Nostalgic memories of Plymouth's local history

Share your own memories of Plymouth 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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It's easy to add your own memories and reconnect with your shared local history. Search for your favourite places and look for the 'Add Your Memory' buttons to begin

Displaying Memories 11 - 17 of 17 in total

My mother was apprenticed to the ladies' hairdressers in George Street, circa 1934. She did well and was made manageress of the salon in the late 1930s. Her name was Betty Cowling, she was born and raised in Bickleigh and would come into Plymouth every morning on the steam train from Bickleigh station. A long shot but does anyone out there remember anything of this? The Blitz, of course, ended Mum's dream, ...see more
I found myself in Plymouth just before Christmas 1966. I was pregnant and unmarried. Upon arrival at the Woodside home for unmarried mothers I was taken into the bosom of that wonderful establishment and strange as it may seem it was one of the happiest times of my life and I hold dear the wonderful memories of the girls and ladies that I met there. We had a common bond and although we all came from different ...see more
This view is close to the Fisheries Quay and the area now known as Sutton Harbour. I visited with my family on a cold wet Easter Saturday to give my granddaughter Anna a day long tour of the National Marine Aquarium. The rain and hail poured down outside and we were glad to get into the cosy warmth indoors where we spent an entire day touring the exhibits. We stood at the ...see more
Whilst this is the best known photograph of Ford Park Cemetery in the late nineteenth century it is also one of the best of Plymouth College (seen in the top right), because it was taken at a time when the school still owned all the land down to the eastern cemetery wall and had continuing hopes of extending the first phase of the Oxbridge style complex to both sides and forward as well as further developing the ...see more
One hundred years after this photograph was taken my husband and I visited these ruins during a holiday when we celebrated our Silver Wedding. We had came back to the West Country so that we could visit all our old haunts. We met in 1960 and had very little money so our courting had to be very economical! We spent many happy hours at Mount Edgecumbe after getting the Cremyll Ferry from Plymouth. We married ...see more
The Cemetery, popularly known as Ford Park Cemetery, and owned by the Plymouth, Devonport & Stonehouse Cemetery Company finally went into liquidation in 1999 owing to the decline in burials following the opening of the two Council run cemeteries at Weston Mill and Efford and also in part due to the increasing popularity of cremation. At that time there had been upwards of 250,000 pesons interred in the ...see more
Just look closely at the picture, sitting on top of the fountain was half the fun & excitement of coming to the pool. Water wings under my arms and the supervision of Granddad Russell I made my first attempt at learning to swim. Getting really daring swimming to the back of the pool, climbing out would lead to the open sea where only the brave would swim. The pool was accessed by steps from the road at the ...see more