In her 1990 autobiography, Ruby Dunn recalls the development of Moulsecoomb, then a rural outskirt of Brighton, into a post-World War One “garden suburb”.

The early residents of the community had no school or church, but they were proud of their new electric cookers and semi-detached houses set in a valley with gardens filled with fruit. Ruby recalls growing up in Moulsecoomb in the 1920s and 30s and life in Brighton during World War Two and after, when she worked as a teacher.

Ruby’s memoir tells of hard times faced by Brighton families, the terrors of wartime and the resilience of a town under attack. This book offers a valuable first-person account of a close-knit community and a picture of Brighton life in times past.

Editorial team: Peter Dunn, Mike Hayler, Carmel Kelly, Selma Montford, Alistair Thomson

Moulsecoomb Days is currently out of print, but you can download a PDF of the text here on a pay-what-you-like basis. To make a payment to QueenSpark Books, please click on the “donate” button below

Like this book? It’s the companion-piece to Sheila Winter’s memoir of growing up in Moulsecoomb in the Thirties and Forties,  Moulsecoomb Memories which is also available as a pay-what-you-like text PDF download.