Co) 1935 - SMOKED SALMON MERCHANTS (Lewis) 1936-1960 - GROCER (Joseph Driver 1936-39, Jack Driver 1947-49, C & A Solomon 1951-56, H Radwillie 1958-1960) 1962-1969 - Tip Top 1970-1976 - TRAVEL AGENTS (Panorama) 1977-1981 - FRUITERER (KE Wood & son) 1984-1985 - LADIESWEAR (Papillon) 1988-2006 - OPTICIANS (Clear Vision 1988-91, Global Vision 1993-2006) 2007-2016 - OFF LICENCE (Wine Me Up) 100a 1894 - FANCY DRAPER (Annette Meads) 1895-1913 - HOSIERY (Frank Eyles 1895-1912, Montpelier Hosiery Co 1913) 1914-1935 - FANCY DRAPERS (Wicker & Co) 1936-1947 - LADIES OUTFITTERS (Pritchards) 1949 - CHEMIST (Brondesbury Pharmacy Co) 1951 - MEN’S OUTFITTERS (Norman Ray) 1954-1956 - LEATHER GOODS (Charles Raymond) 1958-1989 - MENSWEAR (M Bennett 1958-82, L’Uomo 1983-89) 2004-2006 - SANDWICH BAR (Wezzels) 2009-2016 - CAFE (Green Tomato) 100b 1894-1895 - TOBACCONIST (HG Moseley) 1896-2016 - CONFECTIONER/NEWSAGENT (Charles Beminster 1896-1905, Miss Buckley 1906-19, AL Pickett 1921-49, Mrs D Boreman 1951, R & G Bares 1954-58, C Moos 1960-62, B Heal 1964-68, Avison 1969-70, Chocolate Box 1971-75, SD & M Roderick 1976, R & M Scrace 1978-80, Wakefields 1985, Sweet ’n’ Things 2009-16)

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