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.
Search for Local Memories
Search for your favourite UK places and read memories of the local area in days gone by.
Add a Memory!
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
Tips & Ideas
Not sure what to write? It's easy - just think of a place that brings back a memory for you and write about:
-
How the location features in your personal history?
-
The memories this place inspires for you?
-
Stories about the community, its history and people?
-
People who were particularly kind or influenced your time in the community.
-
Has it changed over the years?
-
How does it feel, seeing these places again, as they used to look?
This week's Places
Here are some of the places people are talking about in our Share Your Memories community this week:
...and hundreds more!
Enjoy browsing more recent contributions now.
Subscribe
Join the thousands who receive our regular doses of warming nostalgia! Have our latest blog posts and archive news delivered directly to your inbox. Absolutely free. Unsubscribe anytime.
Displaying Memories 1351 - 1400 of 2029 in total
I was at this school all through the 50s and celebrated the Queens Coronation at the school. All the girls wore a little paper crown on the group photograph that was taken. I had happy memories of my time there and keep in touch with one of the girls I went to school with and now we are in our 60s. I have vivid memories of two old gentlemen coming to the school and they must be long dead now but it ...see more
Oh yes, I remember the cafe well. Used to come down the brow from St. Marks at lunchtime to get sherbert dips etc. The counter was high and I could only just see over the top. Also, sometimes after Sunday School at the local Methodist Church would walk home via the cafe - get an ice cream and then walk through Worsley Woods or up the main Walkden Road to home. Fond memories.
One of Bradford’s famous literary sons was the author and playwright J B Priestley, who was born in Mannheim Road, Bradford, on 13 September 1894. J B Priestley provided Britain with a rather strange morale-boosting symbol during the Second World War – a meat and potato pie. The pie which inspired Priestley had been a feature in the window of Arthur Roberts’s food shop in Godwin ...see more
Croxley Green station is now - in the 21st century - merely a shadow of its former busy life. My Auntie Dorrie (Doris Lacey) worked at this station throughout the Second World War and beyond and told me many stories of working life on the Watford to Rickmansworth line. Auntie recalls being at home in Hatch End in 1940 – she would clean the house on Thursdays. One ...see more
My hubby and I remember the shop that was on the corner near the old pond where you could get 1 penny packets of broken crisps and weren't they delicious? They used to sell out very quickly.
Sometimes, when I was off school poorly and if my sister was feeling generous, she would get me a packet on the way home from the Grammar school. And of course I remember the cinema (flea pit) and the woman who used to play the organ before a film to try and keep us kids quiet.
During the Second World War, as youngsters we would look forward to the Saturday mornig matinee at the Odeon cinema (4th building on the left of photo). Entrance was thruppence (three pennies). With our pocket money we would lash out on a penny peashooter with a packet of peas, the matinee used to start with a sing-along followed by a cartoon, then two half-hour films, the last being a western serial. ...see more
The water meadows have many happy memories. We bought the wired stopper Corona Lemonade in the village shop run at that time by Mrs Hunt. This was carefully carried to the stream and placed in it where the little 'island' is on the left of the picture. It was always crowded on the bank with people having picnics, children paddling in the very clear waters. On the other side of the bridge you could get ...see more
This cottage is in Bedford Lane. I lived in the house called Connemara which is still in Bedford Lane. My father Samuel Frederick Richardson and his brother George were both bricklayers. Both were demolishing the cottage and they were burning the thatch. My brother John was playing dare. He walked through the outer edge of the white ash and dared me to walk through the middle. Unfortunately I did ...see more
As a teenager living in the Old Kent Road back in the early 1960s, Windsor was surprisingly accessible to me. I spent most summer Saturdays fishing the lock cut at Romney Island. A number 53 bus would take me to Lower Marsh, which was the rear entrance to Waterloo Station. A short walk up the slope past Dewar's bottling plant and I was on the station concourse. It was about forty minutes by ...see more
My father (who lived 98 years) was an amazing character. Back in the 1950's when we lived in Jesmond Road, Croydon he built this strange 'shed' in the back garden. It was thoroughly air conditioned by the fact that it had only three sides and was made up of bits of old wood, beams, brick and the corrugated iron remains of an old Anderson shelter. His economically driven D.I.Y was totally individual ...see more
I was born in Knutsford in 1947 at 114 King Street (the Tatton cottages), and moved to Manor Park in 1951. I started at Egerton School (the old one on Silkmill Street) and then moved to Crosstown. I have so many memories of my wonderful home town that 1000 words wouldn't begin to tell my story. The Maydays, (I was a bridesmaid in the village wedding, a dutch girl and several ...see more
This is a photo of Henry Kitchen, my mother's grandfather, who was also one of Stanhope Forbes' favourite models. He was painted sitting in the rowing boat in Forbes' painting 'The Lighthouse', which now hangs in Manchester Art Gallery, and I have also read an account of a diary which he kept, when taken to London to be presented to Queen Victoria, on designing a new type of trammell net. According to my ...see more
I lived in Woodland Close throughout my childhood and started at Kingsbury Green Primary School in 1959. The classrooms were brightly painted, and the smells of plasticine, paints, crayons, pink (carbolic) soap and school dinners pervaded everything. The pathways via Old Kenton lane and Slough Lane seemed endless, and I used to pick up acorn cups on my way into the classroom. Mrs. Wren was the Head Teacher at ...see more
We moved to Fawley in 1954 and I spent my last 2 years of Secondary School at Hardley. My brothers John and Trev also went there. I have vivid memories of lying in bed on a clear frosty night and seeing the reflection of the flare bouncing off next door's wall and of the constant roar of the refinery. Visitors complained they couldn't sleep for the flickering light and /or the noise - I couldn't sleep ...see more
RE: Growing up in Fawley
Memories of my misspent youth growing up in Fawley were brought to the fore last Marc;, as my dear mum passed away, myself, husband and youngest son spent 5 lovely days in a rented house in Hythe as we attended mum's funeral. We visited the Nelson pub whilst there, reminiscing with my husband I confessed to being barred from there for, of all things, under age drinking (good job my son ...see more
I returned from 2 years in Malta where I had been a Nanny to 3 little girls who were all about to go to boarding school. I needed a job quickly so applied for and got the job as an usherette in the Embassy Cinema. At the time my future husband was a second projectionist there. I only worked there for few months until I found another Nanny's situation. My abiding memory is of the film that was playing at the time ...see more
The Rose and Crown at Thorney was managed, I believe from the early 1930s by my Great-Aunt Ellen and her husband Joe.
My mother, Daisy Steele (nee Camp), and other members of her family spent pre-Second World War summer holidays there, and during the war, presumably during the heavy bombing of London and the later V1 and V2 rocket attacks, my mother and I, along with other members of the family ...see more
I think it was July 1967. We arrived at Leverington hitch-hiking from the Continent. We were nineteen years old, and we had so little money that we had decided never to pay for accommodation until we got to Leverington. I remember we slept in a lean-to shed at the back of a pub. The pub owner had served us a few pints and listened to our little story. She offered this solution. Another night, we slept in a kind of ...see more
I remember as a small kid growing up in England I couldn't wait for the summer holidays to arrive. As the days drew closer I could hardly sleep at night knowing that any day now we would be packing our suitcases and heading to the caravan site for the whole summer, 6 weeks without any school, life was just great. When the big day arrived we headed out of our house to the bus stop to ...see more
Well . . . not all of it!
My dad was enlisted USAF stationed at Alconbury 1959-1960 and he found us a place on High Street that we shared with a number of other people. I believe it was one of the first three buildings backed up to the river, right downtown. I do know it was across the street and only three or four buildings down from the grocery store. Dad was out as usual and pregnant Mom was ...see more
My parent's (and myself) first home - above Strattons shop - mother's maiden name as my mother's father & brothers were joint owners of the business. Head branch was in Beacon Hill where my mother was born. I myself was born not far away in St George's Wood Nursing Home, Grayswood (1959). Moved in 1966 and have been in Frensham ever since. The photo itself may prove interesting as it may prove that one of the two people ...see more
I think that the photograph was taken in 1965 as the photo shows me and my brother David Jones fishing from the bottom of the garden of 4 Nursery Lane. I was born in 1955 in Tamworth and we moved to Hopwas in April of 1961 when I was just 8 years old and my brother 5 years old. I think that I look about 12 in the photo? The bungalow was built in part of the house next door's garden which was owned by Len ...see more
I know you. You are the little boy who came skipping out of your house to tell us all that 'We had won the War'. I was born at No. 8 - all the children played together in that cul-de -sac. John Heard's sister was my best friend. My sister, brother and I went to Canada Road school. Mr Morris had to do all the admin as well as his role of Headmaster so the first period after prayers, we were left unsupervised ...see more
In 1941 when I was 10 years old we lost our home in the Plymouth blitz. Having been to Crackington before the war on holiday and staying at Baypark Farm (Mr and Mrs Coombs) we arranged to go there again. Living as holiday guests for any length of time was unsustainable so we very very fortunate to be able to share a bungalow with a wonderful couple (Mr and Mrs Henry Knight). Mr Knight was the local ...see more
I was raised in Broadway from a baby until I married in 1970. My parents, Gordon and Joan Harrison owned and ran the Broadway Coaches Ltd at Yew Tree House, just above this photo. Behind the house we kept many coaches which took the local children to schools in the area and many day trips. My grandfather had a garage on the village green selling petrol and local taxis. we were always busy. The car in the ...see more
Some years ago I gave my mother a book of Old Weybridge photos for Mothering Sunday as this is where she was brought up.
Imagine her surprise, on seeing this picture of Queens Road in Weybridge, to realise that the two people on the far right were her mother and younger sister, Edith & Lesley Johnson. She recognised her mother instantly from the distinctive hat, which she is also wearing in my mother's wedding photos!
I think this is a photo of me (note groovy sunglasses) walking my dog Zoe. I used to walk her along by the sea from Folkestone through Sandgate to Seabrook (in high heels!). I think it was about 1962-64 and I remember the coat, which was Kingfisher Blue.
I watched so many cup finals on black and white television when I was a boy never dreaming of the day that I might actually be there. But it happened in 1973! Would you believe my neighbour was a long retired football referee and received two tickets for every cup final! I don't think he had refereed since the 1940's and yet he continued to get his tickets - small wonder that real football fans ...see more
I was born at Corner House, at the bottom of Aerodrome Rd, Hawkinge on 31st August 1936. My parents were the local newsagents in Canterbury Rd, backing onto the famous airfield. I have vivid childhood memories of the war years and especially the Battle of Britain, the year I was 4. The photographs and nostalgic comments from your contributors 'ring bells' for me; as a teenager I often travelled by ...see more
My mother, Vera Brown, was born in Wooburn Green and lived at 135 Boundary Road until she came to America to marry my father after WWII. (My father was based in High Wycombe during the war.) As my gran and aunts never left the Wooburn area, my sisters and I spent many wonderful summers there. In 1965 (age eight) I remember passing every glorious daylight hour on The Golf with the ...see more
I remember when we lived in Perivale, we used to walk to Wembley High Street where my dad worked in J Davy, the car place. My nan and grandad owned the bakers across the road to the indoor market. I remember going to the clothes shop Snobs which was round, there was a toy shop called Zodiac, and the Golden Egg Restaurant, also C&A. The Times furniture shop, Savonarola food shop, Ravells ...see more
I was born in the same bedroom as my father at Penlee Stores, a little shop (now long gone) opposite Penlee House. My grandfather started the business, he was what is termed a hawker. He travelled the Roseland peninsula selling from his horse and cart anything anyone wanted or needed. His name was Stephen James Lidgey, known as Steve Lidgey. When he died, my father Leo Lidgey took over the ...see more
My father represented Great Britain in the 1948 Olympic Games. He (Thomas Patrick Holt) and his brother John and two sisters were on the swimming team. Unfortunately, Thomas came fourth in his event, as he was struck down with a tummy bug, prior to his swim, as he had over-indulged in the lavish food supplied for the competitors, and as it was just after the war, dear old Dad could not resist the temptation of ...see more
I lived in Wealdstone but went to the Wembley Majestic every Saturday evening to dance to the Roy Kimber band. It was a great place to meet girls, but there was no liquor sold there and we had to go out to the pub down the High Street to get a pint! If we met someone we liked, the first thing was to find out where she lived. If it was in the other direction than Wealdstone we couldn't afford to take her home ...see more
I arrived in Weaverham in one of its transition periods. ICI had built many houses to house its workers in all the surrounding villages including Weaverham. So Weaverham had already transformed in a way when I got there, but of course for me coming from a city like Liverpool it was a quaint, peaceful village, there just happened to be the old Weaverham and the new!
Several farms still survived and I was ...see more
After our family home in Trafalgar Avenue, Peckham was damaged by the 'blitz' for the 3rd time, my mother decided enough is enough. She got in touch with her sister who lived in the country (South Norwood) to try and get us accomodation near her - this she did. We moved from Peckham to a nice upstairs flat at 34 Whitworth Road. Both of these houses although suffering a pummerling (minor damage ...see more
My grandfather bought Hendersons in c1911 and it was the principal drapers and furnishers in the town until my Dad sold the business c1961. It then became a John Blundells and is now I believe the Waitrose in the Old High Street.
In the just post-war days, apart from the normal shops like Woolworths and Boots, Stevenage was possibly best known for its innumerable pubs. From the Marquis of Granby on the Great ...see more
We sometimes stayed in a caravan at Anderby Creek. Every day we took a picnic and stayed all day at Huttoft Bank. We bought flags and buckets and spades at the shop on the bad corner in Sandilands. My father used to blow up the inner tubes from the lorry to float on, and my mother always tied it to a washing line so you didn't get blown out to sea. On the way home we used to go to The Rose Bowl. I remember the ...see more
Does anybody remember the radio shop which also sold records and record players? They used to play the modern hits over a loudspeaker in the doorway and it wasn't long before pupils from Lyndhurst school (me amongst them), used to gather at lunchtime on the pavement outside the shop to bop the hour away - much to the annoyance of Mr Fennell, the headmaster. It became quite a daily feature ...see more
Every year we set off from York for a two week holiday at Thornwick Bay. We used to travel by bus, and I well remember the bus always used to breakdown at the top of Garrowby Hill. Everyone had to get off the bus and then stood around whilst the engine cooled down. Then back on board, before getting off at Bridlington, and then getting onto the North Landing bus. We then had what seemed to be a ...see more
I attended Braintree County High School from 1944 to 1950. Nihil Nisi Optima I recall as the school motto, and the school song started with the words “With hearts close knit in comradeship …” When sung at morning Assembly, I remember some joker had changed the words to the last two lines of the first verse to “And, welcome him with half a brick; Who talks of school and arithmetic”. Giggling ...see more
1948 and onwards; I have always lived in Leadgate - born in Ponthead or 'Shanghi' as it was known then (sorry to one of your readers who said Shanghi was the bungalows). I remember we had a sweet shop called Wintrels, it was nothing more than a little hut, but the best sweets ever. In the front street we had Co-op chemist on the corner. Then there was a little greengrocers, can't remember the name, then Squeeky ...see more
I remember as a child in the early to mid 1960's taking many family holidays here in these wonderful bungalows. We spent many a day when it was raining playing Dominoes or Ludo as a family. My elder brother used to catch eels in the dyke that ran alongside of this place. I was very squeamish when he returned with them, thankfully they were never served up for tea. I have happy memories of going on ...see more
I joined the Norwich Post Office in 1948 as a telegram messenger boy.The entrance at that time was in King Street for us .I remember going into the loft above the counter from where the officials used to watch the counter staff.There were about 26 of us boys then aged between 15 and 18 when we were called-up for National Service. Hail, rain, sleet and snow were not taken as an excuse for non-delivery - we always had to ...see more
Born in Felsham Road, off the High Street, in 1927, I of course have many memories of the area in this photograph. One in particular, has stuck with me for the last 75 years or so. It is of terribly wounded and maimed men, only in their 30s and 40s, none of them employable, begging for money. There would be 15 to 20 of them, some blinded and shuffling along with their hands on the shoulders of the ...see more
I had the perfect Job for me when I was 10. John (Jacky) Robinson had me working for him on the horse and cart. Fridays and Saturdays you could hear us walking the streets of Easington - our famous yell was "ANY STICKS OR LOGS MISSUS ORAYELUMBA". Sundays would be pop day "ANY POP TODAY MISSUS". I still remember the time we came back from a run down south and we were turning at the Black Diamond ...see more
As a child my annual family holiday was spent in Shaldon, first staying at The Teign Crest as a baby and small child, later at The Clipper. Two weeks of blissful freedom - shoeless and carefree. Not many cars in the village in the 1960s, so we children ran wild, only turning up at feeding times. Great family mackerel fishing jaunts, or trips up river to Coombe Cellars in the Hooks' boats. Fabulous clotted cream ...see more
I remember going to Langold Lake, most weekends. They used to set the lake on fire, and Jack Revill used to dive off the diving board into it. He had a young girl who helped him, she used to do the same thing. I ended up living a few doors away from her, at Mansfield-Woodhouse. Used to go to the disco in the Langold Hotel. Can anyone remember the old man who used to have a snooker table in it, he had a sort of youth club thing. It was in a Langold.
Alma Allen was born at home in Asylum Road, Arlesey, now called Hospital Road. They later moved in with Herbert's dad, Big Jim, who lived in the Gothic Farm House that was at the bottom of the yet to be built Lynton Avenue.
One day her little brother George got out and was found cuddling the huge shire horse's leg. This obviously frightened them, but she said the horse stood dead still and never moved a ...see more
My father, John, was a doctor at his surgery/house, Corporation Road and I and my brother John plus mother and father were in the shelter when the mine was dropped. I remember a discussion later about loss of panel patients (Lysaghts and Mannesment) in that street - mother kept the books! I well remember the troops camping on the rugby pitch prior to D-day. I went out one morning and all the troops were gone. It took me ...see more