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The Northern Tavern was situated at 85 Ditchling Road. This pub closed in 2013 and is now used as a lettings agency.

Source: Nick Hearn

This was my home between May 1961 and July 1963, when I was aged 14 to 16 years. My parents were the tenant landlords of the establishment which at that time was known just as “The Northern”. The pub was owned by Watney’s who had taken over Tamplins, one of the local Brighton breweries; Tamplins headquarters was originally located opposite “The Level” on Lewes Road. At that time the premises had two bars, a small Saloon Bar entered via a door in Baker Street, and a Public Bar which was accessed from the door at the front of the premises and at an angle between Baker Street and Ditchling Road. There was a cellar accessed from behind the Public Bar counter and out the back (adjacent to Baker Street) there was secure bottle store with an access to baker Street for deliveries. There was also a trap-door chute for deliveries to the cellar, but I can’t remember if that was in Baker Street or at the front in Ditchling Road. The living accommodation was accessed via a door in the Saloon Bar leading to a staircase and consisted of: First floor - a large “front” living room and a small kitchen/diner at the rear. There was also a toilet off the landing on the staircase. Second floor – 1 Double and 1 Single bedroom, a box room with no external windows, and a bathroom (no toilet). There was constant traffic noise 24 hours a day as we were also on one of the all-night bus routes that ran in those days; “ours” ran, I believe, from Black Rock via a circuitous route to somewhere in Hove. We were there during the severe winter of 1962/1963 and I can remember that the snow started around lunch time on Boxing Day 1962 and stopped about two days later. The entrance to the Saloon Bar in Baker Street had a six-inch step down to the pavement, after the snow it was at least a 12 inch step up onto the snow.

Christopher Wakeling (November 2023)

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Name Dates Comments Christopher Wakeling 1961/1963 Eldest son of the licensee, my younger brother was born while we lived there.