Jubilee fountain and shops

A row of shops unmistakeable today (2018) with the fountain in the same position – on the left the Rendezvous brasserie, in the centre, the offices of the Trevor Downing practice and on the right the Sue Ryder charity shop.  The photograph taken in 1915, shows from the left, that what had previously been ‘Kelsey’ has become ‘Peters’ high class grocers,  then Askew’s watchmakers and jewellers, Askew’s boot and shoemakers and on the right, Sevenoaks Cooperative Society, Westerham Branch.

Use the magnifier facility to look at the advertising on the door of the Co-op which reads ‘CWS Silvertown Salvage, Flour and Tablets’ – this dates the photograph to 1915 when CWS Silvertown was acting as a munitions factory producing TNT alongside flour milling and soap making. On January 19th just before 7pm there was a massive explosion at the munitions works which killed seventy three people and injured many more. A horrific incident, but in wartime London, work had to carry on. The factory was hurriedly repaired and business in all areas resumed, but the salvage operation would have meant damaged stock at reduced prices – good for business against competition from Mr. Peters two doors away.