Wednesday, November 18, 2015

A bit of Tonbridge History in photos...

This is well worth a look. It's not often that you see photos from the 1960s of the High Street but here you'll be able to see many of the shops which older folk will no doubt reminisce over. Who remembers Macfisheries where Peacocks is now? Why were there so many Wool shops? There's a Singer sowing machine shop and you can see the demolished areas where there used to be The Angel Hotel and the Tudor Houses up to the river near the Chequers Inn. A gentleman by the name of Bill Warner has given the Tonbridge Historical Society access to some of the hundreds of photos he took during the 1960s and 70s and the result is an wonderful new archive which the whole town can now share. Take a look for yourselves. Comments welcome as always....

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Silly question why were there so many wool shops! The post war nation was a nation of knitters rather than a nation of telly watchers. No cheap clothes from the far east and eastern europe in those days. But were did the towns gamblers go for bet?

Anonymous said...

Quick, grab a camera and get down to the High street and snap and snap then in 50 years time take a look back and you can see what £2.7 millions buys you. So far 3 months into a 7 months regeneration project and not a lot to show for the spend so far. According to some local shop keepers takings are down by 25 percent. The TMBC mayor says that it's not the councils problem, shopkeepers will have to take to social media and shout that the town is open for business. What a joker! Who voted him in?

Mick green said...

I have yet to meet any ordinary resident of Tonbridge who has a good word for " the so called regeneration project"" of the high street.
The signs said " giving Tonbridge the high street it deserves" . What a joke,we certainly deserve better than what has been achieved to date.
Now that the work (HA.HA) has ceased for the Christmas period we now have a lay by outside McDonalds,filled with parked cars all day long.This I understand was supposedly to be for vehicular deliveries,not a "FREE" for all.where are the parking restriction lines and signage.

WE the poor rate and tax paying residents of the town get no say in the matter.Just keep paying your dues,then try to grin and bear it.
Mick Green.born and bred in the town,79 years ago.