[peterchall]

In the early 1970’s the Duke of York at Shorne was my recovery stop on the way home after a hard day’s work, and I remember the shock of a pint of Guinness going into double figures - 10p. It was about then that we also had the shock of the £1000 Mini.

About 1935-36 my Dad used to say that a man should always carry a piece of string, a penknife and 4d. I can’t remember what the string and knife were for, but the 4d was for a pint of beer. He used to go out each Friday night with my Grand-dad (his father-in-law) with a shilling each, which presumably bought them 3 pints each.

When he was landlord of the Forester’s Arms at Rochester (1946-1954), a 20 minute game of bar-billiards cost 6d – even he and I had to pay that because there was no other way to operate the table, which was emptied at intervals by its owner in the same way that gaming machines are now.

I think a wartime packet of Smiths Crisps cost 2d

[jpdeejay]

Thank you all for your comments, John I would love to hear more stories please!!!!

What quite interests me is the price of going out in years gone by vs the price of going out today, how does it compare cost wise, I would say a night out on the town could cost between £50 - £100 a night if having a "good drink" - did you get as little for your money back then?????

Does anybody have any pictures of venues that were visited???

JP

[ann]

My teen years were the early 60's.  Friday nights at Strood Youth Club, and one other night a week at Strood Workmans Club in Cuxton Road - both were the dance nights.  Other meeting places were the coffee bars, Casa Ventana in Rochester, Bunnys in Strood and The Parlour, Lower Road, Chatham.  Sunday afternoons would often be spent over at Rochester in the Castle Gardens - many happy memories from time spent there.

[Minsterboy]

Like John, my teenage years were in the 60's and although I was never out of work, most of the free time that myself and three friends had between March and October, was spent either hitch-hiking around the S.East and to London in particular. All we took was a sleeping bag and a guitar and slept rough for a week or two. We met some great and interesting people, went to some great folk clubs in London and became very familiar with London's parks after dark, as we slept under the bushes there. Back in Sheerness, we tended to go out Friday night, drink in one or two favourite pubs and then sleep rough in tents, not going home until late Sunday night. During the day at the weekend we tended to hang out in a cafe in Sheerness, in Russell Street, called Den's cafe after the owner, which made little money because our scruffy appearance in there all the time, hardly attracted any other trade. It was the closest that we could get to being out and out beatnik/hippies and we all had long hair and beards and many girlfriends, it being the liberated, free and easy 60's.

Beer was 1/11 in old money, in my case stout and mild, and by the time we went home on Sunday night almost all our wages had been spent, I simply saved five threepences in order to buy the Dailor Mirror each day at 3d a time.

[JohnWalker]

My teens were in the 60's and spent most evening in Canterbury.  Being a biker automatically made me a 'Rocker'.  There were three main coffee bars in Canterbury High Street.  Rockers used the room upststairs in the Black Poodle, the Mods used the Cherry Pie just down the road.  In between was Acaris which was neutral ground.

On Tuesdays, we had the Rendevous Club in Orange Street.  Lads round the outside drinking Coca Cola and girls dancing in the middle round their handbags.  Good 60's hits being played all evening.  A few scuffles which were usually outside.

We didn't bother too much with pubs in those days and seemed to have just as much fun without alcohol.

A serious motorcycle accident put an end to my Rocker days and I moved over to 4 wheels.  Still love to look at bikes though.

JohnWalker
ps. Plenty more stories of those days if anyone interest - some cannot be told to protect the guilty 

[cliveh]

That's a 'big' topic jpdeejay!

In my teenage years in the 1970's I lived in Dunton Green, nr. Sevenoaks. Early times were spent at various village hall discos but later on mostly in pubs. I actually worked behind a bar for 5 years from when I was 18. I remember in 1974 when the beer went up in price it made a light & bitter easy to remember - the bottle light ale was 11p and the half of bitter 9p so the L & B was 20p! - Happy Days! 

cliveh

[jpdeejay]

Hi all,

I am trying to gain an understanding of where people socialised in Kent when growing up....... I would be keen to hear of any memories from all eras.

I myself am in my mid thirties and grew up visiting many Kent pubs and nightclubs both as a DJ and also as a customer, the 90s were a great time for nightclubs (and also a lot cheaper than prices nowadays, I can remember going to a regular 70p a pint night!!).

Are any of you able to share memories of what you did to socialise when growing up, where did you go, Pubs? Nightclubs? Dances? Cinema??  What were the places like and what were the prices like compared to these days, believe it or not some nightclubs now charge almost £5.00 for a bottle of beer, how does this compare to years gone by???

Cheers

JP