The garden café, Pavilion Gardens

The quiet oasis - and the rock cakes!

By Maureen Brand, North Laine resident

In my view one of the quiet pleasures of our wider North Laine is to sit in Pavilion Gardens on the open terrace of the café, looking across at the Pavilion.  This family-run open air café sits within the garden alongside New Road.  Cakes, snacks, sandwiches and drinks are available - and their rock cakes are much in demand.

First opened in 1941

The café was first opened in 1941 by Mr Tennent on the eastern side of the lawn alongside the Pavilion.  Here he re-erected the hut formerly on the seafront.  Amidst all the worry of the war it must have been that quiet oasis of how things should be.

The Sewells

In 1948 a design competition was launched and construction began in 1950 in Art Deco style on the present site.  In 1976 Douglas and June Sewell (Mr Tennent's daughter) took over the café and today their son David is in charge.  The family are good friends to the NLCA.   David hosts an annual tea and cake gathering for North Laine residents and is always ready to offer assistance to the Community Association.

Events

There are events throughout the season ranging from a children's tea party, to Morris dancers, band concerts on the Pavilion lawns and charity events.  Brighton Lions are holding a charity day at the café in 2008 to raise money for Campaign SightFirst.  For more information on the cafe, its history, photographs, events and news, go to http://www.paviliongardenscafe.co.uk/