Anthony Hole and Sons began trading in 1897, and past and present owners Peter Jeffery and Julie Richards were at the shop for the presentation of artwork depicting the business over the years, by artist Lyndsey Smith
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00:00It was started in 1897 by my grandfather, who started it as a cycle and gramophone business.
00:09He had the premises on the corner of Cypress Road and Mill Road.
00:14In 1902, the Church Road premises, which is now 50 Church Road, was built for him, for his own business, his personal use.
00:26He then went into the motor and cycle trade, and in about 1902, I think it was again, he is reputed to have driven the first motor car in Burgess Hill.
00:39The business continued there, passing from Anthony Hole to his two sons, Wilf and Ray, and from there on, it passed to his three sisters.
00:53And in the due course, when they retired and the business in Church Road was sold, we moved round to this property here in Cypress Road, where it's been going ever since.
01:07So this business has actually been in use from 1897 through to today.
01:16When I retired in 1994, Julie, who had been working for me, took over the business and has continued running it now for the last 30 years.
01:27The picture, I think, is a composition of several old family photos showing the business in various stages, including what is reputed to be the first motor car in Burgess Hill.
01:40I think the painting displays myself in the doorway, wearing an old blue dust coat that I used to wear when I was in charge, and Julie is there with her friendly dogs, I think, if I remember rightly.
01:56I think it's excellent. I rather like the cartoon style, if that's the way to put it, that has been used to depict the property over the years, with the two firemen up in the top window, representing first Anthony Hole and then his son Wilfred, both of whom were in the Burgess Hill and Mid Sussex Volunteer Fire Brigade prior to 1939.