I've lived here all my life, and was a young lad when this was filmed. I remember the High Street like that. Things have changed, and IMO not for the better.
From 1982 to 1987, every Saturday, my mother would drive to Canterbury for shopping, we lived near Dover and, in the 80s, Canterbury was the place to go to. Parking was difficult back then but we would usually find a place behind the cinema or Orange Street. Forget Ashford or Ramsgate. Amazing what the town centre has become. Debenhams gone? Wow. After lunch at McDonald's we would go to the cinema, every now and then. No cinema in Dover and only a small theatre in Deal. "Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom", "Ghostbusters", "Police Academy 2", "Back to the Future", "The Goonies", "Rocky 4", " Crocodile Dundee 1 & 2", "Good Morning Vietnam" many classics seen there. In Mercery Lane, Albion Bookshop for school textbooks. Anyone remember an old man with his dog repairing glasses corner of Lloyds Bank? Quite sure there was an Our Price Records store when the Marlowe Arcade opened in 1985. I purchased a Go West vinyl there. And a BHS store with a cafeteria upstairs. Many memories....
Canterbury has always been the place to shop. Deals cinema the Classic shut in the miners strike 1985. All the towns were good for shopping then but I agree where debs and Nasons were is bad. I hope ashcroft opens a Frasers there. Still has Fenwick and M and S. Our price had 2 stores. 1 in long market and 1 in St Peters St. Marlowe Arcade opened 1985.
@@gabriellaj.o.6180 Dover has never been a great place for shopping, Deal was even smaller and a high street that of a seaside town. Canterbury was the place to go to on weekends. I did not know the Classic closed because of the miners strike, did see "Return of the Jedi" there in 1983. If you lived in Kingsdown, there was no other...
@@Truthseeker1515 We were from Deal. It was posher than now but gritty. Mum used to food shops Sainsbury Dover which opened 1980and shopping was good then in Dover which had its own Our Price as did all towns bar Deal. Dover Sainsbury is now empty by Charlton Centre opposite derelict Iceland.
By the way I love the old dears posing for photo by the River Stour near what's now Ask Restaurant and the man taking the photo. May they rest in peace. I like this as it reminds me of my school days and I visited Canterbury every Saturday by bus.
Thank you for this. I was 15 when this was taken and went to Geoffrey Chaucer School. Great to see how it was and so many memories of the city I used to live in.
Dear Toshihiro, thank you so much for this video!!! In the mid '80s I used to spend 2/3 weeks every summer in Canterbury. In summer 1986 I was almost 16 and I used to walk from the West Gate all the city center as far as to Mac Donald's and then down the subway...to attend English Classes for foreign students at the Canterbury College of Technology (which was open for secondary students during the summer). So much time has gone and my mind sometimes gets back to those good families who hosted me and to those amazing teenage years in England! I miss everything so much! Great experience thank to my parents who always supported me! My first son is now leaving in a few days for his first time to England (Brighton)...and the story goes on...! A big hug to the city of Canterbury, Best Wishes from Florence, Italy (26.06.23)
Thanks for your nice comments from Italy. I had a similar experience. I'm so glad it's helping you to remember the past. Best Wishes from Tokyo, Japan.
Nice one Toshihiro! So many happy memories. I lived just opposite the Abbots Barton Hotel and went to school at the Chaucer so this starts with my walk home from school and takes me on a very nice trip down memory lane. Thanks for taking the time to slow it down.
Gosh it comes back to me now. It's sad to see the decline of Canterbury. It's a dying city now and violent. One of the UK's top 50 dumps from one of the most desirables in only 3 years. Covid, internet and undesirables have ruined the city of my heart and home.
I was stationed at Howe Barracks, Canterbury for three years. January 1988- January 1991, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment Of Fusiliers. Usual Army logic, post a northern regiment on the south coast.
I was taxi driving then JJ, probably got in my cab at some point. Thank you for your service to our country, much appreciated mate. Howe Barracks is all housing now, the government sold it. God bless you brother 👍👋🇬🇧
@@shaun5944 some of our lads also moonlighted on the taxis, I hope I gave you a decent tip. A good three years, a lot of us were sorry to leave. I haven't been back in thirty years, I would like to.
@@catherinegarrard9241 I liked it there, we didn't always do ourselves any favours though. The behaviour of some of the blokes was not good, Geordie mentality (I'm from Manchester).
Amazing video, I was born and grew up in Canterbury and recently have moved back to this great city. Do you have anymore footage of Canterbury in the 80’s?
Yeah - interesting seeing the WH Smith in that spot in 1986, as around 1993 - it was in a small and rather dark and dingy store outlet where Tesco is in this video(before the clocktower and next to C & A) - it moved back to that spot later on in 1993.
