The Revival of the Rothbury Infrastructure

The Rothbury’s Hidden Reconstruction (New Chapter)

The Missing Piece of the Puzzle "Just when we think the history of Portslade’s landmarks is settled, a new discovery comes along to change the narrative. Following recent correspondence with Gary Osborne, we have uncovered a major revelation regarding the Rothbury on Franklin Road.

For years, many of us assumed the transition from the 1930s cinema and bingo hall into Radio House was largely a matter of internal refurbishment. However, the demolition photos shared by Gary tell a much more dramatic story. It is now clear that the west end of the original George Coles building didn’t just undergo a 'refit'—it was almost entirely demolished and replaced in the early 1980s.

A Building of Two Halves By cross-referencing these new images with our existing archives, I have deduced that while a large portion of the East side remains original, the West end was rebuilt to provide the heavy-duty structural support needed for the Southern Sound studios. This explains why the building we see today is such a fascinating hybrid.

This doesn't change the history we've already shared; it simply adds a necessary new chapter to the story of how Portslade's architectural heritage survives by adapting. This 'bombshell' info gives us a much clearer picture of the site’s revival."

The Rothbury in its heyday

Courtesy Gary Osborne

Courtesy Gary Osborne

The Rothbury: A Tale of Two Renovations

The 1982 "Bombshell" "Thanks to the remarkable photos from Gary Osborne, we can now see the 'guts' of the building during its 1982 transition. This wasn't just a lick of paint to turn a bingo hall into a radio station; it was a major structural operation. As the red line in the photos illustrates, a significant portion of the West end was removed to make way for the technical requirements of Southern Sound.

The Cladding Mystery However, looking at the building today, there is a second layer to the story. If you compare Gary's 1980s shots with our modern views, you’ll notice the sleek grey cladding is missing from the earlier photos. This confirms my deduction: the Rothbury didn't just change once. After the radio era ended, another major renovation took place to install the modern facade we see today, turning Radio House into a polished business Centre.

What Lies Beneath These photos are a rare look at the building 'in-between' its identities. It’s a bit of a 'rabbit warren' of history, but we are finally getting the facts straight!"

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courtesy Gary Osborne
Demolition of the rear end

If you look to very edge of the photo on the left, one can just see the building on the opposite side of the road

The "Mystery" Engineering Firm: Engineers Suppliers & BSM

There were actually a few firms that operated right there, but the one most likely in Gary's photo is Engineers Suppliers Ltd.

• What they did: They were a major depot for steel, angle iron, and bright mild steel. They supplied almost all the smaller engineering factories across Sussex. If a local firm needed a specific steel bar cut to order, they went to Franklin Road.

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

• The "E45" Clue: If you look closely at Gary’s March 2019 photo, you can see a sign on the white building to the left of the Rothbury that says "E45". This refers to the unit numbers of the old industrial estate that occupied that whole block opposite the cinema.

The Site's Transformation

Before the modern flats were built, that side of the road was a hive of activity:

1. Early 20th Century: It was home to the Diaphragm Leather Works, accessed via a narrow lane.

2. Post-War: It became a hub for engineering and warehousing.

3. 1980s–2000s: Infinity Foods took over the large warehouse buildings there (hence the name "Infinity Close" today).

4. 2013–2016: The old industrial units were demolished to make way for the residential blocks Gary saw.

The "Southdown" Connection

Just a stone's throw away on Victoria Road was the Southdown Motor Services Central Works. During WWII, their machine shop was doing incredible secret work—building parts for Spitfires and Hurricanes and even constructing armoured cars. The engineers at the CVA/K&T club next to the Rothbury would have been working hand-in-hand with these firms during the war effort.

It’s amazing to think that while people were watching films at the Rothbury, there was a literal "steel city" operating right across the street!

Coutesy Gary Osborne

Courtesy Gary Osborne

Courtesy Gary Osborne

Courtesy Gary Osborne

"Notice the lack of the modern grey cladding in these 1982 shots—this confirms the 'Radio House' era happened long before the building took on its current sleek, modern appearance."

Phase 1: The 1982/83 Radio Transition

• The Goal: Converting the cinema shell into Radio House.

• The Work: This involved significant internal work and likely the structural "slice" Gary’s photos show at the rear/west. This was to create the soundproof environments for Southern Sound Radio.

• The Look: During this era, the building probably still looked like a repurposed cinema on the outside, perhaps with some functional additions, but not the sleek modern office look it has now.

Phase 2: Post-Broadcasting Modernisation (The Cladding Phase)

• The Goal: Turning the former radio station into a modern, multi-suite business Centre.

• The Work: This is where the grey cladding comes in. It was likely installed to cover up the aging 1930s/1980s hybrid brickwork and give the building a unified, professional appearance for modern tenants.

• The Look: This explains why the modern "West end" looks so vastly different and doesn't seem to match the 1980s demolition photos perfectly. The 80s work was functional; the later work was aesthetic and structural.

Courtesy Gary Osborne

The late Chris Copsey at the controls of Southern Sound Radio

All the above images courtesy of Gary Osborne

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Back to the Many lives of the Rothbury

Back to Bringing the Rothbury back into the daylight

Go to the Southern Sound at the Rothbury post

The Rebranding of the Rothbury

Link to Franklin Road Index

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