Mr Fairweather's tasty carrots
Bear Road
Photo by John Dessborough
In 1941, when I was three years old, we lived in Bear Road, Brighton. I remember our very dear neighbour Mr Fairweather going down to the pub which was not quite at the bottom of the road and fetching his beer from the bottle and jug saloon.
My sister and I would wait for the coalman’s horse to stop outside our flat and we would collect fresh manure with our buckets and spades for which he gave us about one penny. Boy, did he grow the most tasty carrots!
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I am at the moment searching my family tree and while looking for one of my great nanny’s brothers. I came across the address that the family lived at, 185 Bear Road. My great nanny’s parents names were Ellen Driver (Fensome) and Charles Driver, and they had about ten children. If you know anything about this family then please e-mail me anytime at emmagordon@aol.com
In the 1930s the army in Preston Barracks would exercise their horses. They would come up either Coombe Road or Bear Road at full gallop; 6 horses, two outriders, gun carriage and tender. Once they passed all the kids used to come out with their bucket and shovel to collect the dung. They would then go from door to door to sell it. This was the only way we could get any pocket money. In those days people were very poor.
I went up and down Bear Road to Fairligh School in the 1950s. My Grandad was in Preston Barracks in the early 1930s.
Pub in the photo is the Newmarket Arms on the corner of Bear Road and Newmarket Terrace. I used to escort my old grandfather across a quite steep Newmarket Road (he had to use two walking sticks) so that he could have his pint of beer. Bottle & Jug was very handy for a lemonade which I took outside and drank.
My mother Freda Goddard lived at 151 Bear Road in 1908. She had two sisters, Elsie and Mabel. I have recently learnt that Freda had a baby out of wedlock and the baby was then adopted (this would be my half-sister.) I would love to hear from anyone that knew the family. hutties@blueyonder.co.uk
My mother lived in Bear Road in the forties, when she was a young child. I wonder if the Mr Fairweather, was the same man that my Mum knew as “Uncle Feather”, and his wife, Auntie Feather? I knew my Mum was very fond of them and carried their photos in a gold locket.
I once lived in Lewes Road and my job was in Whitehawk. I would walk all the way up Bear Road. Right to the top up to the Race Hill and then down Wilson Avenue. I would do this 5 days a week. By the time I got up to the top, I was knackered!
Seeing that photo of Bear Road brought back another memory. I lived in Coombe Road for the first 10 years of my life. One of my mates had a pair of skates. The two of us would walk to the end of Bevendean Road, sit on a skate each and ride down to Ewhurst Road. We would then walk back up the hill and do it again My mum never did find out how I always had a big hole in my trousers. Another game we used to play was HE with a piece of chalk. One of us would run off and now and again draw an arrow on the ground. When he came to the end of the road a cross was draw pointing in 3 or 4 directions. The rest of us having counted up to 100 follewed the trail. As that area is very hilly it could be a tiring game so we only ever played it now and again
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