Harriet Gunn sold flowers on the streets of Brighton for over 60 years. She was a well-known character whose patch outside Hannington's in East Street was bombed in 1940. This did not put her off, though, as she said at the time: "I ain't going to move from my corner for Hitler nor anybody else. You just got to die once my duck. I'll be sitting here a long time after Hitler and his bunch are finished". And she was!
Harriet had eleven children (and adopted one more) and lived in Ivory Place where most of her neighbours were fishing families. Not only did Harriet cook for all her neighbours, but each day she would bring a salt beef sandwich to the Italian musicians who regularly played nearby. Frederick Alexander played the harp and the violinist was Joseph Marcantonio. In the 20s, when the council had thrown them off the streets for busking, Samuel and Charles Hannington had given permission for the pair to play outside their store, next to Harriet. They also regularly played on board the paddle steamers Devonia and Waverley, where they were joined by a third musician who played the cello. The paddle-steamers used to do cruises (IoW, Eastbourne etc) and called on both the piers in Brighton. All 3 musicians played outside Harriet Gunn's window at 48 Manor Hill in the days leading up to her death in November 1949. They also played at her funeral. She was 76.
Lee Hire in Church Place was originally the dairy where twice each day, the cows from the Manor Farm would be walked for milking, past the Lodge House to the Hervey Park Estate. Note how the track originally ran between the Convent and the sycamore trees that led up to the Manor House.