Born in 1908 at the Marquess of Exeter public house (now the Chimney House), which was run by her parents, Marjory Batchelor spent her working life as a barmaid and pub landlady in and around the Brighton area. Marjory recalls her experiences of growing up and working through two World Wars and beyond in Brighton, Worthing, Rottingdean, Mile Oak and Portsmouth.

From the days of spit ‘n’ sawdust and horse-drawn drays, to the arrival of fruit machines and ‘pub grub’ – Marjory remembers it all with humour and affection. Her account documents the many changes that have taken place in pub life in Marjory’s lifetime, and she also recalls Brighton shops and entertainments, providing an interesting social history through first-hand experience.

This book is currently out of print, but you can download a PDF of the original text of A Life Behind Bars by clicking here.

Please make a donation to QueenSpark Books to help us to continue to gather and make available Brighton and Sussex’s community histories for future generations. To donate via Paypal or credit card, please click on the button below.