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Regent Street, BRIGHTON, BN1 1UX

Shop in Gardner Street described as a wonderland of curiosities http://www.alicedreams.co.uk/about-alice-dreams/

Small side street connecting Church Street with North Road and built up as the town expanded northward during the first decade of the 19th century. The buildings on the right are part of the 2005 Jubilee Street development whilst the picture painted on the side of the house advertises Infinity Foods, a local organic food shop.

On the side of the Komedia building. It was painted by a collection of graffiti artists in May 2010. Neither the pigeons perched on the roof or the boots hanging over the telephone wire are part of the installation.

Home to the newest occupant on the street, Alice's Dreams, which opened during the first week of September adding to their other shop at Image Be interesting to see whether they are able to sustain both shops in the current economic climate. The building moved from residential use in the late 1870s and was briefly a tailor and ironmonger before becoming a fishmonger for over 70 years run by the Silverthornes which I'm guessing would be father and son. From the mid 1960s the shop was expanded into from Image initially by Pearks then its successor company Maypole Dairy before both were swallowed up by larger fish in the 1970s to combat the growing power of the supermarkets, and continued by Cleaner Homes that dealt in domestic appliances. The shop was split again in 1987 going through a succession of businesses though one, Jump the Gun would move to Image where it still trades today. They were followed by a series of gift shops, the first two themed on alternative religion and witchcraft, the last, bell, Book & Candle originally traded in Image and closed at the end of August. See Image for how the shop front has changed. OCCUPANTS 1879-81: DRAPER/TAILOR: William MacDowell 1883-87: IRONMONGER: B Beal 1889-1962: FISHMONGER: Charles Silverthorne (1889-1911), Alfred Silverthorne (1912-62) 1964-73: GROCER: Pearks Dairies Ltd (1964), Maypole Dairy Company Ltd 1975-86: ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES: Cleaner Homes 1987-90: FURNITURE RETAILERS: Sussex Pine Centre 1991: RECRUITMENT AGENCY: Gold Recruitment Company 1992-96: MENSWEAR; Meadowbeach Ltd (1992), Jump the Gun (1993-96) 1999-2011: GIFT SHOP: Hocus Pocus (1999-2008), Bell, Book & Candle (2008-11), Alice's Dreams (2011)

A long history of retail here, with tailors and hatters operating out of the building during the 19th century and after brief stint as a confectioner the shop spent the next 79 years as a butcher, the last being High Street chain, Dewhurst, who shut the shop in 1973 probably due to competition from Tesco as well as Image A couple of ladies wear shops came and went and then a large gap to 2000 when a couple of gift shops came and went, the last , The Gadget Shop, moved into Churchill Square. In between there is some confusion in Yellow Pages about the Classic Clothing Company which was registered as being 39 Gardener Street in Portslade and occasionally 39 Gardner Street with a central Brighton post code. Its trading history fills the blank gap nicely so I'm guessing it was probably here. the current occupants are Yoma who deal in ladies fashion accessories. OCCUPANTS 1854-62: TAILOR: G Palmer 1864-91: HATTER: WH Wright 1893: CONFECTIONER: Mrs Mitchell 1894-1973: BUTCHER: W & R Fletchers Ltd (1894-1936), Eastmans Ltd (1937-64), Dewhurst (1966-73) 1975-80: LADIES WEAR: Heart Products (1975), Orient Express (1976-80) 1990-99: CLOTHES: Classic Clothing Company 2000-2003: GIFT SHOP: V2000 (2000), The Gadget Shop (2001-03) 2004-11: ACCESSORIES: Yoma

Currently home to Jojo Maman Babe who sell children's clothes and goods. The building became a shop in the 1870s becoming first a dressmakers then 50 years as a draper, the last, Ernest Veale, also traded from Image A few years as a wool shop before the war was followed by a decade after as a wireless engineer then there is a blank decade until Marina Electrics move over from Image stay the longest in one place at this address then move onto Image before finally seeing the last of their 30 year presence on the street out at Image From 1984 there has been a regular turnover of traders with some including Mau Mau and Kensington Clothing I currently have no dates for. OCCUPANTS 1873-80: DRESSMAKER: Mrs Cowley 1881-1933: DRAPER: WW Gooderham (1881-1900), James Pritchard (1901-29), Ernest Veale (1930-33) 1934-40: WOOL SHOP: Mrs I Orbell 1947-58: WIRELESS ENGINEERS: Goodsell Ltd 1971-84: ELECTRICAL GOODS: Marina Electrics 1986-90: GROCER: Far East Emporium 1990-92: SPORTS SHOP: M.A.I Sports 1994-96: CLOTHES: Blue Blob 2004-06: LINGERIE: Elir 2007-08: POSTERS/CARDS: Suck and See Posters 2008-11: CHILDREN'S WEAR: Jojo Maman Babe

In the 1840s the house was briefly used as a workshop of Magnus Volk prior to his move to Western Road where his more famous son who shared the same name would be born in 1851. After Volk the building returned to residential use until the 1880s when the Groizards opened their toy shop which would trade here for the next 54 years. They would also trade at 24 North Road until 1949. Another long term resident followed, Reginald Peters and later his son expanded into the shop from Image and traded here for 56 years being the last greengrocer to operate in the street. Plate Expectations would often pile their china wares outside the doors but would eventually move to Trafalgar Street to share a shop with another trader after the rates became to high to sustain the business. Punktured moved here from 76 North Road providing an indication of how acceptable body piercing and tattooists have become over the last decade. When I wanted my ears pierced in the early 1980s I had to find a jeweller. OCCUPANTS 1846-48: WATCHMAKER: Magnus Volk 1881-1935: TOY SHOP: W Groizard (1881-1904), A Groizard (1905-10), R & E Groizard (1911-35) 1937-94: GREENGROCER/FLORIST: Reginald Peters (1937-72), Peters & Son (1973-94) 1995-2004: CHINA/KITCHEN WARE: Plate Expectations 2005-11: BODY PIERCERS: Punktured

If you want to turn the clock back and be a mod then this is the store for you; parkas, suits, shirts, shoes, Fred Perry tee shirts are all sold here and when the shop is open a Lambretta scooter is always parked outside. Another few years and Jump the Gun will hold the record for the longest tenure though they did originally begin trading at Image and also had another store round the corner at 28a North Road. Another shop with a large turnover of traders even when the store was a bakery for over 90 years seven different traders came and went during that period. The bakers were briefly replaced by Marina Electrics one of four stores they occupied in the street over a 30 year period, starting with Image, then Image then here and finally Image More rapid turnover followed until the current incumbents moved in. OCCUPANTS 1870-71: DRESSMAKER: Mrs Clarke 1873-74: PLUMBER: G Osborne 1879-80: GREENGROCER/FRUITERER: J Joel (1879), G Bassett (1880) 1881: MILLINERS: L & C Vickers 1883-88: TAILOR: A Scholey (1883-85), G Swain (1886-88) 1889-1983: BAKER: Benjamin Burden (1889-1912), E H Jolliffe (1913-15), Edith Milne (1916-31), George Pearce (1933-51), Spurrier & Sons (1954-60), Harrington & Son (1962-64), Duncan Foster (Sussex) Ltd (1966-83) 1984-86: ELECTRICAL GOODS: Marina Electrics 1988-90: KITCHEN WARE: Vessels 1991-94: MILLINERS: Farm Garments (1991-93), Atlas (1994) 1995: LADIES WEAR: Hope 1996-2011: MENSWEAR: Jump the Gun

Beginning its life as a hairdresser then toy dealers the shop was acquired by the national grocer chain Pearks in 1902 and they and their successor company Maypole, who had also traded at Image, continued until the early 1970s when they and Home & Colonial, who had a store at Image were bought out by the Caversham food group and eventually subsumed within the Safeway brand. The shop had actually expanded next door to Image in 1964 and these two units would remain together during duration of Cleaner Homes tenure eventually splitting back into two separate units in 1987 which has remained the case ever since. A brief foray as a bookmakers then leaves a large gap where I have yet to discover who was there. The trail returns in 2001, being briefly home to Velvet who began at Image then moved to Bond Street where they still trade today. The current occupants are Noa Noa a Danish company. OCCUPANT 1877: TAILOR: H Early 1881-96: HAIRDRESSER: Sydney Welling (1881-91), J Payne (1892-96) 1899-1901: TOY DEALER: F Clarke (1899), M Myers (1900-01) 1902-73: GROCER: Pearks Dairies Ltd (1902-64), Maypole Dairy Company Ltd (1966-73) 1975-86: ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES: Cleaner Homes 1987-88: BOOKMAKER: Victor Chandler 2001: MENSWEAR: Armadillo 2002-04: FABRICS; Velvet 2005-11: LADIESWEAR: Noa Noa