Barnards Palace of Varieties

[Colin walsh]

When the yard closed,I took a job with watts charities ,handy man,.watts owned a large part of that area of Chatham,remember the "black & white "milk bar ,the labour exchange ,with the "sun insurance "offices over the top plus the second hand car dealers,and many more buildings in the area ,
One of there houses backed onto the Barnards site the story was it had been used as an overflow dressing rooms ,had a small covered walk way in the garden that ended near the back of the building that may have occupied the Barnards site.lovly job,lovly lady boss,had to move, on subsistence wages

[Lyn L]

Nice to see the photos. My late M-i-L worked there, in fact it could even be her in the first photo having just left there to go home . Hard to tell now, was over 50 yrs ago now.

[shoot999]

The site as it was in the 60s; with the 105 number visible for reference.

[MartinR]

[castle261]

Anyone younger wants to know about ` Lyon`s ` corner houses, should look at the Harrison Ford
film, `Hanover Street`on as a T.V. film on at the moment. 1940/45.
One scene shows Harrison paying for a pot of tea, it looks like to me, two tuppenny coins, maybe
two half crowns, more like it. As Snodlandmalc worked there in the 1970`s, how much would a pot
of tea, cost then ? --------- I have a paper back book, all about Lyon` girls training.

[snodlandmalc]

In the 1970's I worked at lyon's restuarant at 109,the staff changing room and storeroom was on a lower level accessed by a very old set of wooden stairs.I was told that this was part of the backstage area of an old music hall that once stood on the site.The back of the building definately looked a lot older and might be the only bit of Barnards still there.

[pete.mason]

Thanks Lyn, looking at it on google maps amazed to see the "105" street number has survived

[Smiffy]

The Theatre Royal was sited practically opposite Barnard's.

[shoot999]

The Empire was opposite  Hammond Hill, where the Medway County Court is now.

[Lyn L]

Pete I think you will find the Empire was further along towards Rochester.  Barnards was opposite Manor Road if I remember rightly .

[pete.mason]

Did it get rebuilt as The Empire (I think) ? I remember a seedy theatre about there in the 1950s, photos of scantily dressed ladies. Mum always  dragged me across the road just before it 

[castle261]

I stand corrected -- Smiffy -- 

[Smiffy]

Hi castle261,
 
I think you might be remembering Watt's Place which was nearby - it had a lamppost in the middle and lots of odd little shops. I have a photograph or two which I can upload that may jog some peoples memories. It's an interesting and forgotten part of old Chatham.

[castle261]

I remember Holborn Lane. A quaint lane with small shops, I remember a lamppost, in the middle
of the lane. There was a cafe, & all sort`s of shops, I liked it-- I Do not like the `used car` lots in
Medway Street, soon to be swallowed up, in the new development, I hope.
I do not remember the fire in 1934 at Barnard`s, when I would have been seven.

[Smiffy]