It was a scandal when trustees of the French Convalescent Home in Kemp Town decided it should be closed.

The decision meant many elderly people, who regarded it as their home, had to find somewhere else to live.

It also meant the handsome old building on Brighton seafront would have to be demolished and replaced by a drab modern block of sheltered flats.

Thanks to a vigorous campaign by outraged residents and The Argus, the building was saved from demolition because it was listed. It will now be turned into a handsome collection of 14 flats by different developers.

The former manager, Catherine Gennaro, and some of her staff have set up a home care service for the elderly called Renaissance Care.

The building, a landmark in Kemp Town, has survived. So has something of the home's spirit in the new service.

It's sad the home had to close but the spirited campaign means that anyone else in a similar position will think twice before trying to slip through closure plans.