Our leisure time activities over the years are often remembered with fondness and we derive a lot of pleasure from those memories. Many of us will be able to recall places like the Regent Dance Hall and Cinema that was situated on the corner of Queen's Road and North Street where the Boot's store now stands.

The dancing at The Regent must have been an experience enjoyed by most folk during its many years of existence, along with Sherry's in West Street, the Aquarium Ballroom, the Palace Pier and at the Corn Exchange, Brighton offered many happy hours of live dancing music. Every evening from 7.30pm to 11.00pm costing a mere 2s / 6d, dancers enjoyed the music of Syd Dean and his Dance Band and also, in the afternoons, the regular Tea Dances. Such was the availability of dancing venues that it was all taken for granted at the time and they were the favourite haunts for many young people from our estates.

As well as dance halls, Brighton and Hove had a wealth of cinemas too, of course there was again the Regent, the Odeons in West Street, Kemp Town and by Hove Station, the Academy in West Street, the Astoria in Gloucester Place as well as the Savoy, the Imperial which later became the Essoldo, the Gaiety, Duke of York's, Curzon, Arcadia, Princes, Palladium and many more. With prices anything from 9d to 2s / 6d most people went to the pictures at some time or the other and the queues were very often long, however most film goers were willing to wait.

An evening at the theatre was another way that folk liked to spend their time and Brighton had a choice of several venues to choose from. Perhaps the most popular was the Hippodrome in Middle Street, which mainly was a variety theatre. Many famous names appeared there over the years including the great local comedian Max Miller. There was also another variety theatre called the Grand which was at the top of North Road as well as the Pavilion theatre and with the shows at the Dome the residents of our city were well served in the field of entertainment. Add to those already mentioned the Ice Stadium in West Street one could watch Ice Hockey and support the Brighton Tigers or view an ice show, even wrestling. Of course there was ice skating at the Stadium and roller-skating could be enjoyed across the road.

All the things written about here could easily fill an article on their own, the Regent, the Grand, the Hippodrome each have a very interesting history. The new Local History Group here in East Brighton will soon be researching and making known many historical facets of interest to the people of East Brighton. Not forgetting that many residents on our estates have a wealth of memories of many a good time spent at these places. I would like to hear your memories, so send your anecdotes, photographs or press cuttings to me here at Phoenix.

Written by Fred Netley.