Town’s long-lost independent traders

It’s a real shame that with the advent of the many large supermarkets that now surround Ashford, as they do towns up and down the country, the independent convenience store and corner shop has in lots of ways become a dying breed. Many of these once familiar stores were either specific to their trade such as a butcher, baker, post office etc, or were jack-of-all-trades outlets selling a whole crosssection of items. Sadly, a huge number of them have been forced to close.

Today we have the likes of local Tesco Express and Co-operative stores. Usually they do not have the charm of the old convenience store, and often they do not sell those emergency essentials that the old independent shops often used to. The chains and their ‘mini supermarkets’ have theoretically priced many independents out of the equation. At one time, you could guarantee a corner shop or convenience store in almost all of our suburban areas – many surviving into the 1980s. Today only a minority of them remain, with many having been converted into residential properties.

This week, Remember When ventures back to 1964 looking at images of a trio of long-lost independent traders that once graced suburban Ashford. Memories of them will have definitely faded into history for many of you until now.

If you have any recollections of the old independent convenience stores/corner shops, or would like to see pictures of particular favourites featured, then please do get in touch.

Do you have any photographs or slides that you would be willing to lend me, to enable them to be scanned and featured in the Kentish Express?

Write to me: Steve Salter, Kentish Express Remember When, 34-36 North Street, Ashford TN24 8JR, email me at rememberwhen_kmash@ hotmail.co.uk or follow me on Twitter @SteveKMAshford. Or you can also leave a telephone message for me with brief details by calling 01233 623232.

Dobsons Stores in Hythe Road, 1964. A lovely view showing one store out of the trio that still survives as a convenience store today. For many years the familiar corner store was Raj’s Newsagent up until quite recently when it became Hythe Road...

Christchurch Road, 1964. Many readers will recall Christchurch Stores which was at the top end of the street (nearest Beaver Road). At the time of this photograph, the store’s proprietor is listed as Lilian Munro in an old Day by Day Directory of...