A very happy re-union of old friends

A very special re-union, inspired by visits to the My Brighton and Hove website,  took place in Mile Oak on Sunday 27th July 2008.  As regular visitors will know, each page on the site has the facility for visitors to leave a comment about the page they have read.  The Mile Oak page which can be found here was a very popular page from its first publication, and now holds the site record for the number of comments posted. In a site of over 9,100 pages that is quite a record!

A ‘kids’ re-union planned
In April this year, one of the most regular posters, Bonny Cother, who grew up in Mile Oak but now lives in Florida, USA, had the idea of a re-union for the ‘kids’ who grew up in the area in the 1930-1950s.  In a very short space of time, and the help of Mary, Pat and David, the plans had been finalised and the weekend was booked.  We sent our trusty photographer Tony to record their walk down memory lane. We also managed to fix up a reception in the Mayor’s Parlour where the group was not only treated to tea, cakes and drinks, but they were also given an impromptu visit to the Council Chamber.

The unique role of the website
The re-union was so successful and enjoyed so much by everyone that they plan to meet up again in two years.  For myself, and husband Tony who is also a member of the MyBH editorial team, it was absolutely terrific to meet up with people who had previously only been names on a page.  It also served to remind us that without MyBH, none of this would have happened.

Dedicated website
There is a dedicated website on Mile Oak which is very well worth a visit for those who would like a walk down memory lane.  There are memories and photos and also details about the re-union, it also gives details of those people who attended and names of the people in the photos.  You can find the website here.

Comments about this page

  • Better put some names to those faces. Maybe in two years I can make it. Lynne in Idaho.

    By Lynne Abbott Neidhardt (04/08/2008)
  • How wonderful. My husband died shortly before the reunion so I was unable to attend but I would love to think I could be at the next one. Is there a list of names of who were there?

    By Elizabeth Edwards nee Carole Newell (16/08/2008)
  • There is a dedicated website on Mile Oak which is very well worth a visit for those who would like a walk down memory lane. There are memories and photos and also details about the re-union, it also gives details of those people who attended and names of the people in the photos. You can find the website here.

    By Jennifer Drury: Web Editor (17/08/2008)
  • Dear Jennifer
    I attempted to answer Lynne from Idao with names, but have not seen it published, so guess I had messed up. It was a wonderful pleasure meeting you and your husband, after so long being connected via internet. Thank you again for Tony. We hope the three of you will join us when we get together in two years. Thank you for organizing the meeting with the Mayor. That was the icing on the cake.
    My friend Julie Christmas Lay, who knows Carol well, has an interesting family background. Her father worked on the orginial bungalows of Mile Oak as a plumber and was invited to select which one he wanted. He chose one with pine trees behind it, in Stanley Ave. Although at that time there was a row of pine trees, the length of Stanley Ave., number 45 is the only one still with pine trees. These trees are now protected. Many years ago when a terrible storm went through Brighton, Julie’s mother Phyllis fought for her trees, when back door neighbors wanted them cut down. The present owner is a tree preservist, who told Julie and her sisters on July 27th he had placed a preservation order on the trees. Julie explained that her mother had also done this, many years ago, and there had been an article in the local paper re her mother’s fight for the trees. Thought you might find that interesting. Again thank you and thank you for the link. I am sitting out the down graded tropical storm, thank goodness not the hurricane predicted.

    By BonnyCother/Veronica Bentley (19/08/2008)
  • My memories of Mile Oak are from the mid fifties when together with my friend Patrick Maher we used to escort two young ladies home on the 15B. He later married Margaret Greenfield who lived with her family in Beechers Road and Marion Ditton who lived in the corner house in Foxhunter Road and married someone else. In those days Chalky Lane was just that and the Mile Oak Road was very dark and narrow. Very little developement had taken place and it was fields up through the valley. Although it isn’t in Mile Oak we often used to meet in the milk bar just down from Portslade station on the west side.

    By David Smart (22/02/2009)
  • The owner of the Mile Oak Pub, Mick Goble and I grew up together. I left the area in 1965 and now live in Newfoundland, Canada. I lived at 17 Crown Road until the age of 17.

    By Peter Gent (23/02/2009)
  • Bonny sent me an email having seen the comment posted by David Smart. Thought he would like to know wheels have turned a complete circle and I am now living back in Foxhunters Road! I Well remember Margaret and Patrick – hopefully will bump into them some time.

    By Marian Parke (nee Ditton) (01/03/2009)
  • Hi Marian, what a surprise! Are you in your mum’s old house? Pat and Mags were living in Shoreham the last time I saw them and her sister Beryl is living in Hangleton quite near to me. I haven’t moved very far over the years as you can see. I have an address for Pat and Mags if you want it.

    By David Smart (06/03/2009)
  • Hi David
    Yes – back in mum’s bungalow although  it doesn’t look much the same inside as we had it extended so Pete (my husband) and myself could move in to look after her. Hopefully there will be another Mile Oak reunion next year which I will be able to attend as I had a broken ankle last year.

    By Marian Parke (12/03/2009)
  • I lived at 62 St Andrews Road, Portslade and attended Mile Oak Secondary School 1944/45. I was a member of the 1st Portslade Girls Brigade. I would love to hear from anyone. We migrated to Australia in January 1950; my mum Cicely Hollands, dad Don Freemantle, brother Roger and sister Diane. I was 17 years old when we left and I left many friends behind. I would love contact from anyone.  I am now a mum to 2 sons and 2 daughters, and have 4 grandsons and 5 granddaughters, 2 great granddaughters and 3 great grandsons. My husband is Alan. Anyone out there would like to contact me, I love writing and emailing.

    [Editor’s note: Due to the restrictions of the UK Data Protection Act email addresses are hidden from public view – the exception is if an email address appears within the body of the message, in which case it is seen as ‘permission to be made public’ and will be published.]

    By Jean Freemantle / Mcnamara (21/05/2009)
  • Does anyone know Elizabeth Peel of Portslade? She would have been born about 1944,45 and worked at Forfars Office, Church Rd, Hove when she left school. We were very good friends and she was our bridesmaid in 1962 at St Johns Church, Hove. We lost contact over the years and I would love to make contact with her. I would appreciate any information. Thanks

    By Marion Upton (12/06/2009)
  • Hello Peter are you related to Colin Gent? I lived at 6 Crown Road.

    By Vic Voice (14/08/2009)
  • Hi John how’s it going? I was told about the website by Paul Edwards who lived on Mile Oak Road.

    By Chris Nettley (03/11/2009)
  • I recall Elizabeth Peel in my grade at the girls school. Marion did you have relatives who taught dancing at the Abinger Road Hall in the early 50s and/or related to Hilary Upton who lived in Beechers Road Mile Oak?

    By Bonny Cother (29/05/2010)
  • For those interested in the forthcoming reunion this year (2010) details can be found on this web site under Areas/Mile Oak/Introduction to Mile Oak/From sheep farming to ‘infills’ – see the comment near the bottom of the page.

    By David Elliott (05/06/2010)
  • I was employed as a trainee carpenter building the Mile Oak Inn in the 1950s.

    By Barrie Searle (30/12/2010)
  • Hi Peter - remembered the name and times so well! How’s things? Did Paddy come to Aus? New at this, will be good to touch base now and then.

    By Carol Hill (13/01/2011)
  • Hi-Simon Bailey here, son of Sam and Betty Bailey. We lived in Oakdene Gardens from 1961. I have just published a website – http://www.thosetwowords.com – to say thank you to those people who have shaped my life in some way. I have included quite a few people from the Mile Oak days. Please do take a look and let me know if you have any memories toadd. Also, I’d love to have any photographs of Dr Dart the local GP, David Martin geography teacher at Portslade School and any photos of the day Margaret Thatcher opened Portslade school in 1973. 

    By Simon Bailey (07/02/2016)
  • Hi, I am hoping and praying that either June or July 2025 we can have Mile Oak Revisited Reunion Again………….. Pat is all for it……. I know we have lost so many of the old “kids” from our days in Mile Oak. My darling brother John Cother passed away after a short illness……..Jennifer, I will give you all details when and if…….would love to see you again, and thank you once more for all your help.

    By Bonny Cother (30/10/2023)

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