Post by Les on Oct 24, 2017 18:48:52 GMT
Maidstone I remember it well: Maybe I should say 'Maidstone I don't remember it all that well'. With my parents I moved from Lenham at the age of around 12/13 1957ish. My parents needed to find accomodation quickly as the business they had been managing in Lenham (The Singing Kettle Cafe) had gone bust. Not their fault but that's a different story. My parents took on the tenancy of The Duke of Brunswick aka 'The Blood House' I remember that the pub had been closed for a considerable time and that the clientel were mainly from the two common lodging houses situated futher up Stone Street.I don't remember there being major problems with the customers and their behavior. I attended Southboro' Secondary School. Not the happiest time of my school days.Do I remember a maths teacher called Mr Wise? I made a good friend called Alan Hudson who introduced me to the wonderful world of train spotting. Many a happy Saturday spent on the 'Push and Pull' from Maidstone West to Paddock Wood or Tonbridge. Happy days. When I lived in Lenham my aunt who was on holiday with us had taken me out of school for the day and taken me shopping in Maidstone. Long story short we were crossing the road by the Post Office and I managed to finish underneath a car. A few days in hospital and a red faced aunt who was a deputy head mistress and was the cause of me being in Maidstone when I should have been in school.One other memory was of Beales toy and pram shop at the bottom of Stone Street. My father became firm friends with the owner Wally as we knew him and they kept in touch for many a year after we left Maistone and moved to Dover (another place another host of memories.Where has the time gone?