An important part of keeping the memory of anything alive, is the testimony of people who were actually there towards the end of the line's existence.
Seen here are some of the recollections of people who remember how The Kemptown Railway was, in their own words, having lived long enough to see both 'Then' and 'Now'. It also contains eyewitness accounts passed on by people whose parents were actually there.
I was on the Kemp Town Railway Facebook Page a little while back and Julie Harding posted up a truly amazing set of photos of The Viaduct and Cox's Pill Factory in the course of demolition. Over the next few days and after a bit of 'too-ing and fro-ing, Julie told me that one of the best pictures of Cox's that she had posted had been cropped, because it shows her late father, Bill Hawkes, standing on The Viaduct with Cox's facade in the background to his left.
Bill would have been standing at the entrance to the travellators which lead up to the store in the present day, which is quite an unusual and very valuable missing piece of the puzzle as the photo he is in shows pretty much the whole of the Cox's site, photographed from the end of the viaduct, immediately in front of the vertigenous drop where the first section of it was demolished, crossing Lewes Road - a much braver man than me!
In essence, the photo links the Lewes Road facade of Cox's all the way back to the offices which still exist in D'Aubigny Road in the present day, which has been something it has been very difficult to visualise, as these offices were immediately adjacent to what was the forecourt of Lewes Road Station. This fantastic photo has given us one more missing piece in the puzzle.
I am deeply honoured that Bill's daughter Julie not only posted the original set of photos, but also sent me this picture and I am very pleased to be able to add a personal any personal recollections into this website, which are so vital in the role of keeping the memory of this lost railway alive.
Julie also informs me that Bill was also a prolific darts player and was a regular for the Hove Civil Service Darts Team, but I am very glad that he also found time to photograph such things.
Seen below are some of the photos that Julie originally posted. Naturally, they remain her property and appear here with her very kind permission. Please CLICK on the photos to open up a full screen version of the image you have chosen. You can also see a full description by CLICKing on the button below each picture (TBA).
