Demolition of Preston Place 2004

Comments about this page

• Why do we have to demolish lovely looking old buildings like these? Surely they can be redone using modern materials keeping up the exterior look with all mod cons internally?

  By Tommy Randell (28/03/2006)

• We stayed at Preston Place in September 1994, when it was a B&B. It was our first trip to the UK (from Australia) and our first exposure to the best of British hospitality. How sad that it is no longer there.

  By Alan Moyse (11/05/2006)

• We are now living in the new development which in fact comprises a total of 50 flats, 20 of which are ‘affordable housing’. It’s a shame about the old house but it’s a pleasure living in this area of Brighton.

  By Alan Hilton (20/11/2006)

• It’s a shame that Brighton & Hove Council planners seem to be doing to Brighton what was done in the 1960s and 70s i.e. removing older houses in the name of progress. The difference being that in the 60/70s it was the Victorian and Edwardian housing stock (read ‘The Vanishing Villas of Preston & Withdean’) and in the 2000s it’s the large 1930s houses e.g.Preston Place & the houses in the Drive. I’d be interested to know what price is classed as ‘affordable’ housing, as the 2 bed flats I’ve seen have been about £300,000 (penthouses are £469,950) and are all built to an unnecessarily high spec. Still, that term gets your plans through the planning department if you’re a developer!

  By Vicky Simmonds (12/01/2007)

• We live in the US and have stayed with John and Pauline may times. We are trying to locate them. They may have moved to Cornwall. John loved it there. I can’t remember their last name. I think it was either Bullock or Pollack. Can anyone help. Thanks

  By Bill Howington (30/07/2008)

• I am one of the sons who lived in this stunning house for over 30 years. It’s very sad to see these pictures, but life moves on, my mum and dad worked very hard in life and I am very proud of them. Now over 50 famlies can have the same enjoyment that myself and two brothers had.

  By Peter Bullock (16/08/2009)

• Hi to everyone who has stayed at our old house “Preston Place”, Preston Park Ave., Brighton. Mr. Bill Howington please get in touch. Pauline is now on the internet email address: prestonbullock1@hotmail.co.uk Anyone out there who enjoyed our B & B we would love to hear from you. We send our very best regards to all.

  By John and Pauline Bullock (16/08/2009)

• Pauline, John and their three boys lived in this beautiful Tudor house on the corner of Preston Park Avenue and Stanford Avenue, Brighton. I knew them from 1983 when I acquired a newsagent business in Havelock Road. It was a beautiful house which is now home to an ugly block of flats. The Bullocks who lived there were very friendly family I have come across. It is sad to see that in 2004 as my business changed hands – this beautiful house was demolished to make way for the monstrosity which now stands in its grounds.

  By Ash (03/02/2013)

• I always liked the look of Preston Place and was disappointed, but not surprised, when it was replaced with a grotesque looking block of flats. I have to disagree with Peter Bullock’s comment: “now over 50 families can have the same enjoyment that myself and two brothers had”. I don’t think the environment and experience of growing up in a high density block of flats compares with his growing up in a large detached house with a nice garden.

  By Ben Yeates (10/03/2015)

• Move with the times. From one of the sons.

  By Marcus (08/07/2015)

• Preston Park Avenue was part of my paper round in the early 1960s when I was a paper boy at Pages sweet shop at the bottom of Dyke Rd Drive. I had that as my Sunday round as the boy who did it in the week did not do Sundays. Those enormous Sunday papers had to be lugged up long gravel drives as there were often occupied coach houses at the back of the main house. PPA is a long uphill climb with a full bag of Sunday papers!

  By Geoffrey Mead (12/07/2015)