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
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:
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Displaying Memories 1751 - 1800 of 2029 in total
Does anyone remember Davidson Road Secondary Modern School? This was late 1950's pre co-education days so although housed in the same building, girls were upstairs and boys downstairs. Seperate playgrounds and 'never the twain shall meet'. There was a girl with long wavy fair hair .Like me she was a prefect, her name was Margaret Connell and I positively worshipped her for the whole of the last year of ...see more
The pub in the middle distance on the right is The Red Deer. On the triangle, which is formed by the junction of Brighton Road & Sanderstead Road, where incidentally I later lived & two of my children were born, stood a horse trough. This trough had not been cleaned or serviced in any way for a number of years. Two friends & myself came out of The Star Pub at Broad Green, which is the other end ...see more
I purchased my first vehicle at Dees in 1959. I was twenty four and really wanted a car but the prices were high for used vehicles and the registration fees also. I went to Dees with my friend Graham (we met while working at Mullard in Mitcham) and one of the the employees told us they had some used vans for sale. In those days the registration fees for vans was a lot lower than a regular ...see more
I lived in Ashford Road for the first 20 years of my life and my mother still lives in the same house; she has lived there since 1933. I was born in 1950 in the new cottage hospital at the top of the road. I went to school at Fordingbridge Primary and Burgate Secondary. I remember the snow of Boxing day 1962; we were playing in the field next to the river at Ashford Road when it began in the late afternoon.There ...see more
A few days after starting school, I paid my first remembered visit to Fordingbridge Fair. A funfair visited Fordingbridge every year during the first week in September. It was situated in Church Square and in the land opposite and a few stalls were placed in the open space at the junction with Back Street, now called West Street. Cars park there now! The fair was already a shadow of its pre-war self in 1955, ...see more
After our family home in Trafalgar Avenue, Peckham was damaged by the 'blitz' for the 3rd time, my mother decided enough is enough. She got in touch with her sister who lived in the country (South Norwood) to try and get us accomodation near her - this she did. We moved from Peckham to a nice upstairs flat at 34 Whitworth Road. Both of these houses although suffering a pummerling (minor damage ...see more
The picture house was nicknamed the Swimming Pool, because of all the breaststrokers. Ritchies ferry was great and could be depended upon unlike the farce of a ferry which now only operates when there is no wind and no waves. I remember when Rab Ritchie would stop for a wee bit of fishing if he was quiet! Nowadays a rowing boat would provide a better service. (well nearly). They have even emasculated the formerly reliable service to Dunoon, never mind Blairmore! Progress backwards.
My family, the Wicketts, were the first family to move into #11 Station Road, just after it was built. I believe not long before my father, Wilfred, was born in 1916, or prehaps just after his birth(?). My cousin, Margret Coish, nee - Margret Clay and her husband Robert Coish now own #11, making it a family owned house since it was built! The first Wicketts to live there where, my Granma and ...see more
I was brought up in Blaenau Ffestiniog and lived there until 1971. The High Street photograph brings it all back. The shop on the extreme left of the photo was my mum's hairdressing shop and we lived in the flat above. My dad was the Superintendant Registrar and he used to marry people, usually on Saturday mornings. I well remember the lobby to his office always had bits of confetti. ...see more
My strongest memories of Lewisham is there being three cinemas there. The Gaumont (where I saw the Beatles live in the 1960s) - I went to Saturday morning pictures there. The Rex cinema, just by the bridge opposite The Duke of Clarence pub, also opposite the best restaraunt in Lewisham, 'The Saville'. And the Prince of Wales which was further up Lewisham High Street almost opposite the Catholic ...see more
My mother, then called Billie Gwilliam, was living in New Cross in South London with her parents Bill and Connie Gwilliam during the Blitz of the Second World War, and has many memories of what it was like to be a young child living through this terrifying time.
‘I remember a group of us coming up the hill from our school, which was at the bottom of the road, and the air-raid siren ...see more
I was born in Carlton Road in 1937. Got bombed out when a landmine dropped down the road and we were evacuated to Clacton while my Dad worked down the Underground tunnel when his factory and the machines were moved away from the air raids. Went to a boarding school in Surrey because I got very good at forging notes to my teacher and playing hookey. Forgot one thing - the attendance officer. Family Services ...see more
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.
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 about ...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 Ruxley ...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 live ...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 had ...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 selling ...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 usually ...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 pond ...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 'treasures' ...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 Berriew ...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 our ...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 but ...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 we ...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 short ...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 until ...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 along ...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 along ...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, "morning ...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 think ...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 Vauxhall ...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 shop ...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 was ...see more