Help please

I have been asked questions about old Maidstone that I am not able to answer, could anyone help please.

linda

Maidstone I remember it well: do u know the name of the large meat wagon at this market. Used to be called Malpass now something else

barry hynes Maidstone I remember it well: hello linda i believe the meat wagon at maidstone market is "sayers" regards

Does anyone remember the ruddy faced man who always smiled as he sold newspapers outside the Victoria pub in Week Street. I think at times he sold roasted chestnuts; what was his name?

phillip Wood

Maidstone I remember it well: the paper seller i think his name was peter he lived in one of the prefabs in terminus road barming with his mother don`t know his surname

Christine Webb

Maidstone I remember it well: I used to live in Church St, the Holy Trinity Chruch was at the top of our Road. Can anyone remember when we had a Circus in Moat Park they used to walk the Elephants from the Railway Station through the town along King Street to the park via Square Hill all the kids used to gather at the bottom of Church St as it was usualy a Sunday afternoon from what I can remember and the Elephants used to parade from the largest to the smallest holding tails with truncks with the clowns running along side with ther buckets for a collection, at least that is how I remember it.

PAULA ROSE [NEE YOUNG]

Country: Ireland

Maidstone I remember it well: Does anyone remember Stuart Fashions at the top of week street. I worked there as a saturday girl in the 70's

I remember the name Paula but I just can't think where it was, perhaps someone will write in about it.

Sally

Country: United Kingdom Maidstone I remember it well: Trying to track down a picture of Dunnings Week Street for my mum as she used to work there in the 60's

joan williams

Maidstone I remember it well: can anyone help me im desperate for photos old and new of marsham street past and present please please please

June Croft(neeCorke)

Maidstone I remember it well: Thanks to your website I have just been reunited with Maureen Owen (nee Bishop)and had a lovely afternoon reminiscing,Thank you to Stella who put us in touch again. Are any of the other people out there,Brian and Sheila Roberts,Gillian Honeysett, and Graham Smith to name but a few,This website should be on a home page.!!

Kevin Maxwell

Maidstone I remember it well: has anyone, by any chance, got any photos of The Close, which use to be up Stone Street? My Dad is always talking about it, as he used to live there, and it would make his day if we could get some photos of it.

Cathy

Maidstone I remember it well: Does anyone have any early 1900s photos of Rose Yard? I'm researching my family history and my great-grandfather (William Austen)ran a bus company from an office in Rose Yard - probably between about 1903 - 1908 (ish).

We can but ask Cathy and I hope you find your photo's

barry hynes

Maidstone I remember it well: hello mg,i remember the michael you mention lived on farm at the friars he was michael pantny he was couple of years older than me but i remember him well,i believe his family own notcuts now just few hundred yards from old school.Does anyone remember or know the whereabouts of kevin king from grafy green? i havent seen him since i left in 66.bye all

Can't say where he is now but I do remember a story about the time he tried to weld his petrol tank after a good night out on the beer. You remember his dad had a garage in Grafty Green and had all the tools, wellllll it blew as any sober person would know and the fire brigade had to be called I think they had to cut off Grafty because of the danger to the petrol pumps outside the garage. He wasn't hurt too badly untill his dad got his hands on him.

Terry McKenna

Maidstone I remember it well: Confirming one or two peoples memories: Joyce Hilt your milkman who lived in Wheeler Street was Jack Matthews and he had a son called Trevor. He also "helped" my dad Mac mcKenna to do bread deliveries in the 60's. To Doug Lyndsay I too was at that "Pop" show at the Granada. The bill included The Hollies, Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, Lulu,The Searchers and of course The Rolling Stones. My older brother Michael took me to Hastings to see this "fantastic" new band: The Original Stones with Brian Jones in 1963/4 and a year or two later when they were really BIG they turned up in a huge Oldsmobile c/w the chauffer at Godfrey Holmes in Granville Road (brand new shop then) and I fixed a major brake problem they had. All of them came into the shop and chatted and drank TEA. Hardly Rock and Roll eh but they gave us all tickets for that same night. Halcien days! Does anybody remember Gus Harris the boxing promoter and his "Gym" above Hubble and Freemans sports shop (I think)and two of his main boxers, AND both world champions!! Terry Spink and Dave Charnley. I used to run round Mote Park with them training and they were both really nice guys. My dad was a very keen (and good ) darts player and he got Dave Charnley to do "raffles" for various charity causes in the Greyhound pub on the junction of Holland Road and Wheeler Street. Talking of the Greyhound please don't tell me it's true it is being closed!! Bill and Milly Dodds were part of my early life and that pub could reveal many secrets. Used to love Sunday lunchtimes when the man came round in his van and sell cockles and Whelks etc. and we used to eat them with our darts!! Keep writing to this site cos Peter does a grand job collating all our yesterdays.

Ken Allen

Country: Australia Maidstone I remember it well: Does anyone remember "Bushy Ring' who used to sell the evening papers around the estates on a Saturday & did a bit 'rag & boning' as well?

Don Westerman Maidstone I remember it well: I remember visiting the Corn Exchange in Maidstone around 1965 - 1968 where the Daleks from TV'S Doctor Who were making an apperance. Does anyone else remember going, or have a more specific date or year, or even any photographs ?

joan williams Maidstone I remember it well: is there anyone ho can help me i am looking for old photos of marsham street,maidstone gaol,and trinity church please please please help.

Doug Lindsey

Hi Peter……re- Maidstone…

You may have noticed that I have from time to time added my bit to the various pages on the website being a formally Maidstone man, born at Langley and schooled and worked in Maidstone for many years. However, something has been intriguing me for years, and I think you are better placed to put it on the website as a separate item…such as ‘INFORMATION and PICTURES REQUIRED’ or similar..

Its about Maidstone Zoo. I’ve recently been surfing British Pathé News and there are lots of snippets about, of all things, Maidstone Zoo!!! I recall going to the Zoo before it closed in the late 50s or early 60s (When did it actually close??)..anyway my query is, does anyone have any photos or details about the railway that used to run from the gatehouse on the Chatham road up to the actual Zoo entrance??

I recall riding on it, it was about quarter of a mile straight run beside the driveway, powered by a petrol or diesel trolley pulling a couple of open wagon type coaches and was about 2ft gauge if I remember.

I’ve never seen any pictures of it or heard of anyone else who rode on it!!! There must be several, if not hundreds, of people still in and around Maidstone who went to the Zoo, can you make a special appeal via the website for photos or details or reminiscences of the Zoo railway please and see what turns up? Would be exciting if someone has a picture!!! There’s no mention of it in the various railway books about lines in Kent either, even though there is one book on Industrial and Private Narrow Gauge Railways of Kent.

Can you see what you can do for me please?

Just love the website too!!! By the way, you weren’t at Maidstone Grammar School were you between 1953-1958? There was a Capon in my class for most of the five years I was there, he was Robin Capon and lived near Boro Green if I recall….are you related to him? He became an artist I think and went to the West Country…I remember him being very good at art….