Changing face of the high street

It's not until you happen to see a picture of that street that you realise you seldom see what's above the shopfront level.

Referring recently to the one time photographer JJ Hill and how he once shared the premises of Newhaven Pharmacies in the High Street, I sought three similar scenes covering about 50 years.

From about 1880 on it was surprising how many properties were still just living houses. Some were double fronted and at times one of the downstairs windows would have been converted into a small shopfront, then a few years later it had become a full frontage.

All very logical and then at times there had been a small front garden. Suddenly that disappears and up against a new footpath there is quite an impressive big store.

In photo No 1 we see the view from just below the travel agents to just before the house Homestreu.

Pegler was a butcher and the same trade continued there as Dewhursts until, I suppose, the presence of supermarkets put paid to that and it was replaced by the Baguette Shop.

Next down was still a house with its neat railings, but one day it was to become a well known shoe shop, Freeman Hardy and Willis, now a charity shop.

Have a look at the approach step and there see a reminder of its past.

Look up to the frontage, for something of interest.

Next down, here is a jewellers. It has been a coal order office, a boutique and is now a cleaner's.

Now we have come down to the legendary shop of Jas Corbett, a town councillor who often wore a straw boater.

No limit to possible fancies. There in the photo, two figures showing some interest '“ anything from shipping news to a substantial garden spade.

Now the shop has been brought out from the house to pavement level, as with the quaint storeroom above. Where the two boys are is a garden railing. Between that and the house, that section was filled in and used by JJ Hill, as the photographers.

Corbett's old shop was completely modernised and became a chemists, the Newhaven Pharmacy. It all became one building with separate entrances plus, of course, the wooden studio in the back garden.

It has been said there was a well thereabouts and that so much picture material from Corbetts old shop was dropped down it and cemented over. You can't win 'em all.

Next house down ... first half is Noakes, fancy draper. In an earlier picture he is a grocer and the lower half of the frontage was still a house.

Then International Stores took over (as here) . They were big. Noakes (or perhaps his widow) changed trade.

Eventually, of course, the International stores took over the whole building and remained as a major competitor with the Co-op, Bannisters and Sargeants.

In the 1970s the International moved across the road to where had been the Rex Cinema (now Mackays) and the nearest we had seen of a supermarket resulted.

The Co-op made a smaller gesture at their branch in Bridge Street. Where did they all go?

A purpose built supermarket (Gateway) and multi-storey car park arrived!

The bottom shop in this strip was Grangers the Chemist, with the large glass jars of coloured water in the windxow and an expanse of boxes of jars of Virol and the rumours of an abandoned wedding breakfast upstairs!

Previously, it was Reeves stationers and savings bank. Strange, not so long ago it was the Midland Bank!

PETER BAILEY

Peter Bailey is curator of the Newhaven Local and Maritime Museum based in its own fascinating premises in the grounds of Paradise Park in Avis Road, Newhaven. Opening hours are Saturdays and Sundays, all year, 2-5pm or by arrangement, weekdays, 2-4pm. Admission 1 (accompanied children free). Contact the curator on 01273 514760. Log on to the website at www.newhavenmuseum.co.uk