149-150, Western Road, Brighton

Image: © Simon Carey Taken: 28 Mar 2016

Number 149 is the official address for those inhabiting the flats above and as such is the entrance to the flats of Image The block was built by International Tea Stores, a grocery chain, whose logo was a mitre which can still be seen in both the name above the door and within the stone on the first floor balcony. Prior to rebuilding 149 was a residential dwelling that became an auctioneers in the mid 1860s and remained so until 1925. After a couple of short leased tenants the building was demolished in 1933. The adjacent 150 also became a shop in the 1860s initially as a bag and box maker. Following a period as a draper and fancy goods retailer the shop was expanded into by William Paddison, another draper, which later evolved into a chain called Bon Marche, see also Image, Image and Image From the mid 1920s this extended store was used as temporary premises for Boots and Wades whilst their shops were being rebuilt. After the rebuild it became another small shop, first as Day & Son, an estate agent for forty years, then a decade as a building society branch followed by a brief stint as a t shirt printers and its last six years as a mobile phone shop which would moved to number 154. Since then part of Mitre House has been occupied by the Britannia Study Hotel, a 134 room hotel catering largely but not just to the needs of the city’s large pool of visiting overseas language students. 149 1864-1925 - AUCTIONEERS (Kirkham & Dover) 1926-1927 - WIRELESS SHOP (James & Venables) 1928-1930 - MILLINER (Cherette) 1932-1933 - FURRIERS (Premier Fur Stores Ltd) 150 1862-1871 - BAG & BOX MAKER (HG Philp) 1874-1880 - DRAPER (GE Gilpin) 1883-1887 - FANCY GOODS (The Western Bazaar) 1888-1925 - DRAPER (William Padison 1888-1919, Bon Marche 1920-25) 1930-1932 - WATERPROOFS (John Rain Ltd) REBUILD 149 Entrance to Mitre House Flats 150 1937-1977 - ESTATE AGENTS (Day & Son) 1980-1989 - BUILDING SOCIETY (Alliance) 1999-2004 - T SHIRT PRINTERS (With it) 2006-2012 - ELECTRONIC RETAIL & PHONE REPAIRS (City Global Link) 2013-2016 - Entrance to Britannia Study Hotel

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