The Francis Frith Collection.
You are here:

Awre memories

Here are memories of Awre and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Awre or a Awre photo.

 

There are no Memories posted yet for Awre - why not be the first!

 

Memories of Gloucestershire

Growing up

Lensbrook Tea Gardens c1945
Enlarge photo |  More about this photo

In the 1950s Lensbrook Tea Gardens became the site of Billy Thomas's scrap yard. I was born and brought up at Lensbrook and my mother used to work at the tea gardens. I was born in 1942 and I can never remember it being tea gardens. I used to play in the scrap yard with Billy Thomas's daughter Diane.

GROWING UP.

Lensbrook House c1940
Enlarge photo |  More about this photo

Lensbrook house and Lensbrook Tea Gardens are the same house. I lived in Lensbrook Cottage which was farther down the lane, from the time I was born until my marriage at 20 years old.

Family Evenings Out.

Severn Bridge Hotel c1950
Enlarge photo |  More about this photo

I cannot remember the exact years, about 1950, when my Mother and Father used to take me and my cousin for a walk from our house at Lensbrook Cottage through six fields (which is a public footpath), and arrive at Severn Bridge Hotel. We used to go into the clubroom and Mrs Gertie Harris, the Landlady would play the piano. This was a monthly event on a Sunday when the Coach parties used to come up from Wales because there weren't any Public houses open in Wales on a Sunday. We used to sit there listening to the music, with a glass of lemonade and a bag of crisps. Then when it closed walk the six fields back home. If I was lucky my Dad would give me a ride on his shoulders. I think this is what inspired my love of music. They were the good old days.

Holidays

It's just great to look at the old pictures of Blakeney's High Street, it seems almost like yesterday when I used to walk from my gran's house in the row of cottages where the railway bridge used to be. We used to go on holiday every year from our house in Haverhill, Suffolk. I remember it used to take nearly all day to travel by train to Gloucester, catching the early morning milk train. My cousins still live in the Forest of Dean and Lydney. I still remember sitting on the edge of the brook trying to catch fish and always being scared of the dark tunnel that led to the mill, I did not catch any fish but I suppose it kept me quite. My mum and dad were married in the church that is in the photo. I remember when we needed water we used to have a pump outside the back door which had to be primed before it would pump. The toilet was at the top... Read more

Unlawater Hotel

Unlawater Hotel c1955
Enlarge photo |  More about this photo

This hotel was owned by my mother Patricia Woods till around 1959. Newnham was a busy place then. H G Zeal had a themometer factory in the High Street.

Above the hotel was a dairy farm run by A.Jones (Dean Forest farm).

As a matter of interest, the name Unlawater translates to River of Sorrows and was from a time back in history when Lady Padget lived there and a member of the family drowned in the river.

Best wishes,
Rai Woods. (Captain)

Memorybank total

We're very pleased and excited by your response so far to our "Share your Memories" community.

You've shared 28,810 memories of 5,943 towns & villages across the UK - keep them coming!

Browse memories button

Find Memories

Simply search for your favourite places to read others' memories and share your own.

Start by searching for your favourite places

Tips & Ideas

Not sure what to write?
It's easy - just think of an important place in your life and ask yourself:

How does it feature in your personal history?

What are your best memories of this place?

How has it changed over the years?

How does it feel, seeing these old photos of your favourite place?

Do you remember stories about the local community, its history and people?

Start now!

It's easy to add your own memories and reconnect with your shared local history. Search for your favourite places and look for the orange "Add your Memory" icon to begin.

Your memories

To jump straight to the memories you have added already to the Community, click here

I Remember When...

I Remember When

This stunning compilation highlights some of the best stories selected from the thousands contributed here on the Frith website. The result is an absorbing chronicle of British life from the Second World War to the mid 1960s.

A colourful treasure trove of memories, "I Remember When" is an irresistible mix of personal stories and recollections that affectionately reveal the detail of everyday life in Britain.

Learn more button Save 25% on I Remember When when you order now!
Home > Explore your past > Awre > Memories of Awre

© Copyright 1998-2012 Frith Content Inc. All rights reserved.