Cars were a rare sight
I lived in 7 Hollingbury Road from 1955 until 1957, when we moved around the corner to 15a Upper Hollingdean Road. 7 Hollingbury Road was the home of my nan and grandad, George and Dolly Budd, and my mum, dad, me and my brother Paul lived there with them. I remember how quiet the road was and how well kept all the front gardens were. Cars were a rare sight then. My nan also had a lodger living in the house ‘uncle Bert’ an old soldier; he was one of the few people in the road who owned a car – an old Morris Oxford, which he kept in the garage next to Chalks shop.
Did you ever live here? Remember these shops? Please share your memories by posting a comment below
Chalk’s grocers shop
Chalk’s grocers shop was on the corner (later Formula One). I can visualise the inside of Miss Chalk’s shop, like it was yesterday. Little old Mrs Chalk used to sit in the adjoining room, by a paraffin stove that always had a kettle on it; I loved the smell. Along the front of the counter was a row of open tin boxes that had biscuits in them. It used to fascinate me watching Miss Chalk weigh out the potatoes in a big scale that she tipped up to pour them into your shopping bag.
Double’s grocers shop
Further up Hollingbury Road was Double’s grocers shop, it was another of those lovely old fashioned shops. Double’s was run by Mr and Mrs Double. Mr Double always wore an immaculate white overall. I liked watching him slice the ham and bacon on a big slicing machine. My nan used to give them a list of shopping and Mr Double would walk down the road and bring it to the house. Happy days.
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Hi Irene, I remember Chalk’s, I used to pass it when going to school at the Downs. There used to be another two shops in Roedale road, the next road down from you, Clarice and her sister used to run it. It was a busy shop and a place for the local gossips. It was past the old laundry.
I also remember Chalk’s corner shop, as I went to the Downs school. My friend used to get her Mum’s bread most afternoons from the shop, it was Lyons white bread, wrapped in checked paper. That smell is something I couldn’t identify until the other letter said the old lady sat around the paraffin heater, then it clicked, it was paraffin! I also remember the shop being very dark with wooden floors.
The other shop was Altertons run by Jack and his wife. Jack was a driver on the no 26 trolley buses that ran from the Old Steine to Hollingbury. They used to whip so fast up Ditchling Road I remember.
His wife ran the shop. All the kids in Roedale Road watched the 1953 Coronation in the back room in black and white on a tiny Bakelite TV set sitting crossed legged on the floor. It was the only house with a TV in the Street. They were a lovely old couple, very friendly. My Grandad used to send me down there with a ration book to get his Woodbine cigarettes, that would have been in the early fifties I guess.
Hello. I have two ‘Bandill’s Hollingbury Road dairy’ milk bottles, found in our garden at no. 41. Does anyone remember them and where that were?
Kelly’s directory 1934 shows – BANFILL’S Dairy [Arthur Cross-Banfill] 73 Hollingbury Rd & 16 Hollingbury Place.
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