Ashford, Kent - Portrait of a Town

[Last updated Dec 2023]

Introduction to the Town

The town of Ashford is centrally located in Kent and twinned with Hopewell in the USA, Fougères in France and Bad Münstereifel in Germany. The latter two have link roads to motorway junctions named after them so perhaps the recently added A2070 link to junction 10A should be named after Hopewell.

In 2005 the town was voted the fourth best place to live in the UK. The cathedral-like parish church of St Mary the Virgin, and indeed the town centre around it, occupies a higher area of land to the west of the River Stour, overlooking the flatter ground which surrounds the town. Ashford is sandwiched between the North Downs, England's second longest hill range, and the Greensand Ridge which is more visible west of Pluckley and east of Aldington.

The church's tower shares the skyline with the Panorama (formerly Charter House), currently Ashford's tallest building, as well as International House, another imposing block located near the railway station. A new block dubbed 'The Ashford Shard' has been granted planning permission. The Great Stour, East Stour and South Stour rivers all join in Ashford to flow through the North Downs to Canterbury and Sandwich. The former H.S. Pledge & Sons mill is Ashford's main river feature. It was later used for the nightclubs Dusty's, Cales & Flatfoot Sam's and finally Liquid & Envy.

The town was originally known as Essetesford and is recorded in the Doomsday Book of 1086.  A residential road in South Ashford uses a variation of this name. The town's cattle market was moved to an out-of-town site in the 1990s and Ashford has many modern buildings, such as the college and the new office block in Station Road. However, a haven of tranquillity can be found around the churchyard where you will also find Ashford Museum. The Gateway Centre which houses the tourist information centre and the library is nearby.

Middle Row offers a quaint pedestrian approach to the High Street, which is completely pedestrianised. It is hard to imagine that the high street was once the main A20 road from London to the Channel ports of Folkestone and Dover. Ashford was bypassed in the late 50s and this was upgraded to motorway in the early 80s. A ringway was constructed around the town centre in the early 70s. This gained a reputation as a racetrack (see the video on YouTube) and has since been broken up into a main thoroughfare for the A292 on the north of the town centre and a series of 'shared space' streets to the south. This was the first scheme of its kind in England and Wales, prompting a humorous comment from TV's Jeremy Clarkson.

And while we are on the subject of roads, in 1914 the London to Folkestone road in Ashford was the first road in Britain (and arguably the world) to be adorned with central white lines. This was possibly in the vicinity of Maidstone Road but this needs verifying. Surely there should be a plaque or something commemorating this?

Also worth visiting are the windmill in a quaint corner of Willesborough, the ornamental fountain in Victoria Park and the World War I tank in St George's Square which had its mechanics removed and replaced with an electricity sub-station in 1929, ensuring its survival as a feature.

Claims to Fame & Development

It has often been rumoured that 'Bond' star Roger Moore once lived in the town. Disappointingly online research reveals that his parents once considered buying a property at the junction of Canterbury Road and Faversham Road but didn't follow through. However, one famous name who did play James Bond in a radio adaptation of 'Moonraker' is Bob Holness who grew up in the town and attended the grammar school. Bob Holness was perhaps most famous in the 1980s as the presenter of the TV quiz, 'Blockbusters.' Ashford itself was the setting for the ITV drama series 'Stolen' in the early 1990s.

The Tour de France passed through Ashford during its British leg in 1994 and again in 2007. Famed author Frederick Forsyth was born in the town. Philosopher Simone Weil and conductor Malcolm Sargent also lived in the town and have roads named after them. The mathematician John Wallis, who tutored Isaac Newton and has been credited with inventing the infinity symbol, was born in Ashford and has a pub and a school in the town named after him. How about some plaques or statues of Ashford's famous residents for tourists?

The town's William Harvey Hospital, named after the physician from Folkestone who discovered the circulation of the blood, is well located near the motorway to provide an A&E service, especially with the rapid expansion of the town to the south which includes Finberry, Park Farm and Chilmington. When considering Ashford's urban population it is important that these parished estates are included, so that businesses and services can assess the full potential of locating in the town. The 2021 census gave an urban population of 83,000.

Development seems to be spreading ever further out to the south whilst fields between the M20 and the Willesborough to Kennington road (much closer to the town centre) remain completely rural. Whilst actual flood plain land should clearly not be built upon, this lop-sided approach to growth seems very peculiar. 

Fun and Festivals

The annual Create music festival in Victoria Park attracts big names, with the Lightning Seeds headlining in 2019. There is also a regular music festival in North Park (near the Stour Centre), and the Farriers Arms beer festival just outside the town in Mersham is well worth a visit too. There is a path that can be walked or cycled to Mersham from Church Road, Sevington to Kingsford Street, using a bridge over the A2070.

Trains & Planes

Ashford International is a railway station with six platforms located between London and the Channel crossings of Dover and Eurotunnel. The station has a domestic entrance to the north and an international entrance to the south, with lines diverging to the following destinations clockwise: 

NE) Canterbury, Ramsgate and Margate. 

E) Folkestone, Dover, Deal and Sandwich. 

SE) Eurostar services to Paris or Brussels via Lille (currently suspended)

S) Rye, Hastings and Eastbourne.

W) Tonbridge, Sevenoaks and London Charing Cross. 

NW) Maidstone and London Victoria. 

NNW) High Speed services to Ebbsfleet, Stratford and London St Pancras.

The villages of Wye, Chilham, Hamstreet and Charing (all within the borough) have reasonably central stations too. Appledore and Pluckley also have stations which are some distance from the villages.

Remarkably a rail halt to serve Park Farm and the estates to the south of the town which has been proposed since the 1990s still hasn't got off the drawing board.

London-Ashford Airport is located at Lydd. A former airport at Lympne was known as Ashford Airport prior to this.

No Direction Home?

The town is well served by main roads, but how far would you have to travel in each direction before there are no signs back? Perversely, signage for Ashford has been reduced in recent years in spite of its rapid expansion as a regional centre. Notifying the various councils and the local MP has so far resulted in no change. Let's go round the compass again...

N) Ashford is signed pretty much as far as you can go, on the A251 from Faversham (13 miles) 

NE) On the A28 the town is confirmed as a destination from Sarre, 22 miles away. Consistent signage starts at Canterbury.

E) The town is not signed beyond Hawkinge / Folkestone on the M20/A20 from the coast (14 miles). The furthest sign for the town on the old A20 used to be near Hougham at around 19 miles. Route confirmation for the town from Dover would improve the situation.

SE) There is signage from Lydd on the B2075 (17 miles)

S) Surprisingly Ashford is not signed beyond the A2070 at Brenzett (11 miles). It has been argued that the town should be signed alongside Folkestone on the A259 from Rye / Hastings especially now that the South Coast trunk route ends at M20 junction 10A.

SW) Signage for the town is pretty good from northern Hastings on the A21/A28 (30 miles)

W) The town was once signed for 31 miles from Royal Tunbridge Wells via the A21 and A262. Although there is a route confirmation near Pembury (29 miles), the town isn't signed at the pivotal A21/A262 junction now.

WNW) There is a route confirmation sign at the start of the M26 (40 miles)

NW) Ashford is not mentioned beyond the route confirmation sign at Wrotham (29 miles) on the M20 from London. The town used to be confirmed as a destination at the start of the M20, 37 miles away.

My own 'Ashford and Shepway Roads Database' blog details other routes around the wider area. And while we're on the subject of signs, the current entry signs on main roads into Ashford could do with moving further out to reflect the current extent of the urban area which has expanded significantly. Some are completely missing almost two years after this being reported to the council and later the local MP (A28 NE, A2070 S and A20 NW).

On Your Bike 

For cyclists, Route 18 heads southwest to Tenterden and Tunbridge Wells via Shadoxhurst, and in the opposite direction it runs northeast to Canterbury via Wye and Chartham. Meanwhile Route 17 heads northwest towards Maidstone and the Medway towns via Charing and uses the Pilgrims Way, an ancient trackway which runs along the bottom of the North Downs. There is also a local route numbered 11 to Lydd via the villages of Appledore and Woodchurch.

Another useful cycle route, which has been suggested to the borough council and the local MP for proper blue-signing, can be followed south from the railway station, past the designer outlet, beside the railway to Park Farm, and passing through the estate to Church Hill, Kingsnorth, where lanes can be picked up to reach Hamstreet via Bond Lane / past Homelands Stadium or via Bliby / Brisley. Another radial route could easily be created via Willesborough, over the A2070 bridge to Sevington Church, Mersham and Brabourne Lees, as well as one from Route 18 at Singleton to Great Chart and along lanes to Daniel's Water, Bethersden, Smarden and Headcorn. Three new links the for cost of a bunch of blue signs!

There are two lakes in the town. Singleton Lake can be found along Route 18 towards Tenterden, and the larger Conningbrook Lake can be found off of Route 18 towards Canterbury. It is possible to ride the unsurfaced path around 2/3 of the lake and use a bridge over the River Stour and a bridleway to reach the lane from Willesborough Lees to Wye (Route 18).

Pub Crawl?

If you've ever wondered how many establishments you'd need to visit to say you had been to every pub in Ashford the general answer would be 'Not as many as a few years ago.' Whilst this is sadly true, let's see how many we can tally up. I've included traditional venues that now include restaurants and hotel facilities as long as they remain venues where customers can merely go for a drink:

Town Centre (13): The County Hotel (Wetherspoons), the Glass House, Valerie's Wine Bar, Itaca's Cocktail Bar, the George, the Old Golden Magpie (Ashford Music Shop site), Durbar (formerly the Auction House), the Phoenix, the Taproom, Matches Sports Bar, Cappadocia (restaurant and jazz bar - formerly Platform Five), Made Inn (at the Coachworks) and the Star.

Willesborough axis (7): The New Fox (formerly the Windmill), the Alfred Arms, the Albion, the William Harvey, the Blacksmith's Arms, Hooden Smokehouse, the French Connection.

Kennington axis (8): The Conningbrook, Stubbs, the Old Mill (formerly the Golden Ball), the Rose, the Pheasant, the Bybrook Tavern (at Holiday Inn), Bybrook Barn (Harvester), the Hare and Hounds.

South Ashford axis (6): the New Chimneys, Singleton Barn, the Fish Inn (formerly the Crusader), the Beaver Inn, the Locomotive and the Riverside.

If we include the contiguous settlements of Kingsnorth and Great Chart and broaden the definition of 'pub / bar' a bit, the tally can be cranked up to 40, with the Queen's Head, the Swan & Dog, Cameo nightclub, the Ashford Club, Frankie & Benny's and Curious Brewery. The New Prince of Wales is now Jay’s Soul Food restaurant.

Currently closed are the John Wallis (formerly the Man of Kent) and the Little Black Dog. This site’s author is unable to establish the current status of the Swan.

Dining, Shopping & Entertainment
As far as dining goes there are many quality restaurants in the town centre including Beunos Aries Nights (Argentinian), Aspendos and Cappadocia (Turkish), Jay's Soul Food (Caribbean) and Amici (Italian). There are numerous Indian, Chinese and Nepalese restaurants in the town centre as well as Pizza Express which also has an outlet at the designer outlet, a twenty-minute stroll away. Other 'outlet outlets' include Wagamama, Five Guys and YO! Sushi. A twenty-minute walk in the opposite direction via Quantock Estate and the Eureka bridge will bring you to Eureka Park (this 'quickest walking route' should surely be signed?). Here you'll find restaurants including Nando's, Frankie & Benny's and Beefeater.

Perhaps the crux of why Ashford is sometimes incorrectly perceived as somewhat lacking is that its restaurants and big stores are dissipated all over the urban area, leaving the town centre increasingly facing an uphill battle, while pedestrians struggle to reach the outlying attractions which have clearly been designed around the car. Perhaps a map in the town centre listing all the stores and their locations around the town would be useful, rather than having visitors think that Ashford doesn't have chains like Argos (branches in Sainsbury's and at Sevington) and M&S (now split into two halves at the designer outlet and the food hall).

The designer outlet attracts shoppers from all over the Southeast and is the largest tented structure in Europe, even eclipsing the O2 arena (formerly the Millennium Dome). Meanwhile the town centre has two shopping centres, these being Park Mall and County Square. Ashford's former John Lewis store has reopened as the Range, but with several big names following Debenhams out of the County Square shopping centre it seems that more needs doing to make the town centre as attractive to big names as out-of-town sites. The loss of Wilko also leaves a large unit empty. The borough council has announced plans to consolidate the town centre by effectively shifting the focus slightly to the south to rejuvenate Bank Street. The jury's out as to whether or not this will prove successful.

For entertainment the town has two cinemas. The larger of these is at Eureka Park and the newer cinema is in Elwick Place. Sensibly, the town centre population is being increased with modern flats along Victoria Way, in Park Street and elsewhere, but is this potential market being used as a lure to businesses? Answers on a postcard!

Ashford also has a modern ten-pin bowling alley, the Stour Centre for sports and swimming, the Julie Rose Stadium and 'Revelation at St Mary's' which stages music concerts and performances at the parish church, with some big names such as Fairport Convention and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Whilst this is a great innovation, residents have routinely expressed a wish for an actual theatre in the town which seems to be an unacknowledged anomaly when Ashford is larger in population than Folkestone, Canterbury and Margate, all of which are well-served theatrically.

Conclusion

This is not the one of the routine 'Ashford bashing' blogs that make local headlines from time to time, but one written by a lifelong resident of the borough who would like to see the town flourish, preferring the slightly tongue in cheek nickname of 'Ash Vegas' to the ubiquitous (and dated) 'Trashford,' which was actually originally used in a headline concerning littering.

The town is likely to be the third largest in Kent (after Maidstone and Gillingham) when the 2021 census data is released. In the 1990s everything from Ashford becoming an economic powerhouse to having its own cable-car system was mooted. Progress has been a long time coming, and now the pieces are again in flux, to paraphrase a former prime minister. A railway museum would also be a huge draw, capitalising on the town's industrial heritage. The town's future sits on a knife-edge. Let's hope our representatives can deliver the goods.

Credits

This page has been put together by Adam Colton, a local author of UK travel and psychological fiction. Please visit the author page on the Amazon website, Smashwords, iBooks, etc. for details of available books. Adam is also one half of the musical duo Adam Colton & Teresa Colton. Check out their songs on YouTube, Spotify, iTunes and other music sites.

This page may omit other aspects of the town which might deserve attention. I am happy to correct any errors and will consider any glaring omissions. For all else, you can always produce your own blog!

School report for Ashford: has potential; just needs more focus.

There is sister-page on this blog about the nearby village of Hamstreet

Hamstreet, Kent - Portrait of a Village

[Transcript of original web page. Last updated Nov 2024]

LATEST NEWS: 

War memorial completed

Footpath from Ashford Road to the Pippins now open

Village has three vacant shop units

Proposals for 140 houses on Cotton Hill being reviewed

New online parish magazine free to view

Introduction to the Village

"Hamstreet is 'interesting' and retains the characteristics of a traditional and proud working village, something that is increasingly rare," - Kent Life Magazine.

This Kentish village is affectionately known as ‘the gateway to the marsh’, being located six miles south of Ashford where the ridge of clay hills meets the flat expanses of Romney Marsh, an area once awash with smuggling. The village was bypassed in 1994, but remains an important junction and is twinned with the little town of Therouanne in France. Therouanne was once a city with a cathedral which was sacked by the troops of Henry V. The stone cannonball near the flagpole in Hamstreet was a gift from the mayor of the twin town, presented with the words 'You can have your cannonball back!' More local history can be perused on the Forge Gardens noticeboard and at the station.

Traditional weather-board buildings and a generally unspoilt appearance make the place well worth a detour from the beaten track. Three long distance footpaths pass through the village; the Royal Military Canal Path follows the peaceful banks of a 28-mile waterway - the UK's third longest defensive structure, and the Saxon Shore Way and Greensand Way pass through the expansive deciduous woodland of Hamstreet Woods. In fact, the Greensand Way begins its 110-mile course to Haslemere at the village crossroads. A walk incorporating both the canal and Hamstreet Woods was featured in the 'Top 50 best summer walks in Britain' in the Independent newspaper. A second area of public woodland is located northwest of the village at Orlestone Forest.

To get a reasonably accurate population for the village as a socio-economic entity, add together the populations of Orlestone and Warehorne, for the boundary runs through Hamstreet itself. This amounts to 1,988 people (2021 census). Orlestone is the original location of the village - now just a hamlet, a mile to the north, centred around the eleventh century parish church of St Mary. The Church of the Good Shepherd is a more modern place of worship in the village's High Street and the ancient church of St Augustine's in Snave also comes under Hamstreet and holds one service annually at harvest festival. The church in Warehorne is dedicated to St Matthew. The area is great to explore on foot or by bike.

Hamstreet's Claims to Fame

H E Bates who wrote 'The Darling Buds of May' would have known the village well, and the writer Joseph Conrad resided at Capel House (one mile north of the village) from June 1910 to March 1919. The modern generation will perhaps be most familiar with the film 'Apocalypse Now' which was heavily influenced by his book 'Heart of Darkness.' In the late 1990s, the village pub was briefly managed by Patrick Murray who played Mickey Pearce in TV's 'Only Fools and Horses.' Many celebrities have lived within the wider local area including Vic Reeves, Bob Mortimer, Paul O'Grady, Noel Coward, Julian Clary, Alan Carr, the actress Jan Francis and international golfer, Peter Mitchell. Hamstreet has also been featured in futuristic writings by Sir Peter Hall and David Boyle. But what of the village itself?

Mountain Farm in Hamstreet once featured in BBC TV's 'Blue Peter' as a base camp for an expedition up the 'Marsh Mountain’. Romney Marsh is of course completely flat, so this humorous concept involved presenters turning a map of the area upside down and crawling along the road!

Hamstreet had its real moment of fame in the early 1990's, with maps of the village appearing on postage stamps all over the UK. John Craven even did a 'Countryfile' special on the village. This was to mark 200 years of the Ordnance Survey. Hamstreet was chosen because the area was the first to be mapped as part of a nationwide survey and the changes to the village over the years showed up very well on a series of stamps.

The village was featured on BBC South East Today's 'On The Map' feature in May 2021. Hamstreet was also on the route of the Tour of Britain cycle race which passed through in September 2006, and the Olympic Torch relay passed through the village en route to London for the 2012 Olympic Games. Search for 'Olympic Torch Hamstreet' on YouTube to view the relay and watch TV clips of the village here.

Business

Until 2013 there were five pubs within three miles of the village cross. At present there are three - the Duke's Head in Hamstreet itself, the Woolpack Inn in Warehorne and the White Horse in Bilsington. The Blue Anchor (Ruckinge) and World's Wonder (Warehorne) have sadly been allowed to disappear.

In the High Street there is a post office / general store, fish and chip shop, the Old Schoolhouse Indian restaurant, a curtain / blind shop, the 'Saw Joinery' DIY/joinery store, Lilly's Ink tattoo studio, the Cosy Kettle cafe, Early Birds renovations and Star Beauty (now in a private house). Two units are currently vacant.

Marsh Road has Annings Motors garage, Smart Dogs grooming centre and Hamstreet Garden Centre which also has a cafe. Hamstreet Primary Academy (the school) is located in Ashford Road.

In Warehorne Road there is a dental clinic and Angela Hirst estate agency. There is currently an empty unit where the hairdresser’s used to be. Travel just out of the village and you'll find a vineyard, the mild climate of this part of Kent being particularly good for wine production.

Meanwhile, Ruckinge Road is the location of Joanne Fuller Beauty and Hamstreet Surgery, as well as the Nexus Programme office. A little further out of the village on Ruckinge Road is Meadow View Industrial Estate which contains several businesses.

Fun and Festivals

The village has a games area/tennis courts and a bowling green, as well as many clubs and associations too numerous to list. These include the Ruckinge and Hamstreet Scouts and Guides (HQ in Ruckinge), the Royal British Legion and the football club. Activities from coffee mornings to Zumba take place around the village at locations such as Victory Hall, Cosy Kettle cafe, primary school and Church of the Good Shepherd (which has its own hall attached). 

The Pound Leas pavilion has its own bar area, augmenting the flood-lit 'multi-use games area' and football field, all of which are the result of many years of fundraising. The Festival of Transport which used to take place every June was featured in a Live TV (satellite) documentary programme in 2009. Sadly this event folded in 2016 but the village does have a community day each summer in its place. There are however regular 'bikejumble' events on the fair field for petrol heads. 

Also look out for posters for Hamstreet bonfire and fireworks on Pound Leas each November (although this won't take place in 2024) and the music festival in Warehorne village hall which usually takes place in July. For those wishing to stay locally, accommodation is available at the Woolpack Inn, a pleasant stroll across fields on the Saxon Shore Way. The sign outside the Dukes Head also displays accommodation. More info from the pub.

Transport facts

As well as daytime bus services to Ashford, New Romney and Lydd (Mon to Sat), Hamstreet has a railway station on the Ashford to Hastings line - one of only two remaining diesel lines in the provincial Southeast. Trains run direct to Eastbourne as well as Ashford for connections to London.

The village is well signed on the A2070 trunk road between Ashford's Southern Orbital Road and Brenzett, and between Aldington and Woodchurch on the B2067. The village used to be signed comprehensively in Tenterden and also from New Romney, Lympne and Appledore Heath. In spite of past campaigns for a return to better signage on grounds of being a junction point on a trunk road and a hub for local services, the village remains signed at the most basic level. Interestingly, there is a memorial at the southern exit for Hamstreet on the A2070 in honour of Liuetenant Johnson, a USA pilot who lost his life here during World War II after allowing his crew to parachute to safety. 

Details of useful cycle routes can be found in the 'Royal Military Canal and Associated Routes' blog, and circular walking routes can be found in the 'Smugglers and Saxon Shore Walks' blog. The A2070 and B2067 also have narrative blogs on this site detailing features along these routes, and the 'Ashford and Shepway Roads Database' blog details routes around the wider area.

Nostalgia 

The house on the corner of Ashford Road and Warehorne Road is believed to be the oldest in the village. It was a bakery until the 1980s, and a post office too until 1970, when a new post office was built at Bridgewell (now a private house in the one-way street). In the 80s the post office moved to the Mace store (now an office), finally settling at its current location in the Morrisons store, which itself was previously an independent store, then VG, Costcutter and McColl's. Hamstreet was briefly graced with a baker's shop again when the Chocoloate Box newsagency closed in 2012. There was a second newsagency (Harden's) located at Old Stores House in The Street until the 1990s.

Prior to use for beauty purposes, the shop at Woodville was an antiques shop, and before this a butcher's store. When the butchery closed in the 1980s, a butcher's counter was positioned at the rear of the VG store (now Morrisons) for a number of years. Villagers had a choice of garages, both with filling stations, at the time too. The second of these, Tippen's, was located where the small housing development between the former Chocolate Box and the church now stands.

Until the 1990s Hamstreet had a police house in Warehorne Road. The Indian restaurant was the original site of Hamstreet School until the current school was built in 1882. Prior to its current use the Old Schoolhouse was an antique shop, a photocopier centre, a tea room and the Masters restaurant.

The shopping area in Warehorne Road housed a greengrocer and a wool shop in the 1980s. It is also believed that when Viaduct Terrace was constructed in the 19th century, there were plans for the southernmost end of the terrace to be a pub. The Duke's Head is in fact a rebuild; the original pub opened its front door directly onto The Street and was originally named 'The George', 'The Three Mariners' and then 'The Duke of Cumberland'. The twin pub of the current Duke's Head was the former Stonebridge Inn at Woodchurch. Hamstreet also had a twin station building, at Winchelsea in East Sussex. 

Meanwhile, the former World's Wonder in Warehorne was one of five Kentish pubs which were built to the same design. The others were the now-bulldozed Ship at Lade (Romney Marsh), the former Bell Inn at Coxheath, The Redstart Inn at Barming and The Papermaker's Arms at Hawley (Dartford).

Hamstreet exchange phone numbers consisted of four figures prior to standardisation of the 01233 Ashford area code. The telephone exchange is still located next to the railway station. The old exchange is located at the top of a flight of steps to the south of the railway bridge in Ashford Road.

Development names for recent estates were Orchard View (Bankside), Saxon Woods (Lancaster Close), Brook Gate (Orlestone View), The Pippins (Ingoldsby Lane, etc.) and Nightingale View (Brimstone Road, etc.).

Campaigning

There are three vacant shop units in the village centre which the creator of this blog hopes will be filled to keep the village centre buoyant.

Two large new housing developments are being completed, with a third very prominent development being considered. The focus on expensive four and five-bedroom houses within new developments has been an issue, while the further fragmenting of the village across a third parish would see most of the benefits of extra council tax going to neighbouring villages rather than Hamstreet. It would make sense for any new developments to be entirely within the parish of Orlestone to create cohesion.

In 2008 Pumpkin TV produced a DVD for geography students which used Hamstreet as a case study for challenges that affect many English villages. It has sometimes been very frustrating to see a minority fighting plans for new business when so many outlets have been lost over the years. Beginning in the late 1990s the author of this site has attempted to challenge the status quo. 

This began by escalating complaints when the village's railway station ticket office was closed for a period of over six months in the late 1990s, and continued with expressing support for the Indian restaurant to be allowed to provide a takeaway service, for the doctor's surgery to expand, for a fish and chip shop to be allowed, for a new cafe to be allowed and for changes to the Woolpack Inn which ultimately enabled this popular pub to reopen in 2015. A plan to upgrade the canal towpath as a proposed cycle link between Hamstreet and Appledore has sadly gone quiet in recent years.

The truth is that one person cannot change a village, and I would personally encourage villagers to use the 'search' and 'comment' facility on Ashford Borough Council's planning website to support new amenities and object to further losses of business space whenever such proposals arise. I hope that the quote from 'Kent Life' magazine which began this post will be as true in years to come as it is at the time of writing.

Credits and links

This page has been put together by Adam Colton, a local author of UK travel, music reviews and psychological fiction. Please visit the author page on the Amazon website, Smashwords, iBooks, etc. for details of available books. Adam is also one half of the musical duo Adam Colton & Teresa Colton. Check out their songs on YouTube, Spotify, iTunes and other music sites. Also, please search for the names of any of the businesses, clubs, amenities or venues mentioned on this page that aren't listed below.

The twin village of Therouanne (link here) in France. 

Hamstreet Woods national nature reserve

BBC news report on the 2012 Olympic Torch relay here

Old Schoolhouse Indian Restaurant (The Street)

Early Birds Renovations (The Street)

Star Beauty School (The Street)

Morrisons Store (The Street)

Annings Race & Restoration (Marsh Road)

Dog grooming centre (Marsh Road)

Hamstreet Garden Centre (Marsh Road)

Joanne Fuller Beauty  (Ruckinge Road)

Nexus Programme Office (Ruckinge Road)

Doctor’s surgery (Ruckinge Road) 

Dental Clinic (Warehorne Road)

Angela Hirst Estate Agency (Warehorne Road)

Hamstreet Wines (Warehorne Road)

Warehorne Vineyard (Warehorne Road)

School (Ashford Road)

White Horse (Bilsington)

Woolpack Inn (Warehorne)

Scout and Guide Associations (shared with Ruckinge)

The Victory Hall committee

Link to 'bikejumble' events 

Visit by Train Website

The parish council's site is here

Hamstreet, Villagenet

Hamstreet Pictorial History

There is now a sister-page on this blog about the nearest town of Ashford

Adam's Music Reviews #7 - Alternative Christmas Songs

It's December and the airwaves are awash with Slade, Wizard, etc. In fact I only need to name the artists and you'll know exactly what songs I'm referring to. Nice as many of these tracks are, this a blog for those who fancy a festive change from the norm. Scouring my music collection I've tried to find all the Christmas songs that you won't hear played on the radio. Let's begin, as all music lists should, with the Beatles.

The Beatles – Christmas Time Is Here Again (1967 / 1995)

This was just a recurring jingle on one of the group's annual Christmas discs for fans, but it was nicely edited into a full-length track as a B-side on the 'Free As A Bird' single released in 1995. The lyrics are somewhat minimalist and Paul McCartney would revive the 'O-U-T spells out' motif on his 2013 track 'Queenie Eye.' I wonder if there was a wry comment on the 'bigger than Jesus' furore in the line 'Been around since you know when...' Who knows. The track ends with John Lennon putting on his best Scottish accent for an atmospheric little bit of nonsense.

The Sensational Alex Harvey Band – There's No Lights On The Christmas Tree, Mother... (1972)

...They're Burning Big Louie Tonight. That's the punchline folks. Yes, this is a Christmassy tale about a man being arrested and sentenced to death by electric chair, consequently shorting out the electricity and prompting the singer to observe that the Christmas tree lights are off. Alex Harvey was a distinctive performer from Scotland with a superb bunch of musicians, often employing risque lyrics, but occasionally there was a moral message, such as regarding protecting the environment. Any DJ willing to play this gets a Victoria Cross for bravery.

Wings – Rudolph the Red Nosed Reggae (1979)

This one's safe. It's a quirky instrumental rendition of the traditional favourite, which appears as a bonus track on the album 'Back To The Egg.' Harmless fun which started off as the B-side to the much more often played 'Wonderful Christmastime.'

Paul Simon – Getting Ready For Christmas Day (2011)

The opening track to Paul Simon's album 'So Beautiful Or So What?' An unusual rhythmic track with something resembling gospel chanting in the background. Paul Simon was no stranger to Christmas songs, especially when teamed up with Art Garfunkel. Guess who's next...

Simon and Garfunkel – 7 O'Clock News / Silent Night (1966)

The duo sing the traditional favourite with just a piano accompaniment as reality breaks in in the form of a particularly nasty edition of the 7 o'clock news. The juxtaposition seems to say something about the essentially fantastical nature of believing in peace on earth for a single day of the year. It's the only Christmas song I know with brutal murders in it. Simon and Garfunkel did record the odd Christmas song straight however, such as Star Carol, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and Go, Tell It On The Mountain. All are worth checking out.

The Who – Christmas (1969)

Another dark Christmas song. This one was part of The Who's rock opera, Tommy, contrasting the Christmas that most children have with the severely limited experience that the deaf, dumb and blind central character has. 'How can he be saved, from the eternal grave?' Harsh stuff, hey?

Chas & Dave - Long, Long Ago (1986)

Just when you're thinking 'Where's the warm Christmassy glow in this lot?' along come Chas & Dave to fill the void. I remember my sister coming home from primary school having learned this as a carol. The teachers must have been pretty quick off the mark to have snapped this yuletide classic up at the time. The Cockney lads eulogise 'Winds through the olive trees softly did blow' while accompanied by a brass band. The B-side of Silent Night is also very nice and there's no seven o'clock news this time! It just goes to show that the pair of Londoners could be serious, although this is as rare as Christmas in February. talking of which...

Lou Reed – Xmas In February (1989)

Venturing across to the dark side again, this one is from Lou Reed's album New York, essentially about the lack of work prospects making army life seem appealing, and the consequent rescheduling of Christmas when you're busy with the 'kill or be killed' stuff on December 25^th.

Roy Orbison – Pretty Paper (1963)

Roy Orbison is in country mode while exploring the often visited theme of being lonely at Christmas. The song seems to reference homelessness in the second verse, so it could even be a socially conscious Christmas song. Right, wipe that tear away, we're going 'punk' next.

Eels – Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas (1998)

The B-side to the wonderfully festive 'Cancer For The Cure' is actually a fairly straight Christmas song in a slightly 'punk' style. 'Baby Jesus, born to rock.' Er... enough said!

Monty Python – Christmas In Heaven (1983)

Of course it's not serious! This was the musical finale to the comedy group's film 'The Meaning Of Life.' Really it seemed to be satirising the stereotypical 'American' idea of what both Christmas and Heaven should be like.

Joni Mitchell - River (1971)

This occasionally gets a play on BBC Radio 2 but I'm including it as it isn't as well known as it should be. It opens with the notes of Jingle Bells on the piano in an uncharacteristically melancholy fashion before Joni begins the sad tale which is a similar theme to Pretty Paper, being that of the bustle of Christmas going on around a lonely person who wants it all to just go away.

Eric Bogle – Santa Bloody Claus (1993)

Another satirical one. Eric Bogle is a writer of poignant folk songs, but he occasionally lets his hair down with a number like this. It's a little bit rude and I'm not sure if he was trying to compete with Kevin Bloody Wilson here, in which case Mr Bogle's song will seem positively tame.

Bob Dylan – Must Be Santa (2009)

This is a bit of a cheat as it actually does get regular airplay at Christmas on BBC Radio 2, but the sheer brilliance of Bob Dylan doing a traditional Christmas album with a voice that has been completely ravaged has to be lauded. This is perhaps the standout track on 'Christmas In The Heart' but in this house the entire CD gets a spin every Christmas. Bob makes this Christmas favourite his own by listing the names of recent USA presidents among the reindeer. Was he being subversive? Oh, I do hope so!

Pink Floyd – Roger's Boogie (1968 / 2016)

A track that lay in the vault until the release of the band's megalithic box set 'The Early Years.' This is clearly an attempt at a Christmas song with a lyric about Gabriel coming to the stable, and even in the 'anything goes' psychedelic era that it was recorded, I would still say that it's something of an oddity in the Floydian catalogue.

Bob Dylan – Winterlude (1970)

Not a Christmas song per se, but every bit as seasonal as 'Baby, It's Cold Outside,' 'The Power Of Love' and 'Stay Another Day.' Here the legend that is Robert Allen Zimmerman uses the good old fashioned theme of engaging in romantic pursuits while the weather outside is frightful.

Adam Colton & Teresa Colton - Make A Fat Cat Fatter This Christmas (2015)

'Who?' Come on, this should be a Christmas number one! We're a mother and son folk duo and this is a satirical song about Christmas commercialisation. Legendary DJ Dave Cash gave it a spin on BBC Radio Kent and so should you. And just in case you think we're being too irreverent my mother's two self-penned carols 'Shepherd Boy Carol' and 'Whisper In The Wind' should prove otherwise. All are on the album Mixed Messages.

So now the bit you've waited for - if you want to listen to them here's the playlist. Bob Dylan's record company seem to want to hide 'Winterlude' so the list is one track down. As the onion seller always says, that's shallot!

STOP PRESS: The musical musings and humour continue in '2021: A Musical Odyssey' - now available in digital and paperback formats.

Adam's Music Reviews #6 (Dec 2020)

It was while walking to the car one day that I realised that programmers are missing a great opportunity to create a game called 'Social Distancing.' The character walks relentlessly down an alley as people come towards him at various positions along the path. The gamer has to move the character left or right on the path to maintain two metres distance. There could be a second round set in the aisle of a supermarket with the added interest of trolleys and prams being used as battering rams!

Er... That said, yes, here we are, still in tier three in Kent, which is about as exciting as watching emulsion go from a liquid state to a solid state. Thank goodness for music. And beer! So here I am with another batch of albums that I've blasted my way through since my last post, occasionally getting up to join in on the guitar or the keyboard on my way to the fridge. People of the future, this is what 'hedonism' meant in 2020...

Blur - Parklife (1994)

I remember my sister wanting this album on in the car on a family holiday to Lancashire in the nineties and finding it irritating. Like Liam Gallagher, who compared Blur to Chas & Dave (who I actually like), I had dismissed the band prematurely based on an accent. Schoolboy error. This album has far more than the singalong anthems of 'Girls and Boys' and 'Parklife.' There's some punky stuff in the form of 'Bank Holiday,' a Syd Barrett pastiche called 'Far Out,' and the album's highlight in my opinion, 'This Is A Low,' an anthem that the Oasis boys would have surely been proud of.

Blur - The Great Escape (1995)

Critics panned this album and declared Oasis the winners of the Britpop war at the time, but in hindsight this was unfair, especially knowing now that Blur went headlong into avant-garde territory with their next two albums. They were no 'one trick pony.' This one has a similar structure to Parklife with some anthems like 'The Universal,' which sees the band emulating the gang of thugs in 'A Clockwork Orange' in the video, as well as the odd punk blast, and the National Lottery themed anthem 'It Could Be You.' However, in spite of the great melodies and harmonies, there is a darker feel to this album than Parklife, from the jaded guest vocal from Ken Livingstone on 'Ernold Same' to the resigned sadness of 'Best Days.' If your mood needs picking up again at the end, simply replay the openers, 'Stereotypes' and 'Country House.'

Hawkwind - Levitation (1980)

This album is Hawkwind at a junction point, returning to a certain extent to the space rock and psychedelia of their early years. The rock anthems like Motorway City, Levitation and Who's Gonna Win The War are broken up with ethereal instrumental music. The bonus tracks go much deeper into experimental territory, particularly the completely bonkers 'Douglas in the Jungle.' 'Valium 10' is also good fun (not taking it, listening to it, I hasten to add), and the live rendition of Brainstorm gives an oldie of theirs a twist, opening with a jazzy drum solo. (Review refers to disc one of the three-CD set.)

The Beatles - Abbey Road (1969)

It does seem that no matter what new music and genres I discover, the Beatles always get a regular airing. There were perhaps more adept musicians around in the sixties, but there is something legendary about the combination of the four of them with George Martin, the only contender for the epithet 'fifth Beatle' in my opinion, as he literally made the impossible possible. Perhaps it is partly the way four working class lads conquered the world and partly the 'love and peace' ethos, sadly lost in the era of Trumpism and hate masquerading as political views. Visit the Cavern Club in Liverpool and you'll find it still alive. Anyway, Abbey Road, what can I say? Classic follows classic, and there is Paul's symphonic finish which even Elbow couldn't touch with their rendition of Golden Slumbers a little while back. One of my favourites is 'I Want You (She's So Heavy)' which sees the foursome simultaneously dabbling in jazz, lyrical minimalism and heavy rock. I rest my case!

Photo: Myself on the famous zebra crossing in 2011.

The Beatles – A Hard Day's Night (1964)

One from the earlier years of the Beatles. Young and innocent days? Well, not really, and I get the impression that John Lennon in particular hated the manufactured image. Anyway, the music holds up. My favourites are not the big hits but the more introspective songs, particularly 'If I Fell' and 'Things We Said Today.' That said, the rock and roll of 'You Can't Do That' is tremendous, with Ringo pushing the cowbell into overtime. When you think that this was hastily assembled as a soundtrack, you realise that the Beatles could just churn out quality at the drop of a hat! Other favourites of mine from the early years are 'I'll Follow The Sun,' 'Anna (Go To Him),' 'Baby, It's You,' 'Yes It Is' and 'This Boy' which all have a surprisingly melancholic quality for such successful young men.

Oasis – Definitely Maybe (1994)

Often the first album released by an artist has a vibrancy that the other albums don't quite have. Examples in my opinion go from John Lennon's first proper solo album 'Plastic Ono Band' to Travis's 'Good Feeling.' I sometimes put this down to not having the comforts of money and fame, but I've already undone my own argument with the 'John Lennon' example as he'd had a good six years of both by then and appeared thoroughly sick of it! So, Oasis. When this album came out the band literally were an oasis in the desert of dance tracks that filled the charts. Guitars were back in and I let out a 'Hallelujah.' Favourites of mine are the psychedelic blues of 'Shakermaker,' the brooding mantra-like 'Columbia' and the epic 'Slide Away,' announced by its memorable opening guitar note. There's even room for a bit of comedy with 'Digsy's Dinner' and 'Married With Children.' People said they were the new Beatles at the time, although the influence wasn't blatantly obvious until the release of 'Whatever.'

I've also added a new Miles Davis album to my collection recently, a mix of ethereal ambiance and eighties lounge jazz called 'Aura.' However, after only a handful of listens I don't feel qualified to review it yet. I'll be back with another batch soon, and again, and again, and again, until the poxy pubs are open! Please Boris, we're climbing up the walls here. And that's a Radiohead reference to finish. Another time...

STOP PRESS: The musical musings and humour continue in '2021: A Musical Odyssey' - now available in digital and paperback formats.

Adam's Music Reviews #5 (Nov 2020)

This particular post is being written while my home county of Kent has been plunged into 'tier three' coronavirus restrictions (basically a lockdown under another name). Cue the puns – it'll all end in tiers, three is the tragic number, etc. I was thinking what it must mean to be a hedonist in this situation – do you go all-out and make a cup of tea, or have a bit of a kip, or look out of the window, or really go to town and get a biscuit from the kitchen cupboard? It's life, but not as we know it!

Anyway, while sitting on the sofa drinking a glass of wine and listening to Pink Floyd I realised that we are at last living the lifestyle proposed by BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs programme. Let's face it, it's either that or The Matrix, and the 'desert island' scenario seems much more pleasant than floating in a sac of liquid wired up to a parasitic computer. Yes, we are pretty much on our own with just music for company, so what would one choose? Well, I've done my ultimate Desert Island Discs a couple of times before, so I thought 'How about writing about the albums I have listened to in their entirety over the past fortnight?' Like or not, I'm doing it, so here goes!

John Coltrane – My Favourite Things (1961)

Jazz is a genre I only really got into a couple of years ago. 'Kind of Blue' by Miles Davis featured highly in my book of 'The All-Time Top 1000 Albums' so I thought I'd give it a bash. Since then it has opened up new vistas, although I tend to like the 'cool jazz' era and then skip the post-bop era and pick up again with fusion. If I'm talking a foreign language, it was all Greek to me too until a couple of years ago. Anyway, this is an album for those who like to hear tunes they recognise played in an improvisational way. Coltrane's saxophone playing is superb and occasionally bordering on frenzied and the piano breaks are also pretty amazing.

Tears For Fears – The Hurting (1983)

When I was a child in the eighties I was not a fan of the 'current' bands, despising what I viewed as excessive use of synthesizers and much preferring the 'real instruments' of the sixties. However, with the passing of forty years, the bands of the era seem worth reappraising and this album is a gem. Like U2's 'The Joshua Tree,' the first half of the album is so strong that the second half tends to get passed over. 'Mad World' is a classic, even if you only know the Gary Jules' 'Christmas number one' version, but there are plenty of other angst-ridden atmospheric pieces here including 'The Hurting,' 'Pale Shelter' and 'Ideas as Opiates' which could be an anthem for our age – 'Lies spread on lies, we don't care.' Trump, anybody?

Tears For Fears – Songs From The Big Chair (1984)

Tears for Fears again, yes, but this is an album I've had much longer, initially because 'Shout' was such a good song. The other two hits 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World' and 'Head Over Heels' appeal next, but then one gets into the more ethereal stuff and you realise that Tears for Fears were not really an eighties pop band (like Duran Duran, etc.) but more akin to bands like Pink Floyd in what they were trying to achieve. Talking of which...

Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here (1975)

Although I have professed 'The Dark Side of the Moon' to be my favourite album in both of my 'Desert Island Discs' blogs, this is the one I tend to go to for instant Floydian gratification. 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' is a symphony in two halves with some of Dave Gilmour's bluesiest soloing. The keyboard work by Richard Wright reminds me a bit of Procol Harum at times. Every song on the album is an out and out classic. Enough said.

The photograph depicts my visit to Grantchester Meadows in Cambridge, surely the 'Penny Lane' of the Pink Floyd world?

Pink Floyd – Meddle (1971)

OK, I've been having a bit of a Pink Floyd week. There is the side-long epic 'Echoes' (remember 'sides?') and five very pleasant tracks to boot. This is Pink Floyd at the nearest they ever got to 'easy listening,' with 'A Pillow of Winds,' 'Fearless' which has an added surprise for Liverpool fans, the vaudevillian 'San Tropez' and finally 'Seamus where the band let a canine take the vocals. If you don't believe it's a dog watch 'Live in Pompeii.' There's also the Doctor-Who-like 'One Of These Days (I'm going to cut you into little pieces)' – lockdown fever in action! As a footnote, I'm actually sure that I had this album as a 'hand me down' vinyl record as a child, although it was a bit tough for a ten-year-old to appreciate admittedly.

Barclay James Harvest – Barclay James Harvest (1970)

'Who?' I hear you say. Well, in truth BJH were bigger in Germany than in their native England. They were also the only band I know that had their own touring orchestra, as evident on this, their debut album. The album takes in a variety of styles from the rock of 'Taking Some Time On' and 'Good Love Child' to the balladry of 'Mother Dear.' I particularly like the orchestrations and plodding bass of 'When The World Was Woken,' and the the closing track 'Dark Now My Sky' is a symphonic masterpiece. Eccentric, yes, but superb!

Barclay James Harvest – Once Again (1971)

OK, OK, I've had a bit of Barclay James Harvest week too. What do you expect in lockdown - imagination? This was the band's second album and another bona fide classic, although lyrically pretty dark with a slightly unhealthy fixation on shuffling off this mortal coil, 'Happy Old World' being the most obvious example. It always seems a bit excessive to use a mellotron when you have an orchestra, as a mellotron was a keyboard instrument playing recorded loops of orchestra notes, but that's exactly what BJH did here to excellent effect. To break up the drama there is the lighter 'Vanessa Simmons' and the rock blast of 'Ball and Chain.' There's even a Jew's harp on the final track, but the show-stopper is 'Mocking Bird' which builds from a quiet ballad into frenetic rock before exploding into two of the most dramatic orchestral chords you'll ever hear in a rock song. If You like Pink Floyd, you'll like BJH.

Blonde on Blonde – Bob Dylan (1966)

In the 'Desert Island Discs' blogs I cited 'Bringing It All Back Home' as my favourite Bob Dylan album, although in reality it is so hard to choose with so much quality. This one was arguably the first double-album released by a rock act, the other one possibly being Frank Zappa's 'Freak Out.' Either way the contents are terrific, with bluesy tracks such as 'Pledging My Time' and 'Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat' interspersed among folky classics like 'Just Like A Woman.' There's a humorous poke at the Beatles' 'Norwegian Wood' with 'Fourth Time Around,' although in truth the flow of influence was mutual. And finally, 'Say Eyed Lady of the Lowlands' – an eleven-minute epic with Dylan at his most poetic.

Standing on the Shoulder of Giants - Oasis (2000)

This is often viewed as the album where the legend imploded and I was formerly of that opinion. However, a listen twenty years later reveals that we were all wrong. Admittedly, the expletively-titled opening track leaves you wondering what kind of ride you're in for, but the content is actually surprisingly good. 'Go Let It Out' perhaps sums up our feelings in these times, 'Is it any wonder that princes and kings, Are clowns that caper in the sawdust rings?' The album has a darker brooding feel than most Oasis albums and the final track 'Roll It Over' is sublime, but for me the high point it when Noel launches into the guitar solo on 'Sunday Morning Call.'

Tonight -David Bowie (1984)

Certainly not an album that springs to mind as classic Bowie, in fact initially I thought 'What on earth has happened to him?' However repeated listens make it more palatable and you can even overlook the eighties instrumentation. 'Loving the Alien' is actually a very good song, and it's quite novel to hear him having a go at reggae as well as covering a Beach Boys classic, a feat few would attempt. Most of the songs were written by Iggy Pop, but eventually you do appreciate this as much as Let's Dance although 'Ziggy Stardust' it ain't! After this one fast forward to the furious rock of Tin Machine.

Well, that's nine albums that I've played in the last week or so. I could well be back with another set in ten days or so. A few singles I've played a lot in the last week include 'A Forest' by The Cure, David Bowie's 'Absolute Beginners' (make sure you get the full length version) and 'Someday My Prince Will Come' by Miles Davis (available as a nine-minute single track download album if you're not ready for the whole album).

And bearing in mind the kind of music I listen to, if you'd like to see any well-known albums reviewed feel free to post your suggestions in the comments. Keep spinning those decks!

STOP PRESS: The musical musings and humour continue in '2021: A Musical Odyssey' - now available in digital and paperback formats.