Favourite Memories
Reconnecting with our shared local history.
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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Search for your favourite UK places and read memories of the local area in days gone by.
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Tips & Ideas
Not sure what to write? It's easy - just think of a place that brings back a memory for you and write about:
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How the location features in your personal history?
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The memories this place inspires for you?
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Stories about the community, its history and people?
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People who were particularly kind or influenced your time in the community.
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Has it changed over the years?
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How does it feel, seeing these places again, as they used to look?
This week's Places
Here are some of the places people are talking about in our Share Your Memories community this week:
...and hundreds more!
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Displaying Memories 701 - 750 of 2029 in total
As a boy of around 10 years old, every Saturday afternoon, my friends and I would go to the Palace Cinema (Farm Side Place, off Stockport Road) for the matinee. It would start around 2pm and it would be 6D to get in, downstairs, or 9D upstairs(now, 2 1/2p and around 4p). Showing on there would be cartoons like Buggs Bunny, Micky Mouse or Tom and Gerry. Then there would be a serial (in black and ...see more
I have very happy memories of my grandparents. My grandad had an enormous beard, and grandma always wore a long flowered apron. Grandad used to sit me on the handle of the lock gate while he slowly opened it to let the water level rise or drop so the water level in the lock was the same as the river and then the barge could go on its way. My mother left New Haw to live in Grimsby, ...see more
Previously I had posted to My Memories, a much longer, "informative" post, but I learned from further research that a lot of what I had previously heard was not accurate in fact. My memories remain unchanged, regardless of the more accurate details so kindly provided to me. It had never before occured to me to go to the best source of more factual information, the Town of Beccles, of which Roos ...see more
During the thirties in Elsham, keeping healthy was very important. Yhe health service didnt exsist, all we had was orange juice and cod liver oil. Our cottage was very damp, one of my sisters died from pneumonia when she was just 4 yrs old. Many old residents also died from pneumonia, it was known as the old mans friend. The Elsham people were extremely poor. Everybody grew their own vegetables, that was the ...see more
My wife and I spent one year ( circa 1953 ) living in an apartment at Park House Farm where Tony Warner raised sugar beets and pigs. The Manor House was built on a Roman foundation which then formed the basement of the building. I was stationed at Sculthorpe AFB in Fakenham. I joined the local rifle team in Snettisham sponsored by the Queen's husband, Prince Philip. Their residence, Sandringham, was within ...see more
I was born in 1941 and as a child, lived at Park Head Row, Birdsedge. There was little traffic then and we used to play hopscotch on the main road. Around the age of three, whilst swinging on our garden gate, I vividly remember the unusual sight of a convoy of khaki army trucks entering the village. I watched in awe as they turned right at the Crown pub and headed up Park Head Row. As they passed our house, one of the ...see more
What a wonderful summer 1953 was, so sunny that I was burned and confined to a darkened room in our hostess, Miss Montador's, terraced house somewhere up the back of the town but easy walking distance to the harbour. I could go down there aged 10, with my younger brother aged 6, unaccompanied, and fish with a hand line off the harbour. Well do I remember a 'big' boy catching a huge conger eel and ...see more
Growing up during war years and having to spend many nights in the Anderson shelter at bottom of garden. School was only half days for a while and when my brother started he had to go to neighbouring houses where the teachers came, rather than at Ray Lodge School, Woodford Bridge. Sat my 11+ exam at the High School and we had to take sandwiches in case an air raid interrupted the exam. I passed ...see more
I lived in Torbay Road just off the Willesden Lane and our two parks were Queens Park and Grange Park. The State Cinema seemed very grand, so we all used to go to Saturday morning pictures at the Grange cinema. If you were lucky you could also get in round through the back doors for free, so could watch the same film several times! It all seems a long time ago and though most of us came from ...see more
I was born in 1934 in Southill Rd, Bensham and went to Lady Vernon School, my name in them days was Sheila Lucas. I had a wonderful life in those days. My life revolved round Bensham, the baths in Mulgrave Terrace were freezing cold, the library on Redhaugh Rd and the Saturday cinema at the Bensham. My grandparents lived next door and as I was a only child, I was very spoilt. My grandfather, Arthur Tooth, was ...see more
Born in Kilburn Square in the early 30's we moved to Iverson Road and were there during the war. I used to act as messenger for the ARP who used the DOB club in Maygrove Road as their base and went to Beckford school walking through the Black Path by the LMS station to get there. In January 1945 a V2 exploded over the railway behind Iverson putting my mother and I in hospital for three months and ...see more
My father was a great lover of Derbyshire and would take the family at least once a year for a weeks holiday (usually Easter or the autumn). This particular time he booked us into a local B&B near to the pub. If we were out in the evenings and late-ish in getting back we had to feel our way along the village streets as there were no electric lights, but it all added to the mysteriousness of the place. Can ...see more
I was very interested to read Elisabeth's account.I used to teach at Belchamp Walter School and have many happy memories of my time there with Mrs Pearson, she was a remarkable person. Married to a local farmer, she gave birth to a baby girl during my time there and Miss Meadows took over the running of the school for a short time. I can remember many of the children who were there and ...see more
My family moved from Portsmouth to my father's home town of Hebburn in the mid sixties, we lived at No.47 Byron Ave and I have many happy memories of my life in Hebburn. Sadly, my father died in 1968 and my mother and I moved back to Portsmouth. I miss my old home even to this day and always wonder what became of the friends and family I left behind. My greatest wish is to find some old photos of the area as all my ...see more
I remember Fareham very well. I remember my father who was in them days a window cleaner, and everyone seem to know him. He used to start at 5am in the mornings doing the shop fronts, then the houses on until 5pm with an hour for dinner. The field where the swimming pool is and a rather big housing estate, was a great big field and a small deep muddy pool near the side of the road. It had this great big tree in ...see more
I worked as a Saturday boy in Arthur Gardiners in the mid 1970's. Across the road was a dry cleaners run by a guy called Rudi, who employed a beautiful blond girl called Lisa, who also worked Saturday. On the corner between the shop and Woolies was a green grocer who used to spend all day shouting out his prices. There was a cake shop called Garners where we used to get cream cakes to have with our ...see more
I was just putting in "Rogerson Hall" on search and came across this site. Wonderful. I went to Rogerson Hall with my Mum and Dad in 1956 and 1957. In 1956, when I was 6, Dad booked the holiday and within one day of being there I developed chicken pox and we had to come home to London. I was heartbroken but to help console me, my wonderful Mum took my tin bucket on to the beach and brought me ...see more
This photograph brings back many memories of the Coleford of my childhood. The area round the Town Clock has changed a few times over the years mainly to accomodate the increase in traffic.
The building on the far side of the clock in the High Street was a huge ironmongers called Terrett Taylor & Co. It was owned in the 1950s by Mr H. J. Walker and my father Fred Fowler was the Manager, having worked ...see more
I was an office boy at Franklin Barns. One of my jobs on a Wednesday was to go the cattle market and collect messages that where left in desks of the back room of The Market Tavern.It was a wonderful place; farmers, drovers, sheep dogs all doing business (not the dogs!) I can remember taking Cyril Franklis tea every morning at 10.30 in his office where he had a model of the new Franklin Barns building to ...see more
I remember going to the local primary school at the top of Second Avenue from the age of 3. Mrs Dobson was head of the Infants School and Mr Perry was head of the Junior School. We slept in the hall in the early days of our school lives; I had a blanket with a rabbit motif on it. I still slept with my thumb in my mouth. In junior school our playing fields were ploughed up for vegetables because of the war years. ...see more
I went to Devonshire Hill School from 1940 - 1946 then to St. Katherines College. Always done my mum's shopping when I was little as I lived in Rowland Hill Avenue. We shopped at the nearest which was in Cambridge Road and White Hart Lane. Jarvis was the sweet shop, and during the war he would always let us have 2 ounces off of next months coupons. Loved Sams the fish shop and I remember Sheppys the I went past ...see more
We hired a riverside chalet called 'La Dak' on the Martham side of the river, there were two families sharing. I remember there was no car access to the chalet so we had to park the cars next to the bridge and carry all our personal items. We soon found out there was no running water so all requirements had to be collected from a tap near the bridge. There was electricity, but rubbish and ...see more
I remember getting stuck up the top of one of these slides when I was about 4 years old! My big brother, who is 16 years my senior, took me out for the day with his girlfriend, to Chessington Zoo.
I went up the steps of one of these slides and found it was so high I was too scared to come down, despite his encouragement from the ground. He had to climb the steps and, as children followed him up, had bring me down ...see more
When I was a young lad my father Gwilym Jones and Joe Collins of Avondale Street (Joe was, during the 1939-45 war, the army lightweight boxing champion of India) My father had been a professional boxer in his earlier years.They opened up a boxing club in the Ynysboeth Hotel, for all the local boys, including boys from the Tynte and Penrhiwceiber. We had a full size boxing ring on the top floor of the Hotel. Many of us lads ...see more
I have hundreds of happy of memories of Penysarn, the village in which I was born and lived until I was 17. My most vivid is during the year of 'The big freeze', with the roads being impassable, all the village children had the finest sledge run imaginable. We would all walk to the top of the hill to the next village (Nebo), and slide all the way to the bottom ending in Penysarn, oh what fun. No-one got hurt and ...see more
I was brought up in Blaenau Ffestiniog and lived there until 1971. The High Street photograph brings it all back. The shop on the extreme left of the photo was my mum's hairdressing shop and we lived in the flat above. My dad was the Superintendant Registrar and he used to marry people, usually on Saturday mornings. I well remember the lobby to his office always had bits of confetti. ...see more
I moved to Great Witley in 1954 with my family, we lived at the Engine House, which used to pump the water for Witley Court. I attended Witley school from 1954 to 1960, the headmaster was Mr Wyton, a memorable time for me, living on the farm enjoying the freedom that modern society cannot provide. The winter of 1963 was a long one, and now at the age of 14 I enjoyed sledging and snowball fights with my two ...see more
Central news recently covered 50 years since the big freeze of 1963; they showed my father driving his old Willys Jeep on the frozen Washing Pool above Witley Court. A local viewer saw that edition of Central news and spotted the jeep that he now owns; yes, it is the actual jeep that is on the dvd I have. I was contacted by the viewer via this site, and I have since been reunited with the jeep, and ...see more
I was born in bonymaen in Myrddyn Gardens, I was brought up by my grandparents Mrs and Mr Tantram. I can still recall a very bad winter, I think 1947, when being woken by my gran, no school that day...11 foot of snow! After it cleared it was found 15 people had died of cold, there was no central heating only wood or coal fires. Grandad worked at the foundry as a foundry man, he later worked at Mond Nickel works. I ...see more
I attended this school from about 1956 till 1959. We left Stapleford when I was ten years old. I don't remember much about the school, but I remember a lot about one particular teacher, her name may have been Mrs Swan. She was an older lady who must have grown up during the Edwardian era and in the years before the First World War. She taught us about the Phoenicians. She explained how they ...see more
There was my mam Norma Keller, my dad John William Keller, sister Mandy Jane Keller, other sister Tracy Joanne Keller and of course myself, Claire Margaret Keller. We lived a small 2 bed terrace house in Eldon Lane. it was like any other morning, except my mam had gone into hospital, I can't recall why but I missed her. Dad was looking after us for a few days. Dad said we were going for a little walk that day, we ...see more
Remembering my childhood memories in Cossall, what fun we had. I lived on The Glebe from 1953 for 50 years. I remember the cold winters, waking up in the mornings with ice on the inside of the bedroom windows, going to Top School and waiting for the little bottles of milk to thaw out, playing on the frozen canal and sledging on a piece of cardboard down the hills where the new housing estate now stands. In the spring, ...see more
I went to New Tredegar Technical school from 1962-67. It was a good time. I lived in Phillipstown and it was a 10 minute walk to school - fantastic. I remember the winter of 1963 and my satchel was ruined by the sleighing down the hill to school (the excuse I made to my parents was worthy of an Oscar). The Tech had good teachers (Mining Institute effect) and it was a very close community. It ...see more
This little ford and bridge over the silver Darent river was, and still is, my favorite place in England. When I attended the Sutton at Hone Primary School in 1947 -1953 we often took nature walks down the gravel path beside the old Village Hall. The narrow lane led through large Horse Chestnut trees on the right (still there) and a high bushy hedge on the left. The path was stoney with large flints sticking up ...see more
My family were the last people to occupy Glebe Farm House, Glebe Ave, Ickenham. The area is now called Cloverlly Close. It was built in the 17th Century as a rectory. We lived there from 1933 to 1936, then moved up the road to 3 The Parade Glebe Ave. The only lighting in the farm was one gas jet in the kitchen, now at 85 years of age I still shudder when I remember my journeys at night, through the house to reach my upstairs bedroom, all I had was this one pitiful candle. Eric Hazell.
I was born in 1946 and lived in Lamport Street, just off Warwick Street in Toxteth. We lived there until I was about 6 years of age. Because of town planning we had to move to Hawkstone Street but what I remember of Lamport Street was my dad’s builders yard, great place to play. I can’t remember the family but I do remember the house that had chickens running up and down the lobby, fantastic memory. I first ...see more
"It's only wind or powder on the stomach"my Mam had said as she walked home from the ammunition factory on a cold Autumn evening.
The "wind" or "powder" was born on the 2nd December 1942. I, Colin Gronow, had arrived, born in the middle of a war!
I was the third child born to my parents, Mam, who worked in the "arsenal" at Bridgend, and Dad, who was a coalminer. I had a sister June,and a ...see more
When I first came to Pentraeth in 1950, I became very intrigued by the nicknames attached to certain individuals. In fact, they were better known by their nicknames than by their own names. One example was the leading male singer in the local church on a Sunday. He was known as Basso Profundo, a name that stuck to him until his dying day. I never did find out his real name. ...see more
In 1930 I was born at 25 Northumberland Avenue, Isleworth. I lived there until 1951 and my most vivid memories are of the Second World War years.
My dad dug a hole in the middle of the garden and installed an Anderson shelter in which we slept during the London blitz of 1940.The metal walls were dripping wet with condensation by the time the morning came and we emerged unscathed into the daylight. I can remember the ...see more
My grandparents lived in Church Cottages, a stone's throw from the church. As a child I remember staying with my grandparents, the toilet in the garden, and having a bath, Nan used to pull down the tin tub, cleanest in first, the dirtest in last,. It was a small cottage 5 girls & 2 boys sharing 2 beds top & tail. We lived in Station Road and would walk to Nan's daily. I went to the village school, and Nan ...see more
One of my earliest memories was walking to the shops with my mother. We passed along a road called Kingstanding Road, there were a lot of men mending the road and I asked my mother about them as I had not seen them before, she hurried me past them and as we got further away from the workmen she said they were German POW's cleaning up the mess their bombers had made. Apparently they were billetted in Sutton Park for a ...see more
My earliest recollection was sitting waiting for Santa on the staircase in my granny's house watching the glistening Christmas tree. Also sledging down the bank from Tantobie Road ends down to Sleepy Valley with my friends from the same village; as well as building a bonfire and setting off fireworks on Guy Fawkes. People then were so close, kind and neighbourly and everybody knew everybody else with ...see more
I too, lived in the Triangle and have very lovely memories of Mr Sewter the milkman who sold the most delicious orange juice, which you were only allowed when ill. And don't forget the horse and cart, Mr Heather the farmer who always wore leather spats, Mr Bone the coalman who lived on Lindford Bridge just passed the shell house (what happened to the shell house?) and Mr Weaver who sold lovely lardy cakes. I ...see more
My mum grew up in Heath Street (5/275) and after marriage moved to South Sheffield.
I used to go and stay with my nan and granddad in Winson Green and have very fond memories of staying with them. I remember walking down the red brick yard, where the houses were back to back and my nan and granddad lived at the far end of the row. There was a wash house with a big boiler in it and a row of lavatories - one ...see more
My grandfather, John Arnett, was the teacher at the North Creake school for many years. Four of his sons came to Canada. When I was a little girl growing up in distant Saskatchewan the uncles would gather and tell marvellous tales of living in North Creake. I have a photo of the grandmother riding her tricycle, of the brothers in front of the school house during World War I. When my grandfather died ...see more
I was born at Orchard Bakery Cottages which is beyond the trees to the right of this photo. Many generations of my family attended the school. My great Aunt May (Skilton) in the early 1900s; various of my Uncles (Pat & Geoff Skilton) and all my brothers; my sister and myself and then my own children. It was a sad day when the school closed. The Hill itself was the scene of many bad traffic accidents in the ...see more
Hi, I bet anyone who lived on the Pear Tree from the 50's to the 80's knew the Hyson family on Coppice Road. What a wonderful life it was living on the Pear Tree. We never had much as kids coming from a family of 7, but we had lots of fun playing with all the miners kids from all over the estate. I knew just about everone on the Pear Tree. I went to the fab Pear Tree School with Mr Jackson as our ...see more
I was born in Hubert Terrace which ran off Bank Street and along to Cuthbert Street. Further down was School Street and Marian Street which ran along to Derwentwater Road, and on Derwentwater Road was Lady Vernon School which I attended. The boys' school was called St Cuthberts and the church we went to was St Cuthbert's Church and the minister was called the Reverend Burnip. He lived in the vicarage ...see more
Our family moved to Burnham from Wimbledon, Raynes Park, in late 1948, to 34 Lillian Road when I was 4. We came like pioneers of the west in the back of my father's employer's canvas covered Ford truck; mum & dad in the cab with the baby brother, two elder brothers and me in the back, with two cats. Being Londoners we were not too well liked by the locals, such was attitudes in those days, ...see more
Wide spread floods; the raised footpath to Countesthorpe, the canal freezing over, the bridal path to Blaby and playing in the ruins of Nabisco Freers biscuit factory after the fire. Great times eh? It makes you wonder how we survived, running down the Spion Cop hill to beat the train looping round to South Wigston station. I live in France now so it was grand to find this sit; the photographs brought back lots of happy memories, can't hink of any bad memories and the sun was out every day!
