Below is a photo of Brighton's ailing Imperial Arcade.
Such arcades are not uncommon in the UK; London's Burlington Arcade perhaps being the most famous.
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I can remember this one as a bustling row of shops, with a wonderful bakery (Forfars) being at its hub.
Now for some bizarre reason most of the shops are closed and it stinks of piss and Pigeon shit.
Built in the mid 20's, the arcade connects the road down from St Nicholas Church to the city's main shopping area; Churchill Square and Western Road. It should be filled with small exclusive shops, attracting discerning buyers; instead it's a filthy alley that one would rather avoid. It is locked at night at both ends, so perfect for Vuitton, Hermes, Cartier, Rolex, etc.
I don't know who owns it, but I do wish they'd do something about it. It's become an eyesore, and only brings shame to an otherwise very nice area.
On the left are the backs of a bank and a mobile phone shop, and on the right there is now just one coffee shop and a bureau de change. It desperately needs a revamp.
So all is not a bed of roses in the wonderful town of Brighton.
ReplyDeleteI try to ignore the bad bits, but it's not always possible.
DeleteThat is indeed a shame Cro. There must be certain things that could be done to breathe new life into the arcade and make it a place that Brightonians would head for once again.
ReplyDeleteHaving read John's page this morning I just checked my 'spam' folder, and found your comment there. What's going on???
DeleteIt looks as if it was once very lovely, and it could be again if only someone took an interest in renovating the area.
ReplyDeleteAnd it wouldn't take much to do it; the bare bones are all there.
DeleteI suppose it's a reflection of high rents for retail premises and the declining 'High Street' situation.
ReplyDeleteHigh Rents, and high Rates. The perfect recipe for decline.
DeleteHigh rents, greedy landlords and a wobbly economy don't help.
ReplyDeleteI wonder when the prosperity of old will return?
DeleteWhat a pity. It looks like a piece of Brighton's tradition. I can imagine it with a cafe or Bistro with outside seating, a flower shop, a bookshop and that bakery or those exclusive shops you mention. Write an indignant letter to the Brighton Times 😄
ReplyDeletePerhaps you could consider carrying a nosegay or maybe a dab of Vick on your mask.
ReplyDeleteI'd also need someone to walk ahead of me with a fly swat, to clear a passage for me.
DeleteSad to see such a beautiful place abandoned and neglected.
ReplyDeleteI've just this minute come through it, and it's depressing.
DeleteEven our small town once had an arcade - that went in the 70's so yours has done well to survive.
ReplyDeleteWatching the crime drama Grace - set in Brighton they often feature the remains of the second pier,
I didn't see it myself, but my wife said they were in our street in last night's episode, and featured a burning car just around the corner. I must try to see it on catch-up.
DeleteIt has reasonable bones and the modern renovations need to be stripped out and it restored to what were probably once its quite grand appearance. Maybe some low level council encouragement and assistance might turn it around.
ReplyDeleteIt wouldn't take much to bring it back to life again.
DeleteSorry to have been AWOL recently Cro ..... this new Blogger comment box won't let me comment on some blogs on my iPhone so I have to get on the laptop !!!
ReplyDeleteRe the arcade, I guess it's the way of the high street now ...... shopping is changing and I think high streets will just be coffee shops and restaurants. Most shopping will be done online. Those arcades are beautiful so it's a shame they are in decline. Ledenhall market is still going strong though. XXXX
I suppose I'm guilty of helping the demise of the high street. Amazon is always at hand.
DeleteI walked through this arcade every day as I went to work in the 60's.Do you remember the hat shop on Dyke road corner? There was also an entrance to M&S along the far end. Sad to see it now.
ReplyDeleteBriony
x
I remember the access to M & S, and I used to buy sticky buns for the children as an after school treat, almost every day.
DeleteHow sad. I have walked through (and shopped in) this arcade hundreds of times when I grew up in Brighton. I remember Forfars very well and also the shoe shop where my mother took me for my Startrite shoes and where they X-rayed your feet to show they fit properly. No more of that these days. It's the same in Oxford unfortunately. Because of Covid, I hadn't been into the city for many months and was recently amazed, and saddened, to see so many shops boarded up and a shopping centre, that I remember being built in the 70s, is now boarded up and about to be redeveloped, in part as student accommodation.
ReplyDeleteI mostly shopped at Forfars, I don't remember going into other shops. There aren't too many empty shops here, they seemed to have survived quite well.
DeleteWe have an arcade which is locked at both ends too, selling mainly vaping requisites and sportswear. When it wasn't locked at night in the 1970s, I came within a couple of minutes of being blown up by an IRA bomb there.
ReplyDeleteYour comment went into my spam folder. I have marked it as 'not spam', it'll be interesting to see if it happens again.
DeleteSuch a terrible shame to see such a beautiful structure abandoned. It’s not uncommon though. The number of businesses in Santa Fe, NM come and go like a revolving door. I have learned not to become attached to any particular store, as it may not be there next time you go.
ReplyDeleteHad it been an arcade between two shopping streets, I'm sure it would still be much used. But only one end gives onto a major shopping area, with the other end arriving at some traffic lights.
DeleteThese days I think almost all towns have at least one area like this. It is sad.
ReplyDeleteIn general Brighton is pretty good; very few empty shops. When the bakery was still there it was well used, but now there's nothing.
DeleteThe arcade reminds me of a community take over, folks forming as a group to buy and revitalize a building or area. Saving human habitat is important. Owners that allow property to deteriorate should be fined or hand over ownership to a community trust.
ReplyDeleteI expect they're hanging on to it in order to sell for a huge profit some time in the future.
DeleteI think shopping arcades actually represent a lot economic angst for owners at tge monent. Ask your son, I bet he knows
DeleteIt would be nice to see the arcade come back. Does your city government have anything to say? Ignoring it doesn't seem in the interest of Brighton.
ReplyDeleteI don't know who owns it. Probably a private Co.
DeleteLooks lovely! Too bad so many vacancies. The character of our small town is changing with the closing of many shops, our dinner theatre and only movie theater that showed independent films -- all since Covid. Other shopping areas have closed shops, too.
ReplyDeleteBrighton is quite lucky in that respect. It's a very busy place with lots of foreign visitors. The shops do well here.
DeleteWhy not pay a visit to the arcades in Cardiff..and the Victorian built indoor market
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ReplyDeleteបាការ៉ាត់