kingston upon thames in old photos by jason blackman 

Stunning, recognise all the places

Beautiful video. Such rich heritage and great architecture. Thanks for sharing.

Kingston-upon-Thames' town centre has been architecturally wrecked over the course of the last several decades, much of it is now so mind-numbingly blandly modern that it could be a Chinese "ghost city" that was build from scratch in the last 5 years, rather than a town with more than 1500 years of history behind it. This is the price a place pays in the 20th/21st Centuries for being a popular retail centre & having a Town Council that allows builders to run amok seeking short term capitalization on property price bubbles. Nice film, thx,

That's a loverly memories for people who knew but it's so nice the tune was too

thanks so much i was born and grew up here, ive never seen these,

I was born in Norbiton and grew up in Kingston. Trying to find photos of the fish n chip shop and fish shop on Coombe Rd. Norbiton. Beautifully edited video and music was very touching. Kingston was so much nicer in the 70’s before they blocked off roads and stopped traffic.

Lovely film, thanks for that.

Lovely, I grew up in Tolworth and New Malden, it will always be home 💗

I recall my many visits to Kingston with considerable fondness in my mind’s eye… Altho’ not a Kingstonian, born in Walton and living a little further on, my Mum loved Kingston and we would often catch the 131 ´bus direct to get off by the bridge to visit the Market and Bentalls. Even during the War I’d make a similar visit, Bentall’s swing doors and escalators were something new to us kids! Recall on the way our seeing many houses hit by bombs. Kingston ´bus garage where we often had a long wait to make the return trip was cold and draughty because the waiting room was near the outside and small and it wasn’t allowed to go further inside the garage. Years later, at a pub in the market, Mum wanted to treat me to my first glass of beer on my birthday…but my 16th birthday! She passed me off as 18 but I think the publican was a good soul and understanding! Two years later, at a big corner building that stands opposite a cinema, on a road that buses used to take you to Chessington Zoo [ and curiously double deck buses of London Transport that were painted by an unusual colour of dark crimson colour that wasn’t seen elsewhere), the Royal Air Force had its recruiting centre for those like me falling due for national service and offering better conditions for conversion cum inclusion into short-term regular service, which quite made my day!

Fantastic set of memories. I lived in New Malden in my teenage years and Kingston was my social focus even if it meant walking home after the last bus. Thank you. .

Lived in Kingston my whole life. It used to be such a nice, pleasant market town. I rarely go there any more, Its sad how its declined.

I wish I could travel back in time and just walk around. Go to the places I recognise, and walk back to where my house now stands, and do so for every decade after leading up to my birth year 1996

Lovely song I lived in Kingston for 8 years in the 90s

My home since 1989 (4 years old).The Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames has a special place in my heart.The only complaint i can have is the expansion of the University has made house prices so expensive that most local people of my age have little to no chance of buying a home in the Borough.

I was born in Kingston and lived in Surbiton although I was too young to remember when moved out of the area. I still have family in Kingston and I am related to one of the market families from my grandmother's side. Very fond memories of visiting the town as a child, especially the market around Christmas time. Now living in Ashford Middlesex which is only 6 miles from Kingston so quite oftened in Kingston shopping etc. Great video and makes me imagine of a better, simpler time.

Great collection of photos.. I just moved to Kingston a couple of years ago and wondered what the riverside looked like before development

thankyou....so many memories!

I lived in Kingston and went to school in Kingston and Surbiton. So many of these photos bring back memories but I'm sad to see how much the place has changed over the years. My dad had a business in Vicarage Road, near the bridge, and the area around there was my playground in the mid fifties. I climbed on the timber stacks in Gridley, Miskins and fished off their wharf. Old Mr. Turk was still ensconced in the house next to his boatyard and a chap called Alec worked as a boatbuilder there. The Steadfast Sea Cadets paraded just a bit further along from there. The old Bentalls was an amazing place in the grand tradition of department stores and was huge. There were all the usual departments plus ladies and gents hairdressing and a special salon for kid's haircutting where you could sit on a variety of zoo animals to have your hair cut. There was a wood pannelled restaurant, the Tudor as I recall, that was for lunches and afternoon teas but in the evening the Normandie Restaurant across the road above Bentalls parking garage was a good choice. The trolleybuses were still going during my time and you'd occasionally see one with its collector arm hanging askew where it'd come off the wire, often at the junction of London Road and Eden Street. I sang in the parish church choir and played in the churchyard before choir practice after a sixpenny fruit pie and a cuppa at Jo Lyons. The whole area on the Kingston side of the bridge between the market and the railway bridge has pretty much been obliterated since those days and many, if not all, of the shops and businesses will have gone. Does Bardwell's still exist where you went for school uniforms? Who remembers the Kenya Coffee House that filled the market with the smell of roasting coffee beans? Thank you Jason for compiling this collection and bringing back these memories. JP

thank you so much - a lot of the town still recognisable.

Splendid production! What is the name of the singer please? Well done and thanks for showing it!

Wow this was emotional 😭 what version of fix you was that ? The music was beautiful. If I could jump in and go back I so would

Thats really lovely - good for you....very giving.

Before the markets were trashed ... Watch the remains of the Cattle Market go next

I've been doing my family tree and discovered that my great grandparents lived in Richmond in 1900. I was told my great grandad used to run the Britannia in Brewers ln

My old town.

Does anyone know of where i can find pictures of Florence Rd & York Rd in Kingston before Dale court was built in the 1970`s I was told there were some nice terrace cottage`s there Then the council demolished them in the early 70`s to build flats & old peoples home

Before the yobs took over.

What years were these photos taken?

Do you have pictures of the wharp as my granddad worked their

Sad to see what Kingston and New Malden has become. They "Kingston & New Malden" were great places to live and nice people, most of them. New Malden got a a right bashing in ww2.

The eyesore that is John Lewis, has destroyed Kingston as much as anything!! I wish I could time travel!! At least people knew what a woman was back then!!