EAst sussex 1927-1959
Pictured through the lens of a Sussex Daily News photographer.
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There were several theories surrounding this picture which was taken at the South Undercliff in Rye, East Sussex. One was a gas explosion and another was bomb damage during WW2 taken from https://ryeartsfestival.org.uk
It is most likely that this damaged was caused on 16th September 1942 and the website gives the following account. 'At 06:10 one 500kg bomb dropped on the rear of the Mermaid, bounced and exploded 20’ in the air and demolished Mr Brown’s butcher’s shop at Green Steps and damaged Strand House. Second bomb explodes south of the Harbour road,
demolishing an old gun emplacement. Nos. 2 and 4 Undercliff to be demolished.
Damage to 302 houses, 40 seriously. (incident R/11)
The High Street, East Grinstead.
Terminus Road, Eastbourne taken from the Bolton Road junction looking towards the station.
Woolworths is on the right and the shop on the left later became International stores.
The bus which has been coloured incorrectly is headed for a district in East Eastbourne called Archery.
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London Rd, East Grinstead. Looking North towards old water tower.
This photograph was taken in Harold Road, Hastings by the junction with Barley Lane.
Hastings features quite a lot in the Southern Publishing Colour Collection.
The colourisation of the buses is poor as they should in fact be green!
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Seaford Beach, next to the old Buckle pub. The railway line was in use by the LB&SC Railway to remove shingle in order to make ballast for its railway lines. The railway owned most of Seaford Bay and even today Newhaven Harbour (formerly a railway port) owns most of the beach at Seaford.
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Another photograph which took a while to solve, but it was the 'D' in the top left that provided the biggest clue. The 'D' is thought likely to be the first letter of the word 'Dancing' and therefore the location of this photo is the Hastings Pier Pavilion.
Hartfield, East Sussex. Pictured is the Dorset Arms now named the 'Haywaggon'.
This appears to be a military parade in Queens Road, Hastings. St Andrews Church, can be seen in the distance. The Queens Road area was once a large parish. The church fell into disrepair and was demolished in 1970.
Lewes, East Sussex. This loolk like an Air Raid Patrol (ARP) training excercise being held at the junction at the top of School Hill looking towards Cuilfail Hill - the memorial is behind the ARP man.
The sargeant is carrying a gas marsk which was first issued in 1939.
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These two photographs are almost certainly French and Belgium soldiers rescued at Dunkirk in June 1940.
They look happy to be on allied soil having arrived by boat on Hastings Pier.
Many of the surviving French soldiers would have likely joined the Free French army and more were recruited in Britain from those of French decent already living here. They went on to fight in North Africa and Italy etc and were later mostly armed by the United states. Their numbers gradually rose throughout the war to around 300 thousand by D Day.
The consensus of opinion is that this photograph of soldiers on parade in 1940 was taken outside the Aldelphi Hotel, Warrior Square, Hastings.
This photograph has been identified as Tidemills Ward, Chaily Heritage in Sussex. One theory from Brighton Past is that it is visit of the Bishop of London, Dr Winnington Ingram, President of Chaily Heritage, on 1 May 1936.
The 'Tommy Trott' Isfield Easter Beer race from the Laughing Fish Pub, Isfield. This race apparently started in 1956 and is still run annually today (apart from 2020 because of Covid restrictions).
According to the Laughing Fish website actress Diana Dors and band-leader Joe Loss were at least two celebrities who attended through the years.
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George Street, Hastings and the building pictured is now the 'Old Town Fryer'.