Ilkley memories
Here are memories of Ilkley and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Ilkley or a Ilkley photo.
Semon Home
I too, was born at the Semon Home (although the family lived in Bradford), and the reason was, so far as I know, that the authorities wanted to keep St Luke's Hospital free for forces and other casualties. Until now, I thought the building still existed, but given the other comments here, I am going to check physically at the first opportunity.
Information Wanted About Royal Hotel Ilkley
My grandfather's uncle - Harry Briggs - ran this hotel with his wife Isabella. They were there in the 1911 census. Does anyone have information about the demise of the hotel? Any information at all would be extremely helpful in my family history research.
Heber's Ghyll Off Grove Road, Ilkley
We used to live on Grove Road in the 1960s and 1970s and, being a tomboy, I would also go exploring with our two dogs. One of my favourite walks was up Heber's Ghyll - sometimes following the path up through the woods but most often just walking "wild" through the woods. It was full of bluebells (still is) and the Ghyll (stream) is a delightful place to sit and look at. At the top of the path, just before you hit the Moor, there is an old shelter - now in ruins - where you could sit and catch your breathe. This was Chalybeate Spring. Its a sad little place now - used by local youths for the odd bit of illegal smoking, etc, and partying so the council decided to remove the seats and roof to discourage this. What a truly delightful photo. I never realised it was a Spring either ..... though its always wet around the outside and seeping down... Read more
Born at Semon Convalescent Home Oct 1944
My mother was evacuated from London to Ilkley when the first V. bombs dropped. She was expecting me and I was born on 22nd October 1944 in Semon Convalescent Home which was turned into an emergency maternity home. We had been evacuated to Yorkshire as we had a cousin who lived in Ilkley. My mother was from Northumberland but lived in London. I went back to find the place in about 1992 (cant remember date) and found it all boarded up. The caretaker kindly let me in to look around and I found the rooms where the babies were born and took a photo of it. It was apparently being sold for development and I don't know what has happened to the building now.
Lund And Becker Houses in Ilkley
I believe this house was built by my great grandfather, Charles Lund, in 1876. He was married to Hannah Pullen. They had three daughters. The youngest, Alice was my grandmother. She married Clarence Becker. They lived most of their lives in Ilkley. Their son, Maurice and daughter Sylvia, my mother, grew up in Ilkley. She moved to America in the 1930s. I travelled many times with my mother to Ilkley, staying with my grandmother, who by then had moved too Manor Park in Burley. I remember seeing this house along with others in Ilkley, built and lived in by members of the family including Eldemere, on the Grove Road, Overdale, Westwood drive, a double, Suncroft and Inglecrof, Kings Road and finally Fieldhead and Villette on Rupert Road.
I Was Born at Ilkley
I was also born at the Semon Convalescent Home in 1943, my mother was booked into St Lukes for my birth but was sent here instead, I often wondered what the home was like. I have visited Ilkley many times and never did find the home, now I know why.
Semon Emergency Maternity Hospital
I was born at the Semon Emergency Maternity Hospital in 1943 even though my parents lived in Bradford at the time.
I have always assumed this was because of the threat of bombing during the war, though I have never been sure if this is correct.
I viewed an map of Ilkley at the time recently and noted where the Hospital once stood, and have since been to see the location and wondered what it must have looked like in the surrounding area at that time.
It would be interesting to know if any records still exist of the births at the Hospital.
Born There in 1943
I was born in The Semon Emergency Hospital August 1943 and often wondered what it looked like and why I was actually born there and not in Bradford which is where my birth mother lived at the time, unless she was visiting Ilkley and was taken there as an emergency. I was adopted soon after birth. But have since met up with my half siblings. Both birth parent and adoptive parents are now deceased and so I never found out how I came to be born there.
Memories of West Yorkshire
North Street
I was born at number 3 North Street in 1942. I was in my mothers arms and can remember Italian prisoners of war marching up to the camp on the Beamsley side of the River Wharfe and hiding on a shelf under the stairs whilst a German bomber had a go at the old SU factory at Low Mills (making carburetors for our spitfires). He missed, but there is still a crater on the opposite side of the river.
St. Philips School
At this time (1950) I became a pupil at the above school. The playground was truly superb and it has very recently become a permanent green space for the use of the village. This ground has in it a ha-ha and we younsters (I was 9) used to pretend that it was a shelter to protect us from arrows and spears being hurled at us from the fort (school). Unfortunately the school closed down in the mid 1950s. The building is Burley House, a well known large Georgian house at the junction of the old Otley Road with the roads from Guiseley and Ilkley and is now offices. One thing I do remember is that on this junction was an RAC box and often there was a patrolman complete with motorbike on duty at it. He was always kind to us and let us inspect his motorbike and sidecar (don't touch anything). School itself was fine and I progressed quite well although it turned out I was not a scholar.... Read more
Early Years of my Life
I was born in 1936 in Shipley nursing home and we lived at 1 The Green, Micklethwaite until 1944. My father died in 1941 and my mother was left with me and brother John, surname Walker, to bring up on her own.
I remember the shop owned by Mrs Hay, with a daughter Eunice, and my friend was Jennifer Midgely.We went to Crossflatts school and walked there and back. The farm was owned by (the family name I forget) but it began with S. and what an excitement it was to watch the killing of a pig and the wait for the pig's bladder to use as a football. My mother fell on hard times so we lived in two other houses, one owned by Mrs Hurst. At one time she worked for the coal merchant, a Mr Jackson. All coal (and milk) was delived by horse and cart because of course the war was on.
One of my earliest memories was being taken to hear a piano recital in... Read more
Thomas Binns 1845-1921 No.1 The Green, Later No. 3 Grange Cottages
Hello - I would be very grateful for any information - especially photos - of my ancestor Thomas Binns who moved from Cowling to Micklethwaite c. 1898. He had built Carr Mill Cowling, but that did not work out for very long. He was of the Binns's Mill family - Croft and Carr Mills, Cowling. I do quite a lot of village history research, and most of my own photos are on our Cowling site. I have never found where Thomas and his wife Elizabeth are buried, though both their funeral services were held here in Cowling at the Bar Chapel, which was pulled down 1965/66 - we actually live on the site. Across the road I can see the Binns family monument and vault. Thomas and his family would have probably been closely connected with the Methodist Chapel in Micklethwaite as all the Binns family were staunch Methodists. I think Thomas jnr. and daughter Elizabeth would live with him in Micklethwaite - his other children... Read more
Mrs Cladd
Anyone remember Mrs Cladd who lived in a converted railway carriage - at least I think thats what it was - just up from Fairfax Hall, opposite the house called Farthings? She was an old lady who grew what we now call cherry tomatoes, but they were a delicious novelty then, and she sold them for a shilling a pound. Am I right in thinking her house was replaced by the working mens club? We left Menston in 1964 to move south to Portsmouth but over the years I have passed through the village many times when in the area on walking holidays.
Memorybank total
We're very pleased and excited by your response so far to our "Share your Memories" community.
You've shared 28,875 memories of 5,951 towns & villages across the UK - keep them coming!
Find Memories
Simply search for your favourite places to read others' memories and share your own.
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.
Places this week
Here are some of the places you've shared memories of this week:
- Burnopfield, Tyne and Wear
- East Ham, Greater London
- Blaenllechau, Mid Glamorgan
- Bootle, Merseyside
- Sedlescombe, East Sussex
- Oldham, Lancashire
- Boston, Lincolnshire
- Wrexham, Clwyd
- Dagenham, Essex
- Tenby, Dyfed
- Cefn Fforest, Gwent
- Pyrford, Surrey
- Taxal, Derbyshire
- Spinkhill, South Yorkshire
- Luton, Bedfordshire
- Irby, Merseyside
- Maidenhead, Berkshire
- Ribbleton, Lancashire
- New Malden, Surrey
- Blaenavon, Gwent
- ... and lots more - Browse this week's memories now.
Your memories
To jump straight to the memories you have added already to the Community, click here
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.
