Walk Down Memory Lane

   I was born in Minehead and I worked in Butlins Holiday Camp at Minehead from 1962-1963. This was the first full year that the Camp was open. Most of the time I was working the rides in the amusement park. I helped build the Big Dipper, which was 70ft high, but is gone now. Some nights I sang on the stage under the name of Elvis the 2nd, singing mostly his and Cliff Richard songs. When I was at the camp there were three dancefloors - one for Rock & Roll, another for ballroom dancing (which held the Come Dancing competition for the BBC), and the third was for general activities. I danced every night in the ballroom, I was disappointed when I went back to the camp in 2006 and found that there is no ballroom there now, just the building that housed them. I still go dancing twice a week where we now live. In the summer of 1963, I met a girl from Wales who was on holiday at the camp. I moved to Wales and we got married. We have been married forty-three years, have two children and four grandchildren!  

From a memory by P Aden. Click here to read the full memory.

   As a child I was terrified of the churchyard, we had to walk past it to get to Wilson Way where my Nan Lizzie Grocott lived. It wasn't so bad in the summer but in winter when it got dark early we would get off the bus opposite the Church and it would loom up like a big dark monster as we crossed the road towards it. My sister and I would grip onto Mum's hand so tight we would get told off. The churchyard backed on to my Auntie Frances' and if we were told to go across and visit her we would only go to the front door because we were terrified of what might be hiding just over that fence in the back garden. One night at about half past six we walked past the churchyard up the lane to go and get the bus home to Talke, we heard an owl hoot and fly across the wall above us, we took off up the lane leaving our Mum and Auntie Jean to run after us with all the shopping and school bags! They were probably as frightened as us but they would never admit it - they still ran though! The Church and churchyard have barely changed since I was small. My Mum and her brothers and sisters went to St John's School next door to the Church and they all say it has barely changed since the 1930's when they were young.  

From a memory by Tina Stanyer. Click here to read the full memory.

   What memories this building holds! It gave the opportunity for a lot of teenagers to have their first Saturday nights out. It usually cost 1s 6d entrance fee unless there was a fairly well known group appearing that night then it was 2s 6d. I attended Redhill Tech (my surname then was Watts) and worked on a Saturday in Woolies on the sweet counter and most of the day was spent chatting to various friends who used to come in and there would be great excitement in waiting for the evening to arrive. I would rush home, wolf down some tea and then spend about 2 hours trying on outfits, usually wearing the first dress that I had put on. It was such an exciting time, minis were just coming in and there were clothes that were actually designed for teenagers and not trying to make them look like mini adults. One of my favourite dresses was a mustard coloured dress with black buttons and mock drop collars, oh I thought I was the bees knees! I would meet up with friends and we would all troop off together (God knows what we looked like sometimes!). We cottoned on to the fact that the groups would stay in the old South Eastern Hotel (anyone remember that?) and I can vividly remember when the Hollies came to town and my mate Liz and I just sat there looking and trying to sound cool when answering any of their questions. Liz came away with a chicken bone that night that Graham Nash had nibbled on - I wonder how many years she kept it! And the handbags! - a great pile on the floor with all us girls dancing round while all the boys sat around the outside of the dance floor eyeing up the girls and trying to look big. What groups did we have?, well I remember the Hollies, Swinging Blue Jeans, Long John Baldry (I think, or is that wishful thinking?!) Freddie and the Dreamers and lots more that have unfortunately slipped my poor old memory. They were such happy times!  

From a memory by Sue Hoyland. Click here to read the full memory.

   Wow! I was taught to swim in the Woking Pool by my mum. I could be in this very photo but preferred the quieter sessions. My sister or friends and I would cycle there and take a thermos of Bovril to warm us up after our swim. There was a chalkboard at the turnstile entrance warning us of the water temperature! The changing room lockers were locked and unlocked by very sun-burnished attendants, and we had to poke part of our clothing (a belt, or sleeve of a blouse) through the door grille to identify our locker. Oh! the numb fingers and chattering teeth as we waited! Some people took their clothes to the poolside, risking getting them soaked by their mates! I loved the smell of the chlorine wafting across the park as we approached, and can almost hear the wind in those trees. The 'wedding cake' fountain was a great draw for those daring the wrath of the lifeguards. Although I had moved away by the time the pool was dismantled I was very sad to see it replaced by the ugly Pool in the Park.  

From a memory by Frances Golynia. Click here to read the full memory.