Photograph taken on the 14th April 1972. Copyright: Kentish Times

The company continues to trade from this building, although the original factory has been closed.

Founded in the City of London in 1877, Coates Brothers were intially general suppliers to the print trade but were soon specialising in printing inks.

Moving their main manu-facture to Cray Avenue in 1936, the business expanded rapidly until it covered over 5 acres.

In the 1970s they took over this second site a short distance to the south, formerly owned by Johnson Riddle & Co., now called Coates Lorilleux and part of the Sun Chemical Corp-oration.