Nostalgic memories of Sidmouth's local history

Share your own memories of Sidmouth and read what others have said

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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It's easy to add your own memories and reconnect with your shared local history. Search for your favourite places and look for the 'Add Your Memory' buttons to begin

Displaying all 5 Memories

My Great, Great Aunt was Beatrice Spencer. She was a milliner and owned the Millinery/Hat Shop in Fore Street from the early 1900's . The shop was called Spencer's and Beatrice (Aunt Beat) lived on the premises, keeping a large dog for security! She was a remarkable woman and remained single until aged 70 when she married a gentlemen called Alfred Cross in 1941. Beatrice died in 1946. The shop remained ...see more
trumps was my families business. long before me! my family lived there up until 2005 last to leave from flat 1 was my mum. funny to see it thanx Melissa Tedbury
This memory is on behalf of a friend who was evacuated from London to Sidmouth in 1944. Her recollection is fairly vague but she was allocated to Brackendale, Ice House Lane which was owned by  Mrs Elizabeth, Henriatta Jane Perryman  (purchased in May 1934) and run by two ladies, Miss Hood and Miss Fitzgerald. Education was carried out in a local hall. It would be interesting if anyone remembers these two ladies ...see more
Each August huge numbers of dancers and musicians head to Sidmouth for the annual folk festival - a week long event which celebrates our national heritage of music, dance and song. This year I was able to play my piano accordian at the festival for the first time for many years as our local morris side - the Heather and Gorse Clog Dancers from Combeinteignhead - ...see more
This view is little different from the one seen by Whitethorn Morris at the Sidmouth International Folk Festival on several occasions in the 1980's. We danced and I played my accordian for the Whitethorn Band on the prom and in "The Arena".   On the last Friday night of the festival we danced our way through the town in a torchlight procession and extinguished our flaming torches in the sea. ...see more