‘Reset’ offers optimism for our town

1952 - A splendid view of the post-war Upper High Street looking towards New Rents with the much-missed Woolworths store on the right

With plans announced by the council to ‘reset’ the town centre including Bank Street and the high street, this is welcome news to traders who have held out for such news for a number of years since the town centre became a shadow of its former self.

In bygone eras, Ashford town centre was the place to be – a pleasant environment with a wide variety of shops and trades.

There was no need to go elsewhere for shopping in days past, but now it is felt that the high street and shopping 1966 - Lower High Street looking towards Kings Parade from Castle Street with the onetime and much-loved Crameri’s Restaurant on the left experience has been forgotten.

Before the days of internet shopping, you could get everything you ever needed in the town.

The demise of many of the chain stores hasn’t helped our town centre.

Ashford has evolved over the decades and not always for the better, with some businesses saying that the town’s heart has become something of a wilderness in recent times.

Ashford’s heart can be thriving once more, though, as long as the bosses that can approve improvements do just that.

Many of us are intensely passionate over what happens to our town and realise now is more important than ever to make plans work.

It’s all very well building all these new houses in the district, but the town centre has lost its way somewhat and needs that charm and wow factor back to encourage people to return.

This week’s array of pictures illustrate one area of the town that could benefit from such ‘reset’ plans - the Upper High Street.

The pictures illustrate the much-utilised and altered street during various periods in its existence.

Do you have any photographs or slides of old Ashford you would be willing to loan me to enable them to be scanned for a 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

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

TV quiz show host Bob Holness at Children’s Day, the Christmas lights switch-on event in Ashford