Mills, brewerys, gasworks, electricity and all sorts of employment

Maidstone in Kent always offered a wide variety of jobs.

The mills, which I include paper mills a huge source of work and most kids had an ample supply of paper even if we were deprived of other luxuries.

The gasworks employing many men on the north side of the Medway. The site consisted of huge gas containers and a whole army of vans, lorries and workers; the gas containers where seen from most parts of the town.

The breweries, and there were many of them, spread on both sides of the Medway and again a huge source of work.

The Maidstone Generating station on the Medway but this time on the south side.

Tilling and Stevens were making diesel engines as fast as they could for a market that never seemed to dry up. I just remember the lunch time hooter blowing and hundreds of workers making their way home on push bikes along St. Peters Street.

Nursing jobs amply supplied not only from the West Kent hospital but from Barming mental hospital and Preston Hall.

Weight Loss no pills or gadgets

Farming although I cannot pretend inside Maidstone, nevertheless surrounded the town and only the brave would venture outside the centre if they suffered from hay fever.

Farming and my part in its demise

We had a thriving centre of sweet making from Sharps "The word for toffee".

We had Grants making cherry brandy on the north side of the river.

We had Foster Clarks making tinned produce by the bucket load. Again a huge employer in its time.

How much longer will this sign last.

This photo shows the river Len and part of the Len Furniture Works which was situated in Water Lane. Do you remember the latest in hairstyling by Michael? They were down here on the right.

Shirley

Maidstone I remember it well: My father worked at Tillings Stevens for over 25 years, he met my mother there in 1930. He worked on a machine as a tool setter, and she worked in the Timekeepers Office. I worked for Kent County Coucil, starting in 1959 when I left school. I wore suits and white gloves to work, everyone was called Mr & Mrs unless you were invited to use Christian names. I went back to KCC in 1994 as a matter of neccesity, and did another twelve years. Things had changed such a lot, even bosses were called by Christian names. The last straw was when I had to attend a workshop in which actors showed us how to behave in an office, one example was not eating chips from a bag whilst ignoring someone at your reception desk. I felt this a real insult after all the years I had worked there!!