Our favourite Memories

Holker Schools 1906
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My maternal grandma, Mrs Rowe, lived at school house as caretaker for about 40 years until she died in 1978. My mum Edith was brought up here, as were her sisters, Irene, Dorothy and Marjorie and her brother Alfred better known as" Sonny". We all, i.e. aunties, uncles and cousins, used to stop at Nanna Rowes for a few weeks in the summer holidays and I have nothing but happy memories of all the lovely people and places. Anyone who went to Holker School in the 40's till the 70's will remember her, she also worked at Holker Hall in the kitchens and cleaning, even used to pluck grouse at home, in the kitchen, for the Cavendishes. My grandad, Alf Rowe, sadly died in 1963, but he used to work at the shipyards at Barrow and later at the old army camp at Flookburgh. In his spare time he was a ventriloquist, entertaining at Lower Holker Club and even had a Punch and Judy show which he had at Morecambe. We reminisce all the time and visit the area often, as does my auntie Dot's family, the Hadwins from Durham. I remember a lady who is on another picture, stood talking outside the new council houses on Low Row. My Nanna also lived on Low Row when her children were little, Aunty Maggie Gilpin. She always wore a black beret, and kept Bantams when she lived in Mill Yard. Her husband... Read more

High Street 1968
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I lived in Barkinside from 1952 until 1969. My parents were there until 2007 so I have seen so many changes. We originally lived in Clayhall, St Claire Close and my parents moved to Brandville Gardens in the 90s. Both my brother and I went to Fairlop and had a really sound eduaction there. I became a Civil Engineer and Stephen ran his own very succesful IT company. Marments had to be my favourite shop and I used to look at all the Dinky toys in the window and wonder if I would ever be able to have any. Pocket money was saved to buy Airfix models from Woolworths. Friday night became shopping at the new super self service Key Markets but I missed watching the ladies measure and pat and wrap the butter in Sainsburys. A real treat was to go to Rossi and have an Ice Cream Soda for 1 shilling.....happy days. The only time you would eat hot cross buns was on Good Friday and special orders had to be placed at Pithers bakery. I remember the smell as if it were today. My first bike came from Kingsway Sports. My first job was at Bird and Chesney the builders merchant on the corner of Fulwell Road and my very first suit was "made to measure" from Burtons. My first ever record was bought from the music shop; I think it was called Royals, or something like that. My social life as a teenager was centred... Read more

Theatre Royal 2004
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I was going from Slough to our favorite pub (The Victoria Arms) on the bus in the 60's not knowing it was Ladies Day at Ascot. The bus ground to a halt at the bottom of Castle Hill, the clippie (young people will have to Google that!) yelled "It's Lizzie!" and everybody jumped off to watch the Queen, Queen's mum, Margaret and Snowden go into the Theatre Royal. Pity there is no pics of the 73(?) pubs in Boro of Windsor! even in W Cornwall I met an ex postie who worked in Slough and Windsor and could name every pub! Before that we went every year to the pantos, Norman Evans with his pneumatic falsies and "over the garden fence" act always made a wonderful dame. Dad took the family back in the 80's, alas no Norman Evans! Panto sometimes meant a meal in a restuarant in Slough, very unusual for us or anyone in the 50's, dad once lost his glass eye on the bus to Windsor!

Swimming Pool c1965
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This photo brings back the - what seemed - endless summer days of the 50's and 60's when we would go with our togs and sandwiches (probably jam) in the care of an older friend and queue for tickets for the day. Our parents sometimes were working or didn't like to go because of the noise and excitement of the children. We were so lucky to have a such a great facility nearby - I lived in East Finchley - so there was the added bonus of a bus ride! How lucky we were to have such freedom. A treat was a couple of bob for a drink and icecream I remember getting very burnt one day and my mother covering me with calamine lotion - I always associate this smell with my childhood. Ah happy days!!