155-156, Western Road, Brighton

Image: © Simon Carey Taken: 28 Mar 2016

Home to Bert’s home accessories store since 2007 and part of the ground floor of Image Number 155 was a residential dwelling up to the 1860s then a wine merchant for just under fifty years being replaced by drapers William Paddison who expanded from Image and Image Paddison also acquired number 156, then located on the corner of Spring Street, about the same time with the premises having previously been used for a number of different businesses. After Bon Marche’s occupation in the first half of the 1920s the combined store was used as temporary homes for Boots Image and Wades Image whilst their premises were being rebuilt then demolished itself in 1933. The newly numbered 155-156 initially opened as a silk merchant then became a furriers from the start of the Second World War to the end of the 1960s. During the mid 1970s it became a TV Rental store which it remained until Boxfresh, a rebranded Granada, closed in 2002 ending the era of the High Street TV rentals business. Since 2004 it has been a household store retailer originally trading as Direct 2 U prior to the arrival of the current incumbents. Old Images Boots occupying the old Bon Marche store, 1928 - http://regencysociety-jamesgray.com/volume19/source/jg_19_052.html 155 1862-1910 - WINE MERCHANT (John Luff & Co 1862-96, Charles Martorell & Co 1897, ED Waller & Co 1898-1905, J Luff & Co 1906, Victoria Wine Co 1907-10) 1911-1925 - DRAPER (William Padison 1911-1919, Bon Marche 1920-25) 156 1862-1875 - GROCER & OIL MAN (Frederick Marshall 1862-71, JJ Evans 1873-75) 1877-1886 - BOX, TRUNK & PORTMANTEAU WAREHOUSE (Sheerman & Co) 1887-1894 - CYCLE DEPOT (TW Girling) 1896-1905 - CHEMIST (Sussex C-Operative Drug Co) 1910-1925 - DRAPERS (Bon Marche 1910-13, A Robinson 1914, Lea & Son 1915-19, Bon Marche 1920-25) REBUILD 155-156 1937-1938 - SILK MERCHANTS (Fashion Fabrics Ltd) 1940-1969 - FURRIERS (Soden Ltd) 1970-1976 - BOUTIQUE (Richard Sport) 1977-2002 - TV RENTAL (Rediffusion 1977-85, Granada 1985-99, Boxfresh 2001-02) 2004-2016 - HOUSEHOLD STORES (Direct 2 U Ltd 2004-06, Bert’s 2007-16)

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