Nostalgic memories of Dartmouth's local history
Share your own memories of Dartmouth 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 all 10 Memories
In 1967 I worked in the Raleigh Hotel south embankment I loved working - there the people who owned it were like family to me. Mr Baguley, his wife, daughter Jane and son in laws Peter and Henry. Pete was my boss and I worked in the bar. I made a few friends there and loved my job. I attended two Naval college balls and went out with a lovely lad called Howard will always remember Dartmouth - it holds a special place in my heart.
For some time I had been thinking it would be nice to own a boat, and with this in mind I would keep my eyes open. It was only then I discovered boats for sale were very few and far between. You might think in a place like Dartmouth there would be plenty of boats for sale, but as post-war private boat building had yet to get into full swing, there now appeared to be a shortage of second hand boats for sale. ...see more
My cousin and spouse lived in Dartmouth when I was young, - they were a generation older than I, and ran a Fish and Chip Shop on Broasdway. The family visited them quite often - during the day my siblings and I would patrol the riverside quays inspecting the fishermen's catches and trying our fishing luck off the quayside with very poor results. We toured the area and got to know the delights of the Devon beaches ...see more
I have loads of memories - I moved here with my family in 1956 (aged 8) - I just read about the changing huts out at the Castle - what a lot of fun was had in them!! A big memory for me was of the Blacksmiths (the Middletons) - I spent as much time as possible down there - my mother used to ring them to tell me when to come home for meals!! I was totally fascinated at their amazing skill in turning rods of steel into ...see more
In the summer of 1952 I learnt that my parents had decided to move from our home in the Midlands to the West Country as my father wished to return to where his relatives lived. It came as no surprise therefore, when one day they announced they had purchased a shop in a place called Kingswear in South Devon. I was 14 years of age and received this news with mixed emotions as I had lived in my present home since birth. ...see more
My uncle, Reginald, always called Dartmouth, "The Town That Time Forgot". And he meant that in a good way because Dartmouth was largely unchanged over the years and of course, as a result, is now quite the tourist attraction. My Grandmother, Mary Georgina Tillyard, and my Granddad, George Tillyard, lived at "Sunnyside" 8, Above Town in Dartmouth from just after WWII until their passing. ...see more
Hi my name is Dave Brock and I was born in 1942 in Dartmouth! Having done my schooling I joined the Army Cadets in my early teens and found music in the cadet band! We played at most of the carnivals in the area including the Dartmouth carnival, which in those days had a big procession with lots of floats and us playing 'happy wanderer' over and over as it was our best and only tune! Our band leader was ...see more
I moved to Dartmouth in 1948 with my mother, Joan and father, Joseph Gower. We lived in Southford Road and in the summer walked out to Castle Cove. There were still changing huts above the small pool, seen here below the Castle Battery. I will always remember the man who taught me and many others to swim, he had a tubular ring on a rope attached to a pole that we would be suspended in the water with. Later, ...see more
I first came to Dartmouth in 1966 as a member of the Vancouver Boys Band. We were a 39 piece military style marching/concert band. All of us in the band fell in love with Dartmouth. We were hired to play for the Carnival in June and the Regatta in August. I returned with the band in 1968 and 1970. On one of the trips, a Mr Dwyer gave Arthur Delamont, the conductor of the band, a history book on Dartmouth and he passed it ...see more
