Rare look at some of town’s old shops

In the past few months, I have been lucky enough to massively expand my photographic archive of old Ashford through the generous donations of pictures.

Those depicting the town of 150 years ago right, through to the 1950s and 1960s, have been donated in colossal numbers and feature a wide cross-section of the town, its businesses, its streets and its people. Much of the material that has been uncovered had lain hidden for generations, while other material had been forgotten about.

I am always so grateful and humbled by the generosity of individuals over the years. Sadly some of those who made such kind gestures are no longer with us.

For me, there’s quite a pattern of thought when it comes to pictures of old Ashford.

One often thinks that the material and the donations have dried up and that there are no more to be found.

But, no sooner than you think that, even more turn up. One recent discovery has seen more than 200 black-and-white old 120-format negatives depicting the town in 1962 and 1963 found in a box of old camera equipment.

I have meticulously scanned many of them at high resolution, and I am thrilled with the excellent quality and, above all, the phenomenally nostalgic content. They are also extremely rare.

This week, Remember When looks at a trio of these splendid images, which were taken by the late Bryan Sales, who worked in the surveyors’ department for the old Ashford Urban District Council.

The pictures, taken in 1963, were photographed for survey purposes during the infancy of plans to alter the town. Many of the locations and business/ streets featured in the pictures no longer exist. Many thanks to Sylvia and Sid Marsh for their continued kindness and support.

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

Write to me: Steve Salter, Kentish Express Remember When, Unit 4, Park Mall Shopping Centre, Ashford TN24 8RY, email me at rememberwhen_kmash@ hotmail.co.uk, or find me on Twitter @SteveKMAshford.

Or you can also leave a telephone message for me with brief details by calling 01233 623232. Please supply a return address for the return of originals.