Looe memories
Here are memories of Looe and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Looe or a Looe photo.
Diving Rock
This rock is known locally as "Tom Barbers Rock". This name was given as Tom Barber died as he hit the rocks below when diving.
Looe Island!
This is not as stated. This is a view up Looe river, at the point the river splits east and west.
The Beach
This is The Beach at Hannafore (West Looe).
Where is It?
This view is at the west end of Hannafore, before the road terminates.
Not so Much A Memory, More of A Query.
This bridge is usually referred to as a seven arched bridge but looking at this 1888 photograph, there appears to be eight of them. The tunnel nearest the camera still exists and I recall how it once gave access to the old Regent Cinema which these days serves as an amusement arcade. Is it possible that the arch or tunnel at the far end could also have housed a road or even a railway line? Although from the photo, it appears to span part of the river. I can also recall from the 1950s, the railway line extending past the Eastern end of the bridge and down to the quayside. I seem to remember a daily goods train going down to the quay presumably to take fish 'up country'. But I certainly don't remember the existence of that eighth arch or tunnel. The only explanation I can offer is that when the bridge was built in the 1850s the quayside at East Looe had not yet been extended up as... Read more
Large Water Container in West Looe
Has anyone photos of the large water container which sat in front of the Baytree Hotel, presumably used during the Second World War for firefighting?
Summer High Tides
I used to hire the Council deck chairs and beach floats on East Looe beach and rake and clean out the beach tents as a student summer job. On the high tides when the tents were removed the sea would break against the promenade wall. After each wave the kids would identify any exposed silver coins lost by 'visitors' in the tents when they changed into their swimmers, jump over the railings to pick them up and clamber back up before the next wave broke. There were mishaps but the return was often greater than the 6d obtained from a none-returned deck chair ticket or the 3d for an empty drink bottle. Recycling in its earlier form!
Skiddery Rock
I remember as a child sliding down 'skiddery rock'. It seemed so large at the time.
Alas, most of it has now disappeared beneath the 'new' promenade. The rock was a large inclined slab behind the 'top' Bassett's Cafe.
Punch And Judy
During the summer season we had Punch and Judy shows on Looe main beach. The puppeteer would parade up and down the prom and beach on a pair of very tall stilts. This, of course, would get everybody's attention. He would 'advertise' his next show. Can't remember how much it cost though!
Memories of Cornwall
Inherited Postcard
I have an original postcard of this picture from the Frith Series. It is unstamped and printed on the card is "Affix Half Penny Stamp". Handwritten on the card is "The seat of Mr Tremayn & about one mile from here"
Also printed on the card is F. Frith & Co Ltd, Reigate, No 21284
Living in Seaton 1950s/1960s
My parents owned Mount Brioni in the late 1950s to early 1960s, I was just a baby, I had 5 sisters and 3 brothers who all lived there.
I remember the Doneys who owned the cafe on the beach and spent many happy days on our beach.
My Life in Seaton
1943! The year I was born, where I lived and was brought up at my grandparents' shop, 'S W Pearce & Son'. I went to school in Downderry and Antony, then later Liskeard Grammer. On leaving school, I worked in the family business, followed by 30 years in Plymouth. My parents retired in the mid 1980s, and moved to the Barbican, Looe, after selling the business. My father, Donald, died in 1990, my mother, Vera (91), and my brother, Mark (65) are still alive. I have been married for 45 years, to Kitty, and have two grown up daughters, Nicola and Joanne, and two grandaughters, Emily and Jessica. Seaton Beach Cafe' is still up and running, but not with the Doney family. Our local pub, 'The Smugglers Inn', was originally the farmhouse back in 1919, where my father was born. The Widesea Hotel was made into a Nursing Home, until 1991, then was demolished and made into luxury appartments. Billy Hocking is still fishing and crabbing, now well into his... Read more
My Life in Seaton in The 1960s
With my family I moved to Cornwall in 1954, lived first in Hessenford then Seaton with my 2 brothers and 2 sisters, David, Tony, Lesley & Jane. My mother worked on the holiday camp. I went to Torpoint High School. I had a lot of friends in both villages such as Peter Eveleigh, Malcolm Stares, Alan Barrett, John Collins, Roger Roseavear, Nick Carthew, Andrew and Keith Waite, Ian Hendry, the Doneys, Marion Bird, Linda Wood, Teresa Stewart and many others. My mother died in 1967 so I moved to south Wales, Merthyr Tydfill, then to Cardiff. I have two sons by my late wife who passed away in 2003. My time in Cornwall was not always happy but I did love the place.
First Look at Church
My sister and I drove to the Safeway market, as we were renting a cottage in Looe. On our way back, we took a different route, not intentionally I must say, but we didn't mind as long as we got back to Looe. While passing through Duloe, I saw the very top of the church and decided we had to stop just looking at it from that view. My sister and I stopped and walked all the way around the church and took some pictures. When we left I kept an eye out for any signs that would lead us back there. The next day my sister, our niece, and I were going to Tintagel and detoured back to Duloe. To our surprise, the church was unlocked and welcomed us in. I took many, many pictures of the inside and have them in my photograph book to this day. Thank you so much for allowing me to relate my memory. It was so awesome there, sometimes I go to the... Read more
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Places this week
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- Battersea, Greater London
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- Forest Row, East Sussex
- The Green, Cumbria
- Knypersley, Staffordshire
- Nazeing, Essex
- Cononley, West Yorkshire
- Almondsbury, Avon
- Selham, West Sussex
- Ealing, Greater London
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- Dovercourt, Essex
- Blaenllechau, Mid Glamorgan
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- Old Coulsdon, Greater London
- Newcastle, County Down
- Port Bannatyne, Isle of Bute
- Barnston, Merseyside
- Hornsey, Greater London
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I Remember When...
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