Last orders as our pubs faced ‘progress’

Ashford has had its fair share of pubs come and go over the decades, with many of us falling out of love with licensed premises.

That’s particularly true of those familiar haunts in Ashford that many of us used to frequent, with the town centre ‘local’ now somewhat of a dying breed. The country pub is still a survivor, but in central Ashford many have either closed or fallen into disrepair, or been converted for residential use or have been demolished with the latter a common factor during the redevelopment days of the 1970s.

It has been heavily documented over the years that the town lost many pubs in the name of progress, with many demolished between 1970 and 1980 for developments such as the Ringway, the Tufton Centre and Charter House.

Upon speaking to some of my old customers in the days when I worked behind the bar of numerous town centre pubs, they would tell me of their upset and dismay at the number of popular pubs that closed and disappeared in such a short space of time.

One might be left with memories of a particular pub’s interior or exterior, but how many of us remember those familiar pub signs that once hung outside the pubs of yesteryear?

Often it’s the last thing you look at when walking in to have a drink or when leaving the premises.

It’s more important to watch where you are walking depending on how many pints you’ve had!

This week, Remember When returns to the splendid photographs recently donated by Edwin Bartlett of Ashford and looks at some of the long lost inn signs that once adorned out long lost locals.

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

You can also leave a phone message for me with brief details by calling 01233 623232.

Or you can also leave a telephone message for me with brief details by calling 01233 623232.