Finding Old Memories in Castle Street…
This was a rather strange visit; deeply personal and unlocked old memories of adolescent years. It is quite remarkable how little has change, yet there were some little pockets of light appearing through the cracks. Castle Street always seemed to be a location that I, and others, would just walk through; paying no attention to the surroundings and just focused on getting to the busy city centre.
I probably spent more time in Castle Street last week than my entire life time in Canterbury. Which is rather quite sad.
Nonetheless, it was enjoyable to reminiscent about the past; my first job, when I was merely 17 and innocent, was at 79 Castle Street — which is now one of many estate agencies in the street. The inside has dramatically changed in the last 15 years and no longer resembles a cold, damp Soviet-style hospital ward. I was shocked to discover the car park has, somehow, been transformed into a block of flats.
The first real big joy came at 9 Castle Street. I am so happy to see Saffron Cafe still going strong; this is where my old boss use to send me to pick up lunches when I worked at 79 Castle Street. Not much has changed since I last visited and that’s a good thing; just so glad to see them going strong.
Then across the road, something new has arrived in the last two years — The Naughty Egg, 72 Castle Street.
There is a mural on the wall, which marks the old private entrance to 79 Castle Street car park; this cheerful painter now, dangerously, balances himself on a ladder whilst trying to cover some odd patches on the wall. But the smell from The Naughty Egg was something to die for. This was probably what I recall the most from walking into Castle Street; the smell of food being cooked just automatically lures you to the place.
Castle Street brought a smile to me; a happiness inside from my younger self and the start of a tentative working life in Canterbury. But, walking further up the street led to some old discovers and forgotten faces, which have disappeared from the street. YouCanterbury was designed to help and promote local and independent businesses and I was truly heartbroken to discover how many were gone from Castle Street.
County Music Ltd, 14–16 Castle Street, is where teenage me pathetically failed to impress someone. Young puppy love led me to purchase a bass guitar on my 18th birthday to “wonderfully delight” a certain someone. It was an embarrassing failure and the bass still sits, lonely, in my room gathering dust.
Heartbreaks aside, it is nice to see County Music is still around; it does offer a unique service, which you will struggle to find elsewhere in Canterbury. Most of the independent music shops have sadly died out. This, I believe, might be the final one left standing in this city. The rest no longer trade.
This is what sadden me the most. I remember two newsagents in Castle Street. Both gone. The Castle itself is closed due to falling debris and I debate whether or not this has impacted the area at all. I was genuinely surprised how quiet the street was, especially during busy lunchtime periods.
I’m a big supporter of improving Canterbury streets and the environment within them; King’s Mile has been very positive on the distract and has led to a flourishing community. Cathedral Quarter, as I’ve already discussed, is growing into a productive and significant growth area for the city. A “Castle Quarter” might be something on the horizon (I have no idea of the current plans) or worth pursing. To me, my opinion here, is that Castle Street would benefit from being apart of a wider vision of Canterbury; a city plan, which unites all districts together under one common vision.
Honestly, maybe I’m guilty of just walking by all these years and not paying attention to Castle Street; maybe YouCanterbury is also a guide to myself and not just visitors coming to our city. Sometimes, your own work can be the greatest teacher and helps to understand what you couldn’t see before.
The next time I’m walking through Castle Street, I will remember to stop and pay attention, instead of just walking by.
Next week, we start a love story with my old home of St. Margaret’s Street.
