(c) Brighton-Paris.com
They paid to get gorgeous male models.
They paid a designer for the logo.
Where’s Brigthon? (2)
Shopping and trade
Maison Annette
Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, January 1920. Source: The British Newspaper Archive
Doesn’t this same advert sound so much more seductive in French?
Le Journal, December 1900. Source: gallica.bnf.fr / BnF
Madame Annette, better known to friends and family as Annie Andrews, set up at 88 Kings Road in 1901 and carried on her couture business throughout WW1. Annie was a feisty lady. In 1916, she even pursued one customer for debt, and a major’s wife at that, as far as the High Court. Her business survived the early 1920s fashion for throwing away your corsets. Maison Annette finally closed in 1925.
Pardon my French
No, not an apology about the way I speak … just a nod to this cute little shop in St. Georges Road in Kemp Town.
Opened in the first years of the 21st century, the shop is flourishing. Leigh Jones, the present owner, stocks all sorts of French goodies such as enamel door signs, Durance brand toiletries as well as a range of French-themed tea-towels.
Browsers are welcome, but alas, despite being a Francophile, Leigh doesn’t speak French … yet!
‘Madame’ this and ‘Maison’ that (2)
In 1951 this lovely lass was employed behind the counter of Maison Francis. Meet Christine Biffen.
(c) David Ransom
Good to see the range of French products on sale: Chanel, Worth and Innoxa.
Later, Christine went to work in a salon in Rottingdean and then she married Colin Ransom and became David’s mum.
In 2019, the beauty salon at 26 Western Road, Hove, paid tribute to its doorstep by changing its name to simply …
Many thanks to David Ransom for information about and the photo of his mum.
La Place Palmeira, Hove
Within 400 metres of Palmeira Square you will find a flurry of French restaurants and French-inspired catering establishments.
Let’s start with the nearest: Le Bistrot Nantais, owned and run by Pascal Benamari. Continue reading
One egg is ‘un œuf” for breakfast
In 1836, the Revue Anglo-Française was quite astonished to reveal this riveting fact:
Source gallica.bnf.fr / BnF
Apparently, according to the Review, England was importing, via the ports of London and Brighton, no less than sixty-two million eggs annually. France was providing not less than fifty-five million of these eggs. The Review goes on rapidly to tot up how much revenue France was gleaning from England. At 42 centimes per dozen, that added up to 1,925,000 francs a year.
You can almost hear the author rubbing his hands in glee. Would he have wanted “England” to leave “Europe”?
Where’s Brigthon? (1)
Source gallica.bnf.fr / BnF
1884
Dear Monsieur Henry,
Whilst strolling in Paris last week, I noticed this advertisement for your excellent establishment. However, I would wish to draw your attention to the fact that, if you do indeed have a factory in Brighton as you state, you do not know our town well as you are clearly unable to spell its name correctly.
Yours faithfully
A concerned Brightonian
‘Madame’ this and ‘Maison’ that (1)
(c) Suzanne Hinton
It is well known that all that glisters is not gold. In Brighton, it is also common knowledge that all that is seems to be French is not French. Here’s a case in point.
From 1926 until about 1956, 26 Western Road in Hove was ‘Maison Francis’. Francis was Thomas Francis, hairdresser and ‘cosmetologist’ (according to Kelly’s Directory in 1931). By 1956, perhaps things French had become less fashionable and ‘Maison Francis” was replaced by hairdresser “Lawrence of Mayfair. Fortunately, the beautiful threshold mosaic still survives in 2017.
Trade with France (1)
Source The British Newspaper Archive
Morning Chronicle 29 October 1817 (and widely syndicated in other newspapers).
A Lot of Gaul
A wonderful pun for a wonderful small shop, alas now no longer in existence. Ray Ager, co-owner, recounts the genesis of the shop Continue reading
French Brighton 