Union Street and its shops

I have already mentioned the Beehive Stores and hope soon to have a photo to remind you of its appeal. The Beehive was a privately owned store that sold a variety of articles including clothing that hung outside the store, furniture displayed further up Union Street, musical instruments, watches, penknives, shoes and boots.

The Beehive stores a hive of activity the shop filled to the brim everywhere and with everything. Counters with sales staff on hand to assist. Money taken sent through a tube to a central cash till where the cashier would stamp a receipt and returned it together with the change to the dispatcher. I think this operated by compressed air.

This must have been one of the forerunners of the ex-army sales. They sold, equipment used by the forces including tents and sleeping bags, tin cups and plates and knives and forks that clipped together making it harder to lose.

Opposite stands the fish and chip shop, in my young days called the Seven Seas. The smell of the vinegar makes these shops impossible to walk past without buying, and the cost then four pence old money for a portion of chips. Even today, fish and chips are good value.

I remember Sprunt the herbalist, the forerunner of the health shop never had much in the window; curiosity usually stopped me to see what they were selling.

Munns the ironmongers had buckets, brooms, and all things cleaning hanging outside.

Opposite stood the YMCA, a strange building I thought for such a purpose. I did attend judo lessons here at times.

A dry cleaner next to the YMCA where a friend’s mother was the manageress, I cannot remember the name of this store.

I remember Nash the outfitters where much of our school clothing came from. I fancied one of those leather-flying hats that they sold, but never had one, still looking though.

The Salvation Army had their headquarters next to Nash. Seemed a frightening place to me all those people marching about with uniforms, they were often to be seen standing at the top of the town or at times at the bottom of Union Street on Sunday mornings playing for all they were worth. Of all the churches, these seemed to do the most good for the ordinary people being pragmatic in their approach.

Ken Allen

Country: Australia Maidstone I remember it well: The fish & chip shop near the Beehive was the Seven Seas, but my favourite was the one at the bottom of Gabriels Hill where my good mate & I would give them a bit of cheek on the way home from the St John's Amb. Cadets. We seemed to walk everywhere in those days (50's &60's). Living in York Rd, Mote Park was just one big adventure playground. Willington Woods was the place for good getting bows & arrows & a look at the mysterious Shallow Cave. Lovely days.

There was another fish and chip shop much further up Union Street Ken which I was sent regularly to buy chips and bits of crackling and I could never remember what to ask for so I would start with a penny worth of chips and work up. My shakey memory seems to think it ended when I got to four penny bag of chips. I am pretty sure the chip man had been a boxer because we were intrigued by the shape of his ears.