Nostalgic memories of Whitby's local history
Share your own memories of Whitby 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 Memories 1 - 10 of 15 in total
Became the Smugglers Cafe I think
Wonderful Experience spent my sixteenth birthday at the school, Memories fade, I believe my house master was a Mr Morrell? My badge was all blue, I had to go to his room for my assessment sat in front of a blazing log fire. We had a lecture by I believe a famous mountaineer (the 1st Ascent of the Mustagh Tower!!?) one of the instructors, had a red sports car, spent a lot of time fishing in the Tarn, and was writing a ...see more
In the above picture, the two cobles in the background are Jean (right) and Valerie (the smaller one), and the one with a man on the foredeck is Enterprise WY.47 my Dad's coble, and that is Dad painting the foredeck. Enterprise was built as a open coble in Amble, Northumberland in 1947 and Dad had her half decked in Whitby by Will Clarkson who was a well known boat builder and whose yard was further up the river. The coble ...see more
I have been looking for Ellisons Yard in Baxtergate, the birth place of my grandmother, Mary Jane Boyes. I have been left Whitby for some 45 years now and have started to do my family tree. Gran was born in 1889 along with several other siblings. Her father's name was William Wright Boyes born 1861 and mother's name was Alice Boyes, nee Harland, born 1864. There are lots of Yards along Baxtergate, ...see more
On Saturday evening, I set off for Whitby on the bus and arrived there for 6;30 pm. On arriving, I thought of asking the bus driver what was the last bus back to Middlsbro, but then thought there was not much point as I was only going to spend two hours there anyway. I walked down the quay side and spotted a restaurant fully lit up, and almost full to the brim of customers all enjoying their food. Feeling hungry ...see more
The shop on the left belonged to my Great Aunts Jinny (Jane) and Polly (Mary) Hoggarth. It is No 53 Baxtergate, Whitby and on another photo we have seen looking from Wellington Road over the top of the shop it says Newsagents, but no actual name. They previously ran a shop at 16 Bridge Street. They sold sweets, chocolates, newspapers etc. My mother, Doris Thompson (born 1922) and her sister ...see more
Around 1956-64 I used to spend a lot of time in Whitby with my nanny Sally Dobbs who was a Whitby resident all her life. Her brother ran the museum where I have fond memories of rocking in a little wooden cradle which was on display there. He also worked on the lifeboats. He lived in a terrace leading up to the abbey steps.
Sally and I lived in a little cottage right behind Drydens fish & chip shop. Old ...see more
My great-grandfather had a tailoring business in the mid 1800s. I am trying to find out more details of where the family originated from. I found out that in an 1890 directory of Whitby there was a Tom Braithwaite, tailor, in Church Street or Grape Lane. Maybe a relative?
I have such happy memories of my early years when as a schoolboy I along with many of my friends walked up and down the Promenade at Penzance of a Sunday evening in pursuit of girls. Even in the blackout during the Second World War we still put in an appearance. At the time I was a choirboy at St John's Church, Penzance and attended both morning and evening services. During the summer months a Sunday afternoon ...see more
I remember going to Captain Cooks Museum that year. I don't quite remember the walk up the hill. We went through the quaint little museum. Its at that point, I guess when my father and mother lingered to see more of the museum, and me and my siblings wandered out and back down to our camper. I remember going down the hill, and it was quite a twisty path, and buying a bag of cockles from a ...see more