The Four 'Ation' Corners

The Four 'Ation' Corners
Photographed by Bill Maskell 24-03-03.

Lest this piece of local humour be forgotten!

My mother, Gertrude Seifert (neé Elliott, born in Hove in 1904) informed me that the intersection of Holland, Davigdor and Cromwell Roads, Hove, was known as the FOUR ‘ATION’ CORNERS:

EDUCATION: A school was located on the S.E. Corner
SALVATION: A church was on the S.W. corner
ILLUMINATION: An electric company was on the N.E. corner
DAMNATION: A public house was on the N.W. corner

Possibly there is a message in the fact that only the pub has survived?”

Comments about this page

  • I also went to Davigdor School,and it was certainly known as the worst school in Brighton and Hove – but I found it fun! I also left in 1975 to go to the Nevill. Does anyone remember the haunted library?

    By Louise Yates (Burt) (20/01/2004)
  • Well I went to Davigdor School when they changed building to Somerhill Road, and I have to say that I thought it was a wonderful place to start my education. I was there for 3 years before moving to Somerhill Junior school, which carried on the fantastic support and learning until I went on to ‘Big’ school in 1995. I believe Davigdor is now one of the most sought after schools in Brighton and as far as I’m concerned, that is well deserved.

    By Kelly (09/05/2005)
  • The electricity building had the air raid siren on top. Even though I was born in the early 1970s it was still there until they pulled the building down. I had the chance to recover the “Davigdor” of the Davigor road sign which was a large ceramic tile, but I didn’t take it from the rubble, which I sort of regret. Inside the building was a gantry type crane which they old removed when the rest of the building came down. Also in my life time there was still the entrance to the coal yard between the road up to the bridge and the Electricity building. The brick pillar to the right of the traffic light and lamp post in the photo is the remaining gate post. In fact the last part of the old church (where I went to nursery school) is the gate post at the southern end of the block of flats. I went to Davigdor School while it was still here and indeed my brother did too. The “big girls” were still there when I started, but moved out during my years. We then were allowed into the “top playground”. The last time I was there the site of the old school still had not be redeveloped. I must dig out my old photos. I have lots of this area as it was very interesting photographically.

    By Trevor Sharp (23/10/2005)
  • Was anyone there when Mrs Dunster and Mrs Bowen were there? They were frightening!

    By Beverley Armstrong (nee Richards) (13/07/2006)
  • Does anybody remember Jacky Wilson and Rachel Dowell at Davigdor from 1955 – 1961. We’d love to hear from you.

    By Jacky Pope and Rachel Dowell (30/10/2007)
  • I went to Davigdor Infants (1976-1980) when it was in Davigdor Road and I have fond memories of it. I loved being the milk monitor.
    I remember the thrill of being allowed to play in the top playgroup which backed on to the old Unigate dairy (I think).
    But there was a teacher in my last year who scared me to death, a Mrs Hyde.
    As for the church that was opposite, I used to belong to the dance classes that were held in the basement (Doris Issacs School of Dancing). Happy days.

    By Maria Lanigan (07/11/2008)
  • Amazing, Sophie Fox. Your grandmother was a best friend of my grandmother in London, and it was through her that my parents met in the 1940s. I stayed with Monica in London early in the ’60s when I was but young girl. We often visited your grandmother in Cromwell Road. I met Mara there, but the thing I mostly remember, were the cats. They had their own room with French doors to the garden. I’d love to get in touch.

    By Renia Simmonds (29/12/2009)
  • Hi Renia, I think you were before my time but how wonderful that you remember my wonderful gran and mother, and of course Mara. Please feel free to get in touch it would be lovely to speak with you. Sorry I have not answered earlier but have not been on site for a while.

    By Sophie Fox (16/04/2010)
  • Hi Sophie, I remember Cromwell Road and Mara as she was one of my best friends.

    By Sue Martin (28/04/2010)
  • Hello Sue. Am I right in thinking you were at Cottesmore secondary school with me? Are you still living in Hove? Mara Reina, I don’t remember you at all because I must have been too small I guess. Mara

    By Mara Fox (16/05/2010)
  • Hello Mara. Yes, I was at Cottesmore with you. I live in Australia and have for over 30 years.

    By Sue Verran (31/05/2010)
  • Then Sue I do remember you and can see your face now before me. I see that you are a married woman. Where are you living in Australia and what took you there. I live in Cambridge, England. I have two children and became a Barrister.

    By Mara Fox (07/06/2010)
  • Hello Mara, at this time we’re living in Queensland. My email is su_ever_ran@hotmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

    By Sue Verran (17/07/2010)
  • I went to Davigdor Infants from 1950 to 1955. I cannot remember the teachers’ names except for a Mrs Carr (or was it a Mrs Van – possibly a schoolboyish nickname). One thing I do remember was on my very first day, at the morning break, panicking because I couldn’t see my teacher. I managed to leave the school, cross Davigdor Road (not so many cars then) and go home to Silverdale Road. My mother let me off going for the rest of the day. So I can lay claim to playing truant on my first day at school.

    By Robert Bovington (23/09/2010)
  • Mara, I met you only once, as I remember, at the flat in Cromwell Road. You were a teenager, perhaps 15 or so. I was then aged about 8 or 9. Sophie, are you Monica’s daughter? I stayed with her in London for a week or so in about 1961-2. She had a grocer’s shop, at that time. When did Mrs Fox die?

    By Renia (03/04/2012)
  • To Robert Bovington: did you work at Hills of Hove 62 / 63? And did you know Mr Sydney Challis who was a teacher at Stanford Road School and ran the boxing for Brighton schoolboys in the 50s? I remember you at Hills and I used to walk home with you after work. Mr Challis used to live in Silverdale Road. He was a great boxing teacher and was remembered at the schooboys’ boxing championships at the Dome with the Sidney Challis Cup.

    By Terry Hyde (03/04/2012)
  • To Robert Bovington: Hi Bob! I think it’s you because we sort of “went out” for a spell. Were you a trainee telephone engineer and did you have a brother in the merchant navy? I remember a party at your parents’ house in Silverdale Road! (shelaghferreira@hotmail.com)

    By Shelagh Ferreira (04/04/2012)
  • I went to Davigdor Infants from 65- 67. Does anyone else remember the form teachers from then? The pleasant Mrs Grice(?), Miss Fawcett, who was a formidable Scottish lady, and Miss(?) Charlwood for the final year. Mrs Arrowsmith was the head, and I found her difficult – I remember once she was convinced I had set off the fire alarm in the hall during “Music and Movement” (remember that?), and interrogated me endlessly about it – I was severely annoyed about it, as I had no idea what she was going on about, nor why she should think it was me, unless it was a case of “if the face fits…”! Nonetheless, it was a nice enough school and, just living around the corner in Somerhill Road, I could take myself to and from school, even at that tender age. No-one would dare allow that these days!

    By Mark Thompson (15/05/2013)
  • Trevor Sharp, will you be posting your old photos of the area on this site?

    By Trevor Harvey (27/05/2013)
  • Renia, Yes I am Monica’s daughter. Gran died around 1993, at aged 90. She bought me up in Cromwell Road. Time flies by doesn’t it – how lovely that you remember gran, she was quite a character – she did love her cats and all children…bless her. Thank you for sharing your memories of her.

    By Sophia Khawaja (15/12/2013)
  • Hi Terry Hyde, one of my brothers, Terry, worked at Hills of Hove in the early ’60s. (I worked for GPO telephones). Yes, I remember Mr Challis who lived at the bottom of my road. He was my temporary teacher at Stanford Road when my usual form teacher (can’t remember her name) was in hospital.

    By Robert Bovington (05/06/2014)
  • Hi Shelagh! Yes, I possibly went out with you around 1962 – did you live near Hove Park? I can remember going out with a girl called Sheila (how I assumed it was spelt at the time). Yes, I was a trainee telephone engineer but I didn’t have a brother in the merchant navy. Alternatively, you may have confused me with one of my other brothers (who tended to be nicknamed ‘Bov’ because of our surname) in which case it may have been brother Brian who also joined GPO telephones but 9 years later than me.

    By Robert Bovington (05/06/2014)

Add a comment about this page

Your email address will not be published.