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Imperial Arcade, BRIGHTON, BN1 3EJ

Currently home to the longest serving business in the arcade and one I started using back in the late 1980s. The independent cafe faces tough competition from Starbucks next to the Western Road entrance and Caffe Nero also on Western Road. However, what differentiates it from the others is its provision of freshly cooked food and attracts an older clientele than the more modern coffee shops along with those like myself who refuse to use the major chains. There is no number 15 but I do remember the shop expanding into a small space to the left of the door adjacent to Image in the last decade or so which was probably where the shop originally was and such I've included the listings for 15 along with 15b. The first busineeses appear in the late 1930s after number 14 was vacated by the former motor show rooms so I'm assuming this shop was once part of that. Number 15 was briefly a dry cleaners and tobacconists whilst 15b has either been a milliners or a cafe. OCCUPANTS 15 1936-1940: DRY CLEANERS (Speed Co.) 1947-1951: TOBACCONIST (Hall's) 15b 1937-1982: MILLINERS (Sidney Wheelden 1937-39, Marie et Cie 1940-82) 1983-2015: CAFE (Arcadia)

The shop with probably the greatest turnover in the arcade with the longest occupants totalling just over 20 years. It began life as a tailors, was briefly a florist, followed by a gown shop, before a period of stability trading as a chemist. From the early 1970s the quick turnover returns with a bookshop, a couple of a fabric shops and delicatessen passing through. After a gap of ten years there follows stores specialising in condoms, pet goods who moved to Kemp Town and ladies accessories who moved to 79 North Street. The current occupants are hairdressers specialising in Afro-Caribbean hairstyles. OCCUPANTS 1925-1928: TAILORS (L Greenberg & Son) 1931: FURRIERS (The Brighton Fur Co) 1932-1935: GOWNS (Madame Baring) 1936-1972: DRUG STORE/CHEMIST (The People’s Prescriptions Ltd 1936-49, Groves 1951-72) 1973-1974: BOOKSHOP (Quadrant Books) 1978-1985: FABRICS (Stitch & Sew Fabrics 1978-82, Arcade Fabric Shop 1983-85) 1985-1989: DELICATESSEN (Arcade Delicatessen) 1999-2003: GIFT SHOP (The Condom Store) 2004-2006: PET ACCESSORIES (Pampermepet) 2007: LADIES ACCESSORIES (After a Fashion) 2008-2015: HAIRDRESSERS: (La Urban Chic)

Built in 1923 on the site of an old brewery it links Western Road to what was then North Street but is now Dyke Road. By the 1930s the arcade was refashioned when the northern side of Western Road was redeveloped to widen the road and build a new store for Marks & Spencer meaning the shops on the southern side were lost as those on Western Road were moved back resulting in the rather odd look today where the only shops are on the northern side. In view is the Panasonic shop which for many years was Gamleys the toy shop and when that moved out became Blacks. The shop also had an entrance on Image The corridor leading off to the left is an old entrance to Marks & Spencer which has now been blocked off to public use except in case of an emergency.

A view of the arcade from the eastern side. There are no shops on the southern side as these were removed when Western Road was widened in 1934, a couple of entrances are for the flats that are located above the shops. Around the corner in the distance is the entrance from Western Road, see Image Then in order: Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Behind the photographer is the Dyke Road entrance, see Image

Located on the bend within the arcade and thus visible from both entrances. The shop is currently empty with a sole notice on the window stating that the landlords have re-entered the property and cancelled the former lease of GirlBoy hairdressers. The first occupant was a watch seller which was followed by Hinds the jewellers who stayed here for over forty years. There then followed a succession of leather goods dealers prior to the arrival of the hairdresser. OCCUPANTS 1925-1940: WATCHES (Ingersoll Watch Co) 1947-1988: JEWELLERS (Hinds) 1989-2006: LEATHER GOODS (4 Skin 1989-91, Spotslot 1993, Hardix 1996-2006) 2008-2015: HAIRDRESSERS (GirlBoy)

Originally a cafe called Mary's Parlour that operated for over fifty years then replaced by a Forfars, a local bakery chain, who continued for another forty five. It closed this branch in June 2015 and the shop is currently empty. OCCUPANTS 1927-1947: CAFE (Mary's Parlour) 1949-2015: BAKERS (Mary Parlour 1949-70, Forfars 1971-2015)

This shop began life as a motor showroom with the original premises extending back to what was then 89-90 North Street but after 1952 was 10 Dyke Road. By the late 1930s the shop had become a tobacconist then after the war was a couple of ladies outfitters and since the 1980s has been a dry cleaners. OCCUPANTS 1925-1935: CAR SHOWROOM (Brittains 1925-33, Manns Motors Ltd 1934-35) 1938-1940: TOBACCONIST (Charles Hall) 1949-1986: LADIES OUTFITTERS (Hall’s 1949-71, Ellroy’s Separates Ltd 1972-86) 1987-2015: DRY CLEANERS (Daisy Fresh 1987-99, Valentini 2001-15)

A view of the eastern entrance on Dyke Road.

The last shop before the exit/entrance on Dyke Road, see Image The current occupants Eurozone are only the fifth in nearly ninety years the bulk of which were home to Tredgetts the florists. They were followed by the hairdressers, The Green House, a nod to the name of the stylist as well as the former occupants, who left after thirty years. The current occupants are The Eurozone, a bureau de change and mobile phone accessory retailer. OCCUPANTS 1925: GOWNS (Francois Maison - As 17a) 1927-1977: FLORIST (Tredgetts) 1978-2008: LADIES HAIRDRESSERS (The Greenhouse) 2010-2015: BUREAU DE CHANGE: (The Eurozone)