Just six years ago, Peter Avis died in Brighton. He was cremated in Woodvale cemetery on 11 January 2013. He was an honorary citizen of Dieppe, so although his body is still in Brighton, his heart and soul have probably remained in the French town. And Peter Avis remains firmly in the heart of les Dieppois – the people of Dieppe.
Peter Avis (c) Unknown
William Balcombe was born in Rottingdean in 1777. On 18th October 1815, he received the fallen Emperor, Napoleon I into his home. Not in Rottingdean but on the bleak island of St Helena in the middle of the Atlantic. Not in a grand mansion but in his simple colonial villa, The Briars. And not even in the villa itself. Napoleon opted for an outbuilding. The great man did not want to inconvenience his gout-ridden host’s wife and children.
The Briars was perched on a little hill. This 1853 image does not show Napoleon’s tent (pavillon) attached to the main house. University of California Libraries
In 2014, the following announcement appeared in The Argus:
The Stage Thursday 20 April 1967 (c) British Newspaper Archive
The announcement is deceptively bland. It gives very little clue to the life of this charismatic man, chanteur and chef/owner of the Laughing Onion Restaurant in Kemp Town.
If you read no further, watch Stephen Matthew’s wonderful short video about Jean-Jacques
Jean-Jacques looked every bit the French pin-up ‘boy’ of the time and spent 18 months in the early 1960s performing in Britain. Continue reading
Source gallica.bnf.fr / BnF
TO MEET AT EXHIBITION BOUT
AT BRIGHTON
“Georges Carpentier and his manager, François Dechamps, are coming to England to take part in the annual boxing programme promoted by Brighton’s most popular townsman, Mr Harry Preston.
On this occasion Deschamps will don the gloves with the genial Harry, who, in his prime was a great boxer. Georges will be in his manager’s corner, while another world-famous fighter will second Mr. Preston.” PALL MALL GAZETTE 14 Oct 1921 Continue reading
During her research for the Fabrica Gallery on ‘The Boys on the Plaque’, Lyn Turpin found a rather curious name: Quero. Lyn’s research shows that, following death of both his parents, at the age of 12 Joseph Marie (or William) Query became an apprentice hairdresser in a prestigious Parisian salon. Ten years later he set off for England, married Brighton girl, Bessie, and set up his hairdressing business at 32 Ship Street. Joseph Marie was not just a run-of-the-mill hairdresser. He was a coiffeur pour dames and a perruquier [wig-make]. Joseph did not retire from the Ship Street salon until 1950.
As the family grew, the Queros moved their home to 66 Hallyburton Road in Hove. Nostalgia must have kicked in as Brittany-born Joseph give his house a Breton name Ker Armor [villa near the sea].
For a more detailed account of Joseph’s life and some terrific photos, go to Lyn’s article.
Much more information is available from ‘The Boys of the Plaque” WW1 project.
Sarah Bernhardt aged 20 in 1884
On Wednesday 29th and Thursday 30th June 1881, the ‘Divine Sarah’ trod the boards of the Theatre Royal Brighton. With a name like Bernhardt, can she justifiably be included as French? Continue reading
Consul François Jean (left) and John Loveridge.
(c) Cercle Français de Brighton et Hove
Sunday 23 April 2017 will be an important days for French nationals in Brighton. Under the aegis of the French Honorary Consul, Captain François Jean, they will be going to vote in the first round (premier tour) of the French presidential elections. Their ballot boxes (urnes) will be at the Mercure Hotel in Brighton. Continue reading
Prince Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord stayed at 9 Old Stein in 1831. True. But for how long? Was this information any more than a piece of nineteenth century PR by a lodging-house keeper? Continue reading
