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.
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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People who were particularly kind or influenced your time in the community.
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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 23921 - 24000 of 36914 in total
M for "Malefactor" (evil doer). In Court an accused would have to swear on the Bible in right hand and hold up his/her left hand. If the Judge saw the brand, the punishment would usually be more severe.
The building behind and to the left is the home of Dr Ruxton, who killed his wife and maid in 1935, chopped them up, and distributed them around Moffat in Dumfries. They hanged him, of course, and the bath where he chopped them up was taken to be a horse trough at Preston Police HQ.
Such a familiar sight - the High Street with what looks like a number 47 RT AEC bus approaching. I actually lived in Coney Hall, but Bromley was only a 5d ride away (or 6d to the North if going to the Odeon or Pullman cinemas). My first ever visit to a cinema was in Bromley (The Gaumont) to see "A Shaggy Dog Story". There were visits to the New Theatre for the annual pantomime; there was the overpowering ...see more
For many years a horseshoe lay in the centre here. It was rumoured to be where John O'Gaunt's horse cast a shoe!
1911. The celebrated Bingham murder by poisoning mystery. They were keepers of the castle. LOOK IT UP. A fascinating case.
The railed monument left of the tower contains a statue of a recumbent lady. Us kids said it was the tomb of a woman who fell or jumped from the tower. Never did find out who it really was. Anyone else know?
Market Square and its subterranean (underground) toilets on the left. They always used to smell ghastly! A couple of years after this, Market Square became almost a Bus Station, with stops for all city destinations. The big "CAFE" sign was the Cinema (Empire?) now WH Smith.
Proper name is the Royal Albert Hospital, not as we used to call the "looney bin". It is the second Asylum in Lancaster, the other being the Moor Hospital, or County Mental Institution. I worked in the kitchens here. A very spooky place full of gloomy atmosphere.
Green Ayre railway station on the left, with the Greyhound Bridge curving across the river. The bridge is now a road bridge. Most of the station is Sainsbury's supermarket, car park, and a riverside park "heritage centre".
This is the Old Building, showing the Headmaster's house, and boarding house. The teaching part, "Big School" is hidden by the tree. The New Building was built across the road. The School has now expanded enormously, and is co-educational! Not when I was there!
We lived in Coney Hall and tended to shop in Bromley. As such, believe it or not, a trip to Croydon was a real treat. Kennards, Alders, the market .. what excitement. To cap it all I might catch sight of a trolleybus (654,630 I believe). You can just see the wires at the top of this picture. Sadly I don't think we ever had the need to travel on one.
This is Crook of Lune railway viaduct, between Halton & Caton. Penny Bridge is a road bridge, from Halton village to former Halton railway station.
What a great picture of Hayes High Street - brings back so many memories. I lived in nearby Coney Hall from 1953 to 1976. As a child it was 3d to get to Hayes Station on the 138 bus. I recall Woolworths (bottom right) had one of those big red weighing machines outside that dispensed a picture card ( a series on steam engines I think) with your weight printed on it. My mum bought me the first yoghurts I ever ...see more
I have fond memories of living down Brecks Lane for the first 7 years of my life. I remember walking down the lane past Brecks farm down to the Billy woods with my mother and our pet corgi..Bunty we called her. My dad was a lorry driver for a firm called Townend and Williams..they had a warehouse next to the Star pictures..I remember him taking me with him now and again to the fruit market at Hull ...see more
Unfortunately I have never ever been to Stairfoot. However, my mother, Mary, was born there in June 1920 and was the 5th of 7 children born to William and Emily Tooley. From what I gathered from my dear mum prior to her death in 1998, my great-grandfather owned a shop of some sort in the village. Behind this shop was a field which it seems is still called Tooley's field. Does anyone remember them at all ...see more
Relating to the two little girls standing in the street, the one on the right is Nellie Davy, my aunt. She was the eldest child of Harry and Mary Ann Davy (nee Ferrett). Nellie and three other siblings were born at Butts but between 1906 and 1908 the family moved to Providence House (now named St. Christophers) where four other children were born. Here Harry ran a grocery business from one of the front rooms and ...see more
I well remember "Stasher" (Murray) the PE teacher and at the time I thought he was a real "sadist" but, on reflection, I have to thank him for instilling in me the fact that physical exercise is "nae bad thing". I also remember the excellent crafts teachers Mr. Robertson who taught metalwork right next door to my favourite teachers Woodworking class, Mr (Geordie) Wotherspoon - a most excellent teacher who ...see more
l was born in Wisbech in May 1957, me and my mates were always down by the docks. We were always playing there and we used to do alot of fishing there as well. l can remember the building the round one, l think it was the gas works. I have lovely child hood memories of being young and running wild.
Alan, the Netherlands.
I remember the Co-op milk and bread deliveries and also the laundry being sent off, mainly the sheets and towels as we had no washing machine or central heating so washing and drying was a problem especially in the winter. The river Cole would flood the back garden regularly. I also rememember the Co-op shops, butcher and grocery shop in Baldwins Lane and walking there regularly. Later my mother ...see more
I was born in Curzon Avenue in 1953 and moved to Amersham Road in 1958. From a very early age my mother used to send me to the crossroads to do the shopping for her. Every Friday after school I used to go to Fords the grocers with my shopping list for the week, collect all the goods, pay for them and then walk back via the sweet shop to spend the 3d (that's about 1p) that my Mum gave me. Fords ...see more
We could get into the church by crawling under the main door, that's if you were thin enough. The church steps were well worn down, to think how many years it took to wear away is mind boggling. We used to play amongst the furniture that came out of the bombed houses in Liquorepond Street. I went into the false roof once and found an old newspaper, it had turned yellow, dated in the eighteenth century, I threw it ...see more
Not exactly a memory - but my 7th Great Grandfather on my Maternal side, RICHARD TURNER, was a "Woodsman of Howbrook" (circa 1647 to circa 1717). Anyone out there with a link? His father was THOMAS, and his Grandfather LAURENTIOUS. His son RICHARD and grandson CHRISTOPHER were also Woodsmen (Charcoal Burners/Wood Colliers)
When I worked at Fentocraft in St Johns Road it was a small factory that did hand painting on glass and pick-a-sticks, a game. We always had a Christmas party, they would put a table down the middle and our bosses, a M and Mrs Bound, provided the food, always a turkey and all the trimmings, even wine, which we never had at home, with our lunch. They even gave us all presents, not just one, of which I still have a Hummel ...see more
I was born at Bradwell on Sea waterside in 1958 and remember the quay very well. Much of my growing up days were spent playing on the very quay in the photo. In the summer we would leap into the water from the quay which was by then furnished with a steel frame which we called the bars. Bradwell waterside was a great place to grow up in, as was Bradwell. My family have all moved from Bradwell now but we all ...see more
Contributor Mr Sosgez remembers basket weaving in Thornton Heath. This was almost certainly Tom Mason Ltd in Norbury Road. It was run by Mr George Newton and occupied premises that had been a United Dairies depot and stables. The shop front was in Norbury Road next to Mr Cowell's newsagents and barbers shop, with the works stretching quite a long way back with a side entrance letting out onto ...see more
I was lucky enough to attend Bede Hall. We had a terrific staff team in those days - Clive Bell, Peter Dixon, the late Annie Woodward et al. The whole experience was mind blowing, as the mix of administered and self discipline was a whole new ball game. I have to say, it worked very well at the time, although educational policies seem to have been in a rapid downward spiral ever since. What a shame! The ...see more
I am from Holyhead, left at 17 years of age to join the military police, served 22 years, had a second career in security, protection, worked in media, met several VIPs and worked for Middle Eastern royalty, retired as a security director of a local security company in Farnborough.
I have decided to write a book about my childhood, schooling, service in the army and my life to date. The ...see more
Hi, I am Joan Bean, formerly Edwards. I lived my childhood and teenage years at Market Crescent. The things I remember as a child are standing on top of the railway bridge and letting the steam of the railway engine blow all over you as it passed below, also a bit more adventureness was sliding down the pit heaps on tins, also Saturday morning with all the shoppers coming to Wingate, Neilsons Bazaar. Another ...see more
1978 was the date I left Sellyoak to live in Wales. I have a lot of fond memories. I was born at 132 Raddlebarne Road in 1965. My mother was called Sheila, she sadly passed away last year, My grandparent were Edith and Osbert Kimberley. As a kid I used to love going down to Bournville with them and walking down to the park with my grandfather. There used to be an antique shop on the same road I lived on, owned by ...see more
Friends of our family once lived in Railway Cottages, Bexhill Road and in those days when you were young and your families were friends you tended to call the adult members 'uncle' and 'aunt'. Their real names were Harry and Rene Eaton. I used to stay with 'Uncle Harry and 'Aunt Rene' during school holidays, and what a treat it was, because Uncle Harry was a signalmen at Bo Peep Junction. I used to go ...see more
I too lived in Ramillies Park between 1969 and 1971 (185 Ramillies Park,) and went to Talavera. I remember getting the bus from North Camp with a pink bus pass up to the top of hospital hill, walking up past the old officers mess, past the water tower and down the hill to the Naafi at the bottom of the hill. After a little bit of sweet shopping would head into the playground. Yes, I remember the two ...see more
We lived at Lower Cranmore Farm, I remeber starting in the village school when I was 5yrs old, it was quite a long walk to school, people were allowed to let animals run loose on the common in those days, I remember the Frankhams having a dun pony that we often used to see, also the Lovejoys carthorses were often seen out on the common too, those were the days !
I stayed at the school until it closed, then we were all ...see more
My father Edward Potts was born in Kibblesworth in 1900 his brothers were William Potts, Noble Potts and his sister was Hilda Potts. All the brothers were miners in Kibblesworth. When dad married we moved to Birtley but used to visit Uncle William fairly regularly usually on a Sunday when we would walk from Birtley and up the railway wagon line into the village. It made our walk a little shorter. ...see more
When we were at school we spent a lot of our time in the summer down the marsh, a poor man's Skegness. We had some wonderful times, swimming in the creeks, that's where I learnt to swim. One time we decided to go over the otherside of the Welland at low tide. We waded across it, four of us, a large dredger was tilted on its side at that time. We must have walked two miles when we saw a man in a boat in a creek, he asked ...see more
25/01/1946, Mosquito VI, TA502, 13OTU. Hit high ground near Shildon, Co. Durham while flying through cloud. I found this info while looking for something else on the net, hope it helps.
I purchased this nice old book in a town in Australia today, and inside there was a little certificate: "Holy Innocents Kingsbury Sunday School Prize - Awarded to Richard Francis - Ist Prize - Boys Division, Class I, Christmas 1903" and signed by the vicar (A G Locke? I think it says). I just found this very interesting and was wondering if anyone had any other information about it. (I'm a historian; I love these kinds ...see more
My mother was evacuated to Bishop Nympton ( but going to school in South Molton)
She arrived with her mother and her brand new baby sister sometime during the War...I don't know the year right now, I need to find out.
They were ultimately taken in by the gentry living in Whitechapel Farm in Bishop Nympton, who I believe were Stewarts of Lloyd & Stewart steel-making fame. My mum and her family lived above the ...see more
My mother was Ellen Rosekilly, she was born at Malton Colliery in May 1906, she was one of a large family. Her brothers worked down the pit. One by one they left and moved on. My Aunt Louisa continued to live there right up until the pit was closed and she was rehoused in Lanchester.I as child during the Second World War was evacuated from London to my aunts in Malton to escape the bombings. I ...see more
I was born on Doncaster Road, Denaby Main. I remember my granny taking me to Cyril Scott's farm for a bale of straw for the hens in the push chair, he always had a big horse in the stable, and there were 3 old railway carriages down Ferry Boat Lane, one of them was painted pink and white and was lived in by an old lady who sold flowers, the others were derelict. The village shop was a converted poultry shed and still ...see more
I can remember going to school at Molesey County Secondary Boys School, I can remember a few of the names of the kids in my class. I also remember the Pond Stores in Beachamp Road where you could buy 2 Park Drives cigarettes in a pack and nip behind the cycle racks in Ray Road. Although I resided in East Molesey I was of that breed what they did in West Molesey we could do better. I remember a David ...see more
Does anyone have any pics of the old Youth Hostel on the clifftop from the early 1970s?
My mother and I lived in Laurel Cottage for the duration of the Second World War. I seem to remember it was next to the pub. I had a friend called Peggy. Her parents had a farm and I seem to remember it being in the village. We used to gather nuts from the hedgerows. I was 4 when we left but isn't it funny how happy memories linger.
Anne
Hi, I was christened here at St Peter's Church and lived in Berkhamsted for 21 years.
I used to go roller skating three times a week at the Gliderdrome, when I was in my late teens, also after my National Service. One particular night stands out. I was skating backwards when I fell over someone who was already on the deck. I came down such a cropper and my knee went through the Asbestos floor. I thought I had broken my knee, I crawled to the side and sat on a form nursing my knee, very embarrassed. ...see more
I remember walking along the cinder path from Leigh station where the 21 bus dropped us off, buying cockles and Leigh shrimps for tea. We always had a plate of cockles while we waited for the shrimps to be weighed up. Lots of vinegar and plenty of pepper, lovely! We then walked up all the steps to St Clements, through the churchyard where my Dad showed us the stone that the pirates, more likely the ...see more
This is where my mum was born, 76 years ago.
Entering this house was like the first day in the rest of my life, shaping me into the person I am today.
The Aquarium was the venue for the 'Chinese Jazz Club' which was run by a man in a straw hat called 'Bonnie'. I was a regular as a student and despite the name all I recall was R&B music from a range of bands and singers including Muddy Waters, Blind Lemon Jefferson (I think) , Long John Baldry and Rod Stewart - then known as Rod the Mod.
In the 1950s the Railton Mobil Special with which John Cobb had taken the world land speed record in 1947 was displayed in the showroom. Reid Railton, the car's designer, was associated with Thompson & Taylor.
The garage was also an Alfa Romeo dealership and to see beautiful red Guilietta coupe's in the showroom with 5 gears, twin overhead cam engines and twin carburettors in the 1950s when my mother stopped for petrol in her 3 gear sidevalve Ford Anglia was a schoolboy's dream.
Although I am relating to a time a little earlier, around mid and late 1940s, the scene in the photo still resembles the countryside as I remember it. Wantz Corner branched off in three directions, and for me, all leading to aunts, uncles and cousins, living in the area, fields to roam and play all day, haystacks to build tunnels in (I can't ever remember being chased away by a farmer), and of course school. I ...see more
I purchased Outlands in 1987 for £70,000, it was and still is my dream home with so much potential, we are still on generator and spring water, the river Camel with salmon and trout fishing is on one boundary and a stream on another boundry with a bridge to access the property.
The rear of the property has 200 acres of open forest and a little used extension of the Camel Trail that leads to Bodmin Moor one way and Padstow ...see more
Hi
We lived in Fairy Cross at Keepers Cottage, it used to belong to the Pine Coffin family, for a number of years, very happy there.
My dad Neville Gerry was born in Sandwich Road in 1949, he was the youngest of 5 children. He was not what you would call a model son as he used to follow my grandmother home after she took him to school. I spent many a happy summer there myself, walking through the fields and going to Tommy's hole to play. Collecting blakberries along the disused railway track and spending time at the stables next to the ...see more
My memories of Whatton relate to my Army Service at 53. Company, Royal Army Service Corps, situated on the A.52 road half way between Nottingham and Grantham and not far from Bingham. I was stationed there from October 1954 to April 1955 before being posted to Essen in Germany in May 1955, where I completed my Army service before going back home to South Wales. Sadly I have never been to Whatton since that ...see more
I was born in Dryburn Hospital, Durham and was christened in St Paul's church in 1960. We lived in Hamilton Row by the Black Horse pub, my dad played darts in the pub and was a miner in the local colliery. Then we moved to Waterhouses until my family moved down to the West Midlands in 1963. My other half of the family came from Bearpark. I still have a lot of family scattered over County Durham. If you know my ...see more
This picture is of my family home just under the quarry to the left. My father Glyndwr 'Pancho' Parry was one of the council machine drivers that had to fill in the canal between the Darren bridge and 'the now' cycle path entrance. He did not enjoy doing that as it was so close to home for us and we missed the scape of things!
Other than that I loved living there and thought I would live there for the rest of my ...see more
I was born in one of those prefabs halfway down on the righthand side, number twenty three in fact. My mum and dad must have thought they`d gone to heaven, moving from a blitzed east end tenemant with a shared outside toilet to a detached "bungalow" with its own facilities and garden
I remember the road just as in the picture: empty of cars. My dad was one of the first to get a car, well a van in fact, a ...see more
Because of my friendship with Helen Jones, the manager's daughter, I also went to play with her at her house, for me it was something very special because I had never been in such a big house before. It seemed so big, especially after my house in the village. The excitment of exploring the rooms especially the attic was wonderful, and later the grounds, where we picked crab apples. It would be wonderful if I could get in touch with Helen once again.
Hi
My great-grandfather and my grandad lived nr here on Manor Farm and the Old Priory, in 1700 to 1901.
I have many happy memories of the Kid Stacks, which was down the sea bank. The Kid Stacks was situated quite a way past which is now the Council Dump. The Kid Stacks was a firing range, the Home Guard used to use it. We would go there and dig the bullets out.
Sometimes a large gang of us would go and play army games, we would organise ourselves into two groups with home-made rifles. One time we imagined it was Wake ...see more
I am researching my family tree and have found that my family lived in or around this area. I am keen for any information regarding Maggie May Hill (maiden name Shearing). She was married to Edwin Arthur Hill in 1920 at South Stoneham. I believe they had three children called Edwin or Ted, Mary and Arthur William Frank Hill ... Arthur was born in Bursledon in 1923. Any help would be great.
As my fourteenth birthday hove into view and we entered the summer of 1939 it became clear that we could soon be at war with Germany. Bushey Heath was just fifteen miles north-west of central London. My parents felt I should be out of the way of the expected bombing raids, so they sent me, not to friends but to friends of a friend, Mr and Mrs Ovey. Mr Ovey was Pastor of the Barnstaple ...see more
I was at Styal Open Air School from 1958-1967 and I have wonderful memories of picnics on the lawn outside Wendy House where I lived, and trainee teachers coming in the summer and playing games with us and taking us out to Styal Woods. I also remember going to Wilmslow for Christmas shopping and also shopping for other occasions. I remember bath nights on a Sunday night and then washing all the socks in the bath ...see more
Does anyone remember the Vane Dancing School in the late 1940s? I have some dance programmes from that time with very many names of all the dancers who took part in the shows. One name that does come to mind was June True who sometimes tap danced with my sister June Bannister.
We lived at Henfold a couple of miles from here, I used to be a pain in the neck to my older brother who used to come & fish at this pond. I caught my first "Red throat minnow" here. In the winter when it iced over we skated, played ice hockey & someone even drove a mini on the ice! I rode my pony often around the pond to access the Common & head off towards Leith Hill via ...see more
I am interested to find out if anyone can remember my grandmother Mrs Lillian Florence May Adams (nee Pearson) and my dear father Mr Meyrick Pearson Adams? My grandmother was born in Hereford and married and had my father and his younger brother Barry who lives at Colebatch in Shropshire. My grandfather's name I think was Alfred ...see more
I was born and bread in Anstey, 21 Rosebery Road, a council house with my 2 brothers Kelvin and Clive. I loved Anstey I still do. I have a lot of childhood memories. I joined the Royal Navy on leaving school, Anstey Martins Secondary Modern, and I am now living in Portsmouth in Hampshire although I have been back several times. I miss the place dearly. I would love to return to live ...see more
Please let Guy Jefferson have anything about Tholthorpe.
I was four when my parents, Geoff and Pyll Kleboe, bought Keepers Cottage, Henfold Lane, Newdigate. A Mrs Thompson and her husband "Blackberry Jack" had lived there for many years and the property was very run down. With the talent of my maternal grandfather William Jones, over a period of 25 years "Keepers" was totally renovated.
Believed to date back to the 1500s, it was originally an old coaching inn. ...see more
I am now 63 but it wasn't till a couple of years ago that looking at my BC I actually took in that I was born at the Holbrook Maternity Home June 30th 1947. I'd always put down Belper as my place of birth as I'd only glanced at the BC which showed Belper Road as the address of the Maternity Home, which throughout my adult life had been good enough for me...until now that is. So last year I made up my mind that ...see more
One freezing cold day in December 2010 I went for a long coastal walk while staying with our friends Valerie and Jim Bougnague in Portishead. I was fascinated to find what I thought was a small lighthouse on the very tip of Battery Point but when I walked over a metal catwalk above the rocks to reach it I read a small sign: "This is a fog siren and may sound without warning. Please wear ...see more
Though I have never been to the fair city of Chesterfield, I had a good army mate whom I served with in Corsham in Wiltshire. I have been trying to find him for years, who knows, someone on this site MIGHT just know of him, a stab in the dark, maybe !!
My first serious girl friend lived in White Horse Road. She worked in her father's small grocery shop in Green Street. I recall I had to buy quite a few jars of jam before I could pluck up courage to ask her out on a date, as it turned out Linda was to give me a 'dear John', how shattered was a 17 year old?
I also recall, I lived at 58 Higham Road when I would use the Erskin Arms public house, the landlord then ...see more
I was born in Moreton in Marsh and lived the first 13 years of my life in Oddington. My father was a farmer and we lived at Green Farm right in the middle of the village. We used to have the village bonfire (November 5th) in our field opposite the farm and my father used to make a large bonfire with bales of straw around the bottom and poor old tractor sump oil on it to get it going. There was always ...see more
I had a chum at St Nicolas School who lived in a flat in Dene Street, Dorking. I remember taking the bus home with him for tea. After we roamed around the town for a bit before I caught my 470 bus home to Epsom. My memory of names is not good but Andrew Davis sound very comfortable to me - I reckon I was at that school between 1950 - 1953. For many years we had a pewter cup at my parents' house with glass ...see more
I was born 1950 at Royal Bucks Hospital and moved from Aylesbury about 1957. I have so many memories of growing up there but would love to find a old photo of PROSPECT PLACE in Walton Street. My grandparents lived there and my mother was born there. I have tried several years looking for a photo of the row of houses but nothing. Can anyone help find a photo of Prospect Place? Thank you.
Stationed at RAF Scorton in the little medical facility which was reached by passing through a farm (I believe). My memory is not good as a result of a stroke. We were lucky to have our own hot water supply as the majority of the camp sites had only cold water. Looking at recent maps, I get the impression that the medical facility is still standing and now presumably used for other purposes.
I started at West Byfleet CS in 1963 when Fred Goodger was the head master, and a more paranoid man I've yet to meet, but some of the teachers were great! I remember the school very well and so many pupils. I came from Pyrford and West Byfleet was a long way in those days! I remember the shopping centre and Camerasports where we all bought our records (mostly The Beatles) and I remember the excitement when 'Sgt. ...see more
These memories are as fresh in my mind as if they happened last week. Boston had its share of air raids, the first one was on a rainy Monday, it was July, the first day of our summer school holidays. It would be about 7.15 am when we heard a low flying plane, then a mighty explosion, followed by the blast, which took out out the fanlight above the front door, the house seemed to lift. The bomb had landed at the back of ...see more
I was also born at Gate Burton Hall. My mother was evacuated from Hull. I hope to get more information and visit Gate Burton in June next year.