REMEMBER WHEN? Old pubs would struggle in lockdown

THE KENTISH EXPRESS MEMORIES PAGE

With the relaxation of some Covid19 restrictions allowing non-essential shops, hairdressers, etc, to open and public houses and restaurants to open outside areas only, we have seen some predictable scenes such as increased activity in the town and on the roads and sizeable queues appearing for a multitude of shops, hairdressers and the likes.

However, not all businesses in the category of pubs and restaurants are open including some surprising candidates such as some of the major chains in the locality at least.

One imagines the expense it would take to create large-scale outdoor seating for these businesses which normally operate a large-scale restaurant inside.

The weather has equally played a part in decisionmaking too.

Unlike this time last year, the weather has been somewhat changeable and incredibly cold, stopping some businesses from participating in the outside arrangements and not opening at all.

Some people don’t want to freeze so won’t want to sit outside if the weather is inclement.

But what about those in this trade that haven’t got the fortunate contingency of an outdoor area and have to remain shut until restrictions are further relaxed?

It must be immensely frustrating for those in this position.

So while some normality prevails in some areas by relaxing these restrictions, for others, it’s still something of a continued worry that they can’t get back to any normality yet.

We wonder how some of the town’s many pubs of the past without the luxury of an outdoor area would have coped.

Some of these long-lost pubs were as small as someone’s front room with the premises wedged in between other old buildings – thus no room for a pub garden.

This week, Remember

When takes a look back to the early 1970s at a trio of images illustrating some of these much-missed licensed premises that would have had issues opening under the current regulations due to the lack of outside space.

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, get in touch!

Please email me: rememberwhen_kmash@ hotmail.co.uk

Write to me: Kentish Express Remember When, Unit 4,

Park Mall Shopping Centre, Ashford, Kent, TN24 8RY.

1 1971 - The long-lost Park Hotel in Wolseley Road, buried beneath the ringway and Park Mall shopping centre, didn’t have the space for beer garden nor did it have adequate space at the front, so would have possibly been a candidate to stay shut in the current arrangements if it still survived

1971 - The Coach & Horses was another of the town’s long-lost licensed premises. Located at the corner of Hempsted Street and Regents Place, it was integrated into a small residential street without the luxury of a beer garden and no possible chance of putting outdoor seating at the front

1971 - The Watney’s-owned Duke of Marlborough, which was demolished shortly after this picture was taken, had little chance of outdoor seating if it were in existence today. With a small car park at the rear, the licensed premises was bounded by Ashford School

Picture: Steve Salter The former Elwick Club in Ashford, adjacent to the Post Office in Tufton Street