Paper Hats & Father Christmas: The CVA Party Gallery
"We’ve just added two wonderful glimpses into the CVA Christmas parties of years gone by. From the 'cheeky' grins in paper hats to the excitement of meeting Father Christmas himself, these photos capture a vibrant era of Portslade community spirit.
But a picture only tells half the story—we need your voices to fill in the rest!"
"We’ve just added two wonderful glimpses into the CVA Christmas parties of years gone by. From the 'cheeky' grins in paper hats to the excitement of meeting Father Christmas himself, these photos capture a vibrant era of Portslade community spirit.
But a picture only tells half the story—we need your voices to fill in the rest!"
CVA Club (Next Door to Rothbury)
"These photos take us right back into the heart of the CVA club’s function room. It was the Centre of so many of our village celebrations, but these Christmas parties were always a standout."
The CVA Atmosphere: "Who remembers the walk up to the CVA on a cold December afternoon? Does the wood panelling in the Father Christmas photo bring back the smell of the room or the sound of the music playing?"
The Volunteers: "Running these parties at the CVA was a real labour of love. Does anyone remember the committee members or parents who worked behind the scenes in the function room to make the magic happen?"
The "CVA" Spread: "We know the location, but what about the feast? If you were a guest at the CVA parties, what was the one 'meaty' treat you always looked forward to?"
The Rothbury: Portslade’s Gateway to the Silver Screen
To many in Portslade, the Rothbury will always be remembered as our local cinema—a place where for a few pence, we could escape into other worlds. While it sat right next door to the CVA Club, its own journey was one of lights, cameras, and eventually, microphones.
The Rothbury Timeline
1934 (March 27): Opens as the Rothbury Cinema. Originally intended as an assembly hall, it was named after the birthplace of its builder, A. L. Middleton.
1934–1964: The "Golden Era" of the cinema, featuring everything from Sunday "flicks" to major Sussex premieres.
1964 (January): The cinema closes; within days, it reopens as a Mecca Bingo Hall, a role it held until 1978.
1983: The building is transformed into "Radio House," the iconic studios for Southern Sound (later Heart Sussex).
The CVA & K&T Sports & Social Club: The Heart Next Door
While the Rothbury was showing movies, the building immediately to its left was becoming the Centre of Portslade's social life. Founded by the workers (not the management) in 1966, the CVA Club was a member-run labour of love.
Did You Know? The Life of the Club
The Membership: In the early days, it cost just 6d per week to belong to this vibrant community hub.
The "Rabbit Warren": Before its mid-80s makeover, the club was a maze of rooms including a small bar, a dedicated darts room, and a TV lounge for those who didn't yet have one at home.
Vibrant Events: The club hosted everything from "It’s a Knockout" competitions to the legendary children's Christmas parties seen in our photos.
The Volunteers: Managed by local stalwarts like Geoff Trott and figures like "Bill with the moustache," it remained a cornerstone of the village until the company (then FMT) closed in 1994.
The CVA / K&T / FMT Club
The building was the dedicated social hub for the massive engineering works nearby. It has been known as:
The CVA Social Club: Named after C.V.A. Jigs, Moulds & Tools Ltd, which was a huge employer in Portslade.
The K&T Club: Standing for Kearney & Trecker, the American firm that took over CVA.
The FMT Social Club: Later known as Flexible Manufacturing Technology.
What the Archives Tell Us
While we don't have a vintage photo to hand, a few interesting details surfaced that might help your "Round Up":
The "Worker's Terrace": In 1918, CVA actually bought up houses in nearby Norway Street to house their workers, showing just how much they dominated that corner of Portslade. The social club on Franklin Road was the "heart" of that community.
The Traditional Look: Unlike the Rothbury, which was built as a "modernistic" cinema in 1934, the club building is a much older, more traditional brick structure. This explains why it looks so different in Gary’s photos; it didn't get the "Hollywood treatment" that the Rothbury did.
Annual Reunions: As recently as the 2000s, former employees still met there every December. It’s lovely to think that while Southern Sound was broadcasting pop music next door, the old engineers were in the club next door reminiscing about the factory days
🗺️ The New "Dual" Memory Map Invitation
Now that we know we are looking at two separate venues side-by-side, we need your help more than ever to get the "Centre" of Portslade right!
For the Rothbury: Do you remember the transition from the "flicks" to the Bingo? Or perhaps you visited when it became Radio House?
For the CVA Club: "A Little Local Mystery: We’ve had a few whispers about the 'other' entertainment that used to take place upstairs for the apprentices in the days of the old club. If you were a 6d-a-week member and remember those 'vibrant' evenings, do get in touch—though perhaps we’ll keep those specific memories for a private chat over coffee!"
The Join: Does anyone have a memory (or a photo!) of standing between the two buildings?
Leave a comment below and help us place the right pieces in the right jigsaw!
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