Gabriels Hill
Walking into Gabriels Hill from King Street, I remember a shop selling furniture, was it Len furniture? I think it may well have been. They seemed to have plenty of bedroom chairs that appeared to have been made from wicker: the generic name is Lloyd Loom. Please tell me if I am wrong.
Near the top of the hill was Kings the men’s outfitters, they also sold scout uniforms for the area, stocking all the different neckerchief designs and badges for all the troops in the area.
Down the hill a little was Cornell’s, still going strong after all these years and after most of the other jewellers in the town have come and gone. They were opticians as well and one of the few places to pierce ears.
In my teenage years, Wimpey were the places to eat your burgers and Gabriels Hill had a good one. Open most days until very late at night if they closed at all. I’m sure they had their windows smashed a few times over the years as well.
I have already spoken about an alley that led here from King Street and as you came out into the hill on the left was a derelict site, I believe that it was a bombsite. In more recent years, it was re-built and taken over by Sharps the outfitters. I bought my wedding suit here and I would like to say that it still fits. I lie it doesn’t and was disposed of many years ago. Below this was another toy and sports shop Hubble and Freeman, and it’s still there. Opposite was the Palace theatre Cinemas Still continuing down Gabriels Hill on the left was Water Lane and just into this lane Michaels the Hair stylists formerly the site of an undertakers. Continuing down the hill was an arcade, still there, though now different shops. I remember Ashplant a cycle shop, I remember Pias the coffee shop and selling wonderful ice cream and nut sundaes.
Opposite the arcade was the working men’s club, I remember on one occasion after rain seemed to fall for ever, we walked down Gabriels Hill to see people being taken out of Stone Street Working Men’s club by rowing boat. It was many years later that I thought what on earth were they doing in there knowing that the river was lapping at the door.
The car showroom in Gabriels Hill displayed classics like the Austin Sprite, 1100’s and not to forget the Mini. I remember people saying the Mini will never catch on. What are they thinking of building cars without starting handles? “You just wait until we get a bit of bad weather”
Just along in Lower Stone Street was the other part of Miles where they displayed the MG Midget and the Morris Mini and 1100.
Mike Maidstone I remember it well: While I grew up in Maidstone I havent been back there since 1987. Am I correct in remembering the "Golden Boot" shoe shop with a big Golden Boot outside as part of the signage being in Gabriels Hill? I remember it was the only shop in Maidstone that sold Clarkes shoes. I also remember Hubble & Freeman sports shop. Can anyone tell me where the model shop was that had a model train set in the window and you could operate it by putting a coin (cant remember how much)into a slot at the side of the window?
Yes Mike the Golden Boot is still there. The model shop that I remember was in Lower Stone Street but I have a feeling that at Christmas time Cheesemans had a model railway that you put money into. Anyone else help please.
Doug Lindsay Maidstone I remember it well: Gabriels Hill. Just read the entry on Gabriels Hill. The furniture shop at the top of the hill on the corner with King Street was Ambroses, an old established furishing store and actually part of the Lenworth Group who also owned the Len Cabinet Works in Water Lane which indeed manufactured furniture. Many old photos of the top of the town show Ambroses store on that corner. The empty bombed out shop on the left going down the hill I recall well, it was very late being rebuilt, and the alley adjacent was always a bit scary for a youngster!! There was often a one legged first world war veteran selling lavender bags or matches sitting on the remaining frontage of this shop until it was rebuilt, or until he could no longer sell anything, anyone remember him? Your mention of the Granada Arcade as it was known, with Ashplants and Pias's Coffee Bar, reminds me that prior to the coffee bar being Pia's, it was Conte's, and before that, it was a smaller cafe/restaurant called 'Strawberry Fair' with a bow window and net curtains. I well remember this detail because we could go in there when bunking off school without the fear of anyone seeing us!!! The other memories include, on the opposite side next, or very near to, the Club was a chiropodist shop, I remember attending there for veruka treatment and also for 'dropped arches' when I was about 10!! On the corner with Palace Avenue was a large Funeral Director's parlour, and I think next door a Monumental Mason's showrom? Your mention of the Palace Theatre where Robert Dias is now reminds me that with big films on show it was often that we queued to get in and the alleyway adjacent to the site was where we queued and I recall a narrow canopy over about half the alleyway which did protect you from the rain. More than provided by the Granada which had no cover at all, and many many times the queue would go right round Granada Street and back to the bottom of the Hlll, such was the demand for the cinema in those days. Another memory of the Gabriels Hill area was the exposed part of the Rier Len in Water Lane, often as after school entertainment we would throw something substantial in the Len there an then rush round to Palace Avenue and see it float up to the wier opposite the old bus station. Talking of that area, who remembers the newspaper kiosk overhanging the Len outside Rootes Garage in Mill Street? Run by another first world war veteran who had a dreadful early motorised invalid tricycle car. I was at school with his son Peter Heron from John Street or Cross Street. He always had a good stock of 'pin-up' type material as well as the daily and evening papers!!!
ENID SHARP Maidstone I remember it well: Granada picture house was another place to go, they had a lovely restaurant where you could get a lovely cheese on toast and a pot of tea served by waitresses in their black dresses with frilly white aprons and little white frilly caps on their heads before going into the cinema for the big film. Seats cost in those far off days one and threepence and if you had extra pocket money two and ninepence, what a spend up. |