Can anyone remember the shops in the old Churchill Square?

[Poyetry In Motion]

Isn't smiths in the same place too?

I believe so. Though the old Smiths was on 3 floors if my memory serves me well.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I'm sure I remember them building a bandstand with only a few months to go before the demolition. Anyone have any photos of the destruction of the old girl?

 

[Vegas Seagull]

Sarah's Cafe, Relate and RJs (hairdressers) spring to mind.

My sister was the hair 'model' RJs used for their window, cheapskates left it up for a decade

 

[Vegas Seagull]

What about 'The Wall' where the skateboarders went near the old Churchill Square.

Seemed to be between the parking and shopping area, think you had to climb over fences and walls to get there.

Just one railing next to where Borders was, riding it the first time was up there with....

 

[Vegas Seagull]

Where do people meet, now that the legendary 'Wishing Well' has gone!?

 

[Doctor Nobby]

I worked in Bejam in about 1979 , and used to spend more time in LR Cloake the record shop a couple of doors along where a certain Mick Fuller [still around today] dispensed the sounds.

 

[Norman Potting]

I believe so. Though the old Smiths was on 3 floors if my memory serves me well.

I am sure that it had a basement with a "W H Smith" travel agency in it.

 

[Gwylan]

Where do people meet, now that the legendary 'Wishing Well' has gone!?

I'm one of those people (one of the few judging by this thread) who never met anyone at this Wishing Well.

In fact, this thread has been an eye-opener to me. I was a teenager in Brighton for most of the 1970s and yet I have little recollection of Churchill Square. I'm truly amazed at the number of people with memories of the place: I doubt if I set foot in the area more than half a dozen times. It's been an interesting thread to read - particularly about the streets that were demolished - but am I the only Brightonian of those times who has no room in his heart for Churchill Square?

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Where do people meet, now that the legendary 'Wishing Well' has gone!?

Good call. I bet many relationships started there. There should be a plaque or something to commemorate this piece of history.

 

[Cappers]

I am sure that it had a basement with a "W H Smith" travel agency in it.

It did, however piror to that it was the WH Smith music dept, bfore moving over the road at the back into its own stand alone shop

 

[BigGully]

Good call. I bet many relationships started there. There should be a plaque or something to commemorate this piece of history.

Wasnt there a grate in the wishing well under the water, sometimes the coins would balance between the slats and you would dip your hand in for free money, I am sure it was mainly the EF students that actually threw coins in it.

 

[Box of Frogs]

It did, however piror to that it was the WH Smith music dept, bfore moving over the road at the back into its own stand alone shop

Correct - I worked in WH Smiths in those days. the book department was upstairs, Main shop on the ground floor and the travel agency downstairs. There was a basement below that, not accessable to the public, where stock was stored.

 

[Jello Biafra]

I acquired Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and the Pogues' 1st album, (with Waxie's Dargle on it), at the HMV store. Place just isn't the same these days. It must have been cool before the concrete monstrosity was constructed as it was like the Lanes wasn't it.

 

[Jello Biafra]

Correct - I worked in WH Smiths in those days. the book department was upstairs, Main shop on the ground floor and the travel agency downstairs. There was a basement below that, not accessable to the public, where stock was stored.

Do you remember an inebriated 17-year old buying Bram Stoker's Dracula, one Friday afternoon in 1986? If so that was me

 

[portslade seagull]

I am sure that it had a basement with a "W H Smith" travel agency in it.

Yep there was booked a couple of spanish awaydays in there

 

[portslade seagull]

Used to park my car in the car park up the ramp

 

[SIMMO SAYS]

Unfortunately I remember the shops before Churchill Square

 

[somerset]

Used to park my car in the car park up the ramp

Hmv and whsmith, vinyl in the sleeves on the shelves, we had a field day..... Never paid for a thing.

 

[portslade seagull]

Yep good old days

 

[Weststander]

Whs - prior to the travel agency.
Wasnt it records, 8tracks and cassettes downstairs? I remember my dad buying Stevie Wonder's Innervision album there (christ .... 1973!), and Tubular Bells.