Memories of sunny days in the sixties
When Brighton and Hove was in the grip of that recent period of freezing temperatures and snow blocked roads, Christopher Wrapson, one of our contributors decided to search through his photo archive. These terrific photographs of sixties sunny days and full beaches served to cheer him up. Luckily for us he decided to share them with us. Do they bring back any memories for you?
Christopher wrote:
The first shot shows Saltdean Beach, cliffs and Undercliff Walk, looking west. As you can see the beach was pretty full – maybe with all those visitors who used to stay at the very famous Butlin’s Ocean Hotel?
Underneath The Arches in the second photograph. It shows The Palace Pier in all its glory on a lovely sunny day. The classic fifties and sixties cars will no doubt bring back many memories.
The third photograph is one of my favourites. Black Rock, looking east, probably a decade before the Marina was built? Roedean school is in the middle ground, Ovingdean gap and Rottingdean windmill are in the distance. The Southdown Coach passing under Marine Gate Flats and heading east would date this picture circa late fifties or early sixties? A wonderful view sadly long gone and lost forever.
The final photographs is of the beach and Undercliff walk, taken at Rottingdean, looking west and showing The Palace Pierin the distance. Of course this was pre-Marina.
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…and no Brighton Marina!!
Great photos. Thanks for sharing them with us!
Thank you for bringing back happy memories of the past with these photos! As a child in the fifties and sixties I often used to mess about in the rock pools, and sometimes walked along the cliffs – or below them – from Kemptown to Rottingdean. Seemed a long way then!
Oh! Black rock swimming pools, what memories! Why did they do away with them?
What a wonderful sunny picture of Black Rock showing the tide out and exposing all those lovely rock pool,. my favourite location for a Summer afternoon in the 50s. Mum would always check the Evening Argus ‘Tides’ to make sure the tide was out before we went as there was no point in going if the tide was in. Rooting about in the pools always produced winkles, anemones and tiny crabs that were (sadly) often taken home in a tin bucket to inevitably die within a few days. I was so sad to see the destruction of this part of the Brighton scene when the Marina was built…ah well,thats ‘progress’.
The under-cliff walk: lovely memories of family walks from the Palace Pier to Rottingdean, or on other occasions along the top cliff all the way to the Wimpy/Cafe in Peacehaven. Beans or egg on toast for lunch, a treat to eat out after the walk, before the bus home to Seven Dials area. Even on a sunny winter’s day it was great ! And swimming, if it was warm enough, at the Black Rock, Saltdean or Rottingdean open-air pools. Ain’t nostalgia great!
I can remember as a young girl (probably late 60s ) going on a sponsored walk headed by Jimmy Saville. My sister and I joined my father and did the whole walk which started at the King Alfred and went to Ovingdean along the coastal path, and back again. That was a very long walk!
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