Local History Maidstone - Hops, Pops, Paper and Toffee

A fascinating glimpse at Maidstone’s Industrial past through memories of people who worked in them. The project comprises of an illustrated 17 minute film about Maidstone Industries, called ‘Hops, Pops, Paper and Toffee, accompanied by a PowerPoint of history/art-related teaching resources.
The film, produced and illustrated by Kent artist Giles Whitehead, aims to preserve oral histories and create an illustrated snapshot of industrial life in Maidstone from the 1940s to present day brewing at Goacher’s brewery. The video uses primary source evidence of people who worked at Sharps Toffee, Foster Clark Foods, the paper-making and brewing industries, offering a fascinating and often humorous glimpse into Maidstone’s industrial past.
The project is primarily aimed at years 6/7, but could be used with other years and adapted or dipped into as necessary. There are four sections with accompanying activities in the PowerPoint.
This project was made possible through a Creative Communities grant from Maidstone Borough Council.