Oldest established business
The creation of this shopping arcade in the early 1960s involved demolition of premises occupied by probably the oldest established business in Brighton. Wallis, Holder & Lee had been in Market Street, at 14 & 15, since 1804 when the business was started by Mr Isaac Bass. They vacated the premises at Easter 1959, but it was a little later when the shop at the rear at number 2 Bartholomew’s was acquired and demolition went ahead.
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Originally known as Regent Arcade
Originally called Regent but renamed East Street Arcade, it was opened in 1962 on the site of Warden’s Buildings, a group of warehouses named after Francis Warden who bought land in the area in the late eighteenth century. The site was anciently known as the Mockbeggar’s Croft, a field probably connected with St Bartholomew’s Priory.
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Oh, this brings back a few memories! In 1966/7 I worked at 4 Bartholomews as a secretary for Hatchwell & Draper, Estate Agents & Surveyors. The rear section of the premises was used as a photographic shop run by David Hatchwell which had an entrance door from Regent Arcade.
I remember Wallis Holder and Lee they had a warehouse at the bottom of North Rd tucked away in a little cul-de-sac. They were wholesalers for groceries and provisions and they leased a retail shop in Woodingdean, running it till 1963 when my wife and I took the shop over until about 1967. The council wanted the land we were sitting on for development for private housing,so leased us a plot of land so we could build another shop further away.
Cyril Scaping worked for Wallis Holder & Lee from about 1915 until 1965, loyal employee from office boy to MD.
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