Faded photos advertising long-forgotten beers well past their sell-by dates may not appeal to many.

Nor would crates filled with freshly-washed pint glasses and tankards, beer pumps and taps or bar stools which have borne the weight of countless carousers.

But crowds jumped at the chance to breathe in the last gasps of 156 years of drinking history.

The mementoes were up for grabs as pub staff and regulars took apart their favourite bar yesterday on its final day of opening.

The only thing missing at The Quadrant in Air Street, Brighton, was the beer - the last dregs were finished off last Tuesday.

People desperate to claim souvenirs of the Victorian pub surged inside as its doors opened for the final time at 11am.

Instead of taking everything inside to auction, leaseholders Roy and Laura Hebblewhite decided to put the contents up for sale as souvenirs.

Glasses, furniture, picture frames, mirrors, crockery, ashtrays, beer mats and an illuminated plastic sign were all available.

There was no shortage of takers, representing years of devotion to what was seen as one of Brighton's most distinctive old pubs.

About 90 people were waiting when the pub opened and a steady flow of customers popped in throughout the day.

The walls were covered in scrawled messages of support from people distraught at the prospect of a theme pub or restaurant replacing The Quadrant.

Mr and Mrs Hebblewhite had to give up the lease as the quadrant-shaped arcade in which the pub stands is about to be bulldozed for a leisure development.

Ann Eastwood, 46, from Newhaven, clutched £20-worth of framed pictures, two clocks and a glass-holder.

She said: "I wanted to have things to look back on and remember the pub by. My bus goes from the stop outside the door so I always used to pop in, especially when it was cold. The people here were always so welcoming. Too many pubs are plastic and fake but this one had real warmth. It's terrible we have to lose it."

John King, 56, of Withdean, claimed a large mirror which hung above the bar facing the pub entrance.

He said: "You could see everybody in the pub in that mirror. I was determined to get it, so every time I look at it I'll somehow see all the familiar faces."

Sean Batchelor, 48, from Brighton, a regular for 20 years, said: "This is the end of an era. It has been such an amazing pub, thanks to the characters who worked and drank here.

"It feels like I'm losing part of my family and a really big part of my life. The building itself looks so distinctive, too, and has seen so much history."

He went home with some trays, ashtrays, optics and a litre-and-a-half bottle of Jack Daniels "at a very reasonable price".

Landlord Gary Ockwell, who has had to find a new home as well as a new job, declined any souvenirs.

He said: "I have the memories. That's enough for me."

Mr Hebblewhite, who used to run the pub, wanted to keep a 1906 photo of it, the bell and a large clock from upstairs.

He said: "It's been very sad for everyone to say goodbye. There have been tears all round. This is one of the last great old boozers."

London-based developers Wildmoor have refused to reveal what will replace the pub, although part of the new development is expected to be a restaurant.

Monday March 24 2003