York memories
Here are memories of York and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of York or a York photo.
Working in The Shambles
I was working at Deco in Stonegate the year they moved to the last shop at the end of stonegate, bordering Whip-ma-whop-ma Gate (wonderful name). I had been working for the people who owned Deco, selling 1930's pottery, glass and Jewellery, for a year. The shop was well known and we sold Clarice Cliff and Susie Cooper pottery, Crown Devon, Royal Dux, you name it, if it was 30s and collectable, we sold it. When they moved to the Shambles, the shop was bigger, the rent was actually less than Stonegate then. I remember telling my Granddad about it. He told me he had worked in the exact same shop when he was a lad, only it was a butchers then, as most of the shops down there were at that time. The name "Shambles" comes from the Saxon "Fleshammels", which means, "the street of the butchers", it was listed in the Domesday Book and has been in continuous existance for 900 years.... Read more
Horror Uniform
One memory of my time spent at St Peter's as a border (my house been The Rise )were the God awful brown blazers purchased from Moss Bros (of York). It wasn't that they were uncomfortable that was the problem, it was the rule that they had to be worn constantly. The school week was Monday to Saturday lunch time, after which we as borders were allowed into York itself, BUT we had to wear the uniform (on a Saturday) which marked you out as a St Peter's pupil, and gave you an invisible bull's eye to mark you out to all the local kids who took great pleasure in spitting, hitting and generally beating us up. Woe betide anyone caught by a prefect or even an 'off duty' teacher who caught you out of uniform while in York, a swift detention from the teacher (or a slap from the prefect)would follow on the Monday morning. So strict (verging on anal) was the school regarding their 'precious' uniform that on arriving for breakfast one... Read more
Childhood
My dad Les Witty was born in York. After he came out of the Army we settled in York, firstly we had a house in Hanover Street, then moved to Chudleigh Road where my grandad had a house just 2 doors away from us. I spent a lot of time with Gramps, he was my best mate. I would help in the garden, and ate most of the things he had grown all except for sprouts - I still don't like them ugh! I loved living in York, most days I would be in the Castle Museum, a place that I loved, or else I would be down by the River Ouse where there were willow trees and my pals and I would make little dens underneath them. The area we lived in was Leeman Road, and when the river broke its banks and the whole road flooded we had to walk across on planks of woods to the shops and school - great fun.
Working in Stonegate
My first real job, not counting student employment, was working in Godfrey's Book Shop, Stonegate, York. The shop was at that time the largest antiquarian bookstore in the North of England - unfortunately it no longer exists. It was owned by Mr. Duffield and managed by Mr. Jan Janieurek. Originally from Poland, Jan was an extremely knowledgeable book man who had trained at Blackwells, Oxford. He actually encouraged the staff to browse among the books and read, even borrow what interested us. What a treat for a twenty-one year old book lover! I loved working in that three storey, Tudor building which was full of nooks and crannies and unexpected treasures. I was responsible for tracking down out of print books which we did not have in stock but which customers had requested and advertise the books which we wanted to sell through the trade magazine - "The Clique". The staff all had specific responsibilities but we all (Charles, Brenda and Andrew and I) served in the shop as required.... Read more
School Days
This photo reminds me of two wonderful years I spent at York Technical College in Clifford St. I always found the tower fascinating, but never learned its history until many years later. I love York, even though I live half a world away now, I always visit the city when in England.
Monk Bar 1955.
As I was living near Monk Bar in 1955, seeing the photo brought back some good memories. I lived at 28 Monkgate (behind the photographer on the left) in 1955. My sister still lives nearby - through the Bar, turn left at what used to be Saville's Chemists and then round the back of Goodramgate into St. Andrewgate. The scene in the photo has not changed all that much. You cannot drive through the Bar itself anymore. The Bay Horse on the left is still there but the Post Office next to it just out of shot was removed for a road widening scheme, as was St. Maurice's Church out of shot on the right where I attended with family. Though I have been living in the US since 1987, I do get back to York fairly regularly and so keep up to date with what's going on. Bulmer's is still there on the right but the fish shop on the left where I would buy fish... Read more
Lendal Tower And Lendal Bridge
This picture is of Lendal Tower and part of Lendal bridge, over the River Ouse.
Memories of John Browne
I don't exactly have a memory of Walmgate but I know my GGGGrandfather John Browne was born in the house here. Would love to converse with anyone with any knowledge of this memory. I do know through extensive investigation via internet that John Browne was the Clerk of Works of York Minster when a fire occured. He also was a teacher of drawing and lithographs. John Browne was an artist and author of York Minster. He and his family lived in 21 Blake St until his death about 1870 thereabouts. I live in Australia and its a long way from York. Any Browne's out there related to John Browne's family please acknowledge. Would love to exchange information on his son John Browne who went to Australia.
York looks like a beautiful place.
Thank you for this memory.
Shops
My family lived on the road approaching Monk Bar (behind photographer) from about 1950, through the 1980s and my Dad is still there, so this was our route into the City. The shop facing on the Right was for many years Bulmers secondhand shop. Behind that was a greengrocers, Wrightsons. Opposite is a public house and behind that was Brooke's fishmonger's where Mum bought Halibut steak once a week - I used to love sucking the bone - very tasty fish! It was fresh from Scarborough that morning.
On my Way Into Town or to Visit my Friend Steve Flanagan
Having lived in the U.S now for 35 years this photo makes me very homesick as I haven't seen the old place since 1972! I remember walking down Lord Mayor's Walk and turning the corner next to the building on the right which used to be a greengrocer shop. Our Mam used to send us here to buy daffodils. Just underneath the arch on the right of the Bar there used to be a Butcher's shop that sold great pork sausages. Just a bit farther on I'd turn right into a little lane/street where my best friend Steve Flanagan lived. His back yard looked out onto the Bar Walls which we would climb up and play on the battlements. Wonderful memories. I wonder how much the place has changed after all these years?
The Paardeburg Memorial.
This is the Paardeburg Memorial (the Green Howards). Due to the amalgamation of the East and West Yorkshire Regt. our name is now what the regiment has always called itself. The Green Howards Regt Association carry out the service of remembrance on the Saturday before the national day in the area of the Paardeburg Memorial and lay their wreath there.
My Life in York in The 1940s
I now live in Gisborne in New Zealand and turned 70 on 29 September this year. Born in Sheffield I was evacuated to York in 1940 along with my mother (Mary) and older brother John. My dad, Reg, remained at his work in Sheffield. Unfit for war service he was a truck driver. We lived at 23 Winterscale Street, where, in later years my mum and my grandma (Elizabeth Allison), ran a small off-licence and shop. By then Dad was driving buses in York. If any reader has photos of Winterscale Street taken at anytime between 1940-48 I would be delighted to see them. I have a photo somewhere of the Winterscale Street street party for VE Day. Bunting is strung between the rows of houses but it's noticeable that the crowd consists of women and kids, very few young men. I went to St George's Catholic Primary School and remember the walk there from home quite clearly. We lost John in the Ouse in March 1946. He is buried in Fulford Cemetery. Before... Read more
Yorkshire
Hello all you Yorkshire people, wherever you may now be... Here is a poem I wrote about good old York. Enjoy.
Shopping in the Shambles on a snowy Christmas Eve
Playing hide and seek in Acomb Wood
Watching Andy Pandy by the fire in our front room
Pear drops.. Rowntree's pastilles.. Yorkshire pud...
Lupins and Sweet Williams, red Carnations, Wallflowers too
Playing on the slide at Acomb Green
Oak trees, raspberries, Horlicks and mum's homemade gooseberry pie
Comfits and the Rupert magazine;
Walking to Carr Junior from our house in Beckfield Lane
Snug in brown fur mittens, hat and coat,
Rubber buttoned bodices and thick warm winter drawers!
Blue-striped scarf wrapped warmly round your throat.
Trains at York's grand station big black monsters belching steam
Pure excitement - travel fit for kings..
Gramps and Grandma's comfy house near Scarborough's northern bay
Rubber beach balls, deckchairs, waterwings..
Carefree summer holidays we wished would never end
Peasholm Park - the treewalk - such... Read more
Low Petergate
Does anyone remember the Longsborough Arms in Petergate? My grandfather was landlord there in the 60s, his name was Frederick Hare.
Memories of North Yorkshire
Four Years Old
My earliest memories were in Fulford, York, at the tail end of the 1960s before my parents moved me to South Yorkshire at the age of six in 1971. My father worked at what was then called the Labour Exchange in York. He was later promoted to a position in ACAS and did very well. He was born and bred in Fulford and my grandmother lived there until she died in 1980. I often wonder how my life would have been if we stayed there. I went to Fulford infant school. We lived on the modern housing estate at the back of the motorway. Mum would pick me up from school in the blue Anglia car. You don't see many of those now. Mum was very young and beautiful. She wore mini skirts in those days. As a little boy I thought that was normal as all women are supposed to be beautiful and wear mini skirts. I would cry at school over the daftest things because I didn't have... Read more
The Street
I lived in Naburn at Chapel House. My Aunty Mary Walker lived in this row of houses on the left. She lived with the Tweedies family. In 1949 these houses had big back yards where they collected refuse and recycled it.
Youth Hostel
I first went to Naburn Hall in 1947, at that time it was an overflow hostel. I was cycling from London to Inverness at the age of 13. The hostel at York was full, so I was directed to Naburn Hall. When the "Commander" (the owner of Naburn Hall) heard this not only would he not take any money from me but gave me ten shillings to help me on my way, also he invited me to stay with him as his guest on a number of occasions, which I did up to 1952 when I was called up for National Service. On one occasion he took me to Whitby in his Sunbeam Talbot, he also owned a motor cycle. He had an interest in young people, another visitor was another young man that visited him from Andover in Hampshire, he arrived on a Velocette motor bike.
My Dad's Disembarkation 3rd May 1946 ?
Hello, one and all. This may be a tad queer, however, I have acquired my biological dad's Second World War records, James Paul Shelly (1917-1984,RIP), who was attached to the 6th South Wales Borderers, near the end of the Second World War he sailed to India (ship?), then Burma, then Sumatra, and Singapore. My question is why was STRENSALL listed? It seems a bit strange to me. His Army number was 983852. Sincerely. Seamus P J Fogarty, in Maryland, USA.
Uncle Cecil''s Farm
My brother and I would stay with Granny during the holidays, she lived at 'Cregeen' in a row of houses on Princess Street, near the railway crossing. Granny's brother Cecil had a farm out along the lane in this picture, my brother and I would walk out to the farm, over this bridge. The photo looks toward Strensall from the road to Uncle Cecil's farm. I remember that there was a milk churn stand on this road, and we'd take Cecil's empty churns off the stand and carry them back to the milking barn for him.
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