George Street's independent streak

9:54am Tuesday 13th May 2008

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Its history stretches back hundreds of years but, after being forgotten by visitors to Brighton and Hove for decades, George Street in Kemp Town is enjoying a renaissance.

Jonathan Stayton asked traders in the road about why their area is doing so well.

One of Brighton's forgotten shopping streets is reliving its heyday.

More shops are open in George Street in Kemp Town than at any time in the last quarter of a century - and traders say the best is yet to come.

As some roads in the city struggle, George Street is bucking the trend and thriving. More reasonable rental rates than elsewhere in the city combined with strong customer ties and that extra touch mean business is booming.

The road dates back to at least the 1700s and was developed in 1790 for workers servicing the high-class housing of East Cliff.

Today two properties on the road, which connects Edward Street with St James's Street, feature on Brighton and Hove City Council's list of buildings of interest.

In 1901 the road had two butchers, two grocers and one baker, as well as a horse-shoeing business.

More than 100 years later trends have changed and George Street hosts a range of different businesses including a male grooming centre and restaurants.

The street is enjoying one of its most successful periods in recent history. Within the past few weeks a hardware shop has opened.

In contrast, two of today's shops date back about a century - George Street Framers, established in 1897, and Pullingers bootmakers, established in 1915.

Barry Windham has run the shoe repair shop for the past 29 years and puts a lot of his success down to loyal customers. This year is Mr Windham's most successful to date.

He said: "Things are going well for me and it all comes down to doing a good job and treating your customers right. That's something I pride myself on.

"Anybody surviving in a side street is offering a good service to entice people back. You need to do something special to survive.

"My shoes might not be the cheapest but they're of fantastic quality and will last you. Then when you need a new pair I'll either repair them or you'll get another great pair."

Ben Daniel, the owner of Freedom Bikes, has been in George Street for eight years and believes people are now using the road because of the variety of shops on offer.

He said: "A lot of people say there's a lot more vibrancy here than in other areas and that's something people like. We're seeing more and more chains and international shops in Brighton, and people are looking for what makes the city unique.

"There's a place for big chains and they can stay in Churchill Square."

Mr Daniel relies on customer relations for trade so said he concentrated on building relationships.

He added: "A lot of people don't want to shop in these big corporate premises and want to have a relationship with the store. It's that unique Brighton thing and people will pay more for that personal touch."

One of George Street's newest traders is Zoe Delicata who opened a hardware store only two weeks ago after returning to Brighton from London.

She said: "The area has a real reputation for keeping things local and supporting each other and that's why I wanted to have a DIY store for people here.

"I've not been here long but I've been thoroughly welcomed by everyone, had to learn loads of names and so far business has been good."

Owners of the famous Tea Cosy tea rooms, staunch royalists David Daly and James Green, attract visitors from around the globe. They moved to George Street this year from Southover Street, Hanover.

Mr Green said: "This is the first time George Street has had so many places open in the last 25 years and it's great to be a part of it.

"People say things are going downhill in some areas but we're refuting that and have never been busier.

"The fact that we have independent shops is a massive draw. Visitors love being able to stroll here and see all these different shops."

Andy Feest, the owner of the Queen's Arms for the last 16 years, agreed that the area was thriving, putting it down to an increased flow of pedestrians and a good mix of shops.

He said: "If you take the smoking ban out we would probably be doing better than ever.

Things are really starting to come together. We're enticing people to come to side streets.

"There's another George Street in Hove everyone thinks of first. But it had better watch out - we'll be the first George Street in people's minds soon."

Sam Cox has run Filleze sandwich bar for the past ten years and said business was better than ever. She admitted concern that a Starbucks may open nearby but was sure the community spirit would remain and George Street would continue to thrive.

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