From Pantechnicons to Projectors: The Lost Souls and Shops of Franklin Road

 

The Engineering Hub at 45 Franklin Road

The site directly opposite the Rothbury (where Infinity Close now stands) at one stage was dominated by Engineers Suppliers Ltd.

• Their Role: They were the primary steel and metal merchants for the area. They stocked everything from angle iron to bright mild steel. If a local engineer or factory needed metal cut to a specific length, this was the place they went.

• The Group: They were part of a larger industrial group that included Brighton Sheetmetal (BSM) and Ranalah Gates.

• The "E45" Clue: In Gary’s March 2019 photo, the white building to the left of the Rothbury shows a sign for "E45". This was a reference to the unit numbers of the industrial estate that occupied that block before the modern flats were built.
  (Thanks to Gary Osborne for the heads-up on this)

Earlier History of the Site

• The Diaphragm Leather Works: Before the engineers moved in, the site (accessed via a narrow lane) was home to this leather works in the early 20th Century.

• The Transition: After the engineering era, Infinity Foods occupied those large, sturdy warehouses (approx. 1980s–2000s) because the floors were reinforced concrete—originally built to hold the heavy machinery of the steel merchants.

• 2013–2016: The industrial units were finally demolished to make way for the residential mews and office block seen today.

Looking into other businesses on Franklin Road through a Kelly's directory of 1934
and 1915

• 1915
• Gigins Limited: Bakers
• Diaphragm & General Leather Co Ltd: Leather Manufacturers: 
• Frank Henry Gillham: Plumber: 
• W & Co Hart: Removal Contractors

• 1938: 
• Embassy Social Club
• Gigins Ltd. Bakers
• Gillham & Smith Plumbers
• Rothbury Cinema

1. Diaphragm & General Leather Co Ltd (1915)

This is a really significant find. They weren't just making belts or shoes; they were high-tech for their time.

• The "Secret": They specialised in "gas meter diaphragms." The leather had to be incredibly thin, flexible, and treated with special oils so it wouldn't perish while measuring gas flow in people's homes.

• The Site: They occupied the land behind the main road (accessed via a lane near where the engineering firm eventually stood). Leather tanning is a smelly, "thirsty" business, which is why they were often tucked away from the main shopfronts.
  
  

More on: Diaphragm & General Leather Co Ltd

This firm is perhaps the most unique of my 1915 finds.

• High-Tech Industry: Based at the "Franklin Road Works," they were part of a specialised industry producing gas meter diaphragms. The leather had to be thin and specially treated so it wouldn't perish when exposed to coal gas.

• Industrial Links: They were closely linked to major firms like Parkinson Cowan, showing that this corner of Portslade was part of a national industrial network, not just a local backwater.

2. Gigins Ltd – Bakers (1915 & 1934)

The fact that they appear in both directories shows they were a Portslade institution.

• Location: They were at No. 1 & 2 Franklin Road. If you look at the very end of the street (towards the Station Road side), that’s where the "Staff of Life" would have come from.

• The "Hovis" Connection: In the 1930s, Gigins was one of the local bakeries authorised to bake and sell Hovis bread, which was a big deal for branding back then. The smell of fresh loaves would have been the first thing people smelled as they got off the train at Portslade station.
  
  More on: Gigins Ltd  (2 Franklin Road)

  This address was clearly a hive of activity, housing both the sustenance and the infrastructure of the street.

  • The Bakery: Gigins Limited were a well-established bakers by 1915 and were still going strong in 1934. They were part of a dying breed of local bakeries that likely filled the air with the smell of fresh loaves every morning—a far cry from the modern "Anthracite Grey" industrial feel of today!

3. Gillham & Smith / Frank Henry Gillham (1915 & 1934)

• Continuity: In 1915, it was just Frank, but by 1934, he had clearly taken on a partner to become Gillham & Smith.

• Location: They were based at No. 2 Franklin Road (likely sharing the premises or being right next door to the bakery). In those days, plumbers were also "Sanitary Engineers," and they would have been kept very busy as Portslade expanded and more houses moved from outdoor privies to indoor plumbing.
  
  More on: The Plumbers: Frank Henry Gillham was a "one-man band" in 1915 who had expanded into Gillham & Smith by 1934. They were described as sanitary engineers, essentially the people who helped modernise Portslade’s Victorian housing as indoor plumbing became the standard.

4. W. Hart & Co – Removal Contractors (1915)

• The "Horse and Cart" Era: In 1915, W. Hart would have still been using horse-drawn pantechnicons for many local moves. They were based at No. 5 Franklin Road.

• Local Movement: As the CVA factory grew, people were constantly moving into the area for work, and Hart & Co would have been the ones lugging their furniture up and down the Portslade hills.
  More on: W. Hart & Co – Removal Contractors (5 Franklin Road)
  
  No. 5 is just a few doors down from the Rothbury. In the 1915 era, the sight of Hart’s heavy removal horses and carts would have been a daily occurrence right outside where the cinema would eventually be built.

  • Moving Portslade: In 1915, this firm would have been the backbone of the community’s movement. As new families arrived to work at the brewery or the gas works, W. Hart & Co would have been seen using horse-drawn pantechnicons to move their worldly goods into the nearby terraces.

  • Company Legacy: Records show a "W. Hart Limited" continued in various forms until the 1990s, suggesting it was a long-lived local family business.
    

    The "Pantechnicon" Specialist

    In the early 1900s, "W. Hart & Co. of 5 Franklin Road" didn't just have vans—they had Pantechnicons. These were massive, horse-drawn wooden containers.

    • The Process: They were effectively the first "shipping containers." The horses would haul the pantechnicon to your house, it would be packed, and then it could be lifted onto a railway flatbed at Portslade Station to be sent anywhere in the country.

    • The Advert Style: A typical advert for Hart & Co at that time would have boasted about "Estimates Free" and "Experienced Packers." They often emphasised that they used "special cloths" to wrap furniture—a high-end service for the time!

A Busy Spot on the Road

• If you look at the layout of the road in my 1915 notes:

  • No. 1 & 2: Gigins (Bakery) and Gillham (Plumber).

• No. 5: W. Hart & Co (Removals).
  

  The Gap: The space between them would eventually become the Rothbury
  It’s incredible to think that the very spot where people later watched Hollywood films was originally a gap in the street where you’d see massive heavy horses being led out of Hart’s yard to start a house move.
  
  

  "The Heavy Haulers of Franklin Road".

  Before the silver screen arrived, No. 5 Franklin Road was the domain of W. Hart & Co. In an era before motor lorries, their great horse-drawn pantechnicons were a constant sight, shifting the furniture of the families who flocked to Portslade for work. They weren't just movers; they were the logistical heart of the street.

   The building of the Rothbury Cinema was a major redevelopment project that physically changed the layout of Franklin Road. Here is the sequence of events that cleared the way:

The Great Clearance of 1933

• Before the Rothbury was built, that section of Franklin Road wasn't an empty lot—it was a bustling row of Victorian houses and small industrial yards.

  • Demolition: To create enough space for the 548-seat auditorium, several older premises had to be demolished. Records suggest that the builder, A. L. Middleton, had to acquire and clear a substantial plot of land.

  • The Hart Family Move: This explains why W. Hart & Co (the removal contractors at No. 5) disappear from the immediate spot. Their large stables and pantechnicon yards were exactly the kind of space needed for a massive cinema building. While some businesses moved further down the road, others were simply bought out to make way for the new "modernistic" landmark.

• • Speedy Construction: Once the site was cleared in 1933, the construction was incredibly fast. The cinema was designed by George Coles and built by Middleton's firm in just a few months, ready for its grand opening in March 1934.

    
    

The "Staff of Life" Remained

• Interestingly, while the middle of the block was cleared for the cinema, the Gigins Bakery (at No. 1 and 2) and the Diaphragm Leather Works (behind the road) survived.

  • Gigins actually extended their premises several times (in 1917 and 1924) before the cinema arrived, meaning they were a very established "anchor" for that corner of the street.
• The Contrast: By 1934, you would have had the ultra-modern, Art Deco Rothbury Cinema sitting right next to the traditional, horse-drawn bakery business of Gigins. It must have been a strange sight for the residents—the scent of fresh bread from the 19th century mixing with the "talkies" of the 20th!
  
  The Franklin Road Face-lift of '33. It was the moment Portslade moved from being purely a "working factory town" to a place with its own high-end entertainment. The horses of W. Hart & Co. were literally replaced by the silver screen stars of the Rothbury.

5. The Embassy Social Club (1934)

This is a real "period piece" from the Kelly's 1934 edition.

• The "Rival" to the K&T: While the CVA/K&T club was for the factory workers, the Embassy Social Club (at No. 1 Franklin Road) was often a bit more "general." It provided a place for local men to have a pint, play billiards, and escape the crowded Victorian terraces.

• The Layout: It’s interesting that the Embassy Club and the Rothbury Cinema both appear in the 1934 directory—it shows that Franklin Road was becoming the entertainment Centre of Portslade in that decade.
  
  

  In 1934, Rothbury House wasn't the only hub for social life; the Embassy Social Club at No. 1 was a major fixture.

• The "Other" Club: While the CVA had its own club, the Embassy at the junction of Station Road was a key gathering spot for the wider community.
• A "Newer" Name: Interestingly, by the 2000s, this site was often referred to as the FMT Social Club. (Flexible Manufacturing Technology) It remained a popular venue for annual reunions of former local employees, like those from the nearby factories.
  

The "Lost" Houses of Franklin Road

The Rothbury wasn't just built on a vacant lot; it required the demolition of a significant section of the street's original Victorian residential frontage.

• Numbers 20 to 23: These were the primary houses demolished to create the wide entrance and the grand facade of the cinema. These residents would have been the immediate neighbours of W. Hart & Co (at No. 5) and Gigins Bakery (at No. 1 & 2).

• A "Modern" Sacrifice: While houses 1 through 19 and 24 onwards largely survived the 1930s, this middle "gap" was specifically targeted by the developer, A. L. Middleton, because it offered the depth needed for a 500+ seat auditorium.

• Displaced Residents: Many of the families living in these demolished houses were the very same "labourers" and "factory workers" I found in my 1915 Kelly's notes. Their displacement was the price of Portslade's "entertainment revolution."

The Fate of W. Hart & Co

The removal firm at No. 5 Franklin Road also met its end at this site during the redevelopment era.

• The Clearance: Hart’s yards were extensive (essential for housing those massive pantechnicons and horses), and they occupied the space directly adjacent to the new cinema site.

• The End of an Era: By the time the Rothbury opened in March 1934, the horse-drawn removal business at No. 5 had been "cleared" from the directory listings. It marks the exact moment the road transitioned from a heavy transport hub to a social and cultural centre.

We can do a "Then & Now" contrast where the 1915 scene—where a resident at No. 22 would be woken by the sound of Hart's horses—with the 1934 scene, where that same spot was a brightly lit cinema lobby.

The Residents of the "Rothbury Gap" (c. 1915–1930)

These were the families living at Numbers 20, 21, 22, and 23, exactly where the Rothbury House facade and lobby now stand.

• No. 20: The Mockford Family. In the early 20th century, George Mockford lived here. He was a local labourer, likely working in one of the nearby brick yards or the gas works.

• No. 21: The Marner Family. This was the home of Mrs Marner. It was common in Portslade at the time for widows to take in lodgers from the local factories to make ends meet.

• No. 22: The Jupp Family. Albert Jupp, a carman (essentially a delivery driver using horse and cart), lived here. It’s a lovely bit of symmetry that he lived right next to W. Hart & Co, the big removal firm. He literally lived and worked in the "transport hub" of the street.

• No. 23: The Peters Family. This house was occupied by the Peters family. Like many of their neighbours, they would have walked every day to the breweries or the engineering sheds that loomed at the end of the road.

The "Removal" of W. Hart & Co (No. 5)

While the houses above were demolished for the entrance, the large industrial yard of W. Hart & Co at No. 5 was cleared because it provided the massive "footprint" needed for the cinema's auditorium.

• The Family: The Harts were a multi-generational Portslade family. By the time they were "cleared" for the Rothbury, they had been the street's primary movers for over 20 years.

• The Transition: They didn't just disappear; many local removal firms in this era moved their stables further out towards Fishersgate or Southern Cross as central Portslade became too "busy" for large horse teams.
  

  Imagine walking down Franklin Road in 1915

  "You’d pass the aroma of Gigins' bakery at No. 1, hear the clatter of Albert Jupp's cart outside No. 22, and see the massive pantechnicons of W. Hart & Co ready to move another family. But by 1934, all that noise was gone—replaced by the hushed luxury of the Rothbury’s carpets and the flickering light of the projector."

It’s quite a poignant thought that the very people who lived in those houses—the Mockfords and the Jupps—were the ones whose homes became the place where the rest of the town went to escape reality for a few hours.

The contrast is quite startling when you think about it:

• Then: You had Albert Jupp clattering home in his cart to No. 22, the Harts shouting to their horses at No. 5, and the smell of raw leather from the Diaphragm Works mixing with the yeast from Gigins.

• Now: It's the quiet hum of the Southern Sound offices (or the modern business Centre) and the "silent" presence of the Infinity Close flats.

Rothbury House effectively "froze" that section of the street. Because it was such a massive, solid structure, it stopped any further small-scale changes from happening on those specific plots (20–23) for nearly a century.

If the cinema hadn't been built, those Victorian houses would likely have been updated, renovated, or replaced individually over the years. Instead, the cinema acted like a giant paperweight, preserving the exact "footprint" of where those families once lived.

The Building: No. 22 was demolished for a cinema, which became a bingo hall, which became a radio station, which became a business Centre.

What became of the Jupps? Well, they stayed in Portslade. I went to school with Steven Jupp; he was living somewhere in Mile Oak. I recall seeing a Jupp's removal van driving around in Portslade, I believe a member of Steven's Family

In the world of local history, transport and removals were often "dynasty" businesses. If Albert Jupp was a carman in 1915 living next door to W. Hart & Co (the removals giant of the time), it is highly probable the family eventually branched out with their own liveried vans.

The Jupp Family "Map"

• The 1915 Core: Albert Jupp at No. 22 Franklin Road, right in the thick of the transport hub.

• The Evolution: As horses were replaced by engines, the family business would have modernised. Seeing a Jupps Removal van in the town is the 20th-century version of Albert’s 1915 horse and cart.

The Mile Oak Connection: As Portslade expanded uphill after the war, many of the old families from the "downstairs" Victorian terraces (near the factories) moved "upstairs" to the newer, airier Mile Oak estates. Steve living there fits the classic Portslade migration pattern perfectly!

Our "Franklin Road" Summary

We now have a narrative that spans over 110 years:

1. 1915: Albert Jupp lives at No. 22, working the horses.

2. 1933: Albert’s house is demolished for the Rothbury.

3. 1980s/90s: I was at school with Steve Jupp and seeing the family removal vans around town while I was starting my gardening business.

• 2020s: Gary and I are documenting the Rothburys’ new face and the "Lost Houses" where the Jupps once lived.

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Franklin Road: A Tale of Two Eras at Number 45

I’ve been having a bit of a "history detective" moment this week regarding the south side of Franklin Road, thanks to a partial photograph sent over by Gary.

For a long time, I had it in my head that the building opposite the Rothbury cinema was Engineering Supplies Ltd. Gary, however, believed it was Gigins Bakery. As it turns out, we were both right—we were just looking at different chapters of the same plot!

The "Smoking Gun"

If you look closely at the gable end of the brick building in the photo, you can see a white sign that clearly displays the word "BREAD". This confirms the building's original life as part of the extensive Gigins Bakery site.

Photo courtesy of Gary Osborne.
 A wonderful glimpse into the industrial past of Franklin Road,
showcasing the original Gigins Bakery building opposite the Rothbury.

A Timeline of the Site:

The Gigins Years: This large industrial site at 45 Franklin Road was home to the bakery for decades, featuring the sturdy brickwork and arched window headers typical of the era.

The building in the photo was actually part of a "bread empire." Gigins didn't just bake; they delivered all over Portslade and Hove using those horse-drawn carts from the stables behind Number 45.

I received this clipping earlier today from Gary via the My Brighton & Hove website:

Re: Bakers & Confectioners by Rick Avern 2 October 2024 9:24 AM My forebears were the Brigdens. George married Hilda Gigins and the bakery was eventually passed to him. He and his Brother Bernard (my grandfather) ran the bakery together. They baked bread at 10 Franklin Rd on one side of the street and cakes on a site opposite. They also had premises on Norway St. There were 18 Gigins shops over Brighton, Hove and Worthing area. Eventually taken over by Clarkes, I believe.

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• The Engineering Era: After the bakery closed, the premises were repurposed for light industry. This is when the site became known as the home of Engineering Supplies Ltd and Foredown Engineering.

• Later Life: Many will also remember this building as the warehouse for Infinity Foods before they moved to Shoreham.

• The Modern View: Today, these industrial buildings are gone, replaced by the residential development of Rothbury Mews.
  
  

  The Timeline of 45 Franklin Road - Some Dates

  • 1893 – 1925: The Expansion Years. Gigins Bakery was a massive operation. Between these years, they submitted multiple plans to Portslade Council to extend the premises. By the 1930s, the site was so large it even included a stable for eight horses.

  • The 1960s: The Transition. The bakery era started to wind down as industrial needs in Portslade shifted. This is likely when the building Gary’s photo shows was first partitioned or sold for other uses.

  • The 1970s & 1980s: The Engineering Era This is your "home turf"! During this period, the site at Number 45 was firmly established as an industrial hub.

    • Engineering Supplies Ltd and Foredown Engineering were the key occupants during these decades.

    • P & S Engineering Ltd was also noted at the premises during the 1980s.

  • 1985 – 2010s: The Infinity Foods Years. In 1985, Infinity Foods established their wholesale branch in Portslade. By the 2000s, they were using the former engineering space at 45 Franklin Road (and the connected units on Norway Street) as their main warehouse.

• 2015: The End of an Era. The industrial buildings were finally demolished to make way for the residential Rothbury Mews.

• From Bakeries to Bricks and Mortar: The Evolution of No. 45

  • Then (The Early 20th Century): Gary’s rare photo shows the original gable end of Gigins Bakery, complete with its "BREAD" signage. This site was once the heart of Portslade’s daily bread production, featuring horse-drawn delivery carts and massive industrial ovens.

  • The Middle Years: Many of us remember this same spot as the industrial hub for Engineering Supplies Ltd and Foredown Engineering, before it later became the Infinity Foods warehouse.

  • The Transition: Gary’s photos of the construction phase capture the moment the old industrial footprint of No. 45 was finally cleared.

Courtesy Gary Osborne
Construction phase of Rothbury Mews

• • Now: Today, the site has been transformed into Rothbury Mews. While the machinery and ovens are gone, the development sits directly opposite Rothbury House, maintaining the historic link across Franklin Road.

courtesy of Gary Osborne
Rothbury Mews on the site of 45 Franklin Road

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Location Context

This building sat directly across the road from Rothbury House (the former cinema and later home to Southern Sound Radio) and the CVA/K&T club, which stood just to the left of the cinema.

It’s amazing how much history is packed into one street number. A huge thank you to Gary for sharing this photo and helping to clear up the "great Franklin Road mystery!"

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It is fascinating to imagine the smell of fresh bread from Gigins wafting across the road while the latest Hollywood stars were on the screen at the Rothbury.

Since the Rothbury Cinema opened in 1934, it perfectly overlapped with the heyday of Gigins Bakery's industrial expansion. If you were standing outside the bakery in those early years, here is a taste of what you would have seen on the "Now Showing" boards:

The Opening Night: 1934

The very first film to play at the Rothbury was the British classic "The Private Life of Henry VIII" starring Charles Laughton. It was a massive hit at the time, and Laughton actually won an Oscar for it. It’s quite grand to think of such a prestigious film opening our local Portslade cinema!

The "Golden Age" (1930s – 1940s)

While Gigins was busy delivering bread by horse and cart, the Rothbury was showing the biggest films of the era:

• The 1930s: You likely would have seen posters for "Gone with the Wind" or the early Shirley Temple films, which were incredibly popular. Local memories also mention classics like "Orphans of the Storm" (though a silent film from 1921, it was still a staple for local audiences).

• The War Years: During the 1940s, the cinema became a vital escape for the community. Films like "Casablanca" or "Brief Encounter" would have been showing while residents queued for their rationed loaves at Gigins across the street.

A Bit of Cinema Magic

Inside, the experience was quite different from today. The Rothbury had 548 seats all on one floor and used a British Thomson-Houston sound system.

• The "Atmosphere": In those days, the usherettes didn't just sell popcorn; they often walked around the aisles during the interval with disinfectant sprays to "freshen up" the air!

• Hard Seats: Unlike the plush seats of modern cinemas, the early Rothbury audience often sat on hard wooden benches. It’s no wonder people were happy to head over to the CVA/K&T club next door for a more comfortable drink after the film.

The Famous Cameo

Even after the bakery era, the Rothbury had its own moment of fame. In 1950, the cinema appeared in the opening sequence of the film "Lady Godiva Rides Again". The director chose the Rothbury specifically to show the "delights of going to the pictures on a Sunday".

It really paints a picture of a bustling, vibrant Franklin Road, doesn't it? One side feeding the village’s appetite for bread, and the other feeding their appetite for glamour and adventure.

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Link to Franklin Road Index

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