Banks trading places in town centre

When we look back at some of the chains, businesses and things like banks and other service providers, it’s actually quite amazing how many of these that have played musical chairs when it comes to the properties that they have occupied in the town.

Banks and building societies seem to be the notable trade to move around the town but other businesses such as chemists, supermarkets and grocers have moved about the town, usually when more space is needed.

In respect of food retailers, Sainsbury’s is one example that has moved with the times and moved to bigger premises every time and also Boots the Chemist, which actually moved into a former Sainsbury’s branch, from where they still trade today.

In today’s world, we all assume that these retailers and service providers have been in situ forever in their place of business, but as pictures from yesteryear will show, this is certainly not the case.

Some readers will be surprised at the former locations of still familiar and once familiar businesses, whereas others of a certain generation will remember these locations well.

Midland Bank, nowadays the HSBC, is an example of one institute that has stayed put, but when former independent grocer G.V.Crump shut up shop next door, the bank expanded into the former grocer to make the bank bigger.

Barclays, one of the banks that did move, went into the former premises of Marks and Spencer in the High Street after being in Bank Street for generations. The upper floor of the former department store was utilised and saw the other Barclays branch in the Lower High Street (formerly Martin’s Bank) amalgamated into the new branch.

This weeks Remember

When illustrates a trio of images illustrating the former locations of some past and some still trading institutes in past times.

■ Do you have any photographs or slides of Old Ashford that you would be willing to loan me, to enable them to be scanned for possible feature in the Kentish Express? Please don’t delay, get in touch - email rememberwhen_kmash@hotmail.co.uk

1979 - The one-time Woolwich Building Society branch in Bank Street before the institute was consumed by the Barclays group a few years back

1965 - Famous and one-time insurer Royal Insurance and the Trustee Savings Bank situated in Bank Street during the mid-1960s

1959 - The former Barclays Bank branch in Bank Street at the end of the 50s