The Wholesale Meat Market was in Russell Street in the 1950’s. My father-in-law was a wholesale butcher there working for the American company, Armour. He retired in 1962 from that place of work.
Photo of the market in the 1950s
The Meat Market, Russell Street, Brighton
Rita Denman arranged permission from the Evening Argus to reproduce this photo of the meat market The Argus website is at www.thisisbrightonandhove.co.uk
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I spent lots of time hanging round the meat market in the 1950s as a kid. My guardians Jim and Molly aCroix ran the shop at 33 Russell St. Does anyone recall them?
I recall Jim and Molly la Croix very well as I did their delivery of groceries for them as a young boy of thirteen. Many of the guys from the meat market came in for her rolls and sandwiches and tea – Molly always chatty and Jim with his bright red/ginger hair! Jim died of cancer and the business was pulled down with the redevelopment of Churchill Square. On the opposite corner was Bardsley’s fish and chip shop,where in those days you were hard pushed to carry six pence worth of chips let alone eat them! Further down the road was a small pub with an original Turkish baths in the back.
I had the pleasure of working in the meat market for a year or so in the early 1970’s after it moved to Upper Hollingdean Road. If I am not mistaken the porter at the front of your photograph is one of the Gunn brothers who worked on the stalls there. Despite what it might seem to the casual observer, (particularly vegetarians), I had a very happy time working with an amazing group of men who could display a sense of humour I have seldom encountered since, even at 3.00 am in the morning whilst ‘pitching’ beef on a freezing winter’s day. On my first day I was introduced to my fellow workers namely, ‘Chunky’, Wishbone’, ‘Spider’ and ‘Bang Bang’ (Gunn). Geddit? Those that had worked at Russell Street all spoke fondly of their days at Russell Street much preferring it to the more impersonal atmosphere of Hollingdean.
Does anyone recall James Willis who ran the Boatman public house at 52 Russell Street in the 50s?
Does anyone know a John Billigham who worked at the Market in the late 1950s/early 1960s? He would probably be in his mid 80s now, if still alive?
I remember a Mr Graham Elms who was the manager of the cold store ajoined to the market. Nice man. Lived in Patcham, Barandcraig Avenue I believe.
Hi Tim, I worked with John Billingham at Blakes in the Hollingdean meat market until I left in 2001. Unfortunately, John died of a heart attack about five years ago. He was still working for Blakes as a delivery driver at the time.
I think the meat porter in your picture is Sid Gunn. I worked for a while with him, he was working for the Argentinian meat comp ( cap) back in the late 1970s. He had a large allotment where he grew parsley which he sold to butchers.
My father worked for Swifts in Russell Street as a meat porter from about 1950. He moved to Hollingean Road in 1968. His name was Phil Edwards if anyone remembers him.
Hello Valerie, I remember ‘Uncle Phil’ and the meat market. If you would like to email me at elaine@patcham43.freeserve.co.uk I have some family information to pass on. Thanks & kind regards.
To Terry Ward if still looking. My dad and Molly were great acquaintances, he and my Grandad had an upholstery work shop opposite. She was always trying to get my dad to pack up smoking and at the same time selling him fatty meat sandwiches! As a tiny lad I helped out for pocket money. Next to the meat market shop Sansenina (unsure of spelling) opposite was a small shop that sold food and cigarettes and down the road from there was a brewery. Opposite that was a very poor café called Stedmans. Am now 75 but still have a clear memory. Nice to read the comments
My Dad worked for Swifts Egbert Kiff in 50’s and early 60’s before being transferred to Tunbridge Wells and sadly we had to move from Brighton.
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