“We’d go dancing at the Regent three or four times a week, when I was off duty. This was in the days when the manager was a fellow called Lionel Stewart. He and Syd Dean were great ones for handing out free passes to the troops, but there was never a lot of trouble at the Regent when I was on duty in my capacity as a military policeman.”

Where the large Boots Chemist now stands, used to be the location of the Regent Dance Hall. Both here and the Brighton Dome were popular dancing spots during the war.

“At the Regent Ballroom one evening, the sirens went off and a red light flashed whilst everyone was dancing. Armed forces of all nationalities were enjoying the evening. Suddenly, through the glass roof, four incendiary bombs exploded at one end of the dance floor, setting it alight. Screams came from many young girls in a state of panic, all the dancers gradually filed out into Queen’s Road. Canadian soldiers doused the bombs before extra damage was caused.”