Maidstone I remember it well. A nostalgic journey for many who live or have lived here, many of us take increasingly frequently visits, obviously an age thing (sooo what).

It strengthens our sense of belonging and generally bonds us to the poor devil that we reminisce with.

We take pride in the ability to remember things that even our contemporaries are not able to. Probably another way of saying "of course I am older than you" and secretly thinking therefore more knowledgeable.

Here is the vehicle with which we may indulge ourselves, a completely unashamed site to loose the rebel in you and let it all hang out.

I do jest of course, but there is a more serious side in that if we do not put our memories on paper they will most certainly be lost when we receive our final certificate.

Who can say that these memories will not in the future be as important of "our time" as the “Pepys Diaries”. Even he came to Maidstone in 1669 staying at the former Bell Inn.

I hope that you enjoy our stories and reminiscences and they spark something in you to submit your own.

I think it appropriate that at this first stage I give some short historical facts about Maidstone that you may not know.

It was the Romans who passing through from "Watling Street" Rochester to Hastings who made the staging post now known as Maidstone.

Maidstone is the county town of Kent known as the garden of England and has the largest density of offices.

Maidstone is in the top five shopping centres in the south east of England having in excess of one million square feet of shoppers delight.

The last execution on Penenden Heath took place in 1830.

Maidstone prison was built mainly due to the efforts of French prisoners-of-war and completed in 1819.

The last person hanged publicly in Britain was outside of Maidstone prison on the 28th April 1868 in full view of the public.

Just thought I'd mention: the last person publicly hanged in Britain was Frances Kidder outside Maidstone Gaol on the 2nd April 1868 - not the 28th - for the murder of her step-daughter, Louisa, near New Romney. (JAMES NICHOLLS) Well thank you for that James.

The population of Maidstone in 2007 is around 150,000 but when I was born in 1948 the population was in the region of 45,000 although "Maidstone I remember it well" I did not know them all.

This site has now been running for just over one year, it started out as a bit of fun and just something to keep me busy but I am truly amazed at the interest it has caused and I hope fun for others as well. I am receiving week upon week memories of folk strangely not only living in Maidstone but from people as far afield as Australia (and you can’t get much further afield than that can you).

My thanks go out to you all for your submissions and I hope you continue to refer back at times to see the latest from www.maidstone-i-remember-it-well.com

Because this site has grown so much, and, if you would like your memories to be placed on a particular page, or in response to a particular person, would you please include the page you want when leaving a message.

I am afraid the site is now so full that I am having to put all submissions on We Remember pages.