photo © Anthony ‘Nan’ Morland
Phil Gill… Pop into the pub for a quick one whilst he mends you puncture.
Nick Prince… I remember it well
Jim Breeds… Looking decidedly grotty now! 
(Image from Streetview). Clive Vale Hotel also seen on the right in Nan’s photo.
Alan Esdaile… Remember it. Went in the Hare & Hounds further up the road and nearly got run over a few times, as the door went straight out into the road.
Stuart Moir… One less pint may have made a difference Alan
Harry Randall… Remember Ken Apps when he had his shop on the corner of Menzies rd as a boy often went for spares and learnt a lot sad when he moved to Ore
Pauline Richards… And Pat Halliwell had a cafe along there
Merv Kennard… Did a few gigs in the Clive Vale Hotel.
Alan Esdaile… I remember coming to a couple Merv
Lloyd Johnson… I remember building a track bike out of found bike bits from a bombsite/ disused ground with stuff dumped on it. Ken Apps made me a pair of steer horn shaped handle bars out of gas pipe and I painted the whole bike different coloured patterns with humbrol paints.We use to ride them through a track in Coghurst Woods in the 1950s…
Mike Mitchell… Lloyd, I used to ride that track through Coghurst Woods late sixties. A great ride down the hill with minimal brakes – as long as we didn’t meet anyone coming up the track!
Andy Clarke… If I remember right Wayne Spears worked there and took it over after Ken.
Roger Simmonds… I remember it too !
David Edwards… Although the sign said Ken Apps every one ran the name into one and called it Kenapps’s shop
Chris Meachen… I remember being fascinated watching him build wire bike wheels from the basic parts.. A proper craftsman.
Edward Adams… remember it well ken apps used to live in the same block of flats as me in chiltern drive
Mark Harris… Opposite my Nan and Grandad’s VG store, C & M Harris!
Tony Court-holmes… when Ore had pubs
Roger Simmonds… All the good old shops and craftmanship mostly gone now!
Mick O’Dowd… Spent many visits to Ken Apps shop as he was so knowledgeable about bike probs!
Robert Wren… Spent many hours peering through the window and dreaming of all bits I would love to buy. He was always very helpful and didn’t always charge but I did buy various bits over the years. I also remember his Hillman Super Minx he would drive to work and park across the road on the rough track. I think the colour of the car was a sort of copper or gold.
Roger Carey… Great shop- many interesting businesses in Ore over the years..Ken Apps was the place to go to keep your bicycle on the road! Seem to recall he discouraged unnecessary modifications….
Paul Huggins… Fond memories from back in the day…when Electric Ray had the Clive Vale
Alan Esdaile… Can remember cycling down Malvern Way with my brother, on our bikes, when the new roads were being built!
Pauline Richards… And Charltons sweet shop
Andy Clarke… Loved the pet shop across the road too.
Katherine Apps… I’m delighted to read these comments. I’m proud that I had the absolute honour that my Grandfather was the one and only Ken Apps. Of Ken Apps Cycles, Hastings. I’m so pleased his devotion, hard work and memory lives on.
Pauline Richards… And Halliwels cafe nr by!
Andy Caine… Ken was a legend!
Neil McGuigan… Ken was the man
Jeff McCall… He mended my bike often enough, always helpful. Across the road on the corner of Sandown Hill was Holtons the greengrocer ran buy my pal Bernard Holtons dad who used to be a blacksmith. Happy days.
David Edwards… Always pronounced KenApps never a break between Ken and Apps.He was always good to kids who were struggling to keep an old bike on the road.
Derek Alan Richardson… Great character. Was a total gentleman. Always kept our bikes going however much we beat them up through the 70s. Spent some time with Wayne Spears in Bexhill today reminiscing. Wayne went on to buying the shop after Ken retired. Great memories
Peter Ellingworth… Great shop, great guy, one of a regretfully disappearing or disappeared breed. I remember staying at the now sadly closed YHA (Guestling Hall) off Rye Road while on a long weekend visit back in the ’80’s, and was speaking in the common room (normally followed by us all visiting the nearby pub up the hill) to a German youngster of around 19 whose bike he mentioned needed some frame repairs and TLC.
The following morning I took him (and dismantled bike) in the VW Polo I had then to the Ore shop, and he repaired the lad’s bike including some brazing work if I remember right there and then, and at minimal cost. The youngster was over the moon, as it meant he could instead of cutting his tour short continue pedalling on towards Southampton to stay with friends/relatives (can’t remember which). I thought very little of this until some time later his father wrote to thank us both. A nice gesture. Back to the Guestling Hall YHA: this closed when the YHA decided to rationalise and due to financial issues sold off a lot of their property. Guestling Hall was a great place to stay especially when Melanie Baker, her Dutch boyfriend and their predecessor Barry who had a large collection of hats on show from Liverpool were the wardens. I wrote to the local Hastings MP at the time voicing my concerns of its closure and its benefit as both an ex-Hastings resident and visitor, only to have a terse reply that as I was no longer one of his constituents he could not help……..yet I also contacted Grant Shapps my now local MP, and although not on his patch he could not have been more helpful ! Remember also Lappy’s bike shop at the top ‘country’ end of Queens Rd – always smelt of paraffin when you went in.
I’m delighted to read these comments. I’m proud that I had the absolute honour that my Grandfather was the one and only Ken Apps. Of Ken Apps Cycles, Hastings. I’m so pleased his devotion, hard work and memory lives on.
Great character
Was a total gentleman.
Always kept our bikes going however much we beat them up through the 70s.
Spent some time with Wayne spears in Bexhill today reminiscing.
Wayne went on to buying the shop after Ken retired.
Great memories
Great shop, great guy, one of a regretfully disappearing or disappeared breed.
I remember staying at the now sadly closed YHA (Guestling Hall) off Rye Road while on a long weekend visit back in the ’80’s, and was speaking in the common room (normally followed by us all visiting the nearby pub up the hill) to a German youngster of around 19 whose bike he mentioned needed some frame repairs and TLC.
The following morning I took him (and dismantled bike) in the VW Polo I had then to the Ore shop, and he repaired the lad’s bike including some brazing work if I remember right there and then, and at minimal cost.
The youngster was over the moon, as it meant he could instead of cutting his tour short continue pedalling on towards Southampton to stay with friends/relatives (can’t remember which).
I thought very little of this until some time later his father wrote to thank us both.
A nice gesture.
Back to the Guestling Hall YHA: this closed when the YHA decided to rationalise and due to financial issues sold off a lot of their property.
Guestling Hall was a great place to stay especially when Melanie Baker, her Dutch boyfriend and their predecessor Barry who had a large collection of hats on show from Liverpool were the wardens.
I wrote to the local Hastings MP at the time voicing my concerns of its closure and its benefit as both an ex-Hastings resident and visitor, only to have a terse reply that as I was no longer one of his constituents he could not help……..yet I also contacted Grant Shapps my now local MP, and although not on his patch he could not have been more helpful !
Remember also Lappy’s bike shop at the top ‘country’ end of Queens Rd – always smelt of paraffin when you went in.