Nostalgic memories of Blackburn's local history
Share your own memories of Blackburn 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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Displaying Memories 11 - 20 of 22 in total
I lived in Cecilia Road, Cherry Tree (1930-1945), going in the navy in 1941. Blackburn Grammar School 1935-1941.
Happy memories of St. Francis Church and the Rev. Egerton Ward and family, they had a daughter called Angela.DOES. ANYONE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS FAMILY?
My first school was Witton Stocks Primary, then the very tough St.Aidan's, Mill Hill.
I am 88 and live in Lincolnshire.
At some point during the Second World War I was sent to what was called a convalescent home in Blackburn. I was a bed wetter and was sent there by the people that took me in as an evacuee. They never told my mother that I was being moved, and the shock to her was awful. Fortunately she rescued me as soon as there was a lull in the bombing of London. I am wondering if it was the old nurses' home or the Infirmary. ...see more
I came up from London in 1959 to work as a pianist in the Jeff Oaks Band who was the the resident band at the Mecca Locarno, who after a while was moving on to another place. I was offered a job then in the trio for in those days, they had a revolving stage and after a short time formed my own trio to which I sometimes added other musicians and went under the name The Barton Three, and then the ...see more
I suppose it's my age, but I am getting a little nostalgic about my youth. I used to live in Anvil Street (no longer exists) and remember well my first day at school, St John's on Altom Street, now a mosque. I certainly have some well etched memories of those times. I now live on 30 miles north, but do enjoy a visit back to Blackburn and a walk around town to see all the old places, corp' park, used to fish there ...see more
Me and my mates had so much freedom to "play out". We all lived around William Hopwood Street in them days. I'd just left Audley Secondary Modern School, to begin an apprenticeship at Foster Yates & Thom, (Dad & brother worked there too). Met my first serious girlfriend, her dad was a cobbler and clog maker on nearby Audley Range. We danced our weekends away at the 'Mecca' in Peter Street (not in ...see more
I was 8 years old when on November the 5th I was not at all well. My mum was at work in the cotton mill in Lower Darwen, my sister and brother were out at the bonfire across the street, Dad was sitting with me. Mum finished work at 10pm and came home to find me very distressed. In the early hours of the morning I was taken to the Infermary. It was appendicitis, I remember it well. I was told that I was the youngest person to be admitted into the Infirmary with appendicitis.
Memories of shopping with my parents, Jack and Ellen, when I was 9 years old is always a pleasant thought, although it was not all pleasant, when it was raining the water off the canvas covers would drip down your neck, and if it was windy it would blow the canvas up and you got more than you had bargained for (ah, the good old days. It was not all doom and gloom though, there was always the Easter fair, ...see more
I started my SRN training in 1973. In those days the Nurses' Home still exsisted but the view was obscured by the more recent additional buildings to the Infirmary, which included the Education Centre. However the Home was still well used. Some nurses still 'lived in' in this building but we all used the building too. We all had lockers in a room in the basement there. When we went on duty we kept our ...see more
This photo is as I remember Church St when I was a little girl. I had three younger brothers and when Mother took us to town she often went into Woolworths. We were told that if we became lost we had to find the weighing machine. It was huge and stood near the doors. She said that if we waited there she would find us. I don't remember any of us ever getting lost in the store. We also were taken to the toilets ...see more
My first memory of the Infirmary is when I was four years old. I had my tonsils and adenoids removed because I was very, very deaf. After the operation I could hear but it would be many years before I learned that I only had hearing in one ear. When I was six I had another operation to remove a tumour from my neck. It was a long procedure and I was an in-patient for six weeks. I had my seventh birthday ...see more