The Peanut Roaster
Banned
Lol. That's true.
I used to have a part time job there when it was Shell.
Then it closed and got turned into an estate agent.
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Completely RANDOM things about Brighton & Hove...
- Thread starter Trigger
- Start date
Lol. That's true.
I used to have a part time job there when it was Shell.
Then it closed and got turned into an estate agent.
The Peanut Roaster
Banned
I'm not that old sunshine.
skipper734
Registered ruffian
Sorry Mr Roaster, I am. Would put 1/2 Gal in me scooter for the week, when I was even younger and went there with my Dad in his car , it was even cheaper, and you got your windscreen washed.
Celerey, Celery, you can tickle her --- until she ----- with a stick of Celery. Hansey!, Hansey!, Hansey!.....
Just found this awesome thread 
I lived in Hurstpierpoint 1973 - 1981 (aged 12 - 20) so as you can imagine coming down to Brighton was a very big deal in those far off days. Train fare when I started coming down .... usually on a Saturday... was 19p return as I recall.
As a penniless teenager during those early years it was pure window shopping. Sometimes I would treat myself to a giant bag of Marks & Spencer crisps (barbecue flavour) for lunch and a 7" single from Woolies or Smiths.
A bit later I used to buy pre-recorded cassettes from HMV or Virgin as our radiogram (!) at home was in the lounge where telly ruled in the 70s.
In this post I will restrict myself to all the record shops I can remember from 70s to date if I may.
The old Virgin at the Clock Tower where Boots is now (there's a great photo on an early page of this thread). There were sort of giant cut-out trees inside and hippies would sit on big cushions and listen to Henry Cow and Tangerine Dream albums on large headphones.
Later Virgin moved over the road, then to where Boots was on Western Rd (oh the irony) and finally to Churchill Sq.
HMV was next to habitat in Churchill Sq. Had an upstairs section as well.
The Record Album used to be in North Rd.... then moved to Queens Rd briefly.... then to terminus road where it's still run by George Ginn, the longest running record dealer in the country I believe (he started selling records in 1946).
The Cottage in Church St run by the guy with the plastic hand and his brother (?) who was eventually murdered I think. The 'damaged' section in the back where all records were £1 (even if they had just a tiny mark) was a source of many bargains.
Brighton Rock in Sydney St. Huge double-fronted shop with amazing stock and a separate jazz room which is a cafe now (the other bit is the fancy dress shop now ...Revamp). Run by a heroin addict as I recall.
Vinyl Demand - Red Cross St originally.... then Sydney St.... then Gloucester Rd.... then Music Meltdown, Sydney St. Run by Vinylman aka Geoff Finch who still does the record fairs at the Centre and latterly the Komedia. Always had great stock and I picked up many good things from this place which i still possess. Actually - I ended up working there but that's another story.
Brighton Book & Record World .... Gardner St. With the world's lowest basement... not the place for claustrophobics.
Wizard Records.... Sydney St and maybe Gardner st as well at some point. Run by the red faced and blonde haired Gary Wizard. Always up for a deal that guy.
Borderline Records... when it started it was in Tidy St where the Wax Factor caff is now. Then it moved to Jubilee shopping hall gardner St. ... upstairs. Lots of bargains and the only place to buy psych/ rock n roll in the 80s. Now Borderline is still very much with us in Gardner st. of course.
Recordland in Trafalgar St. 3 floors of vinyl run by the very rude and merciless Geoff Windsor (Fat Geoff). A good place for jazz and a ticking off from Fat Geoff if you tried to part-exchange ropey gear for the good stuff ("promos, I don't want no promos").
Clickclickwhirlybeep beep .... never went in as it was a rave shop but worth a mention.
Red Rat records.... Sydney St... early 80s (has every shop in Syndey st been a record shop at some point?). You could HIRE records here as I recall.
HVR - Happy Vibes Records... run by Krafty Kuts in the 90s (sorry my chronology is all over the shop).
Street Sounds... short lived reggae emporium on the corner of Sydney St where that furniture place is now (Villa & Hut?). Only lasted a while but had a great closing-down sale.
Wax Factor and Across the Tracks---- still clinging on god bless em. Across the Tracks started off where Immediate is now by the way. The old fish chill/ counter thing was still out the back when they started.
Tilbury Gig - out on a limb in St James st as previous posters have noted.
A weird little record shop at the back of the old Churchill Sq.... past Tescos.... a dead end. Hopeless for passing trade but there was a record shop there once upon a time I assure you.
WH Smiths.... basement record dept where I bought many great albums including The Idiot by Iggy Pop on the week of release for £3.49 after I heard John Peel play Sister Midnight (1977).
Attrix.... Sydney St. Loads of band handbills pasted on the ceiling which were still there many years later after it was Dave's comics (before the redecoration). Used to sell bootlegs and always had good reggae and limited edition punk releases. Dr Alimantado Born For a Purpose on Greensleeves for £3 on 12".... which i still posses and one of the greatest reggae records ever made.
Subway at the top of West st where bargains could be had. They had their own shrink-wrapping machine as well.... so watch out for fraudulently packaged old stock.
Covert Records in that little st off Sydney St. Techno specialists who folded after the dance boom of the 90s/ v early 2000s fizzled out. There were other shops in Trafalgar st that met a similiar fate as the same time.
Monkey Music Emporium in Baker St - now the best 2nd hand shop in Brighton and proof that it can still be done well if you are honest and don't treat people like complete mugs.
Bloody hell... well there's a few I've missed out but I bet you're bored with all that anyway.
As you can tell... I am a vinyl nut to this day and spent the better part of 40 years chasing the good stuff in the many and varied shops of olde brighton towne.
I have some more memories of the old days but that will do for now.
Nice forum by the way.... seems to be free of the uneccessary bitching and sniping which clogs up many other places.
I lived in Hurstpierpoint 1973 - 1981 (aged 12 - 20) so as you can imagine coming down to Brighton was a very big deal in those far off days. Train fare when I started coming down .... usually on a Saturday... was 19p return as I recall.
As a penniless teenager during those early years it was pure window shopping. Sometimes I would treat myself to a giant bag of Marks & Spencer crisps (barbecue flavour) for lunch and a 7" single from Woolies or Smiths.
A bit later I used to buy pre-recorded cassettes from HMV or Virgin as our radiogram (!) at home was in the lounge where telly ruled in the 70s.
In this post I will restrict myself to all the record shops I can remember from 70s to date if I may.
The old Virgin at the Clock Tower where Boots is now (there's a great photo on an early page of this thread). There were sort of giant cut-out trees inside and hippies would sit on big cushions and listen to Henry Cow and Tangerine Dream albums on large headphones.
Later Virgin moved over the road, then to where Boots was on Western Rd (oh the irony) and finally to Churchill Sq.
HMV was next to habitat in Churchill Sq. Had an upstairs section as well.
The Record Album used to be in North Rd.... then moved to Queens Rd briefly.... then to terminus road where it's still run by George Ginn, the longest running record dealer in the country I believe (he started selling records in 1946).
The Cottage in Church St run by the guy with the plastic hand and his brother (?) who was eventually murdered I think. The 'damaged' section in the back where all records were £1 (even if they had just a tiny mark) was a source of many bargains.
Brighton Rock in Sydney St. Huge double-fronted shop with amazing stock and a separate jazz room which is a cafe now (the other bit is the fancy dress shop now ...Revamp). Run by a heroin addict as I recall.
Vinyl Demand - Red Cross St originally.... then Sydney St.... then Gloucester Rd.... then Music Meltdown, Sydney St. Run by Vinylman aka Geoff Finch who still does the record fairs at the Centre and latterly the Komedia. Always had great stock and I picked up many good things from this place which i still possess. Actually - I ended up working there but that's another story.
Brighton Book & Record World .... Gardner St. With the world's lowest basement... not the place for claustrophobics.
Wizard Records.... Sydney St and maybe Gardner st as well at some point. Run by the red faced and blonde haired Gary Wizard. Always up for a deal that guy.
Borderline Records... when it started it was in Tidy St where the Wax Factor caff is now. Then it moved to Jubilee shopping hall gardner St. ... upstairs. Lots of bargains and the only place to buy psych/ rock n roll in the 80s. Now Borderline is still very much with us in Gardner st. of course.
Recordland in Trafalgar St. 3 floors of vinyl run by the very rude and merciless Geoff Windsor (Fat Geoff). A good place for jazz and a ticking off from Fat Geoff if you tried to part-exchange ropey gear for the good stuff ("promos, I don't want no promos").
Clickclickwhirlybeep beep .... never went in as it was a rave shop but worth a mention.
Red Rat records.... Sydney St... early 80s (has every shop in Syndey st been a record shop at some point?). You could HIRE records here as I recall.
HVR - Happy Vibes Records... run by Krafty Kuts in the 90s (sorry my chronology is all over the shop).
Street Sounds... short lived reggae emporium on the corner of Sydney St where that furniture place is now (Villa & Hut?). Only lasted a while but had a great closing-down sale.
Wax Factor and Across the Tracks---- still clinging on god bless em. Across the Tracks started off where Immediate is now by the way. The old fish chill/ counter thing was still out the back when they started.
Tilbury Gig - out on a limb in St James st as previous posters have noted.
A weird little record shop at the back of the old Churchill Sq.... past Tescos.... a dead end. Hopeless for passing trade but there was a record shop there once upon a time I assure you.
WH Smiths.... basement record dept where I bought many great albums including The Idiot by Iggy Pop on the week of release for £3.49 after I heard John Peel play Sister Midnight (1977).
Attrix.... Sydney St. Loads of band handbills pasted on the ceiling which were still there many years later after it was Dave's comics (before the redecoration). Used to sell bootlegs and always had good reggae and limited edition punk releases. Dr Alimantado Born For a Purpose on Greensleeves for £3 on 12".... which i still posses and one of the greatest reggae records ever made.
Subway at the top of West st where bargains could be had. They had their own shrink-wrapping machine as well.... so watch out for fraudulently packaged old stock.
Covert Records in that little st off Sydney St. Techno specialists who folded after the dance boom of the 90s/ v early 2000s fizzled out. There were other shops in Trafalgar st that met a similiar fate as the same time.
Monkey Music Emporium in Baker St - now the best 2nd hand shop in Brighton and proof that it can still be done well if you are honest and don't treat people like complete mugs.
Bloody hell... well there's a few I've missed out but I bet you're bored with all that anyway.
As you can tell... I am a vinyl nut to this day and spent the better part of 40 years chasing the good stuff in the many and varied shops of olde brighton towne.
I have some more memories of the old days but that will do for now.
Nice forum by the way.... seems to be free of the uneccessary bitching and sniping which clogs up many other places.
Last edited:
Norman Potting
Well-known member
Just found this awesome thread
I lived in Hurstpierpoint 1973 - 1981 (aged 12 - 20) so as you can imagine coming down to Brighton was a very big deal in those far off days. Train fare when I started coming down .... usually on a Saturday... was 19p return as I recall.
As a penniless teenager during those early years it was pure window shopping. Sometimes I would treat myself to a giant bag of Marks & Spencer crisps (barbecue flavour) for lunch and a 7" single from Woolies or Smiths.
A bit later I used to buy pre-recorded cassettes from HMV or Virgin as our radiogram (!) at home was in the lounge where telly ruled in the 70s.
In this post I will restrict myself to all the record shops I can remember from 70s to date if I may.
The old Virgin at the Clock Tower where Boots is now (there's a great photo on an early page of this thread). There were sort of giant cut-out trees inside and hippies would sit on big cushions and listen to Henry Cow and Tangerine Dream albums on large headphones.
Later Virgin moved over the road, then to where Boots was on Western Rd (oh the irony) and finally to Churchill Sq.
HMV was next to habitat in Churchill Sq. Had an upstairs section as well.
The Record Album used to be in North Rd.... then moved to Queens Rd briefly.... then to terminus road where it's still run by George Ginn, the longest running record dealer in the country I believe (he started selling records in 1946).
The Cottage in Church St run by the guy with the plastic hand and his brother (?) who was eventually murdered I think. The 'damaged' section in the back where all records were £1 (even if they had just a tiny mark) was a source of many bargains.
Brighton Rock in Sydney St. Huge double-fronted shop with amazing stock and a separate jazz room which is a cafe now (the other bit is the fancy dress shop now ...Revamp). Run by a heroin addict as I recall.
Vinyl Demand - Red Cross St originally.... then Sydney St.... then Gloucester Rd.... then Music Meltdown, Sydney St. Run by Vinylman aka Geoff Finch who still does the record fairs at the Centre and latterly the Komedia. Always had great stock and I picked up many good things from this place which i still possess. Actually - I ended up working there but that's another story.
Brighton Book & Record World .... Gardner St. With the world's lowest basement... not the place for claustrophobics.
Wizard Records.... Sydney St and maybe Gardner st as well at some point. Run by the red faced and blonde haired Gary Wizard. Always up for a deal that guy.
Borderline Records... when it started it was in Tidy St where the Wax Factor caff is now. Then it moved to Jubilee shopping hall gardner St. ... upstairs. Lots of bargains and the only place to buy psych/ rock n roll in the 80s. Now Borderline is still very much with us in Gardner st. of course.
Recordland in Trafalgar St. 3 floors of vinyl run by the very rude and merciless Geoff Windsor (Fat Geoff). A good place for jazz and a ticking off from Fat Geoff if you tried to part-exchange ropey gear for the good stuff ("promos, I don't want no promos").
Clickclickwhirlybeep beep .... never went in as it was a rave shop but worth a mention.
Red Rat records.... Sydney St... early 80s (has every shop in Syndey st been a record shop at some point?). You could HIRE records here as I recall.
HVR - Happy Vibes Records... run by Krafty Kuts in the 90s (sorry my chronology is all over the shop).
Street Sounds... short lived reggae emporium on the corner of Sydney St where that furniture place is now (Villa & Hut?). Only lasted a while but had a great closing-down sale.
Wax Factor and Across the Tracks---- still clinging on god bless em. Across the Tracks started off where Immediate is now by the way. The old fish chill/ counter thing was still out the back when they started.
Tilbury Gig - out on a limb in St James st as previous posters have noted.
A weird little record shop at the back of the old Churchill Sq.... past Tescos.... a dead end. Hopeless for passing trade but there was a record shop there once upon a time I assure you.
WH Smiths.... basement record dept where I bought many great albums including The Idiot by Iggy Pop on the week of release for £3.49 after I heard John Peel play Sister Midnight (1977).
Attrix.... Sydney St. Loads of band handbills pasted on the ceiling which were still there many years later after it was Dave's comics (before the redecoration). Used to sell bootlegs and always had good reggae and limited edition punk releases. Dr Alimantado Born For a Purpose on Greensleeves for £3 on 12".... which i still posses and one of the greatest reggae records ever made.
Subway at the top of West st where bargains could be had. They had their own shrink-wrapping machine as well.... so watch out for fraudulently packaged old stock.
Covert Records in that little st off Sydney St. Techno specialists who folded after the dance boom of the 90s/ v early 2000s fizzled out. There were other shops in Trafalgar st that met a similiar fate as the same time.
Monkey Music Emporium in Baker St - now the best 2nd hand shop in Brighton and proof that it can still be done well if you are honest and don't treat people like complete mugs.
Bloody hell... well there's a few I've missed out but I bet you're bored with all that anyway.
As you can tell... I am a vinyl nut to this day and spent the better part of 40 years chasing the good stuff in the many and varied shops of olde brighton towne.
I have some more memories of the old days but that will do for now.
Nice forum by the way.... seems to be free of the uneccessary bitching and sniping which clogs up many other places.
It doesn't seem that long ago (well, pre kids so at least 10) when my idea of a good day out was 729 to Brighton or drive to Lewes then train. I had just received a reasonable redundancy payment from one job, had walked straight into another and was intending using part of my pay off wisely in replacing as much of my vinyl collection with CD at sensible prices. A leisurely stroll through North Laine(s) stopping at many of the places you mention for used bargain CD's, pausing at the Basketmakers or Lord Nelson for some ale and something to eat started the day. Then on to Western Road to see if there were any CD bargains to be had from Virgin/HMV or even good old Woolies and then into MVC in Air Street who could usually be relied on for more bargains.
How times change. Now I can log onto to Spotify and listen to all sorts of stuff, and listen to downloaded bargains (don't ask). I still think that rooting around in record shop was more fun though!
Nice post and a stroll down memory lane.
Just found this awesome thread
I lived in Hurstpierpoint 1973 - 1981 (aged 12 - 20) so as you can imagine coming down to Brighton was a very big deal in those far off days. Train fare when I started coming down .... usually on a Saturday... was 19p return as I recall.
As a penniless teenager during those early years it was pure window shopping. Sometimes I would treat myself to a giant bag of Marks & Spencer crisps (barbecue flavour) for lunch and a 7" single from Woolies or Smiths.
A bit later I used to buy pre-recorded cassettes from HMV or Virgin as our radiogram (!) at home was in the lounge where telly ruled in the 70s.
In this post I will restrict myself to all the record shops I can remember from 70s to date if I may.
The old Virgin at the Clock Tower where Boots is now (there's a great photo on an early page of this thread). There were sort of giant cut-out trees inside and hippies would sit on big cushions and listen to Henry Cow and Tangerine Dream albums on large headphones.
Later Virgin moved over the road, then to where Boots was on Western Rd (oh the irony) and finally to Churchill Sq.
HMV was next to habitat in Churchill Sq. Had an upstairs section as well.
The Record Album used to be in North Rd.... then moved to Queens Rd briefly.... then to terminus road where it's still run by George Ginn, the longest running record dealer in the country I believe (he started selling records in 1946).
The Cottage in Church St run by the guy with the plastic hand and his brother (?) who was eventually murdered I think. The 'damaged' section in the back where all records were £1 (even if they had just a tiny mark) was a source of many bargains.
Brighton Rock in Sydney St. Huge double-fronted shop with amazing stock and a separate jazz room which is a cafe now (the other bit is the fancy dress shop now ...Revamp). Run by a heroin addict as I recall.
Vinyl Demand - Red Cross St originally.... then Sydney St.... then Gloucester Rd.... then Music Meltdown, Sydney St. Run by Vinylman aka Geoff Finch who still does the record fairs at the Centre and latterly the Komedia. Always had great stock and I picked up many good things from this place which i still possess. Actually - I ended up working there but that's another story.
Brighton Book & Record World .... Gardner St. With the world's lowest basement... not the place for claustrophobics.
Wizard Records.... Sydney St and maybe Gardner st as well at some point. Run by the red faced and blonde haired Gary Wizard. Always up for a deal that guy.
Borderline Records... when it started it was in Tidy St where the Wax Factor caff is now. Then it moved to Jubilee shopping hall gardner St. ... upstairs. Lots of bargains and the only place to buy psych/ rock n roll in the 80s. Now Borderline is still very much with us in Gardner st. of course.
Recordland in Trafalgar St. 3 floors of vinyl run by the very rude and merciless Geoff Windsor (Fat Geoff). A good place for jazz and a ticking off from Fat Geoff if you tried to part-exchange ropey gear for the good stuff ("promos, I don't want no promos").
Clickclickwhirlybeep beep .... never went in as it was a rave shop but worth a mention.
Red Rat records.... Sydney St... early 80s (has every shop in Syndey st been a record shop at some point?). You could HIRE records here as I recall.
HVR - Happy Vibes Records... run by Krafty Kuts in the 90s (sorry my chronology is all over the shop).
Street Sounds... short lived reggae emporium on the corner of Sydney St where that furniture place is now (Villa & Hut?). Only lasted a while but had a great closing-down sale.
Wax Factor and Across the Tracks---- still clinging on god bless em. Across the Tracks started off where Immediate is now by the way. The old fish chill/ counter thing was still out the back when they started.
Tilbury Gig - out on a limb in St James st as previous posters have noted.
A weird little record shop at the back of the old Churchill Sq.... past Tescos.... a dead end. Hopeless for passing trade but there was a record shop there once upon a time I assure you.
WH Smiths.... basement record dept where I bought many great albums including The Idiot by Iggy Pop on the week of release for £3.49 after I heard John Peel play Sister Midnight (1977).
Attrix.... Sydney St. Loads of band handbills pasted on the ceiling which were still there many years later after it was Dave's comics (before the redecoration). Used to sell bootlegs and always had good reggae and limited edition punk releases. Dr Alimantado Born For a Purpose on Greensleeves for £3 on 12".... which i still posses and one of the greatest reggae records ever made.
Subway at the top of West st where bargains could be had. They had their own shrink-wrapping machine as well.... so watch out for fraudulently packaged old stock.
Covert Records in that little st off Sydney St. Techno specialists who folded after the dance boom of the 90s/ v early 2000s fizzled out. There were other shops in Trafalgar st that met a similiar fate as the same time.
Monkey Music Emporium in Baker St - now the best 2nd hand shop in Brighton and proof that it can still be done well if you are honest and don't treat people like complete mugs.
Bloody hell... well there's a few I've missed out but I bet you're bored with all that anyway.
As you can tell... I am a vinyl nut to this day and spent the better part of 40 years chasing the good stuff in the many and varied shops of olde brighton towne.
I have some more memories of the old days but that will do for now.
Nice forum by the way.... seems to be free of the uneccessary bitching and sniping which clogs up many other places.
Great post - that brought back memories.
A few others ...
Fine Records in Brighton Square. Good reggae selection - the manager, Paul Skinner, knew his stuff
There was a short-lived record shop at the top of Waterloo St in Hove. The manager, Kaz, was a nice guy but seemed to have no idea of business.
Mackenzie
Old Brightonian
Does anyone remember the 'waxworks' opposite the Palace Pier......was it a Madame Tussauds?
Pot noodles for everyone
New member
It was a Tussauds but not Madame.
Mackenzie
Old Brightonian
Thankyou.
It was one of those places that I walked past every day but never went in. I only ever knew it as 'the waxworks' hence my question.
Jambo Seagull
Well-known member
Thanks for the comments on my (far too long!) post above.
Yes - Gwylan ... Fine records... I'm struggling a bit with this. Is it where Rounder is now? That's Brighton Sq is it not? I should know it. I can't believe it doesn't ring a bell --- cuz as you can tell... i was in and out of practically every record shop in town.
And another one I am kicking myself for forgetting..... Rave On in Sydney St. This was always in a right messy state but for rock n roll you could do no better. It was run by Piers Charmers (still very much active in the world of record fairs) and another rock n roll expert Mick Turner.... who is sadly no longer with us. He died about 10 years back. People may remember Mick as he was a hunchback. His wife Anne helped run Dave's Comics for many years. Rave On was where Curiouser and Curiouser is now I think. Yet another Sydney st record shop anyway.
At the far corner on the end, where Forfars is now... was Rayfords Electrics. They also sold records and I remember their closing down sale as source of decent bargains.
Norman Potting..... I do dally with the download but I'm not convinced. I like to rummage through boxes of records. I'm an old dinosaur. I admit it. That's why I like Monkey Music in Baker St. That guy knows how to buy and sell records no doubt. CDs - they have their uses. When I can't get out of my chair (bad knees) I do like to put a cd on repeat and not get up for a few hours. I don't really like digital though. I like a bit of the old snap crackle and pop. I'm a complete snob. I admit it. Cheers all anyway!
Yes - Gwylan ... Fine records... I'm struggling a bit with this. Is it where Rounder is now? That's Brighton Sq is it not? I should know it. I can't believe it doesn't ring a bell --- cuz as you can tell... i was in and out of practically every record shop in town.
And another one I am kicking myself for forgetting..... Rave On in Sydney St. This was always in a right messy state but for rock n roll you could do no better. It was run by Piers Charmers (still very much active in the world of record fairs) and another rock n roll expert Mick Turner.... who is sadly no longer with us. He died about 10 years back. People may remember Mick as he was a hunchback. His wife Anne helped run Dave's Comics for many years. Rave On was where Curiouser and Curiouser is now I think. Yet another Sydney st record shop anyway.
At the far corner on the end, where Forfars is now... was Rayfords Electrics. They also sold records and I remember their closing down sale as source of decent bargains.
Norman Potting..... I do dally with the download but I'm not convinced. I like to rummage through boxes of records. I'm an old dinosaur. I admit it. That's why I like Monkey Music in Baker St. That guy knows how to buy and sell records no doubt. CDs - they have their uses. When I can't get out of my chair (bad knees) I do like to put a cd on repeat and not get up for a few hours. I don't really like digital though. I like a bit of the old snap crackle and pop. I'm a complete snob. I admit it. Cheers all anyway!
Last edited:
Norman Potting
Well-known member
Remember it well but never went in. Had a rather lurid tableaux in the window of the "axe on a pendulum" variety.
Freddie Goodwin.
Well-known member
Bradx, i remember a lad from Hurstpierpoint of around that time, Dave Baxter i seem to recall.
Bearing in mind HPP is a one horse town, might you have known him?
Bearing in mind HPP is a one horse town, might you have known him?
It was Louis Tussauds.
Anyone else used to go scrabbling about under the wooden floor outside the cafe in St Ann's Well Gardens hunting for money which had dropped through the gaps? That, and rummaging in dustbins in parks and along the seafront looking for Coca Cola bottles to take back to shops for 3d return! Hmm, and 6d for Corona bottles, as I remember.
Nope, doesn't ring a bell.... sorry! It was a one-horse town as you describe but I wasn't in the centre of the heaving metropolis.... I lived on the edge (not metaphorically.... although now I come to think of it, I did a bit I suppose).... nearer to Hassocks anyway. Went to Hassocks County Secondary 73 - 77 (later known as Downlands) .... a bit of a rough place but I believe its quite a good school these days.
I just remembered yet another record shop by the way - Polysound in Gardner Street. Run by the bearded John who I still see around town. It was a chart shop.... late 70s > early 80s. Didn't last too long in the scheme of things.
Might move onto to memorable gigs at some stage..... here's a couple to be going on with.... The Stranglers at the Brighton Centre 1978 on the Nice n' Sleazy tour. When they brought the strippers on (proper strippers not dodgy dancers) my 17 year old eyes popped out of my head. Corks!
The Birthday Party at Xtremes at the New Regent in 1981. Wow. Intense and edgy performance from a young Nick Cave on his 1st trip to England I believe. He ended up living down here of course.
Who remembers the New Regent anyway? A good place to see bands. Very lowlit inside... all red with a small stage and dancefloor and booths for the early birds. Its now Walkabout... I think that's where it was. Saw quite a few bands down there like Aztec Camera, Blurt, Blue Orchids, (missed the Fall alas). Local support was from bands like Birds With Ears, Carved to a Noise... or Full Moon through Glass perhaps.
severnside gull
Well-known member
we used to climb over the fence into the yard of the (I think) Southern Star pub just off the OSR in Portslade and nick the soda syphons then take them round the front into the off sales for the sixpence return deposit. Got away with it for ages before they cottoned on!
Was it not the Southern Cross?