Recent 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.
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This week's Places
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Displaying Memories 36721 - 36800 of 36914 in total
My husbands Aunt, Cicely Minnie Day, was the post mistress at the Post Office in Lower Slaughter when it was situated in the house on the far right of this photo. The sign above the door denoting this fact. When she died in 1954 the post office was moved to another house in the village. As a child my husband spent happy holidays in this house when his Mother and Father visited his family there.
I was born in Little Baddow and was familiar with the story of Alice Mildmay and Jesse Berridge's book. One summer night three of us rode ponies down Riffhams Chase to Great Graces and down Grace's Walk, arriving at midnight. We crossed the bridge (the one in the photo) and all I can remember after that is that all three ponies turned and galloped back up towards the house. We returned home up Colam Lane, ...see more
This is closer to Salt Hill than Cippenham. The road on the left is Twinches Lane, the factory on the right is probably Crane Packing, and the view looks west!
The 1841 Census says that my 3rd great grandfather, William Little, with wife Ann and family, lived at this Windmill. His occupation is stated as 'Miller' so I guess he worked on the premises. One of his sons, George, grew to marry Mary Ann and run the Barley Mow Beer House on Chapel Hill. His daughter Mary Ann was a barmaid there at age 19 and at George's death his wife took over the running of the premises. It passed into the hands of other family members later.
The chalk pit at Odiham looks much the same today as it did over 100 years ago, except that most of the buildings are no longer there. An old story I heard in the The Bell Pub, mentioned the local hunt gathering in the Bury Square on boxing day some years ago. They left in the direction of the Chalk Pit on a foggy morning, only to lose half of the poor hunting dogs over the shear face of the cliff. It seems the wily old fox had the better of them on this occasion.
Around the 1920s this building was known as Perry's Place and was located diagonally opposite the Black Jug, known then as the Hurst Arms. It was dismantled and moved to nearby Mannings Heath. It now forms the clubhouse and is called Fullers. A stunning web site featuring photos of Horsham comparing them to the Frith originals is at www.hiddenhorsham.co.uk
My friends and I spent many happy hours playing on the old platform and under the old railway bridge before they were both demolished. We used to play hopscotch on the platform and had a camp amongst the trees at the back. We made a rope swing there and used to take a packed lunch down on school holidays and spend all day there messing about. We had a secret club and had to give a password before you ...see more
We used to go to saturday morning pictues at the Dominion Cinema which was opposite the Manor House. Oh the joy of seeing Roy Rogers, Old Mother Riley, The Cisco kid, The keystone cops etc.... I think it was 9 old pence to get in and we had a few pence for sweets.
I would love to hear from anybody that remembers WYNTON CAFE that was situated on the south cliffs at Barmston. My parents, Terry & Ida McGuire owned & ran the cafe from approx 1966 to 1970. I was just a boy at the time and have very fond memories of Barmston, the hot summers and the cold, isolated snowy winters. I remember standing and watching several bungalows and chalets disappear over the ...see more
When I was a little girl in the early 60's I often used to take long walks along here, and I used to visit the farm to watch Peter Jenner milking the cows. I also had a crush on Peter but I was only 6 and he was 14. I wonder what happened to Peter. My late mother went to the school in the picture and was born in Hermon Cottage in Catsfield and that is where my auntie Violet lived for most of her life until it was turned ...see more
My grandfather, John Williams, lived in a victorian terraced house in Seymour Road with his parents and four brothers. The house was knocked down and replaced with the large block of flats you can see in the distance to the centre of the photograph. It stands right next to the Boleyn ground, West Ham United's stadium, which has been there for over a hundred years. My grandfather and his brothers were regular visitors to ...see more
Frome's 'Oldest House' or 'Pepperpot' has a chequered past even in recent times. I moved to Frome in 1992 when it was being used as a Travel Agents and looked fairly run down. It then remained closed for a number of years except at christmas time when it was used as a charity card shop. The upper floors of the building have faux tudor styling, the ground floor is laid out to plate glass. It fell into disrepair and ...see more
My sister, parents and I lived in Florence Road with my Aunts. We had the recreation ground at the bottom of the road and in those days we used to play for hours there with other neighbours children. I used to go to the bowling green there and watch with my Dad the bowlers playing on the immaculate hedge enclosed green in the rec. There was an outdoor swimming pool where we learnt to swim, it got very crowded on hot ...see more
This is the hill that appeared in the Hovis television adverts - supposedly in a northern town, but in reality in deepest Dorset! At the top it is about 700 feet above sea level. It is now the scene of the once a year Gold Hill Festival in July.
This shot of the High Street presents the signage for the Cadena Cafe, a chain of national cafes (in the 'Lyon's' mould) where shoppers met for coffee and light meals. I have fond memories of visiting the cafe with family and friends, and in particular the stairway down to the coffee lounge, below street level. The coffee lounge was, as I recall, adorned with plants and greenery in subdued lighting and a 'cozy' ...see more
I have lived in Urmston all my life, the only better places are Benllech and the Lakes.
I can remember it as the same ,what a wonderful place when I was a child.
A view from my local pub, the buffett room, used as a bar in the 80s when the pub was being done up.
I spent many holidays in Benllech, although Golden Sands holiday camp needs bringing in to the 21st century as it is still the same as it was in the 70s.
My employer - does not look as nice today.
I used to work at Barrets butchers in about 1982 with my mate Pete Bennett (r.i.p.). A blonde girl called Sharon used to come past everyday on her rollerblades - fond memories.
Me and my friends camped on the circle for a dare untill the police moved us in the early hours. Date was about 1980.
When I was a child i used to play in the white house just past the garage just to the left of the picture when it was derelict.
I was born and raised in Redhill. It was a wonderful childhood and many great memories. I was born in 1941 at Thornton House. We lived on Ladbroke Road, and remember the fish and chip shop, Mrs Fentons Store, and Mr.Winchesters shoe repair. I attended St. Matthews School then attended Frenches Secondary School, then to Pitmans College in Croydon. After school I worked for the ...see more
My first memories of the Ffrith beach are of my grandfather who started the fun fair, which had an arcade, bingo and fair ground. There was also two boating ponds,cafe, ice cream kiosks etc. Many good days were spent on the beach, it's a shame that the Ffrith is no longer a family-oriented place to be. Back in my grandfathers day the Ffrith was packed with holiday makers and day tripers, what happened? Later on in the ...see more
We moved into the parade of shops in 1938.
Our father opened a green grocery and florist shop at No16 I think? I recall that although the war years were devestating to many people I recall many fond memories growing up in Chipsted with my older sister Valerie. Our father was serving in the national fire brigade and managed to come home from time to time to help our mother run the shop and raise me and ...see more
The white building in the forground is the Nell Gwenn public house, a well-known hostelry.
Note in this photo that the war memorial has been moved back and the wall lowered. Flats have been built on the Banstead house site. You could always see the green houses over the high wall from the top of the 164a bus. The corner shop, which I think used to be a bakery (top left) has gone and the road widened. The bus always used to mount the curb on this corner when turning towards the downs and Greenacre school roundabout.
The large oblong building on the left was Bassett House of which the ground floor was Waitrose. The Bassett Family lived at Hunters Lodge, Banstead and the three children grew up to represent England. Sheena in running and swimming marathons and Pippa and Karen won bronze medals for the British team in the horse four in hand World Driving trials They are both short listed for this years team [2006] and Karen is the leading lady driver in GB and the World.
Does anyone else remember the chain railings and posts, painted black and white around the green in front of these shops? I used to jump over them as a small child. They enclosed all the grass area.
This slipway was built in 1960. Prior to that time ferries left from Portsmouth Point.
The first time my father took me under the Hengoed viaduct I remember looking up and said to my dad that one day I would like to walk across it and wondered how long it would take us. When I got a bit older and a bit more interested in the viaduct, me and a mate got over the fence on the Hengoed station side and made the trip to the other side. Once half way across we stopped to take in the incredible views. I'll never ...see more
Volunteer was built in 1703 and as far as we can find out, it possibly became a pub in 1840s. It ceased trading in 1973 when it was sold by the brewery to the Gray family. The Grays converted it back into a house. We bought Volunteer in 2001 and it still looks much the same from the outside. The door between the two windows (beneath the pub sign), used to lead into the Saloon Bar, which is now our study; ...see more
Ni chlywais erioed am unrhyw eglwys mewn dyffryn ym Mhenycae. Roedd pant lle roedd Nant y Grogfryn yn cyfarfod â'r Afon Eitha, ond 'Pentre' oedd yr enw ar yr ardal hon. Mae eglwys Pen y cae ymhell uwchben yr afon. Cofio mynd i chwilio am arwyddion y gwanwyn ar hyd llwybrau Penycae gyda dosbarth Standard 5 a Mr Parry'r Prifathro. Mae ardal Pentref yn dlysach o lawer heddiw.
The Old Mill I remember playing alongside the old mill. There was a family in the nearby farm - Edna and Audrey were the names of two of the sisters. The old pub went on fire during that period. There was an area for the children to play on the side the river. Cofio chwarae yn ymyl yr hen felin. Roedd teulu yn y fferm gyfagos - Edna ac Audrey oedd enwau dwy o'r chwiorydd. Aeth yr hen dafarn to gwellt ar dan tua'r adeg yma. Roedd lle i blant chwarae yn ymyl yr afon.
The Cheam Ladies Swimming Club used to train here in the winter months when the Cheam baths were closed. Pop Worsell was our coach and trained us. Fanella Webb and Pam Turner represented GB and I won county championships.
It is with great interest we see your picture of the village square, showing what is now the Post Office and largest post code sorting office in England. It also shows the Regency Gables Tea Rooms, we moved there in 2004. We run the free Community Parish information site... www.umberleigh-northdevon.co.uk and would be interested in any memories of Umberleigh, which we can put on the site.
The Galleon swimming pool was all blue with a marvellous fountain at the far, shallow end. Above to the left was a sun balcony and a little counter where you could buy soft drinks and sweets. There was a wavey slide on the left side middle and a spring board at the deep end. Everywhere was painted summer blue. Oh the fun we had as kids and the place was always crowded on sunny days. I still have a photo of ...see more
Seeing the fountain in this picture brings back childhood memories from the 1950/60s of sailing boats up and down the paddling pool at weekends or when your parents took you down on a sunny afternoon. Summer fetes and funfair on the grass area between the paddling pool and Norton Way South, last but not least playing in the small wood behind the paddling pool before the Council cut it down and spoilt it!
In 1954 I was assigned as a second Lieutenant United States Weather Forecaster to RAF Sheperds Grove. After a few months living on the base I moved to a Pub in Botesdale, but unfortunately I do not remember the name. Several rooms were available. Please let me know the name. L. I. Miller
I was born in Smeeton on April 23rd 1935. I remember staying with a Mr and Mrs Webb. As you approached Smeeton there were cottages on the left hand side, we stayed in the last one next to a lane. The cows came up this lane everyday for milking, quite often straying on to the garden, it was our job to shoo them away. Down this lane was a chapel which was on the left hand side, I remember singing here. ...see more
The house shown in the foreground of this photograph was the home of my Uncle, Percy Drury. This was sometime around 1940/42, I do not know how long he resided there. I lived at 115 Westbury Leigh with my grandparents Percy & Annie Drury. My grandfather was a flower pot maker and worked at the local brickyard. Why my grandparents went to live in Westbury remains a mystery to ...see more
I was born in Bridge Street and went to Fairfield School, or "Fairfield Junior Mixed" as it was called when it became Co-Ed in about 1948. I remember the whole class having to walk up to Harris Park and stand round the fountain shown in the picture. Unfortunately we had to hold a daffodil during the walk and then recite Daffodils when we were round the fountain. I noticed when I was in ...see more
Hi everyone. I lived in Holcombe Rogus during the war years. My Father Leeming Greaves and Kathleen Korner had leased the Prince Of Wales Hotel. My brother Joseph and I attended the local School, I was 9 years old at that time. My Teachers name was Mrs Berry. Mrs Berry had a son Roger who spent a lot of time with my brother. It was a very busy time in Holcombe Rogus as the American servicemen had ...see more
My claim to Fame I was born at home in Stirling Tower at Dryburgh Estate on the 26th November 1960 nee Cockburn. The first person to be born in Dryburgh for over 100 years.
The date is approximate. I was very young, about 6 at the time. I lived with my family in a village called Sandycroft, about 7 miles from Chester. We visited my great Aunt Jane who lived in one of the middle cottages in this picture. I remember a very small kitchen and her buttering an uncut loaf of bread liberally, then slicing it very finely for our tea. Afterwards we walked up the steep hill next to the row of ...see more
My earliest memory of a Film I saw in Southall is a Hindi film called Love in Tokyo! 3 Great Cinemas, 2 Great parks (that's what I recall) and 1 Great Town - SOUTHALL when there was litttle or no car parking problems (not that I was a driver, I was too young) and respect for LAW was high.
this street is the scene of many a frantic cycle to the sweet shop (aka village shop) at the bottom of the hill, eager to hand over our week's pocket money to Mr Knight who ran the shop. This view is roughly from the pub on the corner (the red lion?), that was run by a landlord that strangely became rather irate when his triumph stag was pelted with mud balls from a strategically positioned hedge. happy days...
I was evacuated to Bluntisham from south London and stayed with the Reverend Kirby (Minister of the Chapel) and his wife and daughter Patricia. I used to attend the Chapel regularly. I remember it well and they were very kind to me.
My great-grandparents Robert Close and Annie Head were married at this church on January 8th 1888.
This picture shows the factory of Huntley & Palmers - the biscuit makers who were one of the largest employers in Reading in the 20th Centrury. Presumably the photo was taken at the end of a working day with the workers streaming out of the factory? Palmer Park was named after one of the founders of this firm.
I think this boathouse was where the Reading Working Men's Rowing Club was based. I remember boys from the Forest Grammar School rowing on the river here and the extraordinary pain in your arms as you rowed the last few strokes of a race!
I lived in the house on the right (Hazel House) just before the bakery from 1958-1988. Many memories of there. Anyone with any memories of Two Dales, please don´t hesitate to contact.
This holiday camp was known as California in England and was owned by the Cartledge family. Mr Cartledge ran the holiday camp and Mrs Cartledge ran the Red Puppet cafe in Wokingham's Peach Street for some time, where a group of boys from the Forest school and girls from the Holt would meet for coffee on the way home from school.
At the time this photograph was taken the building in the background on the right housed the Grosvenor School. At some stage it became a surgery for a local doctor but I don't know when? By the 1950s it had grown to a surgery with several doctors, including a Dr Merrick.
By the time I lived in Finchampstead in 1975 this was a private house but otherwise the street looked much the same. The Adnams family owned the garage a little further down this street on the left, opposite the playing fields.
The building in the background is the Forest Grammar School which would have been newly built at this time - I think it opened in 1957. The headmaster at the time was "Wally" Jackson, who I had the pleasure of meeting rather too often as he wielded his cane for my latest infraction of the rules!
I used to live in Maultway North - the turning directly to the right of the Jolly Farmer - in the mid 1980's, so I have hazy memories of the pub as a customer. But I remember feeling the place to be cut off from the rest of the world - it was always a challenge crossing the London Road as the pub is smack bang in the middle of a busy roundabout. A million miles away from this tranquil image.
The legend of the ...see more
Look carefully between the first two trees on the left of the photograph. In the gap with the house in the background you will see a horizontal dark line which follows to the right. This is the railway line called the Harbour Line which operated until about 1967. The engine was driven by Mr Charlie Rands, who lived in Elm Road. In the main I remember it carrying timber from English Brothers, although it would have ...see more
The opened sided storage sheds were owned by English Brothers.
On the left on his father's cycle is Malcolm French, an old friend. No doubt he is returning to the office of J Bellamy, Accountants, North Brink, where he was at that time articled. He worked in the town as an accountant during his working life.
I went to St Peter's School, shown by the side of the canal, half way up the picture on the left, and contained in the triangle. It was demolished prior to the canal being filled to create Churchill Road. This was an important site during winter for us local boys. Council workmen would shovel snow from the town and tip it on the canal bank. Snow meant ice and we were able to toboggan down the bank onto the frozen water. ...see more
This photograph shows the Red Lion pub set back from the junction of Malvern Road with Upton Road which is on the right. The traffic island was soon to disappear as this main road section became a one way system by the early 1960s. The pub still exists. Seasonal hop pickers would have used the pub as extensive hop yards existed behind the houses on the right. I lived in this part of Powick and was 5 years old in 1955.
This photograph shows residents waiting for the No.144 Midland Red bus from Malvern to Worcester outside the village shops. Far left is EW Bird's butchers, left is Cromptons newsagents, off picture further left is Procters general store. There were three shops in this row, all now closed. The pub sign behind the lady in the centre is for the Coventry Arms which was down the unmade short lane to the side of ...see more
This picture was actually taken in the early 1960's and later turned into a postcard. The man on the motorbike is my late father, John Ridd, who was a local farm manager at the time. The motorbike by the way is a BSA Bantam - he was the only person in the village who had one like it!
Boat BK103 was named the 'Xmas Star'. I was skipper for 8 years between December 1957 and November 1965. The family had two new boats afterwards called Radiant Way BK210 and Radiant Way LH147.
The pub was originally known as 'The Gate' - hence the sign hanging over the door. The current name is a corruption of 'Borne's Gate' from the time of the landlord whose name was Mr Borne. The pub still exists, beside the stream of the same name, Bonesgate Stream.
The parked car is outside my great uncle's cobbler and shoe shop. When I was eight, I spent time 'working' in the shop for a few pennies The church opposite was where the local Brownies met weekly of which I was one.
I lived in Malton for many years and as a schoolboy sang in the church choir. Services alternated on Sundays between St Leonard's Church (the one with a spire) and the older St Michael's church in the Market Place. St Leonard's was eventually transferred to the Malton catholic following as diminishing membership of the Church of England Church could not support both buildings.
The author of Pembrokeshire book describes this pic as houses on the edge of the cliff. The buildings are actually an ex wartime camp containing a searchlight unit and some coastal guns. Now a caravan park.
The name of the hotel was The Munro Hotel, after the owner who built it. It's now called The Munro Inn.
The river is the Kennet and this view shows the junction of the Kennet river (from low level bridge on the right) and the Kennet and Avon Canal (towards the locks straight ahead). The tributary to the left is towards the West Mills flour mill (water powered). The view is upstream (West).
The mill in the photograph is Low Mill at Grassington. My ancestor William Irving lived here with his family before 1820 until his death in 1843 aged 84. He was a woolcomber. His son James Irving also lived here with his family until his death in 1873 age 93. He was an overlooker. The mill in the photograph has three sections. It is only the centre section which has been demolished. The other two sections ...see more
The buildings from left to right are the Post Office with Drakelow Press printing and bookbinding firm in buildings above and behind it. Established prior to 1827 by a Stephen Dodd, in 1951 it became known as Drakelow Press. The there is the Black Horse pub, a wool/haberdashery shop, a grocery shop, Gibbs and Dandy Ironmongers which was a treasure trove of nails, screws, string, buckets, mops etc. Then on the corner a cafe.
The buildings from left to right are an antique shop, then a sweet shop that was full of the most delightful assortment of sweets all in glass jars and weighed out on brass scales into white paper bags. Then Dudeney and Johnston the grocers - they had a man who went around the villages on his bicycle one day a week taking grocery orders which were then delivered by van to your door. The door with a canopy and ...see more
This is my great grandfather.
The shop next door to The Ampthill News was and still is Cheesman's the chemist and the shop next door to that was Underwood's an electrical appliance shop.
The large building on the left edge of the photograph is Ruswarp Mill. A mill has been here since Saxon times and the first written record of this mill appears in the Domesday book. The name Ruswarp may have originated from the mill. The mill was water powered and the river would have been dammed to make a mill race. Dams in this area are known as 'scarps' and if the dam was made of wood, the brushwood was called ...see more
This is a swing bridge - it swings horizontally. It actually swings out in two halves to rest over the pointed timber structures that can be seen in the river. These timber structures are known locally as 'dolphins' and are sometimes used when maintenance of the bridge arms is required. The large building on the far side of the river at the end of the bridge to the right is the Dolphin Hotel. Presumably it takes its name from the bridge dolphins.
This photo shows my great grandfather's shop, nearly opposite the one owned by Jesse Boot. The shop has (on the left hand side of the photo) the name S. Page (Samuel Page) just above the wooden statue of Jonas Hanway holding an umbrella and the name of the shop was Hanway House; Samuel Page being an Umbrella Manufacturer and Dealer in Ladies and Gentlemen's waterproofs and all kinds of Travelling ...see more
