Nostalgic memories of Bideford's local history

Share your own memories of Bideford and read what others have said

For many years now, we've been inviting visitors to our web site to add their own memories to share their experiences of life as it was when the photographs in our archive were taken. From brief one-liners explaining a little bit more about the image depicted, to great, in-depth accounts of a childhood when things were rather different than today (and everything inbetween!). We've had many contributors recognising themselves or loved ones in our photographs.

Why not add your memory today and become part of our Memories Community to help others in the future delve back into their past.

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Add Your Memory for Bideford

Displaying Memories 11 - 15 of 15 in total

East The Water

Hi Folks, I am looking for an old photograph. Just over the bridge on the East The Water side of Bideford is the parking lot for the Royal Hotel. In days gone by, and in my youth, as I was born in Torrington Street, it used to be a square. At the edge of the square which was the bridge end of Torrington Street was a fish and chip shop. At the top of the building of the fish and chip shop was mounted a sculptered ...see more

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Added 17 November 2010

Steeper Than It Looks

It was every school summer holiday that my sister and I used to come with our parents to spend a week or so with grandma Annie Penhorwood. If we had any money we would go to the bakery shop near the bottom of the High Street and carry our prizes in their greased brown paper bag back up (usually in some heat) to eat later. This usually preceeded a trip to Westward Ho! to spend ages making a monumental shelter ...see more

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Added 10 February 2009

Bideford Bridge

My grandmother grew up in Bideford and had a copy of this postcard (which I still have). She told me that the two children in the foreground of the picture were actually her and her brother.

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Added 10 December 2008

Memories Of A Choir Boy

Seeing the pic of the font in St Marys brought back memories of my time as a choir boy there, part of a tradition in our family. Our choir master was Mr Sellers a teacher at Geneva School also known as 'Jumbo' because of his large ears! New boys were intitated into the choir with a ritual (including me) in which you had to run around the church outside, then hit on head with bell rope and finally thrown ...see more

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Added 11 April 2007

Springfield Terrace

This view shows my house. It is the one at this end of Springfield Terrace - you can see a number of the terrace chimneys peeping out over the top of the hill to the left. We overlook the River Torridge. You can see the old medieval bridge in the background. Our terrace was built around 1850 for the managers of the railway company (the old Torrington to Barnstaple railway ran just in front of our house until ...see more