It's almost the season to be jolly, but a pre-Christmas drink with old friends in town can spark a pang of nostalgia too.

The familiar faces that once packed your favoured haunt have disappeared, the wooden bar's been replaced with chrome, and the price of a pint is enough to condense the nostalgic mist in your eye into wintery drizzle.

The beer doesn't taste the same either, but before you step outside and ask the local dealers for something stronger to cheer you up, here's a healthier answer – a virtual time-machine crawl of Maidstone's favourite lost-but-not-forgotten pubs and clubs.

1950s: The Blue Door, Sutton Road, Maidstone.

Starting on the outskirts of Maidstone at the Blue Door, this out of town pub spanned the generations, and in the early '50s stood surrounded by fields and woodland.

A gateway between town and country, and perhaps a gateway between old and modern England, in 1957 the old Blue Door was knocked down and replaced with a contemporary alternative when the Shepway estate was built.

While the replacement is still fondly remembered, knocking down the 300-year-old pub was surely a travesty to those who used it – and a visit to the pub in 1950 would have offered a glimpse into another world.

Just 13 years earlier, an article from The Gazette, dated Saturday, March 20th 1937, described: "The Blue Door, although within the boundaries of the Borough of Maidstone, is unique in that it is the only Tavern in the Town, which is still lit by oil lamps.

"It has no gas, electricity or water supply. Water is still drawn from the well in the garden and to add to its rural amenities, the Blue Door is surrounded by fields and woods.

"But these things do not worry the host, Mr William Croucher. On the contrary, he likes them as do his many customers and friends, both those who motor to the Blue Door or those who walk there and who find in this tavern with its old-world atmosphere, wood fires, and country surroundings a place for pleasant relaxation."

According to the same article the pub used to to be called The Bell, but the previous landlord a man 'of pronounced political views' – awoke one morning during an election to find blue stripes had been painted on his door, presumably as a mark of support for the Tories.

Rather than react to the joke, he rolled with it and painted the whole door blue, along with all the other doors in the pub – and became so well known as the Blue Door that the brewers changed the name.

And the Gazette added that another strange feature about the pub is that "it is the only tavern which has a fish as a barometer!"

"The fish is a Sun Fish from Chinese Waters and hangs in the public bar, a fierce some looking object. But Mr Croucher claims it is an infallible weather prophet. When rain is due its prickles drip with water, but they soon dry up when the fair weather is about."

Sadly the new version of Blue Door, which most remember, was demolished in 2007 to make way for Ashley Gardens Care Centre – and if the recent care quality inspection report is anything to go by the residents would much prefer it if it was still a pub.

1960s: The Wig and Gown, Sandling Road; or the Royal Star Hotel, High Street

No pub crawl is complete without an argument on where to go next, and this is no different.

Many old-school Maidstone drinkers fondly remember the Wig and Gown, which stood on the site now occupied by Invicta House next to County Hall.

"The only answer is the old Wig and Gown," said Frank Ward, commenting on Facebook. "It was brilliant, it was the time of the mid to late '60s."

Previously known as the "New Inn" and later the "New Inn and Railway Hotel" when the railway opened in 1874, the name changed to the "Wig and Gown" some time after the Second World War to try and attract legal clients during the Kent Assizes or Quarter Session – and it remained a popular destination until it was demolished in the 1980s.

Nevertheless, a trip to the Royal Star Hotel in the High Street is equally tempting. Built in the 16th Century the original Star Hotel was an important coaching inn and got the royal seal of approval – and it's Royal' prefix – in the 19th Century and after a visit by a young Queen Victoria.

Benjamin Disraeli spoke from its balcony after being elected MP for Maidstone in 1837, and its 19th Century assembly rooms hosted important town events and dances for many years.

But those same rooms took on a new life in the 1960s when the hotel became a venue for the new generation of rock and roll bands, hosting the likes of The Yardbirds, Status Quo and on several occasions from the 1964-65, Kent band the Manish Boys, fronted by one Davie Jones – later known as David Bowie.

Bowie is said to have disliked Maidstone – explaining to one interviewer that it was full of criminals, including one 'big herbert' who had knocked him down in the street and beaten him up. So should we offer 'the man who fell to earth' a lift out of town in our time machine?

No doubt he'd jump at the chance to scramble on board, but that would change the course of rock n' roll history, so it's with regret that we also have to punch him in the face and knock him back into the Star ballroom as we continue on our time crawl.

1970s: London Tavern, Week Street; or the Royal Star Tap, Market Buildings

Into the '70s and its a good job for Bowie he was off to more grandiose venues, because there are more ruffians around in the pubs. Nevertheless, while the London Tavern regularly got rough, it's also remembered fondly as a lively place for a Friday night.

The venue would go through various guises before becoming Mu Mu's, and after last year's devastating fire, former regular Corriene Vickers spoke of the pub in the 1970s, when fights would often spill out onto the streets.

"We didn't get stabbings back then, in those days it was just fist fights," she recalled. "Actually it was a really good atmosphere when everyone was up and dancing and having a laugh and enjoying themselves, but they used to get really drunk and one person would say something and a fight would break out.

"There was a bouncer and he did karate and he used to use his karate, it would always spill out on the streets."

If it kicks off at the London Tavern, we might head down to the Royal Star Tap, where many remember it as an interesting stop-off point.

Writing on the Dover Kent Archives, Bob Atfant recalls: "I can tell you a little about it from the mid '70s on because this is when I began drinking there and when it was arguably one of the most interesting pubs in the centre of town being both a dive bar in the American sense of this term and also rather bohemian.

"From about 1975 the pub began to be used by students of Maidstone and Fort Pitt Art Colleges and they brought in a younger generation of drinkers.

"It was also the regular hang out for the Maidstone branch of the Socialist Workers' Party and a lot of bikers of all types including rockers riding British bikes, particularly BSA A10's, often with sidecars and several clubs including the Norseman, the Trojans and the Kent chapter of the Hells Angels.

"They would park their bikes in the yard at the back of the pub which opened onto Earl Street and had a large painted sign saying 'No Motorcycles'. The landlord's name was Jack and for some time he had a barmaid by the name of June who later on worked as a traffic warden.

"By 1977 some of the regulars had migrated to the "Royal Albion" in Havock Lane and the two pubs shared customers for some years but the Albion became the more used and the Tap lost most of its customers over the following few years.

"The layout of the pub at this time seems to have been reversed from that shown in your interior photo with the dart board and games at the rear (Earl Street) end.

"To the left of the main entrance from Market Buildings there were back to back wooden booths with green leather seats providing considerable comfort and a degree of privacy but the overall feel of the place was shabby but comfortable with an easy-going atmosphere and some small scale drug dealing.

"I believe it was a Ind Coope pub and remember the prices when I began drinking there – mild 25p a pint, bitter 26p and lager 27p."

1980s: Wierton Club/Polo Club, Wierton Lane, Boughton Monchelsea; and The Warehouse, riverside

We're heading out of town for some brief respite from the town-centre shenanigans, to the civilised environs of the Polo Club at Boughton Monchelsea.

Built as a manor house around 1760, this impressive home was for a time used as the official residence of judges when on circuit at Maidstone Crown Court, but it later became an out of town nightclub.

KM reporter Alan Smith remembers it as a generally quiet spot in the early 1980s, but it had its moments.

"It was usually pretty quiet, except one time there was fish and chip night," he said. "I was there with my friend who was a policeman and a fight broke out – people were throwing fish and chips everywhere. I was impressed with my friend – he waited until everything had died down and then pulled his warrant card out and said 'right break it up everyone'."

Thankfully no one got battered, and the club continued running successfully for many years, until it eventually closed after owner Francis Stone died in 2005.

But many have treasured memories of the club and Francis, known as Frank, who left £700,000 Demelza Hospice Care for Children.

Barry Hynes recalled how Frank, who bought the place when he was 24 years old, was a "modest man" and never dressed as the lord of the manor – so much so that visitors often mistook him for the gardener.

"He loved that place," wrote Barry on Facebook. "I asked him if he would ever sell and he said no amount of money would make him sell. It has history with Churchill and many other big names. I’ve been in rooms the public have never been in – beautiful rooms and furniture with moulded ceilings with big “ teardrops” hanging there – he said this room was where family Christmases were held.

"Frank had a deer's head original on the stairs, if I remember, with huge antlers and on the antlers he would hang his washing. I'd say you're a slob Frank lol."

He recalled how Frank never smoked or drank, and was still remembered by Barry's children as Uncle Frank.

Of course we couldn't let the '80s go by without heading back into town to the Warehouse.

Hailed by some as the birthplace of British dance music, the club opened in 1979 in a former industrial warehouse, near where the Fremlin Walk car park now stands. The warehouse was said to rival London venues throughout the decade, with DJs playing contemporary tunes that would become 'cheesy '80s classics', jazz funk, soul, disco and house.

By the time the Warehouse closed in 1991 it had become a rave club, with light-hearted music played until 11pm when the DJ would ramp things up with something like Spice by Eon, and hard rave music would commence until 2am.

1990s: Tut and Shive, Gabriel's Hill; Union Bar, Pudding Lane; and Atomics, Hart Street

Into the '90s and the night-time economy was evolving, but many of the town's old-school venues were soldiering on.

Previously Bull Hotel, the Tut n' Shive on Gabriel's Hill – though practically an extension of the sixth-form common room – was still a proper pub, later becoming "Gabriels" before evolving into less-traditional guises as Ethos Bar and Dusk2Dawn.

Music was evolving too and for indie-rock fans the Union Bar became an oasis – an underground sweat-box where you could drink cans of Red Stripe while enjoying rock metal and indie.

Live bands were often on show, with the occasional big name towards the end of the decade like Ash, Mansun, Sneaker Pimps, Keane and Terrorvision.

Dance music of course dominated the clubbing scene – and in 1991 Maidstone DJ Mick Clark converted an old warehouse on Hart Street into Atomics, which would become one of the biggest dance music venues in the country.

Huge names like Boy George, Carl Cox, Paul Oakenfold and Judge Jules graced the decks and and Maidstone's own Nic Fanciulli cut his teeth there.

2000s: Ikon, Liquid and Envy, Lockmeadow, Barker Road

Opening at the end of 1998, Ikon became known for euphoric, uplifting trance on a Saturday and inherited the Club Class nights from Atomics.

It became the biggest nightclub in Maidstone, with the likes of Judge Jules, Tall Paul, Ferry Corsten and other big DJs providing the tunes, before the club had been split in two – Envy offering chart and indie tunes and Liquid offering the dance tracks.

Later on Wonderland, inspired by the quirky world of Alice in Wonderland, opened on the site in 2012 – with famous guests including Radio 1 presenter Nick Grimshaw, rapper Professor Green and celebrity football fan The Wealdstone Raider – until the club closed in 2015.

2010s: Strawberry Moons, Gabriel's Hill

Often referred to simply as 'moons', this popular club started out over the road – in buildings now occupied by the Golden Boot's new extension – before moving into larger premises next to Robert Dyas, becoming one of Maidstone's top clubs in the early 2000s.

It would carry on a such as a major hotspot – at least for fans of fluorescent lights, pounding music and queuing in the cold – rivalling the likes of Ikon for years, but this would be the last decade in which to enjoy its delights, as the club closed in 2017.

The same decade would signal last orders at Chicago Rock among others, and yet Maidstone remained a big draw for pub goers and clubbers throughout the decade with old favourites remaining fixtures or evolving, and new bars popping up.

But all the while, last orders were being called for good as other pubs closed their doors around the town – which is sad, but perhaps also good news if you've been on a seven decade pub crawl.

2020s: The Royal Albion

Our grand time travel pub crawl is over, so we return to the 2020s for a hair of the dog in one of Maidstone’s not-yet lost establishments. We’ll need it after those 14 pubs and clubs – although hopefully like me you were just drinking halves at each one.

A pint in one of Maidstone's oldest pubs seems apt and you could choose from a few.

Although a newer building – built as a bank in 1927 – the Brenchley stands on the site formerly occupied by The Swan, which started serving pints in 1476, while The Fisherman's Arms in Lower Stone Street is thought to date back to 1430.

Nevertheless the "Royal Albion" off St Faith's Street, in the shadow of Fremlin Walk, lays claim to be the oldest building in Maidstone.

At least 500 years old, this is the inn General Fairfax took the surrender of the local Royalist troops in June 1648, following the last battle in Havock Lane, which once ran through to Earl Street.

The road no longer exists now, and neither will we if we carry on like this, so it's here too that we must also surrender to the forces of rationality – and again to parliament, which is partially responsible for the drinks prices – and head home for a cup of tea.