Favourite Memories
Reconnecting with our shared local history.
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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People who were particularly kind or influenced your time in the community.
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How does it feel, seeing these places again, as they used to look?
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Displaying Memories 1951 - 2000 of 2029 in total
In the late 1950's I spent much time down here watching the shipping. First I would go to the Library in Culver Street to look at the Lloyds News sheet to see which boats were arriving or leaving. I would also look the ships up in Lloyds Register to find out the details of the ships.
I remember the smalles of petrol being unloaded and the slightly obnoxious smell from the works on the quayside, making Fire ...see more
This photo' reminded me of those carefree summer days when we would cycle from Myland to the pool, leave our bikes, unlocked, in a heap outside, pay our 6d and go to the dank, cold, changing room under the bridge. The girls had to cross the end of the pool by a boardwalk to their changing room on the other side. There were high diving boards so the pool was about ten feet deep at the deep end. We ...see more
I believe I went to the Ormerod Home, at the age of about eight or nine, as a result of the Local Authority (Blackpool) having a number of reserved places at this establishment. Homes such as this were built along the sand dunes near Blackpool in order to provide a healthy environment, in which youngsters from the north west could spend their holidays well away from the smoke and grime of the nearby ...see more
I was born at 16 Roding Avene, the prefabs right next to the River Roding. Across the main London Road was Delayneys, also the Masters Match factory with its tall chimmney. I remember seeing the chimney being knocked down, the man at the top looked like an ant. I have many memories of Barking.
I went to St Margarets C of E School [played the recorder in Mr Gray's Orchestra] then Park Modern Secondary. I danced at ...see more
I think that we must have moved to Cheadle around 1938, because I was born in Newcastle under Lyme, but my younger sister was born in Cheadle in 1939. At that time we lived on Leek Road. We had various airmen and sailors billeted with us when they were on training courses at the top secret Cheadle Hall, an outstation from Bletchley Park. These included a sailor who had served on HMS ...see more
My grandmother, Kate Elizabeth Wicks, was born in Hythe on 16 June 1887. She was a Roman Catholic and attended the school run by The Austin Friars Church, in Hythe. They lived in Eltham. She married my grandfather on 18 August 1913 and the service was officiated by Father Richard A O'Gorman OSA. She lived with her aunt, Mrs Lilian Crawford, at 26 Fort Road. This was run as a guest house for ...see more
I stayed at the Grand when I was 8 years old. I remember they kept pigs in the grounds at the back. I also remember staying in a huge room with my parents, they had cats and dogs roaming in the hotel and grounds and I have photos of myself with these animals. I have just returned from a week at the Grand and sad to say nothing seemed remotely like it did. I know it was 50 years ago and it would have changed beyond all recognition, but it's still a lovely hotel .
My mother, Josephine Miles, worked with Mrs Thorne who owned the Antiques shop in Church Street, near the Castle. It was called 'Nell Gwynn's'. It was said that it had a secret tunnel that was built by King Charles II for his mistress, Nell Gwynn. It ran from the cellar of what was her home, and came out in the King's bedroom fireplace. Whether this is true or just rumour, I cannot say.
While ...see more
I was going from Slough to our favorite pub (The Victoria Arms) on the bus in the 60's not knowing it was Ladies Day at Ascot. The bus ground to a halt at the bottom of Castle Hill, the clippie (young people will have to Google that!) yelled "It's Lizzie!" and everybody jumped off to watch the Queen, Queen's mum, Margaret and Snowden go into the Theatre Royal.
Pity there is no pics of the 73(?) pubs in Boro ...see more
I cannot be specific as to the date of the Queen's visit because I was very young at the time. On the left hand side of the road you can see what was at one time the post office but which later became a carpet shop. On the right hand side of the road (slightly obscured) was Harold Jones's coal merchants yard and next door to it was the green grocers shop which was run by his wife. Everyone was very ...see more
St. George's Presbyterian Church stands in the forefront of this photograph between what was the Co-operative shop and Tommy Jones the fishmongers shop. How long the Presbyterian Church has stood on this site I don't know but the Church itself was established in Little Sutton in 1838. Legend has it that that two travellers passing through Little Sutton were stoned by the local youths and ...see more
Ah yes, The Rec! Scene of many a battle and many a cup final, in later years there was romance! You could get through the hedge and down onto the railway line to put halfpennies on the line that got flattened by trains as they ran over them. At the End of Heath Lane, or more accurately at the junction with New Chester Road, a bobby did point duty at busy times. I can remember one day going to school and making a ...see more
Bournemouth is remembered by many as a wonderful holiday venue. A place of golden sands, the Pleasure Gardens, shops, cinemas and theatres.
I was born here in 1936, when it was in the county of Hampshire. Pre war memories are
obviously vague. As I grew up I saw the effects the war was having upon my home town.
The beach was still accessible, however the area of sea had been reduced with the ...see more
Many's the time we wandered along the edge of the harbour and up and down the landing stages, studying the leathery faced fishermen's busy hands as they worked on the nets, or repaired lobster pots. We'd peep around, what seemed huge metal doors and gates clad in rusting wire mesh, to get a glimpse of the boat yards beyond, and if we'd enough in our pocket for a cup of tea, we stop at the cafe that looked across ...see more
My name was Susan Penfold and I grew up in a small house on Evelyn Avenue in Newhaven. My mother's mother was one of seventeen children born in Piddinghoe. I used to visit my grandmother's home and aunt Tops, auntie Else and uncle Pearce were kind to me. As a child they would give me home made cake and parsnip wine. I loved the river and I really loved the fruit trees and the chickens in their coops close to the river ...see more
I was one year old when we moved to Kirkdale, that was 1956, we moved to 82 Brasenose Road from Huyton with Roby so all my childhood memories were about growing up in Kirkdale. We had nothing but we were happy. There was six of us, we all slept in one bed, top and tail, but everyone in our road was the same. We never had a bathroom, just an outside toilet that looked like a shrine becuase we had that many ...see more
I grew up in Bodley Street (L4) from 1960-1970. There was a Welsh church at the top of the street and on the walls of said church we played '2 balls'! I would love to have the name of the church, should anyone remember it. My nan and grandad, Albert and Elizabeth Coy, shared the wall and every Sunday were blessed with the sounds of the Welsh congregation singing their hearts out. So we annoyed them by playing with ...see more
Our family emigrated to Canada on the Empress of England in 1959. We left Liverpool on May 29th and arrived in Montreal June 6th or 7th. I was a month short of my 12th birthday and I remember thinking on the first day onboard how smooth it was. That impression lasted until we reached the western side of Ireland after which I was seasick for 6 days. Our cabin was forward and we could feel the bow ...see more
One of my memories of Bournemouth in the 60's was its ice-skating rink where we used to go from school on Saturday afternoons. Bournemouth was a very smart place with good quality individual shops. It was always a treat to go shopping there from Weymouth and later Dorchester with my mother. We used to park in the multi-storey car park in a back street near the centre and buy our school uniform from Daniel Neales ...see more
In June 1964 a group of us Belfast grammar school boys crossed the sea to Liverpool and took the long coach journey south to spend the school summer vacation working in the Bournemouth beach cafes. Three of us shared a bedroom at Pat and Alvin's, a short bus ride from the town centre. Our "digs" cost just £1.10s a week each, out of a wage of £5 at the beach cafes. The cafe provided lunch and in the evening we ...see more
My Great Uncle Elijah pulled the Blackpool Wheel down. The Company was probably Ward Bros. He had souvenirs made, in the shape of a coin
Ed
My father, John Miller, of Sheffield learned to glide here with his friend Peter Bowen in the late 1950's. He says the closest glider is an Olympia and the next one a trainer. The man standing next to the Olympia's right wing is actually standing on the downside wing to stop the plane blowing over. Dad would spend all Sunday there doing odd jobs and manual labour waiting ...see more
I was a chain lad when the M1 was being constructed. I was working for Amy's, the asphalt company. Amongst other things I was to make cups of tea and also collect thousands of pounds in wages for the work force. My boss who's name I canot recall, told me of some special people coming and that I had to get the china tea-set out and simply make tea and pour it out. When they arrived; some twenty management, I was ...see more
This view shows Customs Quay and out of sight on the right is the Customs House. Mrs Florrie Gasson and her husband lived in the building and she would make a great show to the visitors of feeding the swans. A flock of 20 or so would swim in the water looking for her and she called each one by a different name. I can remember sitting here with my friend Michael H when film-makers arrived to shoot a washing ...see more
I remember Gosforth High Street as a being a fun place with all the great shops; the Toy Cupboard now Robinsons, the photography shop, there was Maynards the sweet shop, Boydelles the toy shop, and Moods which was a gift shop. I remember in the 1960's they would use the old war sirens if there was a fire anyway, to warn people they were releasing the fire engines. There was a supermarket called Robson and ...see more
I particularly remember the Mourne Mountains, stone walls and beautiful countryside my memories of my time there and my grandad are priceless.
I remember Chez Jene, a boutique owned by the mother of presenter of radio and tv David Jacobs. I had never been in the shop, it was close to the 137 bus route in Leighamcourt Road, and whilst waiting for the bus l would look in the window at all the finery and jewellery, but never went in as it was expensive for those days. However in 1964 when expecting our first child, my mother handed me a gift, it was 'something ...see more
At the time of this photo I was just 8 years old, and I have a lasting impression of three things from around this time. The first is kind of hazy - animated Red Indian cutouts in the park opposite the prom. Next, the windmill itself, which was not overly attractive, being in a red-brown canvas - tho the sails at least did rotate, and although the gardens themselves were well laid-out they were obstacles to walk ...see more
I lived in Alderley Edge as a child between 1947 and 1955. I remember going for walks on the Edge, and being told about a legend that Merlin and King Arthur and his knights were sleeping inside a cave there, waiting to be summoned to help if England needed them. There were some sand hills, on the top of the Edge I think, perhaps a result of mining there, and I remember sliding down them. My grandparents ...see more
I remember being sent to Selmes the Butchers to buy my Mother Mrs Dora Maynard, cuts of meat. The floor was covered in sawdust and there was a little cashiers office at the end of the counter. It always had a very friendly atmosphere although I used to cry when I saw the animals being unloaded from the lorries into the slaughteryard. Once or twice I saw them escape.
Helen Swabey (Formerly Maynard)
My wife was living in Northhumberland Avenue when a V1 doodlebug passed by very low, to land unexploded at the top end of the avenue. She lived at number 208. The house number it landed at was about 220 to 230. It was on a Sunday afternoon. The man living there was in the kitchen having his lunch, and walked along the V1 to turn off his gas and water! My wife remembers quite clearly the V1 coming up the street, ...see more
My family moved into Darenth Road in 1960 - we were the first in our street and watched the rest of the houses being built around us. There was nothing but mud, wheelbarrows and workmen. My dad's family moved into Dryden Road in the late 30's, so our connection with Welliing and East Wickham ended when my Mum died in 2011 and when our Uncle Bon died in 2012. Our connection ...see more
On August 13, 1961 I took up residence as a student nurse in Lindsay Smith House across from the hospital. It was the day the Berlin wall went up, and, as I recall, the day before the grouse shooting season began.
I was 19 years old.
Miss Goodyear was the Matron. Miss Lemon was Assistant Matron; Miss Mitzi Tauber was Assistant Matron (rumoured to be the cousin of Richard Tauber the singer); Miss ...see more
My father was born in St Mawes in 1910. On his fourth birthday (so family legend has it) he was given a pair of Dutch wooden clogs. Being a canny child of seafarers, he knew that hollow wooden vessels floated. So when the tide was in, he set off from the steps in the bottom left corner of this picture, planning to walk/float across the water to the steps below the Ship and Castle hotel, seen opposite. The voyage was not, apparently, a complete success.
I had recently passed my driving test and drove a Morris Minor Saloon, to practice my parallel parking I used to drive down South Street after work or on a Sunday and park outside of Woolworths or Marks and Spencers and try various manoeuvres with the aid of the reflection of the car in the plate glass windows.
My earliest memories are of the married quarters, well into the interior of the barracks of the Dorset Regiment. My father had escaped the poverty of the East End of London in 1923. By 1937 he was a very formidable sergeant of the Second Battalion of the Dorsets.
I used to run through the archway of the keep every morning to the Grove School and I was all of about six years old. ...see more
My nose would have just about been level with the stalls given my age at this time! What one didn't grow in the garden,one could purchase on the stalls (not that it emulated Covent Garden). I haven't lived in the area for 45 years but I do believe it was a centre for a good old gossip!
To anyone local to Dorchester this was a familiar scene day in and day out for almost 50 years. My grandfather Ben Courtney started selling 'fruit and veg' in 1947 from hand-carts on the roadside. His son Doug started in 1950 and various members of the family helped out through the week. This picture shows my Aunt Isabel serving a regular customer with his two sons. Her father Ben is behind in his hat, ...see more
1964: While working here we would go to two different pubs in Southgate, one at each end of the high street, it was in these pubs we met a local group of lads and lasses who were from very wealthy backgrounds, and they all took a shine to us. We were from totally different backgrounds and we must have seemed like a couple of aliens who had landed in their midst with a language very hard to understand. The main lad called ...see more
This is about 1951 and Millfield Lane was opposite the allotments and the clay field. On the dark nights we would tie thread to the door knockers and lead it across the road and up the bank to a grassy hollow where we could see but not be seen from the houses, then a sharp tug on the thread would bring a puzzled face to the door, a couple of knocks on the same door would have us in hysterics. Then we came up ...see more
It was about 1957 and before, when the Willows was a place to picnic on a Saturday and Sunday afternoons. It was a very popular place, with the Shuggy boats and the river to play in, and there were houseboats galore tied up on the bank side. Rumour has it that there was a brothel on one of these boats.
In years gone by there were ice games on the pond there, but I can't recall this, but what I ...see more
This is the year I started on the building sites in 1963, I got a job on J. T. Bell's site in Whickam, the site hadn't been running long then as it was in the first stage. All the lads were mainly from Newburn, Lemington, and Throckley. If you needed a job more than likely you would go to the Union Jack Club on Hexham Road, Throckley where the McDonna brothers had their foothold and big Hughie was the main man for a job ...see more
YEAR 1953 The steam train was known as the Dilly, it would haul trucks with shale etc from Throckley to Lemington on a single track to where the pit heap was, the trucks would go into a shed one at a time and a huge barrel type thing would lock on to it turning the truck 360 degrees until the contents were tipped out. This is where the two tubs would be filled and hauled up the pit heap as I mentioned earlier. When ...see more
I used to live a few doors from auld Jimmy Sample and his wife Carrie, his son John was married to June and they lived in Francis Terrace. They had their rag and bone yard down the Winnin, anyway I would spend summer nights, weekends and holidays down there. Early morning before school I would be up knocking at Jimmy's door, out he would come with Gyp the fawn greyhound that went on the cart with him. I once saw this ...see more
We used to live in the stables part of the old house, when it was used as council homes. The old house was still there when we moved in. I remember it being vacant and briefly owned by a 'famous' footballer, although I don't remember his name. It was a magical time for my brother and I. We played badminton in the washing lines and used to climb over the fence into the park. Everything was ...see more
In the 1950's The Old Punch Bowle became the Crawley Branch of National Provincial Bank. I worked there from 1970 - 1973, a lovely place to work. In due course, as a result of the 1970 merger with Westminster Bank, the accounts were moved to the former Westminster Bank branch in the Boulevard. About 1994 the venue reverted to being a place of hospitality as a pub owned by Greene King. The photo has to be pre-1955 (the date shown) as I think the NP Bank bought it in 1952.
I was lucky enough to be looked after by the warden of Tilgate Forest and his wife whom I referred to as Aunty and Uncle Bill. Bill Wratten was employed by Crawley Council as warden and lived in a Nissen hut with his wife Emily; known as 'Warden's Bungalow' which was situated on the opposite side of the lane where the groups of huts were and are still used today by various clubs. I was taken there by my father ...see more
To the left of the picture just out of sight was a bungalow converted into a shop ran by a Mrs.Cooper. The slim white line you see on the right of the picture was a concrete drive over a ditch leading to a butchers, who would sell the lard for cooking and the dripping separately for putting on bread. There is a gap betwen the semi-detached bungalows showing a gable end, this was lived in by Mr. & Mrs Braithwaite, ...see more
I was 14 years old and I worked for Matthew & Sons Corn Merchants of Brentwood. My job was to go round the local villages with a horse and cart selling our produce to the local people, which mainly consisted of chocolate biscuits, plain & self raising flour & animal feedstuffs. This particular day I had a horse that had not been broken in properly and was rather skittish, he also had a sore mouth ...see more
There is a story about a ghost that haunts St Nicholas, Laindon. The story goes that centuries ago, a young woman on leaving the church on the arm of her new husband, tripped and fell down the steps outside the church. She broke her neck and died. Legend goes that her ghost watches every wedding and she tries to trip up every bride. True or not? I don't know, but doesn't it sound good!
