One little bit of history in our area that probably gets missed by just about everyone who passes it can be found on a lamppost in front of the remains of the West Pier.

There you will find a plaque commemorating the inauguration of a row of 41 lamp standards on September 16th 1893.

Today we take electricity for granted but things were very different around the time Regency Square was built.

From 1818 gas was introduced to replace oil for lighting, electricity followed in 1879.

From about 1881 electricity was used to light the Grand Hotel and Brighton station but it was unreliable and expensive.

In 1891 Brighton Corporation obtained powers to set up an electricity generating station in North Road and it was as a result of this that our bit of seafront got its electric lighting in 1893.

The plaque reads:

Borough of Brighton

The inauguration ceremony of lighting the front by electricity was performed by Miss Ewart Mayoress of Brighton switching on the light from this column on 16th September 1893.

Ald. Joseph Ewart. M.D..J.P..Mayor

Ald. Henry Moon. Chairman of Lighting Committee

Francis J. Tillstone. Town Clerk