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 1751 - 1800 of 2029 in total
I was born in Dowlans Road, opposite to Dawnay Road. The grocers which is referred to was where my mum used to shop. Next to the grocers my best friend Nigel lived, as did Dave Hill before him. The waste ground to the left in the photo was a bit of a dumping ground. We, Dave and me, found some old paint tins one day and we took them into the rec and painted the swings, white. You can imagine our mums and dads when they found out. We were only about 6 years old at the time.
During the early years after the Second World War my mother would take me to Woolwich as a special treat. I was about 8 year old then. We would catch the 696 trolleybus from Dartford market and arrive at the Woolwich Arsenal around lunch time. Our first stop was Manzie's Pie and Eel shop - absolutely delicious after the wartime food. From there we would walk past Woolwich Empire on our way to the ferry. On ...see more
Woolwich Market ..what a hoot ! I can hear the stallkeeper at the far left there now back in 1959... 'ere y'are luv..step right up...step right up..see these 'ere brand new silk bloomers ...never seen dayloit, never seen moonloit and never seen Aunt Fanny by gasloit 'aven't these 'ere bloomers...wot'lyer give me then...three pairs a shilling then...come on nah.... I lived on Mill Lane up by the barracks...used to love wandering around the market on a Saturday, I did.
As a very young lad I lived on Ankerdine Crescent on Shooter's Hill, but Mum frequently took me down to Woolwich for shopping on the market. I can clearly remember a butcher's stall close to Powis Street where the cry related to 'Lamb's tickers' (lamb's hearts), something I sorely miss these days, living here in Sweden. What the Swedes do with the lamb's tickers I'll never know.
We also took ...see more
There has been a ferry at Woolwich for many centuries but the people of Woolwich complained in the 1880s that West London had free access across the River Thames by bridges so why couldn't they have free travel? The river was too busy to put a bridge over and there was not room to put in a tunnel so the newly formed London County Council decided to provide a free ferry service with boats large enough to accomodate ...see more
The Woolwich Ferry was the only way I can remember in the 1950s and 60s that we could go 'over the water ' from South to North London. I can remember trips with my Nannie as a child , catching a bus from Eltham to Woolwich and then on the Ferry when she went to visit a Methodist Church on the other side of the Thames. The Thames at that time was so smelly she used to give me a hankie with lavender water to hold to ...see more
My first posting as as an L.A.C. Chef in the R.A.F. was to 22 Group H.Q. at the hall in May 1953. I was eighteen at the time and was to become chef to A.V.M. Merton in his residence, Farcroft in Market Drayton. I reported to the guardroom and was then whisked up to meet the A.V.M. by his P.A. F/Lt. Jan Badini who I was told was a Polish Count. I think he must have been as he later told us ...see more
This shelter/seat was built by my grandfather, Ezra Dowsing Cotton, in I believe the 1930s to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of George V. At least I think so. As a child I thought it was in memory of those who fell in the First World War .
Ezra Cotton was a carpenter, builder, and importantly the village undertaker, in the early years of the 20th century, and possibly the late 19th century. His daughters ...see more
Although living in Chislehurst, I visited Sidcup often on the single deck 228 bus. The pupose of the visit was to dine in the "British Resturant" in (I think), Hatherly Road. The choice of meals was very limited but they were filling and cheap. My mother worked in the Royal Artillery Record Office in Foots Cray, opposite the bus garage. Next door was Kolster Brands who made radios. The cafe over the garage at ...see more
I was born in the "White Horse" on 7th October 1937. Mrs Woolard helped in the pub and looked after me when my Mum and Dad were busy. Mrs Woolard and her husband Alf lived on the other side of the Green. There were lots of her relatives in the village and everyone was very friendly. We moved to Hare Street, Great Parndon in the early 1940's and I started at Great Parndon Primary School which was near to St. ...see more
I was 19 years old when I was to move over to Newbury but at first I was roughing it until I could find cheap enough accommodation. At times, due to me being not able to get a good old scrub down and also a clean change of clothes; wearing a black double breasted Jacket and a French style beret all I needed was the string of onions around my neck and I would have passed for a Frenchman. I was something of a pitiful ...see more
The Great Orme Tramway is split into an upper and lower section at Halfway station. This photo is taken on the lower section at the middle passing place, situated on Ty Gwyn Road just above Black Gate. At this point, car 4 takes the outer rails to pass car 5 which passes on the hillward side. The roadway here is 'pinched' [ie it suddenly narrows] and has on occasion been the scene of ...see more
I just loved Surbiton Lagoon. Me and my twin sister lived in Alexandra Drive, just around the corner and we were good friends with the manager's son Vaughan Hancock. In the scorching hot summer of 1976 we were 14. My mum worked at the Lagoon so we got in free. We spent all the summer holidays there and 'bagged' our sun bathing spot on the stairs at the 5ft marker. This is because me, my twin (Nicola) and our ...see more
This photograph features someone sitting on a bench in the foreground of Orford Castle. It is a strong possibility that it is my Uncle Jim (James Ellis) Smy. This was his favourite spot and he could be found sitting there catching up with his friends. There are several legends attached to Orford Castle. The most famous is that of the Merman. Villagers allegedly caught him in fishing nets and imprisoned him in the ...see more
My parents took over The Chocolate Box, a little general store which sold mostly sweets in 1946. I lived there in the old thatched cottage and the attached house, which was called the new house, as it was only two hundred years old (which also included the shop). I always thought the house we lived in was haunted, and my dad, Russell Oddy, thought so too. In fact, he used to swear ...see more
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I saw this photo and the year it was taken. I was born in 1960 and my mam already had my two older brothers to look after, one was 3 and the other 1. She took us all to the shops one day, this would have only been a short walk from South Street, which was at the back of the shops, my two brothers had her mithered all round the shops, she says, so she just got a few things ...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.
My parents Angela and Leslie Jecks-Wright bought the house in the picture, on the right, and made a successful business called the Moat Tea Room of it! Our house was at 64 Fore Street. We used to get coaches visiting the castle, and we were kept very busy when that happened. We used to let the college boys use the upstairs room as a sort of "clubhouse". A lot of GIs used to visit and eat there.
I currently ...see more
I only have great sunny memories of Halifax as a child.
A lot of these photos in the 1960's show the sunshine... just how I remember it. My granddad worked on the buses and in the photos he may have been on one of those! His mate on the buses was called Arthur Crowther and me and my brothers used to call him "Half A Crown". I went to Trinity School and the teachers were great. Much more humane than the ones I ...see more
When I was a small child in the 1950's my father had a toy stall in Halifax Borough Market. It was a wondrous place for a child in those days, a family, a community, with all the market children growing up together. I remember a cafe run by the Sullivan family that sold the cold fish (Halifax Fish) which I can honestly say was the best I have ever tasted. The market was full of interesting characters ...see more
My Dad was born and lived in Halifax. When he was young a family firm which had a stall in the market hall delivered a fish speciality on bicycles with baskets. We all called it "Halifax Fish" and it was a piece of haddock in a round patty covered in batter. They were sold cold and could be eaten cold or re-heated and eaten hot. As a child I went to the market hall with my Dad to buy Halifax Fish ...see more
I lived in Dunston from 1946-1964. This area of Dunston was a place I knew quite well. The lamp post on the left was almost outside a dental surgery. I well remember the experience of having a tooth extracted here, and the staff's struggle to administer the gas anesthetic to knock me out! I learned to dislike visiting the dentist from here. To the right there were the "bankyfields". There used to be a ...see more
I was born in Barnsley in 1950 and lived in Hemsworth. I use to go to the pictures on a Saturday morning with my pals and ride my pretend horse home afterwards. I don't know the name of our street but you could walk out of the front door, cross over and go down the dirt path to the main road. I think the market was there and on the other side was the picture house with chippy close by. My dad, who was Polish, worked ...see more
I moved to Westward Ho! in 1952 with my parents and two sisters. My parents owned a guest house call Beacon Lights in Nelson Road, sadly it has now been demolished to make way for flats. I remember the floods at Lynmouth in 1953 as a lot of dead animals were washed up on the beach at Westward Ho! I loved the time I spent there, and used to get up early in the summer to walk the beach bringing home ...see more
From my childhood in Welshpool in the 1940s and 50s I have fond memories of the little steam train which crossed over Church Street, originally on a daily basis then later on Mondays only, carrying livestock from farms in the Llanfair Caereinion area to and from the Smithfield Market in Welshpool. My grandfather was one of the engine drivers who drove the train and often when I came out of ...see more
I was with the USAF and had just spent a year in Morocco. We were assigned to RAF Bentwaters but worked at RAF Woodbridge with the 79th. Coming into the country we first stayed at the White Hart Inn in Wickham Market and learned that we spoke American, the English speak English, similar for sure but different. Alhough we finally settled in Felixstowe for our tour, we really enjoyed ...see more
I too, was in Copley House with my sister Sheila. Our surname was Youngs (the sister in charge of the house was Sister Ada Fitzjohn). I was at first, in the nursery school on Chester Road until I was five and went up to the 'big' home. Many happy memories of Sutton Park, the lakes, the trees and the heather. We sometimes played truant from Sunday school, and went to the park ...see more
I can remember a POW camp just inside Boldmere Gates. The Americans used the inmates to destroy lots of things at Jubillee Hill(?) at the sand pits, when war ended. This was material from the Streetly Camp area. Lots of it was parcels from their sorting office of men who couldn't be traced, including bedding. The local women were up in arms, but the G.I's kept them back from the site by rifle point. I was 16 at that time.
My brother Douglas and I were there 1945 to 1953, he was in Beatrice House and I was in Copley House. For the first year I only saw Douglas in chapel on Sundays and on our birthday's when our mother visited. I can remember Ronald and his twin sister loved to talk to our mother as she wore her blonde hair pinned up. I loved sports and animals so I spent a lot of time on the farm we were allowed pet mice which ...see more
Running parallel at the back of this church [St James] runs High street, where I was born as generations of my family were. The two pot banks on the right represent a fraction of the "Belcher's" that existed in Longton in the 30s/4os, they dominated everyone who lived amongst them with their endless stream of black smoke belching six days a week and covering all the buildings with soot and dirt. Night time brought ...see more
I was born in Longton in 1933 at 151 High Street Post Office, Longton. All my childhood was spent there with my grandmother, Sarah Wright and my great aunt Matilda Ward (my grandmother's sister). Between them they ran the Post Office until the middle years of the Second World War.
Before it was a Post Office, my great grandfather William Ward had a tailoring business there, from 1871 ...see more
One of my earliest memories was as a child on a Sunday morning, still in my pyjamas, being driven to Madeley by my Dad to watch the trains go by. Standing on the footbridge, which is still there, and looking along the line in the distance for the appearance of smoke, so you knew a train was coming. Being only little, it was possible (until electrification) to see through the girder bridge quite a way ...see more
I lived in a flat over 12 The Parade (then a Garden Shop) until I was ten years old, from 1944-1954. Our gate was on the alley round the back. At the Hare Lane end of the alley were hung 'pig bags' - sacks where people put scraps to feed pigs (post-war, so still on rationing!). The other end of the alley went through to one of the brickyards that were then still around Claygate. A rag-and-bone man came ...see more
In the mid and late sixties my family would travel from Glasgow to Kent every summer to visit relatives. Our overnight stop was always at the Old England Hotel and I have fond memories of walking round the village and finding it so different to where I lived in Glasgow. My memory is also of Mr Pike bringing a pre breakfast cup of tea in the morning, and greeting me with a very cheerful, ...see more
My great grandfather Henry Braun owned the Vale of Health Hotel (shown in the right of this photo) overlooking the lake, from 1877 until the early 1900's. The hotel was used as an Anglo German club called the Athenaeum and by 1908 had 1200 members - 500 English, 700 German, including many political radicals. The hotel became a factory during World War I and then remained derelict for some years. The hotel ...see more
I bought my favourite car in Hatch End from the Cornwall Garage in 1970. It is on the right of this view beyond the row of shops and the crossroads of Uxbridge Road and Cornwall Road. It was a 1966 Triumph Spitfire, pale blue with two black "racing stripes" up the long bonnet over the hard top and down the boot! It cost me all of £465 in April 1970. I rather ...see more
I lived in Hatch End from 1956 until I went up to Manchester in 1966, so I got to know my local shops both as a helpful schoolboy running errands for my mum to MacPhails the greengrocer and later as a teenager buying my records in Giles and my half pints of Benskins in "The Railway".
This view on the left side shows Payantake Supermarket, Signal Service radio shop, Woolworths and Spurlings ...see more
My parents lived with my grandfather - Harry Fiddleman, at 41 Lower Addiscombe Road. Grandfather was a hairdresser so we lived behind and above the shop. I was born at St Mary's Maternity Home. I cannot find any references to this 'Home' anywhere, although I'd love to know more about it. When I was a baby my 'cot' was a drawer - evidently quite common in the fifties. My father worked for his father in the early days, ...see more
As I look at this picture of the Letchworth swimming pool and notice the date is c1950… it would be only a few years later (mid 60’s) that my friends and I would cycle there with our towels and trunks fastened to the backs of our bikes (no expensive designer sports bags for us!). We’d padlock/chain our bikes outside the pool and hope that the worst that could ...see more
The formative years of my early childhood were spent at No. 39 Bondgate, Pontefract, which was one of a block of four small two-up, two-down houses situated immediately adjacent to the front entrance of Wilkinson's Liquorice Works. Our house was about three steps up from the pavement and enjoyed the luxury of a narrow strip of garden, possibly three yards deep. However, we ...see more
Growing up and the family - Part 1
My grandfather William Morgan Cockram (son of Lewis Cockram) and grandmother (Mary Cockram) (granny and grandpa Cockram) took over the ironmongers after the death of John Richards. They were living behind the shop when I was growing up. I remember the shop very well. It was not a very busy shop – I remember my grandmother in the living room at the back of the ...see more
I am 70 now and since 1950 have visited Teignmouth regularly, what lovely memories this place has for me. My childhood visits with Sunday school coach outings from Norton Fitzwarren in Somerset, I am sure many others reflect on those simpler times when we were happy with little. Many other visits with mum and dad in our 1936 Wolseley, each trip almost an adventure. Then my youth in the 60's camping at Smugglers ...see more
Burley Woodhead. We lived in Shotover from my birth in 1942 until approx 1957. My parents moved into the house and the village 1939. When my brother Roger was born in Bingley in 1946 I remember picking him up, and bringing him home. The house then was up a rough lane, the top one of 2 houses and 3rd one being build around mid 1950s. The school on the edge of Ilkley moor ...see more
My father Robert Williams, owned and ran a hardware shop in St Mildreds Road from 1963 until his death in 1977. His three sons, of which I am the middle, used to help in the shop when we were not at school. We sold a huge range of hardware and ironmongery, as well as fireworks and 'beach toys' in due season. The shop, which is now an undertakers, was fronted by a very ...see more
On 4th March 1946, about fifty children from Dury Falls School, Hornchurch, were taken by coach to Sheephatch School camp. We slept in double bunks in dormitories; did lessons during the day and went for many walks. In the evenings we learned dancing, such as the Gay Gordons; saw films, and even put on a concert. Every evening we had a hot shower in the ablution block. The dormitories held ...see more
I was born at the Congleton War Memorial Hosipital and was christened at St Stephen's Church; just above the wall which borders Hankinson's field to the right of the River Dane in this picture. My Dad played rugby for the Congleton Rugby Union Footall Club which was then based very close to the old Berisfords Mill. Our family attended every Sunday morning rugby match and when the ball was ...see more
Just look closely at the picture, sitting on top of the fountain was half the fun & excitement of coming to the pool. Water wings under my arms and the supervision of Granddad Russell I made my first attempt at learning to swim. Getting really daring swimming to the back of the pool, climbing out would lead to the open sea where only the brave would swim. The pool was accessed by steps from the road at the ...see more
Growing up during war years and having to spend many nights in the Anderson shelter at bottom of garden. School was only half days for a while and when my brother started he had to go to neighbouring houses where the teachers came, rather than at Ray Lodge School, Woodford Bridge. Sat my 11+ exam at the High School and we had to take sandwiches in case an air raid interrupted the exam. I passed ...see more
We had some great times in the summer hollidays. A crowd of us would get on our bikes go along to the Strand and then along the sea wall to sharps Green. We passed a boat yard, but I don't remember the name. We were gone all day. We played "bike scrambling" up and down the mounds, the boys were always better at it than us girls. There were always loads of damsons and blackberries that we could pick and eat. We ...see more
Me and my brother went to this home around 1954. I would be 7 and he would be 9; we went on the train from Rochdale. I remember mother giving my older brother 2 half crowns - 5 bob for sweets to last a fortnight. I also remember watching someone peeling tats by putting them in a big drum with sharp edges and turning it like a mangle. Unfortunately, I also remember climbing the steps on the slide in the play area and ...see more
