It's natural that the shops in every town centre change over the years.

But it seems Week Street – Maidstone's main shopping thoroughfare – is evolving very much in a new direction.

Fads and fashions change, and with them the shops that cater to those fads. No-one is surprised that the Blockbuster video store has vanished. Or that shops like Vape Outlet have appeared.

But other much more substantial businesses that were once the anchor of any shopping street have also gone – Marks and Spencer, Woolworths, and even WHSmith has downsized and now shares its premises with the Post Office.

And which shops have replaced them?

Very few it seems. Instead Maidstone's residents seem to be abandoning 'shopping therapy' in favour of 'eating therapy'.

The American burger chain Wendy's and the fast food outlet Taco Bell are among those to have appeared recently.

They join the Artemis Greek restaurant, German Doner Kebab, Thai Palace, the Namastee Nepalese restaurant, the Kanikla Mangal Turkish restaurant and the Mexican Mexigo.

Also in Week Street, there are the big names such as McDonalds, Burger King and KFC.

While smaller establishments such as Starburger and John's Diner still seem to find plenty of customers.

At present the outdoor clothing and equipment shop Trespass is holding a closing down sale, and the electronics equipment store Sevenoaks Sound and Vision has also called it a day. Workmen have been removing the shop's signage.

What will replace them we wonder? A Swedish smorgasbord restaurant perhaps, or a South African biltong diner?

There are some new businesses opening that are not restaurants.

The most recent is Casino – a slot-machine parlour.

It looks very smart and the doorman is dressed as immaculately as any at The Savoy in The Strand, but it's hardly a substitute for the long-gone, but still missed, Army and Navy department store, is it?

Dinesh Kadka (Lib Dem) is a Maidstone Borough councillor for the High Street Ward.

He said: "Shopping habits are changing and the changing face of Week Street is just a natural development of that.

Cllr Khadka said: "More people are buying online or at out-of-town centres. But there's still a place for independent shops and it's good to see the hospitality sector bouncing back after a hard time during Covid.

"We can be grateful that the town centre has found a new purpose – as a leisure destination – and is still attracting people from across the area, which is good for everyone."

Tudor Price, from the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce which supports businesses, agreed: "I don't think the town centre will ever go back to what it was.

"It has been on an evolutionary journey from way before the lockdown and Covid came along."

However, he added: "There is still plenty of room for experienced retail, leisure and hospitality, all of which has a really valued place in the town centre."

Week Street was once the route of the A229, a Roman road leading from the ragstone quarries of the Weald to the port of Rochester

It is thought "week" street is derived from the Latin 'vicus' – meaning a village, as Maidstone was then.

Far from being all Italians, the Roman Army was comprised of soldiers recruited from all over the known world.

If they were passing through Week Street today, they would surely each have been able to find somewhere to feast on the cuisine of their home country, but they would be hard-pushed to buy a hobnail to mend their boots.