Adam Trimingham tells us all about the history of West Street...

West Street had for half a century after the Second World War a reputation as the scene for drunken fights when the pubs closed.

It was known as the one street in central Brighton which was best to avoid in the dark.

But it has literary associations and still boasts one of Brighton’s best known churches. It was home to the Sports Stadium and two large cinemas.

In the 18th century, Henry and Hester Thrale made their home in West Street. They made their money from brewing in London but were friends with many authors.

Among the many writers they entertained were Fanny Burney and Dr Samuel Johnson, who somewhat surprisingly enjoyed swimming in the sea.

The Thrales’ house has long gone but it was eventually replaced by a building every Brightonian knew between the wars.

Sherry’s night club was the place to visit but it had a brooding atmosphere brilliantly captured by Graham Greene in his novel Brighton Rock. It closed after the war.

Almost opposite was the old Odeon cinema which was replaced more than 40 years ago by the Kingswest building containing several screens. The same fate awaited the Academy further up on the east side, a stylish cinema with a good class of films.

Perhaps the best loved building was the SS Brighton, opened in the 1930s as an enormous indoor swimming pool. That venture lasted only a year and it was then converted into an ice rink.

It was home to the Brighton Tigers ice hockey team and staged lavish ice pantomimes each Christmas. It was also used by party conferences which gave rise to many witticisms about cold feet and hot air.

But the SS Brighton, later called the Sports Stadium, was also a casualty of the Kingswest. Skaters were promised a replacement rink but they were given a little one which did not last long.

Fifty years after its closure the stadium is still mourned by many who vainly hope for a rink of its size and style again.

Also much loved is the neighbouring church of St Paul, originally much frequented by fishermen. It was designed by Richard Carpenter and was supposed to have a spire but the present lantern was added later by his architect son of the same name.

Services were very High Church especially during the long incumbency there of the Rev Arthur Wagner, son of the Vicar of Brighton.

Wagner’s ornate services were matched by his generosity. He built several more churches in Brighton and scores of homes to house the poor.

Few other buildings in West Street equal the age or the architectural distinction of St Paul’s and there is a mish mash of modern buildings on both sides of the street.

Also almost gone is the reputation for violence. Police and council officials formed links with club and pub owners in the 1990s which have been remarkably successful in reducing drunken scuffles and fights.

West Street may not be as fascinating as it once was but it is a lot safer.