Town centre surveys offer great insight

While nostalgia isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, looking back to elements of times past is often just what the doctor ordered for many of us.

The fascination attached to visual recollections such as a photographic record of a person or place is often overwhelming and always conjures a story to be told from those who are old enough to remember.

It was in the years prior to the overbearing destruction of Ashford that many surveys were undertaken to ascertain which parts of the town were earmarked for anything from minor to colossal redevelopment.

These surveys often involved drawing up plans, especially when a compulsory purchase was involved for projects such as the ring road, Charter House and the Tufton Centre development.

The surveys also required photographs to be taken of the said areas.

These photographs are in fact proving to be invaluable to historians such as myself.

Their content, although very sad in respect ‘no longer existing’, is an essential record charting the town’s appearance that would have otherwise not been taken in such detail.

Today, unless a photographer is inclined to photograph the town from corner to corner, there are huge gaps and no consistency in respect of street, business, build- ing.

There is one photographer that I know of that continues to photograph elements of the town and its changing trade – and thankfully he does.

The gentleman in question Jim Ashby of Ashford - has been photographing the town since the early 1970s.

Back to this week, we return to my recent haul of fantastic images.

This week’s trio of images from 1963 were taken for Ashford Urban District Council surveyors department by the late Bryan Sales.

Many thanks as always to Sylvia and Sid Marsh for their continued kindness and support.

Do you have any photographs or slides of old Ashford you would be willing to loan me to enable them to be scanned for possible feature in the Kentish Express?

Please don’t delay, feel free to get in touch.

Write to me: Steve Salter, Kentish Express Remember When, Unit 4, Park Mall Shopping Centre, Ashford, Kent, TN24 8RY.

Email me: rememberwhen_ kmash@hotmail.co.uk

Follow me on Twitter: @SteveKMAshford.

Or you can also leave a telephone message for me with brief details by calling the Kentish Express office on 01233 623232.