Portland memories
Here are memories of Portland and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Portland or a Portland photo.
Regarding The Name of Church Ope
Regarding the name of Church Ope in this photograph: it's a common misapprehension that when Portlanders say "Ope" they're dropping their aitches - not so. Ope is a proper word mening 'opening to the sea' and occurs in Church Ope, Big Ope etc.
Old Times at Portland
When old farmer used to have fields down bottom of Pound Piece he used to make hut out of hay bundles of hay. Now they have built houses on it, and when the farmer used to have cows in the field next to Park estate road now house are built there too. And I remember the picture palace down Easton Square and the pavilon in Easton Gardens where the bands used to play. The old picture palace is gone and houses are built there now and the old paviilon is gone, now the Regal picture palace is gone in Fortuneswell, houses and flats have been built there now, the old oil tanks are gone now on Chesil Beach Road, Portland has changed a lot since I was a boy.
PORTLAND - so Many Memories !
I was born in 1950 and my first home was the flat beside the Regal cinema in Fortuneswell, Portland where my dad, Bob Mutch, was the projectionist. In 1953 we moved to Coronation Road on the Verne Common estate. I attended Brackenbury infant school, the Cliff School (juniors) and finally Portland County Secondary School leaving in 1967. Unfortunately none of these appear in the photos. My very first job was as a butcher's boy on Saturday mornings for Mr Woonton, who had one of the 3 butchers shops that were in Fortuneswell in the early 1960s. My wife, Yvonne Hughes as she was then, lived with her parents and 6 sisters at Albion Crescent at the bottom of Fortuneswell. This terrace of houses is shown in photograph ref. no. 34551 - they are on the left of the picture. We married in 1972 in Brackenbury Church at the top of Fortuneswell. I have so many happy memories of Portland that I wouldn't know where to start talking of it. We only live a... Read more
Memories of Dorset
Wyke Regis
My wife Christina Armstrong's (nee Brown) mum Phylis was born and raised in Wyke Regis, both of Phylis's parents along with many of her relatives are buried at this church. Chris's mum was raised at Park Mead Road, her name was Phylis Davie. Phylis's mum Kathleen was a Tizard. Phylis had two sisters, Kathleen and Agnes, two brothers, Bill and Frank. Phylis moved out of Wyke to live in Liverpool, her sister and brothers remained in Wyke. Chris often visited Wyke as a young girl, she has fond memeries of Wyke and all the beach walks.
West Bay House
I was born here in 1949 but moved away when about 4-5 years old, so my memories are not too vivid! But I do remember playing on the Chesil beach and the smell and sounds of the sea are forever with me. I have been in Argentina now for many years but would dearly love to hear from anyone who knows/knew of West Bay House. A rumour came my way that it is now part of a caravan site... !Unfortunately there is no longer anyone in my UK family to ask about it.
1960s Holidays
My mum and dad had their annual holidays in Weymouth in the late 1950s through to the middle 1960s. My dad worked at Vauxhall Motors in Luton but always went on the train as he did not own a car! My earlist memories of visiting Weymouth was of standing in the corridor of the steam train waiting to get the first glimpse of the sea.
We used to stay in a boarding house in Spa Road which was run by a Bert and Mary Pitman who called their house 'Bermar'. Mary and Bert became family friends and we always met up with another family that came from the Birmingham area. I cannont remember their surnames but they were called Ray and Joan and I remember playing with their son Jefferey. I would love to hear from them if they read this.
I remember the strange sight of all the passengers on the boat train passing through the shops and looking up at them as they transferred to the... Read more
The Floods
I have lived in Weymouth since 1947 when I was 2 years old. In July 1955 one of my brothers was born. This was about a week after a massive thunder storm causing a flood. The water at Westham bridge was a foot deep. It's good to to look at these photographs to see how things have changed.
1962 Vacation - 1968
It was the year before I married that my husband to be and myself went on a vacation to Weymouth. We had a lovely time, the weather was just glorious for us. We always said that when we married we would revisit Weymouth. Well, we did in the year 1968 with our first born she was 4 years old at that time. I remember so well enjoying a day on the beach, and my little daughter had such fun watching Punch & Judy shows. I would like to visit Weymouth again one of these days to relive all those memories of bygone days.
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- Bexley, Kent
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- Golders Green, Greater London
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- Beverley, North Humberside
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- Luton, Bedfordshire
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