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The Francis Frith Collection Francis Frith

An Historical Photographic Archive of National Importance

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  2. Share Your Memories

Share Your 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.

Search for Local Memories

Search for your favourite UK places and read memories of the local area in days gone by.

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Add a Memory!

It's easy to add your own memories and reconnect with your shared local history. Search for your favourite places and look for the 'Add Your Memory' buttons to begin

You can also Browse By County

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:

  • How the location features in your personal history?
  • The memories this place inspires for you?
  • Stories about the community, its history and people?
  • People who were particularly kind or influenced your time in the community.
  • Has it changed over the years?
  • 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!

Enjoy browsing more recent contributions now.

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Here are a few of our favourites

Visitors to this website have so far contributed 65,877 memories inspired by the Frith photographs. Join in, and take a moment to remember the places that have been important in your life. Where your family comes from, where you were born, went to school and got married; the towns and villages where you've lived and worked since. Recapture and rekindle those precious memories with this special part of our website.

Displaying all 8 Memories

Four Elms From 1939 To 1959.
Born on the 4th January 1939 in 14 Council Cottages, son of Jack and Francis Cole and cared for by my Gran and Granddad who lived opposite, I had super baby years, although Dad was away fighting. I can vaguely remember sleeping in the Anderson shelter in a house in Bough Beech where Mum used to work. Better are my memories of the school in Four Elms, where we were all in the same class room, ...see more
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Added 01 August 2020

My First Job.
Having moved to Stourton from Glasgow in March of 1961 at the age of 12, it was really exciting to find that, about a hundred yards from our new house, was a big pub with its own outdoor swimming pool. The Stewpony Pub meant little to me at the time, but the adjacent Lido was eye-opening for an adolescent youth in lots of ways! During the Summers of '62 and '63, I worked part-time after school (Brierly Hill ...see more
Stourton, Stewpony and Foley Arms c1960
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Added 28 April 2013

Money Galore

The building in this view with the clock was, in the 1960's, a bank, I don't recall which one but maybe Barclays. I do recall on entering it, the main service counter ran parallel to the High Street and behind it under the windows facing the Whitgift alms houses on the opposite corner was another counter about 20ft [6m] long and 2ft 6" [0,75m] wide completely covered in bundles of notes. 5 Pound, 1 Pound and 10/- notes. ...see more
Croydon, High Street c1955
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Added 16 September 2021

The Good Old Days At Wells
I first lived in a little cottage in Jolly Sailors Yard, around 1944. When I was about 3 years old my parents, Fred and Connie Smith, my brother Derek and me, Norman (Bim) Smith moved to Standard House. We had a great lIfe living there when we were older, just walking round the corner and diving off the quay wall when the tide was up. My grandfather Frank (Tender) Smith was Harbour Master and ...see more
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Added 28 July 2016

Walker, Newcastle Upon Tyne
I was born in Moorland Crescent in the 1950’s. This council housing estate was built a few decades earlier and has a variety of different style good quality houses. Most people had nice gardens with flowers etc and we had vegetables and fruit bushes in the back garden. On summer nights it was not uncommon for the streets to be full of kids playing as most people had big families. Also there was ...see more
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Added 13 November 2020

Gaslight 1954
In the early 50's many streets in Uxbridge were still lit by gas. So "lighting up time" had a whole different meaning. The iron lampposts were much lower than the lighting masts of today and were more widely placed along the streets. Street lighting then had a different function because the lights were to illuminate the pavement, not so much the roadway. I lived in Frays Waye which was entirely lit by gas and there ...see more
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Added 31 October 2012

Brands Hatch
Soon after I began motorcycling in the mid fifties I began to take what has been a lifelong interest in motorcycle racing. In those days it was a good trek to Brands Hatch as there were no M1 or M25 motorways and the journey from Bedfordshire was made through the center of London taking in Euston, Blackfriars Bridge and out through New Cross to West Kingsdown on the A20 and eventually to the Brands Hatch ...see more
Brands Hatch, c1960
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Added 19 June 2016

Nightingale Row
I was born at 7, Nightingale Row, in the box room which was originally shared by my mother Mavis Warren and her sister Glennis Byard as they were to become. The daughters of George and Martha (Dot) Edwards. The house was rented from a relative who lived in number 8, whose name was Bexley. The two daughters married RAF service men. My father William (Bill) was a Londoner, who was stationed in Newport for training ...see more
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Added 21 June 2020