Grumpy Mr Lumley
I was a paper boy at Lumleys the newsagents, Edward Street, between 1974 and 1976. I recall the owners of this shop, Mr and Mrs Lumley, very well. They lived in Upper Rock Gardens, as I did back then, and they had a son named John and daughter-in-law named Sue. Mr Lumley was always grumpy and I tried to avoid him as much as I could. I recall Gordon who also worked at the newsagents. He was practically running the shop and always seemed to be working. He had a brother named Clive who worked in the corner shop up from Lumleys, run by a hard-of-hearing elderly lady.
Do you have Edward Street memories? Please share by posting a comment below
Sunday trading
In between both these shops stood Jordans or Jordons, a grocers. I would go in there often to buy wood for our front room fire. I recall how strange it was that the bald headed guy that served me, he may have been the owner himself, refused to sell me certain goods on a Sunday. I recall him also being rather grumpy. I spent some of my social life in the Brighton Boys’ Club, nearly opposite to Lumleys and attended its disco when Slade and other glam rock groups were at their peak.
Impression of steepness
I originate from Reading and when moving to the Brighton area, I remember being dropped off at a coach station in Edward Street. My first impressions of Edward Street was its steepness, there were hardly any hills in Reading. I recall, I can’t have been any more than eight years old, looking east from outside the aforementioned coach station near the bottom of Edward Street and believing beyond the horizon of this hilly street stood the seafront. Of course, my bearings were proved to be way off the mark.
Comments about this page
My wife and I moved into this area in 2005. I remember Gordon at Lumleys. The shop moved further up Edward Street. Sadly, Gordon was disabled and eventually this forced him to retire. He was very cheerful and liked by all who knew him. He worked for Lumleys most of his life – he started as a paper boy.
My mother always used to go to a very posh secondhand ladies ( quality) clothes .
The ladies name was Kate Forgoni,
or something very similar.
I think the clothes had come from posh ladies in Hove. 😁
Lumley’s in the picture is 145 Edward St. This was where my mum grew up in the period after WWI. My grandad George Iverson was a ‘Wardrobe Dealer’ [second hand clothes shop].Mum told lurid stories of old Edward St, the number of pubs and the Friday night fighting in the road. I vaguely remember my grandad who lived with us at the end of his life, always had on his muffler and collarless shirt and his flat cap…even indoors! He ended his economic life selling newspapers outside the ABC Savoy in East Street.
Brighton Guardian – Wednesday 14 February 1866.
Bridget McCarthy, 25, was charged with being drunk in Edward-street, last night. P.C. Reed proved the case. Prisoner was very noisy and abusive, and struck the landlord of the Plasterers Arms in the eye.
Prisoner was fined 10s and costs; in default, three weeks hard labour.
Sarah Ball v. Elizabeth Brown, alias Davis, was a summons for assault. The parties live near each other in William-street, and complainant alleged that on Tuesday last the defendant, without any provocation, seized her roughly by the shoulders, tore her dress, spat in her face, and otherwise ill-used her.
A witness corroborated. Defendant was fined 10s and costs, or 14 days imprisonment.
Brighton Guardian – Wednesday 05 June 1861
Ellen Swaysland, 28, Maria Wheeler, 28, and Mary Ann Walker, 32, all girls of bad character, were charged with stealing money from the person.
George Swift, a diminutive man, was sworn and said:
I came to Brighton on Wednesday night. Last night I slept at a house kept by a person named Clarke, in Derby place. At about six o’clock this morning I was going down the street, to get my breakfast, and I met three women coming out of a beer-shop. I told them I had missed my way, and they said, “Come along with us.”
They took me, one having hold of one arm and one of another, up the street, and then into a house on the left-hand side. They began to pick my pockets, and they took all my money, four shillings, but left my purse. They then went out of the house, and I went and looked for a policeman.
Police constables Allchurch and Knight deposed to taking prisoners in charge this morning. They at first denied any knowledge of the robbery.
The behaviour of the prisoners during the hearing of the case, which occupied some time, was most violent. They made use of very bad language, and continually abused and contradicted the witnesses.
The Chief Officer said he must now ask for a remand, for he didn’t think prisoners were in a fit state to be sent to gaol. They were not sober yet.
Mr Bigge: (Magistrate) Than I shall remand them till to-morrow.
Swaysland (to someone in the crowd) ‘Mind you send us down a cup of tea!’ (Laughter.)
The Chief Officer mentioned that Wheeler had only just come out of prison, where she had been sent for picking pockets at Ringmer steeple chases.
Brighton Gazette – Thursday 18 July 1861
Ellen Swaysland, 27, Maria Wheeler, alias Wells, 28, and Sarah Ann Walker, 32, were charged with stealing 4s. from the person of George Swift, a very little old man, with a squeaking voice:
Mary Anne Hennessey…saw all three of them together come into her mother’s house, struggling with prosecutor…Wheeler put her hand into prosecutor’s pocket…took out a bag and 4s. from it. Swaysland helped to take the money out of the pocket.
Margaret Hennessey, sister of the last witness, corroborated.
When apprehended, all three denied the above.
The Recorder…there was no doubt the three prisoners took the man to Hennessey’s house… but what they took from him must rest on the evidence of the two Hennessey’s…As to whose hand it was that was thrust into the pocket, it mattered not. If one was guilty, all were equally so.
The Jury deliberated for five minutes, and then returned a verdict of guilty against all three prisoners.
The Recorder sentenced Swaysland and Walker each to “Three months’ hard labour,” and Wheeler (on account of her previous conviction) to “Six months’ hard labour.”
Add a comment about this page