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 1001 - 1050 of 2029 in total
I remember Temple school. The Knights Templar play. Christmas plays. The youth club on Friday evenings. Friday I'm in love. I was. The glen. Scottish country dancing. The human skull in Anna's cellar. Diving off the waterfall. Baking and Christmas parties at the Dunlop's. The quilt. The Fete and fancy dress. Exploring in the woods. Getting lost in the woods. The conker tree. Bonfires on ...see more
I spent a wonderful childhood in Norton Fitzwarren when it was a village from 1950 to 1958. I have priceless memories of roaming the fields, woodlands and surrounding countryside freely. Of sitting on top of Moses Park as we used to call it, and looking out over the countryside with hardly a building in sight and watching the smoke from the train in Wellington Station as it slowly crept through the ...see more
My great aunt, Muriel Dundas Legard, lived for many years in Huttons Ambo. She built a house called Colswayn and then built two other bungalows in the grounds; firstly Mynchon which she lived in for years, then Bardolf. My sister, brother and I have many many happy memories of visiting her and staying in the oasis she had created around her. Bees, veg garden, sheep in the field belonging to a farmer, ...see more
Living just off Park St, Camberley, our house was on the landing approach flight path. With my dad's binoculars from the First World War I watched the Boston III's and Mitchells coming back from daylight raids with holes and bits missing, flying low right over our house on long approach.
I spent my days and nights watching the air, giving me memories of every type of aircraft that existed, including ...see more
I lived in Taunton from about 1953 until I left for London and then on to the States in 1969...I lived in Stoke Road and went to St. Joseph's Convent and then to Weirfield, which is now a part of Taunton School, I believe. A wonderful childhood when it was still safe to make a picnic and head out for the day into the hills on our bikes.....only to come back when it was getting dark. I do recall the major hang out ...see more
I grew up in Kettlesing after moving there as a toddler in 1971 and leaving in 1984 but my dad remained living there until he died in 2013. I attended the village school until leaving to go to secondary school in 1980/81 and my teachers were Mrs Dunmore and Mrs Morse. I remember Geoffrey Smith the tv gardener visiting the school to give talks and a weekly visit from our recorder teacher. I ...see more
I attended Embleton Infants School and Embleton Junior Mixed School which were structurally attached but otherwise separate from September 1957 until July 1963. At that time the staff were very respectable and I liked almost all the teachers. The headmistress of Embleton Infants School was Miss Reece (this was how she was addressed but I never saw her name spelt). She was a middle aged ...see more
My father, Thomas Henry Williams, was born at 57 High Street, Troedrhiwfuwch in 1908. In his early 20's he left Troedy for Bristol, to look for work. It was in Bristol that he met and married my mother, and subsequently my sister Sylvia and myself, Roy, were both born. As a family we never lost touch with my father’s birthplace. We spent every Christmas in Troedy and I spent most of my ...see more
I moved to Ham in 1959 from Kew and left in 1984 after coming back from a short spell of living abroad with work. I went to St. Andrew's school (now St. Matthias' church) then, St Richards with St Andrews on Ashburnham Rd. We lived in Mowbray Rd. My mother, Florence Thompson, had lived in Sheridan Rd. previously. I remember the prefabs on Ashburnham Rd. Then the blocks of flats that were built at the same time as the ...see more
When the searchlights came...
During the Second World War, Uttoxeter hardly knew that the war was on, although our young men and women kept leaving, and rationing was severe. One change to us all, on the park side of the town, was the opening of the bypass in 1939. The war stopped operations, and of the dual carriageway (a source of wonder to me) only one lane was open, the nearside side, facing ...see more
I lived at 27 Radnor Street, last but one tennament to be flattened. My first year of school was at the "new high school", on Bouquanaran; 10 class rooms open, we had to scramble among the bricks to get to class. Then I went to Radnor new primary school, next I went to the old high school down in Clydebank, outside toilets and the roofs had been blown off so it was a chilly sit. Then at age 11, back to the now ...see more
I was born at the Bearstead Memorial Hospital in 1946 and lived on Hurstfield Road for my first 5 years, then moved to Weston Avenue. That house backed on to Hurst Park racecourse and I used to love to look over the fence to see all the jockeys pretty colours, and would say hello to Gordon Richards and Lester Piggott as they came out of the loo, which was just behind our fence! The racecourse ran over the ...see more
I was based in Inverbervie from March 1957 till March 1958 with 977 Signals Unit of the Royal Air Force. 977 SU operated radar from an underground site on the hill a couple of miles north of the village. Height finding and azimuth aerials were mounted on plinths on the surface. Coming up to the surface to work on the aerials or just for a change of scene was always pleasant, with curlews calling and ...see more
In the back of the Vauxhall, my brothers and I would scan our eyes across the fields looking for that white two chimneyed farmhouse of Nana and Grandad that meant our long trip was finally over, and our holidays about to begin. That meant, wading and bushwacking as far as we could get (before being called in for tea) in the nettle covered stream. I think we imagined we were in darkest Africa. We'd ...see more
My grandparents also lived at Diplock Cottage next door to the Sandys Arms pub. It was a church cottage which was rented out to those from the community who had undertaken some notable service for the parish of St Nicholas. My grandfather, Buster Cox, maintained the churchyard. He and my grandmother, Betty, lived there from the early 70's until around the start of the 90's when my nan was moved to a nursing ...see more
Moved due to circumstances to Douglas West from Lanark to a two roomed terraced miners cottage without a bathroom. The small kitchen had a toilet off it, the living room still had the bed recesses and there was a connecting door to the front room where my sister and I slept and had a bath in front of the fire. We soon moved to Douglas View Terrace (larger semi detached homes) where we had a two ...see more
During 1957, at the age of 13 I was 'sent' to live with an elderly Aunt in Burnetts Lane. I attended the local school and made many friends in the area. My Aunt's name was Fanny Godwin. Her neighbours on one side were the Thompson brothers and their sister Anne. My cousin, John, lived on the other side of 'the Bays' at 'Kelso' where he farmed pigs and chickens. He later went on to run the ...see more
I was born in the house that lays back just out of view in this photo. The house was built in 1954 and our family were the only people to live there up until my father's death in 2008. I was born in the house, as were both my sisters. At that time the house was a tied cottage to the farm called Sharvels that was at the bottom of Cock Hill. In later years the farm was sold to Crown Properties and then later ...see more
I grew up in Kensington and have so many fond memories of it from the early 1980's. I remember the video shop that used to be in the Odeon cinema, which is now a Hagaan Dazs cafe. I remember when the Ice House in Holland Park was a gallery and you could walk in there and look at paintings whenever you pleased. I remember my favourite place was a big toy shop which I think was called the Rocking Horse, ...see more
My grandparents, Horald and Edith Hughes, lived in Moston Cottage, Booley. Also living in the cottage were 3 of their sons; John, Douglas and Tony. My father, Basil, was no longer living at home. John and Douglas worked on the farm opposite, I think the farm belonged to the Boffeys. Although I was born in Shawbury I lived at that time in Wolverhampton, my sister and me always went to stay for the six weeks ...see more
My grandparents lived in one of the two cottages at the entrance to Eridge Castle, where grandad was the butler. I was so happy there. Granny would take me to see Mr and Mrs Ward who were the head gardener and his wife. Their daughter Ann would take me for walks and was always so much fun to be with. Walking through the woods and down to the lake was a great treat, and how I loved all the wonderful sights there ...see more
I grew up at 23 Alford, and just at the bottom of the street were "the woods". Our gang used to virtually live down the woods, climbing trees, lighting fires, making swings, bird nesting, damning the stream so we could swim and use upturned car roofs as dingys. We all carried Bowey knives to make spears and arrows to throw at each other, camped out in the summer hols, basically do all the things that we ...see more
I have great memories of growing up on Frizington. It was such a close knit community where everyone knew everyone else. I can remember Stewarts delivering milk with a horse and cart. ''Jinkies'' coming round with fruit and veg, in winter the van lit by a tillie lamp. The farmers coming round with their own home-grown potatoes. The fish man ringing his bell on a Friday, with fish fresh from the dock. St Joseph's ...see more
I was evacuated when I was 9 with my sister to East Buckland in May 1940, and we stayed with Mr and Mrs Coles at Lower Pit Farm. They looked after us very well and we became part of the village scene. I would go to school in West Buckland, and when I came home after school one of my jobs was to go and fetch the cows in for milking. This could be in a field half a mile or more away and involved ...see more
I lived in Stadhampton from 1949 - 1952. When I was eight years old living in Rutland my parents split up leaving my Dad with three small boys rather suddenly. As was often the case in those days I was shipped out and came to Stadhampton to live with my aunt & uncle Lottie & Reg Wood during term time at what was then No1, The Close in School Lane (after other houses were built in the row it became ...see more
As a small boy in the 1950s I would be taken to see the aircraft at Blackbushe, then London's second airport. Blackbushe was London Heathrow's main fog diversion as it always has been one of the most fog free airports in the UK.
So what was to be seen in the 50s? It was the home of the US Navy, Europe, and the spawning ground for many independent airlines, Dan Air, Eagle, Silver ...see more
My name is David Jones, and I remember this street well - opposite & to the right (out of pic) was the local dairyman, who used to deliver milk from the back of a dog-cart.. Further behind the Capel was the Workmans & Mechanics Institute (just see the side in pic) Grandfather's name was 'Evan Nathaniel Jones', an ex miner from Gelliceidrim Drift mine, (to the left of the front of the Capel) as ...see more
'Eee, when I were a lad'....... in the 1950's my dad and I would get the bus from Exeter to Dawlish and camp for a week at Cofton Farm, using a little WWII army-surplus 2-man ridge tent. My elder brother was in The Scouts, and so we were able to borrow his A-frame rucksack with his Primus stove, and miscellaneous camping equipment which included nesting cooking pots and pans with folding handles, a ...see more
I was born at 124 Clowes Street, West Gorton in 1947 and attended St Marks' School between 1953 and 1959. The Head was the formidable Mrs Clayton, and the Deputy Head was Mr Platt, but it was the lovely Mrs Butterworth who taught me to read and write.
Clowes Street was the busiest street in Gorton, with a school, church, chapel, cinema, thirteen public houses and every kind of shop ...see more
I was born in Standon, remember the rec very well throughout my young and teen years. My Dad worked in the Butchers in the High Street, my second eldest brother went on to work in Catons. I worked during the school hols in the hairdressers next to the laurnderette, also had a paper round with Westwards and many years before me my other brother did too. I met my husband in Standon, I still have relations who live there. Happy memories.
Although I didn't live at Hamsterley Colliery, I spent all my school holidays with my grandmother, Mary Willis who lived in the top bungalow at Derwent Haven. She lived to be nearly a 100 which I suppose justified placing old people's bungalows at the top of a steep hill. My paternal grandfather and great-grandfather both worked at Hamsterley Colliery and my great-great-grandfather worked at ...see more
Most of my mother's family lived in Old Battersea, from cousins to auntie and uncle, to nan and grandad. There were cousins in a 4 poster bed, with their nan and mum. There were my auntie and uncle sleeping in the same room as their 2 children. There was the man of the house who could not walk up the stairs to the bed room to sleep any more so he had to take one of the rooms downstairs. 8 people, 3 genarations, in ...see more
My earliest memories of Shutford date back to around 1944, when as an eleven year old schoolboy I spent summer holidays with my grandfather Fred Turner (son of plush weaver Amos Turner), who at that time lived in Weald Cottage. Grandfather Fred was my mother's father, and my mother would bring myself and my two sisters, Shirley and Pamela, to spend part of the summer ...see more
Stretching over about a mile on the A68 road to Edinburgh from Darlington, lies the small mining town of Tow Law. Approaching it from Elm Park Road Ends, on a clear day, as you pass the various openings in the terraces of the sandstone houses and cottages, at regular intervals like colour slides, you catch glimpses of the rounded moorlands and hills over and around the Wear ...see more
I was born at 27 Langdale Terrace in 1963 at my lovely grandma and granda's house, Vera and Harry Kirtley. Granda worked at Westwood pit then Hamstley colliery and when that shut he worked at Eden. I remember standing near the old post office on the main road when the pit ponies came by, I was only small then but all the village turned out to see them pass. I don't know what year it was ...see more
My brother and I went to a camp organised by The Childrens Country Holiday Fund for boy's living in South East London from poor backgrounds in the 1950's. The camp was run by a priest and volunteers who organised outings and games. The boys had to do chores in the morning, it was all very basic in a local farmer's field, where the Caravan Club is now.
During my childhood we went to Linshader every summer holiday and stayed at my auntie's house (No 7). It was great ... we enjoyed collecting eggs, putting the cow out to pasture, helping to make haystacks with my uncle, feeding the calves with my auntie, visiting people through the village, waiting for the Co-op van to come round so we would get a lollipop, rowing over to Callanish with my uncle, ...see more
After the Second World War had finished, and the people were already used to rationing, the Committee members of the Intake Club decided to relieve the hardships on the residents of Intake a little by organising outings for their members. These took the form of trips to the seaside and Chirstmas pantomines and was paid for by asking its members to save a few shillings a week with ...see more
My whole childhood, teenage years and early adulthood was spent in Brotton. I lived at the 'top end' between the Green Tree and Chemist Corner. I have many happy memories of life in Brotton - attending the infant/junior school and forging many friendships along the way. The boys used to do sword dancing and the girls used to dance around the may pole. St. Margaret's church was attended by most of my school ...see more
The shop that was operated by my grandmother at New Mill Bridge was home to me and my family during the Second World War. It was a haven where the madness of the war seemed to be so very remote and in a way, inconsequential, particularly to us children. The warm glow of Birmingham burning could be seen in the night sky from time to time when they were being bombed, but that was 30 miles away ...see more
My brother, was in the army and was wounded and sent to a hospital near Banbury, where he met and married a nurse, who was living with her parents in Kings Sutton. I went to live with her parents, and attended the local school. Her father had a farm, and each day he would walk from the farm, with milk in buckets hanging from a yoke on his ...see more
Hello Connie.
What a blast from the past - you were my little brother, Eddie's, girl friend. We lived 3 doors up from you - can you remember? Eddie was in hospital and they let him home for the night, so the kids moved the bonfire in front of our window & then the ambulance came to take him back and they let the tyres down so that he could stay and watch the fireworks. Our Eddie is in Mansfield, so is ...see more
I attended Bersham School until 1950 and well remember the daily walk (or run) from 30 Wynnstay Crescent up West Grove to the school. I believe 1947 was the year that the winter flood happened and Gwylim Williams drowned near the footbridge. I remember all the teachers at Bersham - Mr Hughes, Mr King, Mr Gilla and Ms Mitchel. She had a great influence on me and was instrumental in getting me to Grove Park. I saw ...see more
My mother is Olwen Jones (nee Haigh) of the old post office in Bodorgan from 1937 to 1953 when she got married to Vivian Madoc Jones of Newborough. Her parents Randolph and Janet Haigh ran the post office from 1937 to early 1960's. My mother has fond memories of WashiBach, and the band of Hope and GFS (girls friendly society) ran by Mrs Orwig Evans, of Trefdraeth church. She attended the primary ...see more
I worked in the old CAD room at Tooting Police Station in 2006, it was an amazing place with bomb proof windows. We worked through the night; on my first night there was a gang fight and a youth got killed. The building itself is fascinating, and very mysterious - some say...haunted. All the staff there were very hard working, dedicated people. A shame it is closing to the public, it provided a great service.
I was born in Skellow, 1 George Street. My dad, grandad and uncle worked at the pit; my dad and grandad in the power house. I spent many happy days there sitting behind the big table with me dad, grandad and uncle. I blew the pit whistle a few times. I remember all the cats; we used to take one home. My mates swimming in the res., close to pit. I had my hair cut many times there, with the old cutters. I used to take me ...see more
Going to my nan and grandad's every week; Frank and Ellen Cracknell. Meeting all the family there, going strawberry picking, swimming in the ford, cutting across to the Wellington Country Park through the back way, going to Sunday school with two sisters, I think called Mertal and Shiela, and ice skating on the pond opposite the Wheatleys house. We had cousins living next door to my nan and grandad, so always had so much to do when there, loved stayin for a week and never getting bored.
In 1956 I came to work in Scotland having been transferred from Yorkshire by the NCB. I needed a house and the semi derelict house known as Roanshead House was available, but boarded up and was not on mains electricity. My wife and I liked the look of the house and was told electricity would be provided in 3-4 months, so we agreed to move there when the house was renovated. We eventually moved in about May 1957 ...see more
My parents were born in India. My grandfather settled in Africa and had a good job. When my father got married he stayed Africa where all my brothers and sisters were born. My dad was a carpenter by trade; he arrived in Britain on his own with close relatives in 1962 for work as a carpenter to build new houses. He worked very hard in the snow, often travelling to London. They lived in rented ...see more
I was born in Rothwell in 1949 and have lived there all my life and remember when it was a picturesque village where everyone knew each other. What changes have taken place over the years. I remember going to the Corn Mill with my dad on a Saturday morning to get corn for dad's pigeons. We had to go over a foot bridge, across the mill pond, past the big water wheel and into the storage ...see more