More cuttings from Derek Gorham

above: the modern view of Beach Green looking up towards South Street

below: newspaper cutting of an earlier view taken from old postcards

"Not much remains of the old skyline. This view  of the southern end of South-street, Lancing, taken from Beach Green, shows how much has changed in 50 or so years. The garage buildings in the foreground block the view up South-street, where shops and flats have replaced the taller buildings on the east side (above). Even newer flats can be seen on the extreme right of the modern Lancing. The old view shows, too, how much of South-street has been widened. Reclamation work has rid the green of pools of water which lay there until not so many years ago."

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 Above: recent view of Salt Lake cottages, the gardens have developed but the buildings have remained as they looked in the picture below.

The old order changes, Called Salt Lake in former days, this section of Freshbrook-road, Lancing, shows how tastes have changed. It is a change for the better, for with careful treatment the old cottages have taken on a new lease of life. The new bicycles in the old view (top) should help date the picture.

South Street Cottages

Here's an interesting clipping sent from Derek Gorham, showing the old cottages next to the Luxor.

They were replaced by an office building, up until recently the premises of the Federation of Small Business but now vacant.

Two 250-year-old cottages, 5 and 7 South-street, Lancing, are being demolished and will provide a site for an office block to be built this year.
The cottages are owned by Brian Dodd and Co., estate agents, who have moved from 7 South-street into temporary offices next door. The buildings were too old old to be converted; at Mr Dodd’s former office the ceiling has had to be supported with beams, while 5 South street was full of damp and rot, and the stairs gave way.

The two end properties still recognisable with the offices slotted in.

Station Road aka South Street

Another from Derek Gorham's collection of cuttings from the Worthing Herald

Top: this is how the view south from the level crossing in south street looked around 1900

Below: circa 1960

The horse pictured above in another scene of old Lancing did not have to worry about parking restrictions. today’s view [below] of the northern end of South street shows how Lancing has grown from a quiet village to a thriving township. A bingo hall (formerly a cinema) now dominates the eastern side, while trees almost opposite have given way to shops and offices. The street’s name has also changed - it used to be known as Station Road.

The modern view

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From the same position but facing north these two show the comparative views 60 years apart

The full text of the cutting is :

This is the first in a short series of pictures showing Lancing old and new. The old pictures are taken from postcards published by A. G. Colbourne, of Lancing, and appear to show the village as it was in the early 1900s. Above: the delightfully rural aspect of Lancing level-crossing, taken from just south of the gates, looking north up North-road. This contrasts greatly with the busy shopping area it is today [below]. In not one of the old pictures does a car or bus appear, and most of the roads seem to be provided with only an untarred surface.

An earlier post shows more views of this Railway Crossing

The Luxor Cinema

Every town once had its own cinema, larger towns may have had several cinemas under different ownership companies.

courtesy Geoff Caulton

Before television it was an important way for a community to be able to learn about national and world events through the Pathe Newsreels.

Cinema was a major source of entertainment, British and American movies drew large crowds keen to sit in the darkened auditorium for an evening and escape the troubles of daily life.

When cinema lost its mass appeal, many of the venues closed, were demolished or found other uses, such as happened to this one by becoming a Bingo Hall. More recently, it was used by Walter Wall carpets. Since then, it has been a spacious home to a cycle shop and, most recently, The Mobility Centre, suppliers of electric-powered vehicles.

Do you have photos or memories of this venue?

The Railway Crossing

Staying close to the centre of the village I can show this picture taken in the mid 1960's by my father-in-law

Compare it with this taken in 2011. 

The public house formerly known as the Railway Hotel and now the Merry Monk was undergoing some renovation work

This is a view apparently from the footbridge of the North road side of the crossing.

A train is just entering the station. Boots the Chemist can be seen as occupying a double shop front; they later relocated to a larger property further up the road on the other side, where they remain to the present day.

The small unit with the green roller blind is probably Mitchell's Flower Shop & Greengrocers.

The new Signal Box circa 1970

Steam and the Little Shop

The Engine: This is a Fowler Showman’s Engine.

Registration: BW 4932.

Engine Name: "The Iron Maiden" (a very famous engine in the steam world).

The Scene: She is seen here in her working "Showman" guise, complete with the full canopy that extends over the dynamo at the front (used to generate electricity for fairground rides).

Local Landmark: Notice the "Brickwoods Off Licence" in the background. Brickwoods was a major Portsmouth-based brewery that had many pubs and shops across the South Coast, including Sussex.

The Iron Maiden" (BW 4932) – Lancing Carnival Day, 1963.

Caught here in her prime, just a year after her starring role in the 1962 film The Iron Maiden. She is seen passing the old Brickwoods Off Licence, a classic sight for anyone who remembers the village in the early 60s. These engines were the heart of the Silcock Fairs that brought so much life to Lancing 

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Doubly interesting because of the curious little shop in the background that began life as a Brickwoods off-licence at the side of the Farmers Hotel. I will show how it has been adapted over the years to a variety of uses.

After a long period of vacancy in 2004 the little shop was taken on by a Fishing Tackle supplier with a sideline in Dolls House kits

 A year later in 2005 it was the turn of a Locksmith 'Rhino Locks'. It must of provided a useful base to an otherwise mobile service.

Four years later in 2009 Neville Scott had decided to go solo in the Estate agency business and set up

 shop in the little building.

In this wide angle view the scene recalls the original photo with the steam engine in the position of where the white car is now parked.

Lastly for now at least, The Farmers with the strange little shop tacked on the side.

Since this photo was taken, the Estate Agent has vacated. The most recent occupant was Carewise Ltd, a privately owned Homecare agency

North Road & 'Queen Mary'

I have chosen this as the first image of the blog, from Andy Brook's collection.
The bus is a Leyland  PD3 'Queen Mary' which the Southdown company ran during the 1950's and 1960's.
The view taken from the parapet of the Luxor cinema shows North Road and the junction of Sompting Road.
In the far distance is 'The Clump' as Lancing Ring was known. Now a Local Nature Reserve.
The Public House was then known as the Railway Inn.

From almost the same position on the roof of the Luxor, this was taken in 2006. The traffic has increased somewhat.
If we remain on the roof and swing around we see the Station entrance and then part of the Co-op Supermarket now operated by Asda Stores Ltd. Beyond the station entrance is St Bernard's Court apartments.