Nostalgic memories of Box's local history

Share your own memories of Box 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.

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

Displaying all 8 Memories

In the early 1960 I attended a girls school here....one of the most pleasant times of my childhood. Of course, the surround areas were enchanting and quite amazing for a young person from the Bahama Islands. I plan to visit again in the next year or two. The gardens were struggling while I was there, but the topiaries were magnificent.
Do you remember the tall girl's name, would it be Jennifer? I used to stay with my gran in the school holidays. At the time we lived in Birmingham. My sister and I used to cycle for miles and would often spend all day in Box Woods and make a mess of the farmers field of cut hay by making dens, poor farmer.
... Thelma Haines.
Here we're looking towards Margaret Haines' shop which sold sweets, greeting cards and all sorts of sundries - and in the 1970s it was, I think, the only shop open in Box on a Sunday afternoon! Further down (past the - was it? - VG store) is Mr Bawtree's the barber, who had a handlebar moustache and used to sell 'something for the weekend' ...
This looks like it was taken from Browning's Garage. Up until the 1980s there were two motorcoach companies in Box, George Browning's at the corner of Devizes Road and Chapel Lane, and Millers on the High Street at the bottom of Chapel Lane. Browning's provided the school bus for Corsham comp when I was an 'inmate'. Now I see the garage site is a housing development called 'The Brownings'.
When I was growing up in Box, Glovers Lane was nicknamed 'The Slip'. Some witty person always painted out the 'G' on the street sign.
I think the boy in the picture is my cousin Michael (Jake). He moved into 39 Bargates with his parents my aunt and uncle in 1955 one of the first residents. My aunt and uncle still live there.
This is a picture of myself with my sister and brother and my sister's friend. I was 13 years old. My sister Theo is the girl with the handbag, she was 9 years old and my brother John was 3 years old. We had been to the local store Bences and are standing outside the smallest pub in the county, The Chequers Inn. Our family home was at the top of Glovers Lane. The garden with dad's apple and cherry trees can be seen in the photograph running the full length of the lane.