Nostalgic memories of Bodmin's local history

Share your own memories of Bodmin 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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Displaying all 7 Memories

Towards the end of WW2, I was evacuated to Bodmin. On arrival, we were taken by coach to a large hall. I suppose there must have been more than a hundred of us. At first, we noisily filled the hall, each with a single suitcase. At the far end, a number of posh looking ladies sat at a long trestle table. Then the locals came in through a side door and surveyed us before picking out someone to take home with them. My two ...see more
I can remember a Mrs Goodman and her husband Tom there in the 1970's breeding Basset Hounds
I purchased Outlands in 1987 for £70,000, it was and still is my dream home with so much potential, we are still on generator and spring water, the river Camel with salmon and trout fishing is on one boundary and a stream on another boundry with a bridge to access the property. The rear of the property has 200 acres of open forest and a little used extension of the Camel Trail that leads to Bodmin Moor one way and Padstow ...see more
When we used to have family holidays in Downderry year after year, we would visit Colliford Lake Park several times each holiday. It really was great fun there; the army jeep, the go cars, the play areas, the boats; there seemed to be 1001 things you could do at that place. A great place for a day out, imprinting powerful, wonderful memories.
Ok, on Halloween night 2007 some friends and myself wanted to do something different for our Halloween night, so where better to do it than at the old Bodmin prison. So off we set at 9 o'clock taking track to the prison. It was a great evening. We spent some hours in the darkest depths of the prison and we are convinced we did see a ghost of a man in the Naval Wing, and we did some filming and we got some pictures of ...see more
I found when researching the 1901 census that members of my husband's family worked at the Asylum. My husband's grandfather,  Alfred Charles (Charlie) Southern worked there until his death in 1944.  His job was described as "Mental Nurse".  Charles' sister Glen Dora also worked there as did his mother Anne and other relatives.  Some were described as laundresses.  I wondered whether they actually worked in a laundry at the asylum or whether they did laundry for the asylum at home.
This picture shows the street as I remember it aged four. The building on the right was the office of my father's legal practice (Pomery and Gill) and opposite was the market. As a child I loved the Saturday market, when the boiled sweets of all descriptions were on sale. I also loved the stone cows' heads across the facade. My family lived at "Bosvenna" in Priory Road until the late sixties. My father Ernest Gill ...see more