Half way up the High Street are a row of shops which have addresses that rather snootily do not get numbered in sequence like the rest of the businesses in the road. Starting with Greggs and then Tower Boots, these slightly aloof firms are a few feet back from the main hustle and bustle of the market as they enjoy wider pavements than most. In their current order, the shops concerned are Greggs, Tower Boots, Peacocks, Madina Supermarket, Eye Fashions, Snappy Snaps, the newly openned Salfone and Calypso.

The reason that they enjoy this exulted status, of course, is that they are all on the site of a previous larger entity which Palace Parade is named after. The 'Palace' in question was a theatre which graced the High street from 28 December 1903 to 20 February 1954. It was built by Wylson and Long, with stalls, a pit and a balcony, with a wired off gallery above that (to prevent the oiks from dropping apple cores and other less lovely items on the crowds below) and room for two boxes when the 'quality' were in town. These were on either side of a proscenium arch.

Among the famous personages to grace the stage were Charles Chaplin, in his pre-cinema days, appearing as part of Fred Karno's company, Harry Compton, Harry Lauder, Marie Lloyd, Gus Elen and Gertie Gitana.

In its decline after the Second Word War, the Palace put on semi-nude acts before succumbing to commercial reality when under the management of someone with the preposterous name of the 'Countess de la Marr', who tried putting on improving plays like Eugene O'Neill's "Desire under the Elms". This is the play, which was later made into a rather forgettable film, which was put on for the last night.

It finally killed the place off in 1954 and the building itself was demolished in 1960, replaced by the line of shops named in its honour.

In front of Palace Parade is an entrace to Selborne Walk, and there are usually some good market stalls, including a specialist in salad vegetables, a Tubby Isaacs seafood stall and a stall selling giant stuffed toys. On Saturdays various political and religious groups stalk the Selborne Walk entrance side of the High Street, so the wider pavements of Palace Parade are ideal for avoiding their collection buckets, petitions and leaflet distribution if you are on your way to the library now St James's Street's is closed.