Weekend market in 1971
Upper Gardner Street in 1971
Picture reproduced with permission from Brighton History Centre
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The 1971 picture of Upper Gardner Street Saturday market has brought back plenty of memories. In the late 1960s I used to work on Saturdays in Gower’s fishshop in North Road. I remember Ernie ‘the banana king’ whose pitch was on the west corner of the junction of North Road and Upper Gardner Street. He sold bananas all day and always used to come across to us for a Finnan haddock in the late afternoon. I bought a porcelain coffee pot from one of the market stalls for half a crown. It had no lid but served the purpose I wanted it for admirably; I made a bedside lamp out of it, porcelain being translucent.
I used to live in the pub the Heart and Hand. My Nan and Grandad had a fruit and veg stall in the market, as did several other relatives of mine. I also remember Ernie the ‘Banana Man’ and have fond memories of waking up in my room in the pub to the sounds of the Saturday morning market.
I lived in this street for a short while as a toddler. My ex-father in-law also had a stall here in the late 50s/60s.
I would like to ask which direction the photograph was taken as my grandfather and grandmother lived at No. 10 Upper Gardner Street circa 1914 onwards. Do you have any memories or pictures from that time? The shop they had was second-hand goods under the name of Stephens. Thanks for your help.
Looking at the photo I would say you are looking due south. The building right at the bottom in the middle, is in North Road. It’s still there. Just up round the corner from Gardner Street. And when you look at it, the houses on the left are lower than the houses on the right which indicates the houses on the left are on the east side going downhill.
Dear Andy, thank you for your help. I visited Upper Gardner St in 2008. My Grandparents home and shop was at no. 10, which I saw missing in the street and new houses built nearby. I wonder if there are any photos of the house and shop selling second hand goods under the name of Stephens. (between 1912 – 1920). Hoping you can help. Thanks
Hi Angela. There is a good shop in Queens Rd Bton that sells old photos of the town and surrounding areas. Its just up from Boots on the same side of the road.You could also try the main library in the reference section. Or try google on the internet.Best of luck.
I can recommend the shop in Queens Road that Andy Gumbrill refers to above if you’re looking for old local street views. A few years ago on a visit to the old home town I wandered into that shop looking for pictures of the former trolleybuses. They didn’t have many on that theme, but I eventually emerged with a fine Victorian view of the east end of Prince’s Crescent where I grew up, another of the former Ditchling Road Council School, later Downs County Primary, where I was educated, and – to my surprise – one of the Easter-Vernon “Brighter Brighton” Concert Party of the 1920s including my grandmother Nellie Banks who was the troupe’s comedienne, singer and dancer. All taken from old postcards and blown up to about nine-by-six inches. Not cheap but irresistable. They had a huge selection of old local street views, indeed so many and varied that one wonders why so many folk felt it necessary at the time to take such humdrum pictures. Of course these now provide an invaluable historical reference to later generations.
I wrote recently to this page and was told that the picture displayed of the street market in 1971, of Upper Gardner St is facing south. The road at the top of the pictue with a building in the middle is North st. Can anyone tell me what the numbers of the houses are on the left hand side of the picture next to the shop in the fore ground are. My Grandparents lived at No. 10 and had a second hand shop in 1920. The photo looks like it was taken from the end of Upper Gardner st. Also No. 10 is missing in 2008 does anyone know when these houses were demolished please Thanks Angela Pendle
I worked in the leather shop in Kensington Gardens for Mr and Mrs Royce, I really loved the market and the whole backstreet area. I knew John Gower well, I think it was his uncle who ran the fish shop, his cousin also worked there. I remember Barney who had the shop at the other end of Kensington Gardens, he was a great character. Next door to the fish shop was a tiny newsagent and a lovely lady called Vi worked there, she used to cook me swede with butter because I liked it!
Hi, my my nan and grandad had a wet fish shop in Upper Gardener Street, think it was number 27. His father before him also had the fish shop.
Would you or any other readers have any photographs available or information?
My bother David Dawes had a stall in the market on Saturdays selling “antiques”. Does anyone remember him?
We lived at 26 Upper Gardener St in the early 60s and had the Saturday market right on our doorstep. I remember in the winter of 63 we had snow right up to the first floor window. The doctors was next door which was too handy when I was a toddler. I don’t remember the wet fish shop mentioned above. But I do recall an old lady almost opposite we sometimes had tea with and a corner shop right down the other end where I was sometimes sent on errands. I made a visit to the street a few years ago and our house was one of the few that look original. Those were the days when we still had a tin bath that was hung up in the yard and bought in and filled from a kettle once a week.
To Angela Pendle, Joyce Padmore and Laurence Roy – my grandparents Jack and May Stringer lived at 29 Upper Gardner Street from the 1940’s until the houses were pulled down in the 1970’s. My mum (born in 1931) as a girl would set up a small table outside the house selling bunches of wild flowers during the Saturday morning markets. Previously they had lived at No 22, and Jack’s maternal grandparents, the Shoulders, lived at No 10 Upper Gardner Street in the early 1900’s.
I believe the name of the lady living at No 27 was Miss Peace
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