Mr. and Mrs. Stanger opened their own chemist shop in 1935 at 74 Elm Grove.

“We started with two shops, one in Elm Grove and one further up Elm Grove. Then we bought one at Woodingdean. I did all the buying at No. 74. The other shops sent orders to me each. Eventually we sold Woodingdean- it got too much. In our other shop we had one qualified man and an assistant. In the main store there was me and my wife, another qualified girl, an assistant cleaner; we had a boy with a hand cart for deliveries.”

“I did enjoy business. I was my own boss and had very good staff. Our ambition as chemists was to give service and oblige people. And we made a reasonable profit.

We got married and said we are not going to earn a lot of money and save it. What money we have will go on the children’s education.”

There is still a Pharmacy at no 74 run by Kamson’s and no 78, which was a greengrocer in 1924, is still a greengrocer now called Hilly Laine.

Elm Grove still contains a number of shops mostly on the right hand side as you go up the hill. In 1924 it contained 12 grocers/greengrocers; 2 bakers; 4 butchers; 3 confectioners; 1 fishmonger; 4 tobacconists, and 2 chemists.

At the chemist junction turn down Hampden Road and this will take you to the next street Islingwood Road. Turn right down the hill until you reach No 128.