When James Keeble first arrived in Gardner Street he traded in pounds, shillings and pence.

The proprietor of Two Way Books set up shop more than 30 years ago when the street was like a village.

North Laine was then threatened by road building and its fortunes changed only when it was declared a conservation area in 1976.

Now it is a cosmopolitan area and is advertised by the city council as a top tourist attraction.

Yet 64-year-old Mr Keeble does not think the changes have been in any way an improvement.

Even in the Seventies, Gardner Street was an anachronism. It was famous for the cork shop which had been there for more than a century.

When it closed, the shop front was so old-fashioned it was transported straight into Brighton Museum, a few yards away in Church Street.

There was also a shop which sold nothing but eggs. Another business repaired washing machines and a third sold broken biscuits.

Gardner Street also boasted typical shops that served local people with their meat, fruit, vegetables, medicine and bread.

There was also a small Tesco supermarket for people to do their week's shopping and a grocer's was nearby.

Today, almost all those shops have gone. The Tesco was transformed into an indoor market and is now Komedia. The Dorset pub, at the North Road end, has been changed into a trendy bar.

The only businesses which have survived the years, all at the southern end of the street, are a bakery, Two Way Books, Deb's Deli and a newsagent.

In their place have come fashionable outlets with rhyming names such as Hocus Pocus and Moda Soda. Also, there are Planet Gadget, Mau Mau and Air Born Kites.

One shop has achieved national fame by selling vegetarian shoes, while the next addition to the street will be a vegetarian fast-food cafe.

There is now no sign at all of the dry cleaning business, even though it only closed this month. Teasing notices on boards outside the refitted building give no clue about what will replace it.

Mr Keeble owns his shop outright, otherwise he could probably not afford the soaring rents which have been a feature since North Laine went on the tourist map.

He blames parking and traffic restrictions for what he considers to be a decline and says many people are also put off going there by bus.

Mr Keeble said: "When I used to open my store first thing on a Monday morning, people would fall in through the doors. Now there is no one there.

"It had a nice village atmosphere. I regret the changes, which have not been for the better.

"I have put grilles on the windows because of vandals. There are beggars and graffiti has been a problem. People are flyposting every night.

"In those days, people had responsibilities and standards. The whole street has been let down. What we need is leadership from the top."

But Peter Stocker, secretary of the North Laine Traders' Association, sees things differently.

He regretted some of the closures but said: "I wouldn't like to see North Laine become a theme park."

Mr Stocker, who has traded in the area for 20 years himself, said rising rents would inevitably lead to changes.

But he added some of the smaller businesses were filling up streets such as Gloucester Road with beneficial results.

Mr Stocker said: "We should try to keep a good mix of interesting shops and cafes."

He said North Laine was still an area where people were able to try out wacky ideas - some worked and some did not.

Back at Two Way Books, did Mr Keeble feel there had been any single change for the better in Gardner Street?

He thought for a long time, went away to consult his wife and then returned.

"I like the Christmas lights," he said.