125-129, Western Road, Brighton

Image: © Simon Carey Taken: 28 Mar 2016

Originally a terrace of townhouses with front gardens that were gradually converted to commercial use from the late 1880s onwards. The shop at the end, currently the Mad Hatter cafe, is officially in Montpelier Road and was the last house to lose its garden in the 1930s. Number 125 on the left remained a residential dwelling until 1905 when it was converted into a ladies tailor that later became a men’s tailor. Clothing remained the main trade into the 1930s until it was converted into a boot repair shop in 1937. It would continue with this service until the mid 1990s when the shop was converted into a restaurant that later became a series of Middle Eastern takeaways. The shop has been empty since 2015. Neighbouring 126 was converted to commercial use in the late 1880s but was initially offices until it became a cycle agent in 1899. In 1911 it was converted to a ladies hairdresser which it remained until the late 1960s. A brief period as a bookmaker and boutique was followed by a decade as a furniture store who also operated out of 127. Since the mid 1990s it has been a letting agent. For many years number 127 was a photographic studio owned from 1891 by Percy Mitchell who traded under the name of Mora. When Mitchell died in 1899 the business was continued by his wife and remained operational until 1938. Here some confusion reigns with the downstairs now a baker but a photography business still running from the premises and by 1947 the sole trader here. From the 1960s it was a paint merchant, then a couple of restaurants, a furniture store expanded into from neighbouring 126, then a decade as a hairdresser followed by a series of cafe all with a Middle Eastern theme, and since 2015 a nail bar. Number 128 has spent the last forty years as a restaurant producing dishes from France, America, Italy and since 2008 Morocco. Prior to that it was a costumier for over forty years, later a gown shop and also a cafe. Finally, number 129 has been empty since 2015 having spent the previous 16 years as a DJ equipment and dance record store. A residential dwelling as late as 1906 it was converted to commercial use and saw a fairly rapid turnover of businesses until the 1920s when it became a costumier which would be expanded into by number 128 during the 1930s. From the late 1940s it was an estate agent then a fruiterer before spending 23 years as a men’s tailor closing in the mid 1990s. 125 1906-1916 - LADIES TAILOR (Pavy & Lambert 1906-12, Ralph Maison 1913-16) 1917-1923 - TAILOR (John Monk Fox) 1924-1925 - MILLINER (Madame Nye) 1926-1932 - COSTUMIER (Dorothy Konyn 1926-31, Samuel Wollowitz 1932) 1934 - CONFECTIONER (Wynnes Ltd) 1935 - MILLINER (Anne Reed) 1937-1993 - BOOT REPAIRS (Addington Ltd 1937-40, Northampton Shoe Repairing Specialist 1947-88, Mister Minit 1989-93) 1999-2004 - RESTAURANT (Shezan) 2006-2015 - TAKEAWAY (Sussex Charcoal Grill 2006-07, Istanbul BBQ 2008-15) 126 1889-1892 - BUILDER & SANITARY ENGINEER (CE Kemp) 1895-1898 - ELECTRICAL ENGINEER (T King) 1899-1901 - CYCLE AGENT (Montpelier Cycle Agency) 1908-1909 - ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS (Harvey & Smith) 1911-1969 - LADIES HAIRDRESSERS (Uhde & Co 1911-15, Stanley Ranson 1917-23, Maison Hughes 1924-29, GM Hughes 1930-47, Hale & Pugh 1949-51, Vogue 1954-58, Yvonne of Brighton 1960-64, Frances of Hove 1966-69) 1971 - BOOKMAKER (William Hill) 1972-1977 - BOUTIQUE (Maggs 1972-75, Hole in the Wall 1976-77) 1980-1991 - FURNITURE STORE (H Plan 1980-88, Fitted Furniture Centre 1990-91) 1999-2016 - LETTING AGENT (Good Deal) 127 1887-1888 - GENTLEWOMAN’S AID SOCIETY (Miss AE Clint) 1889-1947 - PHOTOGRAPHER (A Debenham & Co 1889-90, Mora Ltd 1891-1940, Mayfair Portraits 1940-47) 1960-1974 - PAINT MERCHANT (Upkeep Ltd) 1976-1983 - RESTAURANT (La Pinetta 1976-78, Rodeo 1981-83) 1984-1991 - FURNITURE STORE (H Plan 1984-89, Fitted Furniture Centre 1990-91) 2001-2010 - HAIRDRESSER (David Ziggy) 2010-2011 - BUTCHER (Meat 4 You) 2012-2015 - CAFE (Malneber cafe 2012, Shu Pastry 2013, Marmaris 2014-15) 2015-2016 - NAIL BAR (Nail Garden) 128 1908-1951 - COSTUMIER (Dorothy Konyn 1908-36, Mrs D Wakeling 1937-51) 1954-1958 - GOWNS (Antoine Russell 1954-56, Colliers Ltd 1958) 1960 - GIFT SHOP (Pierce’s) 1964-1969 - CAFE (Colombo Tea House) 1974-2016 - RESTAURANT (Bistro Vino 1974-90, Paris Texas 1991-2002, Corleone 2004-07, Marrakech 2009-10, 1001 Nights 2011, Marhaba Lounge 2013-14, Marrakech 2016) 129 1907 - MILLINER (Pandora) 1911-1912 - TEA ROOM (The Rosarie) 1914 - MILLINER (Eureka) 1916-1923 - LADIES TAILOR (A Fowler & Co) 1924 - FINE ART DEALERS (Nicholson & Compton) 1925-1947 - COSTUMIER (Mrs M Gardner 1925-30, Dorothy Konyn 1931-36, Mrs D Wakeling 1937-47) 1949-1951 - ESTATE AGENTS (Crowther & Partners) 1954-1964 - FRUITERER (The Fruiterie) 1970-1993 - TAILORS (Vinds) 1999-2015 - RECORD SHOP & DJ EQUIPMENT (Dance 2 Records)

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