BRIDGE STREET

My late mother in law attended St Martins sunday school,I think I am correct in stating that services were held at 10 Station Road Newhaven.

The original house that is now 10 and 10a Station Road used to becalled "St Martins" until quite recently. When my mother in law the late Jean Strudwick (nee Frost, born 1914) attended there it had a room inside set out like a Chapel. Jean lived at Oyster Pond Cottages East Side (Turkey Town) and later at Marina Bungalow Mount Pleasant, this is the bungalow that is on the corner of Station Road and Arundel Road. The Anchorage is the same shop as Noakes the hairdressers, later in the late 1950s the same shop traded as Howells (shoe menders), John Howell moved there from his and formerly his fathers shop in Chapel Street (opposite the Jolly Sailor beer house). Howells also had a fish and chip next door, later became "Niners" and a general store in Gibbon Road (steps were cut from the bottom of Second Avenue to shop by John's father thus making this hill to be known then as Howells Hill). Mike Howell, John's son took over John's Bridge Street shop in the 1960s.

Thanks for your lovely comments Colin. I worked as a Saturday Assistant in the Bridge Street Howells during the early - mid 1970's, then Mike moved the shop to the High Street (next to Clearview) This is now a Pet shop.

The photographs and comments about Bridge Street, one of the last remaining historic sites in Newhaven are very interesting. There is a proposal that the old cottages - built in the 1800s, the flint workshop, the fine building in front of it and the former sport shop should be demolished and new buildings replace them.
I have lived in Newhaven for 12 years and feel very sad about this as do many other residents. Contact Lewes District Council Planning office if you would like to help save Bridge Street.

Thanks for your comments Jill. I noticed that there is also a petition about it in the cafe at the Hillcrest Centre. Jackie (Editor)

I left school in 1953 and worked in Kings Sweetshop in Bridge Street for 3 years.  My wage was £1. 13s. 9d. per week! Next door to the Sweetshop was a Lady's Shop owned by Ethel Gatiss, and the assistants had to call the owner madam! Hoeys Fruit Shop was opposite, and Manns The Chemist and at the bottom Baldwins.  Another Baldwins being further up the road. There was a cafe by Woolgars passage and opposite was The Southdown Bus Office.  Harold Bannister had an Antique's Shop at the Bridge end and when I married in 1966 we lived in the flat above it for a while.  The Drill Hall was further to the left and we went to dances there.  The Co-op Butchers with Mr Nash the manager, and the Co-op grocers with lovely marble counters and cups running on lines in the air to send the money to the cashier in her office were on the corner and opposite was the Co-op Drapers.

The Book & Bacca shop would supply us kids with bait and tackle for our fishing adventures to Piddinghoe Pond. I remember being shown the outhouse to the rear with the joint of meat hanging above a bucket of sand to catch the maggots for bait. Health & Safety would have a fit nowadays. There also used to be a small lane by the Crown that ran along the back of these shops and led back to Chapel Street by my Old Infants school - Meeching Infants - and there was an antiques shop at the end of the lane or should I call it a 'Twitten'.

The shop next door to King's was Jane Pagets not Ethel Gatiss, that was somewhere else in the High Street.

There were two shops either side of Kings sweet shop. Both Jane Pagets, owned by Mrs Martins of Colliholes Seaford. I worked in Jane Pagets clothing shop in 1958 when I left school as junior to a Mrs Castle. In the other shop were an underwear and childrens wear department which Pam Evershead and Mavis ? managed; they had a junior named Pat Sutton. I remember the shop used to flood at spring high tides. Mr Gibbs the Chemists was between Pagets and the Bus Office.

Re the Sunday School at 10 Station Road; I seem to recall having seen a photo somewhere showing that, at one time, there was an old railway coach either in the garden of No 10, or next to it, which was used for the Sunday School.

I remember Howells in Bridge Street, and opposite was Jimmy "the one" Gibb, The Chemist. Next door to him was Reg Gittings with "Sylvesters Estate Agents" and next to him was the old Southdown Bus Office. I remember that all the shops in that area would flood quite regularly.

The Book and Bacca shop was my favourite shop. I must have spent a lot of money in there on fishing gear. The chap serving in there (not sure if he owned the place) was always very helpful. I bought rods, reels, hooks, line, floats, lead shot (split) maggots, lugworm, till i worked out how to catch them myself. Then I used to go into the chemist a few shops down to get aniseed liquid to mix with the bread bait to catch rudd, roach, dace and tench in the old river or the Three Lakes. I think I still have one of the reels somewhere.

The chemist shop was run by Mr Gibson. You had a job to see him, the place was so cluttered, as he peeped out through a little serving hatch.

My father (adopted) was Reg Gittings who owned Silvesters Estate Agents - I remember when Jimmy who owned Gibb the chemist sold up or retired and Reg being Reg bought all his old stock - I recall tins of powdered baby milk and bright red lipsticks - the latter of which his wife continued to use for years. Harold Bannister and Reg also did many business transactions over the years - one being a huge gold florentine mirror which was broken during a move and revealed a painting hidden behind - which was later sold at Sotherbys - thought to have been smuggled in the Mirror from France. They were all great characters and had endless tales to amuse their audience.

There was an unlicensed betting shop behind the Book and Bacca shop. I remember my Mum sneaking in there and hoping nobody saw her.