Things you'd only know if you were in Tunbridge Wells in the unforgettable 90s

We've surely all got happy memories of Tunbridge Wells. Some of you will have grown up here and left long ago. Others will have been born here, and some are 'boomerangers'.

But Tunbridge Wells is a bit like a bog, it's hard not to stick around - and while you yearn to get out, and might even struggle to escape from time to time, you'll only sink deeper. And there's far worse places to get stuck.

There's lots of good times still to be had in the town, and plenty to look forward to. But there was nothing quite like the nineties here in Tunny Wells.

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What's that joke about nostalgia? "It's not what it used to be." And those collective memories from the town are pure gold: the bad bits long forgotten, and the good times rolling - just like the wheels on the old High Rocks shuttle bus that took crowds of rowdy revellers from the town centre through the winding country lanes to the fantastic rural venue, where we could, "party like it's 1999" - because it probably was. Or at least somewhere in the nineties.

Six deep at the bar

It's hard to believe these days that the popular pubs and clubs were six deep at the bar, where there were "pound a pint" sessions in one nightspot, which saw people stockpiling before the clock struck 8pm; when bouncers tore off their shirts and got stuck into fights with punters; and Suzi Quatro played on a makeshift stage in the middle of the road in the High Street.

KentLive knows our readers enjoy nostalgia articles, and we hope this article prompts you to share some with us. If you have memories of places and events in Tunbridge Wells, and even better, have photos to prove you were there, please get in touch with Mary Harris via mary.harris@reachplc.com

Dim lights, sticky carpets: Gracelands in Tunbridge Wells

A group night out? It was going to be Gracelands, the huge Chinese restaurant in Chapel Place with the legendary Elvis impersonator, Paul 'Elvis' Chan. Hen nights, stag dos, 18th or 21st birthday, Christmas work dos - check all, it was Gracelands.

And people kept going back for more. Definitely not the place for a romantic meal for two. It wasn't the best food or the hottest or the quickest to come - but no-one seemed to notice. It wasn't just Paul Chan who sang, customers eagerly chose their karaoke songs in the wipe-clean song folder covered in sticky-soy sauce fingerprints

The nightclub Chez Moi in Calverley Road

Queues outside, as people waited nervously, not knowing if they would be allowed in by the owner in the tiny booth at the top of the stairs. And you had to be a mountain goat to get up the steep narrow staircase - but falling down on the way out was much easier.

At the summit you'd come eyeball to eyeball with the owner, who would decide in a split second whether you were coming in. You'd wait to see if all your friends made it in, and regroup in victory.

But the horrific 'last dance', when men scouted the perimeter to ask a woman to dance. Then lights up, and everyone ran off the dancefloor because they were a mascara-smudged, sweaty-haired, red-faced mess.

Sizzling fajitas were a novelty

And cocktails still felt grown-up. The Rusty Pelican on Mount Ephraim did both, making it the hot and rammed place you could struggle to get a table. We'd never seen veg and meat brought to the table sizzling loudly and smoking, the large platters hotter than the sun.

Cola ice cream floats - so creamy, so fizzy

The wonders of cola ice cream floats. Who knew that combo would be so delightful? Or it was a cup of tea or a hot chocolate at D'Ambrosio's - and buttered toast. If you were really cool, you'd be at the back in a fug of cigarette smoke. If you were bunking school, you were probably in there, or at the Wellington Rocks.

But it was a lovely place, and it served Mr Whippy style ice cream from the window at the front. Perfect. And the couple who owned it were so nice.

Free shuttle minibus service to the High Rocks

Having a free bus to pick you up from the town, meant at some point at the pub, the question of "Are we going?" came up. That only meant one thing. The High Rocks it is then!

Getting there and back in the branded bus on those meandering country lanes with a belly full of booze was a night out in itself.

An unforgettable summer's day and night when the High Street was blocked off for a rock concert

Everyone was there, every single familiar face in Tunbridge Wells - and Suzi Quatro remind us why she was the queen of rock 'n roll.

Davinchi's or 'Davs'

Yes, yes, it wasn't spelled like THE da Vinci, but who cared? The dancefloor was U-shaped and the size of a postage stamp. The staircase in the middle meant a third of you were dancing with your head cocked. You had to dip under the stairs to see what was going on the other side and where your friends had got to.

And if you thought you were looking good that night, it would end when the UV lights turned you an alien mauve, made your teeth luminous and covered you in a thousand white specks of dust.

The Forum opened in 1993

It was a time when Britpop electrified the UK and London was officially the coolest place on the planet. If you were down at The Forum, you were possibly buying your snakebite rubbing shoulders with the Gallagher brothers, Paul Weller or Kula Shaker's frontman Crispian Mills.

Tourist attraction A Day at the Wells

This was a visitor attraction like no other. But it was ours. It was an exhibition of the town's Georgian heritage, including its smells and sounds. Static dummies in period costume told the town's story.

It would have been terrifying to visit at night, when it was empty. Glued on wigs, staring eyes and creepy muffled 'real life' sounds. Don't have nightmares....

The first 'mega-pub' opened

Everything was mega then - it was a buzz word. But this new kid on the block seemed huge, The Litten Tree (AKA The Litter Tray), with its 500-people capacity and massive sports screens. It attracted 'outsiders' - so always a good punch-up - and the air was stifling with CK1 and the sickly smell of Hooch and WKD.

Please share your memories of Tunbridge Wells, and importantly any photos, with mary.harris@reachplc.com