Andy Garth: Just been done up

Both of this week’s photos are in our next auction on Tuesday 23rd May at St Leonard’s Church Hall, Glebe Villas in Hove starting at 8pm. There will be 240 other lots – including everything from the usual postcards and pictures to books, prints, guides and ephemera.

The first picture is of The Belle Vue Pub in the 1880s and was a popular local (built around 1850) which has recently been refurbished and changed its name to the West Hill Tavern. My attention was drawn to the horse and trap just about to climb up Buckingham Place and nothing else on the road… if only!

The second photo is a very early photo of the Holy Trinity Church in Blatchington Road in Hove, which was built in 1863. The reason we know it’s an early shot is the size of the trees in the front, and on closer inspection there are no buildings in the background where Eaton Gardens is now. Again, this building has just been refurbished into a doctors’ surgery and pharmacy and in my opinion a fine job has been done to preserve the building – which I discovered cost £9,000 to build, which wouldn’t have gone far in the latest refurb!

The guide price on these two photos is about £12-15, and all lots can be viewed at Robert (postcard man) Jeeves’ shop Step Back In Time in Queens Road Brighton. If you want a catalogue please email me at brightonandhovestuff@gmail.com or pop in to my shop at 28 Western Road, Hove.

More auction lots will feature in next week’s column