I have been overwhelmed by the way readers of The Argus have written to me about Brighton's old Odd Fellows Hall.

Some sent pages of facts and figures, going to huge trouble finding answers to my questions. I sincerely thank everyone who contacted me.

Odd Fellows groups in Britain are first recorded operating in London during the 1740s.

Manchester would become a very prominent early centre as well.

The unusual name apparently derives from the widely differing "odd" trades of the members that formed the first groups.

The Odd Fellows were a charitable, fraternal organisation, providing mutual aid for members as well as help for the poor and needy folk of their area.

For small weekly contributions, assistance was given with doctors' and dentists' fees (there was no NHS until 1948), funeral costs and financial matters such as insurance cover.

The building in Queens Road, to house the Brighton branch of the Odd Fellows, was built by John Fabian in 1853, through donations and fund-raising.

The foundation stone, still in place on the office block that occupies the site today, was laid by the Chief Constable of Brighton, H B Tamplin.

He must be connected with Tamplins, the well-known local brewers, somewhere along the line. The hall was officially opened on June 26, 1854.

There were separate lodge meetings for men, women and children, which took place on the ground floor.

There were billiard tables in the basement and dance evenings were held in the upper hall, which sometimes were open to the public.

The children's lodge would have been run along the lines of a youth club and met once a month.

The medicals held in this hall for men about to serve in the Second World War seem to have been pretty embarrassing, particularly when it was a female doctor examining 17-year-olds.

The check-up was very basic. A specimen had to be produced, then "bend over, cough", "can you hear what I'm whispering to you?" and the reading of an eye chart.

There was an aptitude test afterwards that involved taking a door lock apart and fitting it together again, then an assessment of basic arithmetic and writing skills.

One recruit remembered a particularly horrific instance of ear syringing, which affected him for the rest of his life.

Once the NHS was set up, the Odd Fellows' role in assisting with health care and funerals was obviously reduced but other support work continued.

The Odd Fellows continue to flourish in the Brighton and Hove area, across the UK and in many countries worldwide. The internet reveals a large association of groups in the US.

The information here is just tiny snippets from the huge amount of fascinating material I received. Thank you, again, readers. I know where to come when I next get stuck with my researches.

-Chris Horlock, Church Green, Shoreham