Nostalgic memories of Barnes's local history
Share your own memories of Barnes 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 1 - 10 of 13 in total
I was so lucky to grow up in Barnes and haven't moved far away at all. We live in Sheen now so we still spend a lot of time in Barnes.
Our family christenings, weddings and funerals were in St Mary's and I was a Brownie and attended Sunday school in Kitson Hall in the 1960s. Later, when I had my own children I would take them to playgroups in Kitson Hall and then on to feed the ducks. No doubt I will be doing the same ...see more
The picture of Church Road where it ran parallel with The Crescent with all those familiar shops brings memories flooding back. I started life at 33 Glebe Road in 1944 and spent 5 happy years there before moving to Madrid Road. My mother would occasionally give me ration coupons to buy real sweets at Mr Brown’s shop at the end of the parade – a large jovial Irishman with a charming welsh wife. I was a ...see more
My name is John Lines. I will always consider Barnes to be my home. I was born in 1951 in Railway Street which had allotments and even Jack Sedgewick's Pigs between the end of the road and the railway line. The Old Barnes Primary School was converted into a builders yard by a firm called Ashley Brandon which is where my Mum went to school. I went to Westfields where Mrs Arundel (or was it Miss ?) was Headmistress Happy to communicate with anyone wanting to share memories.
I was born in Cleveland Gardens In April 1956 and went to Westfield Infants until just before my eighth birthday and then we moved to Surrey.
I have one particular memory when it was my fifth birthday. I decided to sit on the front door step and tell everyone who walked past that it was my birthday! As I sat there I saw Mr Sell, an elderly neighbour walking slowly along the pavement. I told him it ...see more
Hello David, I went to the convent and also knew Sister Bernadette. I think this must have been in the late fifties, as when she took us girls for sewing, I wanted to make a swirly 'jive' skirt with circles resembling singles records around the hem. Sister Bernadette was very helpful with this but I was a lazy student with no discipline at home and never did my 'homework' on the skirt; this, one awful day, ...see more
I too attended the Convent of The Sacred Heart in Barnes. My name is David Gayton. I am presuming that it was little known that boys also attended the school. ( I was always led to believe that there had been several other boys in days before, including one who became Prime Minister, who knows! ), My Grandparents lived in Bracken Gardens, which is where my father, was brought up. Barnes had always ...see more
I went to the sacred heart Barnes when l was 12 and stayed their until lead fifteen. The nuns were
Very good to me,has they took me on a boat from Richmond bridge to Windsor castle for the day,
their was sisters Augustine,Theresa,Chantel,they were waiting for me and has l down the steps,they said we must not forget Margaret and l said to sister Chantel don't panicky and she laugh,
and l ...see more
So sorry to read Renukadelima's comment about her sister, Geeta, who went to the Sacred Heart in Barnes in 1959. I was also there and my name is Suzanne DUPREZ and I do remember Geeta, as she was in the same class as me at the convent. I was sorry to hear that Geeta was killed in a car accident. I lived in Nassau Road in Barnes and my best friend, Gwendy Hall, lived in the Crescent and she also went ...see more
In 1950 my mother ,Jean cairns, traveled to England to have her first baby, me. She was unmarried at that time. It wasn't until 2011 that I found where 4 grasmere court was. This was the maisonette that we lived in after my birth in kingston hill hospital. We lived there ,as far as I know, until the summer of 1951. It was through the help of a subscriber to Francis frith site that I discovered grasmere court was off verdun road. I would really love to visit Barnes and kingston hill .
I was 3 when we moved to barnes, I remember distinctly as if it were yesterday going down to the High Street with my mum when I was about 6 or 7 especially going to the 2 toy shops that used to be there, one was called the Spinning Wheel on the left hand side of the high street and the other my mum used to call the GI Bride shop on the right hand side of the high street which was full of wonderful things to ...see more
