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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Tips & Ideas
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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
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Displaying Memories 1651 - 1700 of 2029 in total
I was born in coronation year 1953 at the Annie McCaul Hospital in Jeffreys Road, Clapham. I grew up at 20 Plato Road, just off the Acre Lane in Brixton in the 50s and early 60s. What a fantastic time it was. I fondly remember it with great affection as the golden era when Brixton was Brixton. My cousin also lived in Plato Road, further down the street, how we looked forward to Saturday morning. We ...see more
This photograph was obviously taken when the road bridge was nearing completion in 1961. My husband grew up nearby, and tells some gruesome stories about the plague of rats they experienced when the undergrowth was being cleared in the early days of construction. The family cat would bring home several rats each day, and local gardens were over-run with them. Worse still, they got into outhouses and sheds, under floorboards and even into houses.
Opposite the Majestic Cinema, you can just see the Tudor brickwork of the Bucks Head Inn, on the London Road corner. It was very rare that my Dad would go in, but we would be sent there at certain times of the year. A seafood stall, parked beside the pub on a Sunday, would sell cockles, whelks, winkles, mussels, shrimp and jellied eels. My Dad would give my sister and I , or my brother Robert, some ...see more
I was also a pupil at Friar Park from 1955 to 1962. I have nothing but wonderful memories of this amazing school. As a little girl the endless drive with rhododendron bushes eventually opening into this huge circle where an Edwardian Gothic mansion stood, will always be etched in my memory. The incredible sweep of the lawns on the West Terrace leading down to carefully contrived pools and bridges which ...see more
My Nana Simpson (nee Brunton) was a fisherwoman who used to sell fish on the front from a creel on her back years before I was born. My Grandad contracted Polio in his 50's and Nana had to work hard long hours to bring up her extensive family. She progressed in the pre-war years to owning two shops in Jesmond, we used to call them the top and bottom shops, the one on Acorn Road being uppermost in my ...see more
Just a few years after this photograph was taken they moved the war memorial to the junction of Theobald Street and Shenley Road; almost to the spot where this photographer was standing. I was a cub scout with our meeting room in Station Road opposite, and spent many an evening kicking the gravel around the memorial. For some unknown reason my grandmother always refered to 'Tibble Street'.
In 1953 my father worked as a builder contractor and was persuaded to allow the new vicar, the Rev .Lawrence, to hold Sunday school in a temporary bricklayer's hut. So every Sunday we picked our reluctant way through the mud and scaffolding to spend an hour listening to stories. Eventually, St. Michaels and All Angels was built and I remember standing in my scout's uniform waving a union jack when it was opened by Princess Margaret.
My name is Julie and my Mum and Dad are Joan and Tom Street (Mum has passed away). I have wonderful memories of Cuffley and lived there from the age of 5 to 19 years in Homewood Avenue; we moved there in 1963. My Mum loved to tread the boards and I remember going to see her in plays at the old Cabin before the hall was built. I remember my Dad helping to paint and build the sets outside on a Sunday morning. I ...see more
I will cherish forever my memories of Brookfield, I was 11 when I started at Brookfield in 1980. For the first year I hated every muniute of every day, but purseverance from my mum paid off. I can honestly say the remaining years were the best years of my life. I feel very privileged to have been able to do so many things; rock climbing, fell walking, pot holeing ,wind surfing, skiing...the list is endless. To ...see more
When I was ten years old this old tree was a delight. Ancient and hollow inside, we children were able to crawl inside while mother did her shopping. We watched people pass on their way to and from the blacksmith, the grocer or the butcher, firmly believing they had no idea we were there. If we were lucky we would have been bought an ice lolly or a sweet to eat in the tree. It was often thought by visitors ...see more
Although I moved from Prestbury to Gloucester in 1966 when I got married, then to Somerset in 1967. Prestbury has always held a special place in my heart, I always call it my home. I lived in a small cottage in Bowbridge Lane which had a stream at the bottom of the garden, with my parents, Len White and Nancy White and brother Brian. We moved to New Barn Close in 1948, when I was five. My ...see more
Dad recalled that when the USAF were based there, probably around 1955, maybe earlier, he'd decided to take a drive up the road that skirted the base to see if he could spot the new fighter which he had heard about.
So, having left my mum chatting with her sisters, he donned his black leather riding gear and rode his motorcycle up to the gates, got out his binoculars ...see more
My grandfather owned the Old Bell and Steelyard through WWII until the mid 50's. Unfortunately he died before I was born, but I've been visiting Woodbridge to see relatives who still live there, for my entire life.
If you visit the Old Bell, which is, I believe one of the oldest pubs in Britain, look at the far left window ground floor. This used to be a shop with a ...see more
On returning from the Middle East, my family holed up across the water at Fawley. A big city was very exciting for me and after getting off the Hythe Ferry it was all bomb craters up to about the Dolphin. Above Bar was all hoardings around gigantic holes where obviously bombs had fallen and footings were going down for shops etc. Sports meets and hockey matches up by the Common (such a treasure for ...see more
I don't know a lot about Blyth, Northumberland, only that for some strange reason I visited an awful lot during my life but thought nothing of it. My current fiancee and I would sit for long periods on the old docks at the bottom of Ridley Street area, eating locally purchased cheeseburgers etc.
I remember once booking a romantic table for two in Blyth, but it was a waste of time - she only potted 3 ...see more
Up to the age of 10 I spent many happy hours at the Ambassador, if not watching the latest film I would be found in the projection room with my father (chief projectionist) Arthur Dednum or with my mother, Doris Dednum, in the managers office who was at that time manageress. Happy days and a lot of happy memories of the Ambo, and thanks to David Morris for remembering my father, and yes, I do remember you David. David Dednum.
I was born in Jan 1936 in Witham, where my father's family had settled in the 1790's. When I was two my parents moved into one of the new council houses at the north end of Church Street, so I went to Chipping Hill Infants School. I can remember my young mother walking me into the place in early September 1940, at the height of the Battle of Britain. Our teachers were a fiery little welsh lady named Miss Griffith ...see more
This twin screw motor vessel at the Jetty belonged to our family company, the Southend Motor Navigation Co. Ltd. She was built for the company in the 1920's by the local Hayward's Boatyard, Beach Road, Southend and was commandeered by the Royal Navy for the Dunkirk Evacuation Operation Dynamo in May, 1940. She served through the rest of the War as an inshore minesweeper, ...see more
The Royal Hotel was one of the "whitebait inns" which drew custom down-river from London in the nineteenth century. In both World Wars Purfleet was a transit camp for thousands of soldiers waiting to be shipped abroad from Tilbury docks. The Essex shore was called the Erith Rands. Rand was Anglo-saxon for border or Edge. At Purfleet, in medieval times Pilgrims on their way to Canterbury crossed to the Kent ...see more
My family had a holiday in Jaywick every summer, from when I was 5 up until I was about 15 years old. We would stay in bungalows on stilts!! My brothers and me thought this was wonderful,and would run and play under these bungalows. The weather always seemed to be baking hot, and I remember the sand burning my feet! At night, my family and all the other relations who were on holiday with us, would go to the ...see more
Year after year my family had our summer holidays in Jaywick Sands, we used to stay in the same small chalet in Meadow Way, Jaywick Sands. How we all used to fit in there I'll never know. It had tiny windows, an outside toilet, a small front garden with double gates at the front leading out to the long road, Meadow Way. Across the road about 300 yards away was the sea and the beach, and just about 100 ...see more
Not so much a memory for me as I am too young to actually remember Norman. Norman's name is among the list of brave young men that left the Heath and went to fight in the Second World War, he was the younger brother of my grandfather. They were in different regiments but actually ended up in the same POW camp on the famous River Kwai after being captured by the Japs. Grandad had no idea that Nornan was ...see more
What a difficult thing it is to write down all you want to! So much in our memories ...
I am the curator of the Essex Fire Museum which is based at Grays fire station in Hogg Lane. I was born in Grays in June 1952 and lived at 41 Lucas Road with mum Violet, dad Frank and brother Colin not forgetting sister Doreen. In July 1976 I joined the Essex County Fire Brigade and served as a fireman at ...see more
I was born at 13 Alma Place (up the small alley from Argent Street) in 1952, moving to number 6 when I was 5. When I was 9 we moved to Sherfield Road, where I lived until 1970 when we finally moved to Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire, where I live with my wife Christine, who also comes from Grays, having lived in Russel Road. I attended Arther Street Infants and Junior schools, before going to Torrels until 1967. ...see more
Hello my name is Derek Harrington. My Aunt was Nellie Combes who was the cook at Fingringhoe Hall and my mother was Doris Harrington who cleaned the rooms at The Hall. We had just returned to England from South Africa in 1944. I went to the stone school next door to St Andrews Church. We were taught in one large room by a lady and some of the older pupils. I was nine at the time. I was ...see more
I lived in Brook Street with my family between about 1958 and 1967. We lived at the bottom of the road nearest the High Street and opposite a large pond, which was a source of great entertainmanet to me and my sister at times! We watched local firemen practice fire drill, unrolling huge hoses and aiming the water into the pond then rolling up the hoses again when they'd finished. We sometimes ...see more
Every year in our school holidays we would stay at my aunt's house at Sawbridgeworth and all my family would meet at my grandfather's house at Fullers End, Elsenham for a day. Me and my brother, Thomas, would be given the job to get the drinking water in a pail. He had no water or a well - we would have to go down to the railway crossing, go across, in the bank the other side of the ...see more
I lived with my family (Matthews) at 223 High Street from 1955 until 1963, brother David, sisters Cynthia and Jackie, parents Rene and Reg. I think my parents bought the house in 1952 as my brother was born in the back bedroom soon after. My sisters were already about 2 and 8 years old by then. We had an idyllic childhood. Very 'Enid Blyton', lots of outdoor adventures and lashings of lemonade! I ...see more
I lived on Whitehouse Way from 1960-65 and attended Enfield College of Technology. My regular pub was the Cherry Tree and I used to take the young Sunday school teacher there for a drink after matins until the deacon found out. What I didn't know then is that my family had lived in Southgate and area for at least 3 hundred years. My g.g.grandfather (1810-1854) was the blacksmith at Chase Side. ...see more
I lived in Oakwood in the 50s as a child and would regularly be in Oakwood park all day on a Saturday. Quick return home for lunch in between playing on the swings, fishing nets at the wild pond, buying a packet of crisps with a twisty blue salt bag at the cafe. The boating lake on a Sunday would be covered in toy yachts one of which my brothers and would frequently get marooned out in the middle. In the ...see more
My name was Beverley Anne Davies and I went to Port Regis for about 18 months in 1952. We lived in East Ham E6 and I had asthma. I remember the nuns were strict and at times cruel. I have a memory of one very young girl being sick and the Sister shaking her. I was in a play whilst there, my memory is hazy except I was dressed in a satin dress as an angel. The nuns names I remember are Sr ...see more
Visiting the Grace Darling Musuem, then her grave in the churchyard opposite, was an annual event while on holiday on the Northumberland coast. Peering through the bars around the tomb I was often reminded of how my grandmother had pulled herself up, slipped and put a metal spike through the base of her chin. As I could never spot a scar between the wrinkles I doubted the veracity of this tale. It was however ...see more
I was born in 1960 in Delham Ave and grew up at 1 the Crescent with my two brothers and sister. My father, Ronald Wykes, took the steam train to Waterloo each day as he was a banker in the city. After he retired he took up a strong interest in local history by chairing the Egham Historical Society.
Egham station, had a brick engine shed and sidings for trucks in the car park. The old signal box used to operate ...see more
My grandfather was a miner in the South Celynen. He started off at the age of 13 and was made redundant when the mines closed! But what's more interesting about him was that he had two hobbies. 1. was the love for repairing old clocks and watches and 2. and the more interesting to me, was his love of walking. My mother would take me & brother down to visit every other Saturday where we would go walking what ever ...see more
Tettenhall was a logistical centre for the Normandy Landings. Americans were stationed in Danescourt House - long since demolished. However several of the troops have returned over the years, some of whom were "mothered" by Auntie Grace - Mrs Grace Green, who at the time was the stewardess of South Staffs Golf Club, situated next to Danescourt. The Golf Club became a central reception centre for ...see more
I was born in a bungalow to the left of this photo; it was my nan and grandad's. In fact the back part of the car that can be seen on the right of this photo could well have been my dad's outside of my nan's bungalow; the bungalow is still there. We lived there for 4 months then we were given a house in Fleet Street, Coryton; my dad worked for Vacuum Oil which then became Mobil.
It is all too easy to look back to the past and remember an idyllic picture of country life and forget how it was in reality, I often think back to when I was growing up in Claverley in the 1950s and 60s.
My parents, younger brother, and I lived in a tied cottage which came with my father's job as a farm worker, this was no picture postcard house by any means, in fact it was a ...see more
The Belton family has a long association with Spaldwick as millers, witnessed by a hill being in the family name, (O.S. map 153), just north of the village. My mother's sister Violet Bass, from nearby Kimbolton, was married to John Belton. John, my uncle, inherited the windmill as well as a further windmill at Alconbury and a *water driven mill at Houghton, now owned by the National Trust. ...see more
Gunsite Farm was at the end of Limekiln Lane, which was a dirt track. On the left were a row of cottages, on the right, bigger semi detatched where the better off lived. The Alan Rutherford family, (loads of them), Brian Cummings, Steve Belcher and I went to Hardley School. My father was the first person to put a caravan on the land directly in front of the end of Lime Kiln Lane, the farmers name was (?), the land ...see more
Photograph No. 1. I was born in July l940 – Virginia Le Roux. The house on the left of the picture was where I lived until I was nearly 13 with my parents. The long narrow upstairs window was my bedroom. My mother’s mother and brother also lived in the house. My uncle - John Grover had a shop to the left of the porch, where he sold fresh fish, fruit and vegetables, some of which he grew himself. ...see more
I lived in Thurlstone from 1962 on Manchester Road and then to Penistone in 1963. I lived at 162 Green Road. My father worked at David Browns as was, and everyday I used to meet him at the gates at 4 oclock when he finished work. I remember possibly hundreds of men going out through those gates all dressed in their navy blue overalls. At the back of our house were some large steps leading down to the lane where all ...see more
My memories are a bit faded now but I have checked things with my older brothers and they can remember more than me. We were evacuated there during the war. I was born in 1943 and have just celebrated my 70th! My mother met her 2nd husband there and his name was William Henry Griffiths. He was an ex miner and suffered a serious chest condition and only had one lung. After the war we would visit Altofts ...see more
I was an 'inmate' of Roecliffe Manor Convalescent Home around 1958/9. I had an operation on my tonsils and went to Roecliffe to recuperate. I think I was supposed to spend about two weeks there but I lasted around five days! I hated the place. You were not allowed your own clothes, you had to wear uniform which for the girls was a bright green long-sleeved woollen dress (very scratchy) with some sort of ...see more
It had just been built and I was in the class of 1960. I struggle to recall the teacher's names but I'm pretty sure there was a Miss Lynn and there was definitely a Miss Kill. She was my first love at age five.
By a quirk of the internet I met online a 'girl' from my class, now in her 50's, who was still in touch with Miss Kill and I was able to get a message to her. Incredibly, ...see more
I was born and brought up in Maresfield and have wonderful memories of a very happy carefree childhood. Along with my brother and sisters we lived with my mum and dad and my dear old Gran. Gran had lived in the same cottage since she had married my grandad and in that 2 up 2 down cottage she had raised 8 children (it would have been 9 but 1 son passed away after an accident), my mum being ...see more
In 1939 on the out break of the Second World War my father was sent to London aerodrome, from Cornwall, to repair bombers and fighter planes. I was born in Cornwall, 12 Dec 1940, and my mother wanting to be with her husband took me to Send, where father had managed to get a shared accommodation with another family, called the Gaigens, spelling may be wrong, together in a bungalow in Tannery Lane. I think the bungalow ...see more
My name is Pauline Stanhope (nee Young). I was born on the Syon Estate, 1944. Growing up there was very carefree. The local park (rec) was right opposite our house. I spent many happy hours playing there with the local children. In the summer Rossi's, the ice cream van, used to come around and all the children used to run home for their 3d for an ice cream. Barbara's mention of the Queen's cinema brings back ...see more
My father’s family moved to Rhyl in 1891 and my mother’s family in 1925. My parents fell in love on Rhyl Golf Links. Even though they settled in Portsmouth after their wedding, family bonds held fast and we spent every summer and chunks of other time in Rhyl in the family homes of my mother in Highfield Park and my father in Conwy Street. I was born in 1935 and even though I do not remember much of pre WW2 ...see more
As village 'Bobby' in the late 1960's early 70's, we, my wife and two daughters, lived in the Police House in Furnace Lane. Sometime about 1970 I called into the village shop (I think it was Fuller's) and the lady there asked me if I would take a gun off her! She said that they had recently gone into the roof space when having a clear out and found a pearl handled revolver with belt and holster. She went on ...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 ...see more