It could be argued that many an everyday task was a risky business during the war years, and with Ashford taking several direct hits during these dark days, it is amazing the town was still readily photographed.

It was business as usual for those who lived through the war years, with pride and determination coming as standard against the enemy.

Ashford suffered greatly and lives were sadly lost, but as much as the enemy tried to cripple our town, they failed.

It is somewhat rare to find pictures of calm in town during the war years, as many exist showing the devastation at sites such as Snashall’s Bakery, Haywards Garage, Beaver Road School, Dover Place, The Railway Works and Stanhay’s to name but a few.

The town didn’t suffer as much as some others locals tell me, but in my view, it suffered enough.

Any element of war comes with turmoil and grief.

No matter how small or large the conflict, it still leaves scars that can often take a lifetime to reverse, with some that never fade.

The town’s identity has somewhat varied and changed over the decades, so it is good to see imagery depicting the town in sometimes difficult times.

There are still many surviving elements of the town that are featured in these pictures, those that were neither casualty of the war themselves nor victim of the heavy-handed planner.

One forgets just how things were and how things looked in a forgotten era - especially if they are old enough to remember.