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 was lucky enough to go abroad for our family holiday every year. Towards the end of the 1980s my second holiday around August time would be to go to Treyarnon Bay with my best friend Becci and her parents, and I fell in love with the place and the surrounding areas. I'm sure the pub/hotel was named the Beachcomer back then.
The owners of Treyarnon Bay Hotel were Anne and Clive, along with Anne's brother Chris and ...see more
I have very fond memories of Huyton - especially Huyton village, in the 1970's. We used to live in Ardennes Road and my beloved nana, Sally (Sarah) Ryan, lived just around the corner in Salerno Drive. Even though we never had much money, Christmas and summer times there were magical. I attended a few schools there before we moved to the Wirral - St. Agnes, St. Aidens and St. Michaels and remember the ...see more
We stayed at a clifftop house called Mill Meadow. Once we parked the car behind the wooden double gates, there was a pine-tree lined steep hill that led to the house and then to cliffs. I remember that pine smell when we arrived. From the terraced garden lined with abundant red fuschia hedges in front of the house, led a path down many steps, that got steeper, and led to the small beach. The last few steps ...see more
I was born on the 06/08/1947, a home birth in the same bed as my great grandfather died in. His name was John Thomas Hare. My mother was Betty Hare and my father was Arther Buttle. My mother's father was David Hare who owned and ran Spencer Beck Farm, Normanby Road, Ormesby. He had owned as well as the farm, Spencerbeck Dairy, South Bank during the second world war years, along with Spencerbeck Motors, ...see more
In the mid and late forties I attended Kingsmuir Boarding School in what is known today as Alderford Grange. It was owned and mastered by Ms Francis. We were told that the building had once been the Inn attached to the Bell PH next door.
During my attendance the interior was extensively rebuilt, even the deep wooden sink in the kitchen was replaced, along with the ancient lath and plaster walls. ...see more
In 1940 my London school, Borough Polytechnic, was relocated to Exeter which is where I was evacuated to. The school was a renovated building down by the river and not far from the slaughter house (which fascinated the boys). Of course, I well remember the night in 1942 when the city almost burned to the ground and along with it the old school. I had no option to return to London, so I finished my schooling in Budleigh Salterton, but that's another story.
My dad was a driver for the Venture Bus Company, we lived in Greenside not far away and in 1962 I went to Hebburn Technical College to do a two-year secretarial course. At this time, living in a pit village, girls leaving school at 15 (who had failed the 11 plus), were factory or shop fodder - this was my chance for something better. There I met Maureen French, Vera Gardener, Joan Tiplady and Mary ...see more
I was born at 6 St. Johns Terrace, 3 doors away from Mr Bird's Post Office and store (which is shown in your photo). How many hours have I sat on those steps outside? We used to play in the road and when we heard a vehicle coming we would sit on the steps while it passed - I don't think you can do that today. Directly opposite the Post Office was G.J.Garret Agricultural Implement Depot and the ...see more
Lived in Doncaster Gardens - No.43 in the flats then No.49 in the three storey houses which are still there, before they filled the green in where we played football, with houses. Used to help run the Oriel Youth Club from its start with Pete Seal and the first Leader named Ron(?) Was a life guard at the swimming pool, went to Vincent with me mate Ken Yerby, when Dusty Miller was head master and Alan Mills was PE ...see more
My family first moved to Great Sankey from Belfast NI in 1976 firstly renting No1 Orrell Close then moving across the road to Hawthorne Avenue where my parents still live. I have wonderful memories of Thornley's (Then Clayton's) newsagents on Station Road where my best pal Mark and I would buy Matchbox cars and Airfix models with our pocket money. Occasionally we would also venture to Great Sankey hardware ...see more
I spent holidays in this magical place as a boy, staying year after year with my beloved aunt and uncle and my two cousins. It was a vibrant and exciting English village that buzzed and thronged with life and activity. I watched each dawn from my bedroom window as the village street and the busy post office slowly came to life. I ran the lanes and glorious fields with my cousins and our friends ...see more
I used to stay here with my nan; she lived in both sides of this building, it was two houses then. The side that you can see is where she lived until she left when my grandad died. The top window was her bedroom, the window on the ground floor is hidden by the bushes that was her 'best room' for Sundays and visitors! You had to go through that room to the toilet, and a storeroom where grandad used to rear ...see more
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, and ...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 in ...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 have ...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 kindly ...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 Wates ...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 have an old family photo posed in front of Pangbourne Mill on 4/9/1899. It includes the entire Stone family including my great grandfather and my grandfather (as a young boy). My grandfather, Edmund Stone, was a Master Mariner and captained 4-masted square rigged sailing vessels around the Horn to India and back; later serving as a Captain for the Cunard line and later piloted big ...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 road ...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 find ...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 home. ...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 local ...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 still ...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, which ...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 holidays. ...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 were ...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 well ...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 paraffin ...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 2 ...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 but ...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