The Dependant

The ‘Independent Tavern’ as it was listed in a directory of 1859 was built in the mid 1850’s at the rear of a lodging house on Preston Street. By 1867 it was listed as ‘The Dependant’. The Dependant closed as a public house shortly after WWII. Purefoy

The Public House Bookshop
Engineering/Valezina Ltd took over the building until about 1970 manufacturing amongst other things the Valezina corkscrew. In the seventies The Building became the ‘Public House Bookshop’. The Dependant is now a house, retaining the look of the original pub. Does anyone have any memories or old photos of The Dependant.

Comments about this page

  • The Public House Bookshop was a real Brighton treasure as it was not only independent but left wing and held a vast swathe of left wing/alternative literature.It was run by Richard Cupidi who is part native American Indian and a great espouser of alternative causes. it was bright yellow and very distinctive inside and out!

    By Geoffrey Mead (19/01/2009)
  • I was just planning a trip to Brighton this weekend and wondered if one of my old haunts, The Public House Bookshop, had a website. But it seems to have closed down, sadly. I was trying to find other things to do in Brighton to justify a 300 mile round trip to what was less of a bookshop and more an intellectual haven.

    By Caroline (21/01/2009)
  • My mother, June Sullivan (nee Longhurst b. Brighton 1932 d. 2007) worked at the Valezina factory in the fifties when I was very young. I remember the shiny corkscrews, and have a vague memory of going into the factory which seemed to be staffed by young women who assembled the corkscrews and packed them. I still have one of these iconic fifties corkscrews in a metallic blue. Does anyone remember this factory or know anyone who worked there?

    By Jan Sinkfield (10/09/2009)
  • I was born and bred in this pub, from 1939 until 1947, and saw it when it was in its peak. It was called the Dependant (not the independant) and was very tiny, had one tiny toilet (a ladies). I have photos of the outside (with me in them). This little pub was packed solid in those days. If anyone would like information of these times please contact me.

    By Terry Mann (06/12/2009)
  • Does anyone remember the building to the right – painted orange in the photo – as being a surf shop in the early 1970s? I remember getting my first board from here, it was a Stagg just over 5ft. Also loads of John Conway boards too. It was a short walk across the road to the West Pier. Great days.

    By Steve James (23/04/2013)
  • I recall the old surf shop in its burnt out state and recall two of our old crew ‘liberating’ a couple of boards courtesy of the adjoining shop owner. A bit of effort and fibreglass and Andy and Nick had a couple of great surfboards. Seem to remember a shop at the bottom of Preston Street selling boards in the 80s too! 

    By Martin Scrace (13/08/2015)
  • I saw this property advertised on one of the estate agents search engines some time ago, and was briefly tempted to take it on as a project, but saw sense the next morning! Glad someone had more time and energy, not to mention money, to proceed with the venture, and preserve a very pleasant building.

    By Stefan Bremner-Morris (15/08/2015)
  • Just found our boxed valezina corkscrew in the junk room. Very heavy duty in bronze finish. It belonged to my grandmother in Palmer’s Green. She died in 1970 and my parents acquired the corkscrew. It always made an appearance on Christmas day. I thought it had long since been disposed of. Anyway, pleased to find it again and understand the history. Good old British manufacturing.

    By Ian Rose (29/01/2022)
  • I’m very intrigue as to why it was named Independent and renamed Dependant. Please if anyone could shed some light. Regards.

    By Steven (22/06/2022)
  • My Grandfather had this pub. Sadly he died of TB at a young age when my Mother was only 18 months old. His widow was left to bring up their 3 children.Later TB struck again and my mother’s sister died, I think at age 12. Later they all had TB , and my mother remembered being in a sanatorium. (not pleasant). Her mother used to say “you do not know what it means to be a mother until you have lost a child. ” I suppose in an area crammed with people, as Your correspondent said , cross infection would have been a big risk, and TB was not tamed in those days. We are in Cumbria now a long way away. Something else my mother told me ,was that they would hear the warning sirens going off when a ship was in trouble, and townspeople would go down to the shore to see if they could do anything to help. The same building was, I think
    called The Preston.

    By Mrs Janet Ellison (31/03/2023)
  • I used to work a couple of doors down,(on the left) from this pub (Late 1990s!).
    I’m not sure anybody will remember me.But, a fair few laughs and drinks had in this pub. The good old days. xxx

    By Marion W (13/03/2024)
  • My nickname and I was better known as Busy Mary, if anybody remembers me 😉

    By Marion W. (13/03/2024)

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