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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Search for your favourite UK places and read memories of the local area in days gone by.
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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:
...and hundreds more!
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Displaying Memories 851 - 900 of 2029 in total
My Grandmother rented a cottage (Era Goch) during the war and I went to live with her as a sort of evacuee. I used to attend the one room school in Dwyran. I played with my friends on the beach. I don't know how we did not drown as we would go to Newboroug Warren as it was called then and played in the gullies when the tide was out. I remember Quirt Farm where I was chased by a mother pig. A dairy farm at the bottom of ...see more
The school bell would be rung around the playground. Dinner time. The children taking school lunch would cross to the church hall. My best friend and I would race away up the school brae and further on till we reached 'the quarry' at Corsie Hill. Ice lay thick on the pools beneath the cliffs. Huge icicles dripped from the rocks.
It was cold and our breath froze on our faces. We each had bread with ...see more
I was born in 1953 and lived at Largess Farm in Belchamp Walter. My surname then was Branwhite.My father was Fred Branwhite, a farmer. I went to the village school whenIi was 5 years old. It was a small school, with only two classrooms and toilets outside....very cold in the winter! Tables would be put up in the classroom for lunch...which was delivered in a van. I think there were ...see more
The school was converted for use as the campus for The United States International University in Europe. I was fortunate to be working as a Careers Advisor in nearby Watford whilst it was operating as a university and so I had wonderful opportunities to go inside. I can recall the Dean showing me around and encouraging me to play the organ in the chapel! The old school housed a university library and student ...see more
The helter-skelter was not only an icon of Frodsham but also a symbol of youthful exuberance and fun. I was born and bred just 200 metres from it. I shudder to think how much skin it must have claimed from me in pursuit of a rapid descent! I was frequently accompanied by our dog, a large Alsatian who ascended the interior steps with as much gusto as myself. She descended on her own mat behind me and often ...see more
After the blitz in London, my mum rang her uncle in Newton Stewart. As a result of that call, we spent several months living in Newton Stewart. The uncle owned the 'K' shoe shop in (I think) Victoria Road. His name was William Griffin. I went to Penninghame school where Miss McDonald was my teacher and Mr Barr, the headmaster. My memory of that school is, that the outside toilets had been ...see more
I often look back to the times when I was in the JTC & CLB; there was a group of us young lads went from one to the other as time went by. One lad in particular, Ivan Perry, who used to live in Flash Street behind the blacksmiths. His father (Eddie) was in the CLB when we were in the JTC. When we were doing the displays at the drill hall Ivor and me being smaller lads always got the job of being at the top of the ...see more
One of your contributors mentioned about the Edmonton Lido, near Jubilee Park. I certainly do remember it, and I too spent most of my summer there, even if it was raining. There was a shop/cafe close to the sunbathing area but I seldom had any money to spend there. I loved their Puff Candy, which was chocolate covered honeycomb, and it was a wonderful treat if I did have enough for one of those. I think I would ...see more
Living in Canada now I'm not sure if the bus shelter in this photograph is still there. In the early sixties I, my brother and sister caught the bus from this stop to our school, Holy Family RC Primary, in Benfleet. We'd have our pink bus passes at the ready and join a host of other kids on their way to their respective schools. A sign of the times in that I don't think anyone now lets their primary school ...see more
We didn't have modern technology, it wasn't invented then anyway when arriving at our village school to learn our lessons each day. We didn't need endless classrooms with miles of corridor to walk, just a desk facing the teacher, a blackboard and some chalk. Each morning we'd chant the times tables and have a spelling test. There was art and nature study, science, history and the rest. Being ...see more
In 1944 I was three and was placed in a boarding nursery in Newbold. It was managed/owned by Miss Crott (or similar) and her sister. It must have been a large house with a big garden. One day some American servicemen made a goodwill visit and gave all of us a piece of gum, probably to the horror of the Crotts. We all gave it a brief chew and swallowed this wonderful sweet and ...see more
My late father, Tom Jenkinson, was the village policeman in Repton from the early 50's until near his retirement in 1973. This photograph shows his car parked with others by the Arch. The old Ford Squire 60ARB.. I was very surprised to find it as I was working on the Frith jigsaw of this photograph!!
Kilbirnie Central School and music teacher Mr Brawn. Mr Brawn was a most gifted pianist; if you recall he always wore a grey shiny suit. Mr Brawn would often give a piano recital at the start of class, this was as he put it, to warm up the piano. When school started after the summer holidays we all came home with stink bombs. We knew the drill by this time so we slipped in and placed loads of stink bombs inside the ...see more
Yes I can remember in the 50's as kids in Snakes Lane, racing down to the airport on our bikes if we viewed any aircraft out the ordinary on it's flight path to land.
One day in the fifties I rember an aircraft broke the sound barrier nearby and broke several windows in the town - that definitely would not happen now.
Later on in the early to mid 60's I worked, for a local tea company delivering ...see more
It is said that we all have a Guardian Angel, myself and my good friend Jimmy Fraser certainly had one 58 years ago. At a Hallowe'en party in the Dochgarroch hall in 1954 (I was 7 years old), it got a bit stuffy so I went outside for a breath of fresh air. It was a beautiful moonlit night and I strolled slowly over to the lock gates. As I put my foot out to stand on the last flagstone beside the water I heard ...see more
I would like to share with you some of my early childhood memories of my formative years in Parndon, including places and names that might evoke similar memories to myself. I hope you will bear with me, as I will probably go on a bit. I'll start off by mentioning my grandparents, Bill and Daisy Conyard, who lived at No.4 Hare Street. They moved into this house shortly after the end of WW1. They had four ...see more
I have visited Manningtree only once, but I have an interest in the area as my father (Donald Turner) is tracing our family tree and he has discovered that one of our ancestors - Elizabeth Goodwin was tried and hung as one of the witches of Manningtree by Matthew Hopkins! She was accused of casting a spell on a grocers horse, and making it die after he refused to give her credit to buy cheese.
I left the village in 1948, to join my parents, Cyril and Gladys Jones, and sister Pam who had moved to Gravesend, Kent. I had attended the Lawn following years at Abertysswg School, before going to Caerleon for my teacher training. The Army followed; 2 years in the East Yorkshire Regiment mostly spent in Vienna. Demob came and I went to join my parents in Kent, find a job and Dulcie who was to ...see more
My name is Irene Harriett Potts (nee Bryon), I was born 18-1-1921 at my granny's house in Bishops Wood (her name was Harriet Robinson). Our home was number 23 Offoxy Road, Tong, I lived there with my parents Louie and William Bryon, two sisters Eileen and Hilda and my brother William. In 1924 after my father was killed in a road accident our family moved to number 22 Offoxy Road because it was ...see more
Benenden was my home for the first 5 years of my life. We lived in Greenwood, a lovely white Kentish weather-boarded house on the Cranbrook Road, sadly knocked down and modernised a couple of years ago. I was born on February 14, 1940 in a glorious country house in Langley called Rumwood Court, which is still there. It was a maternity home in the War. Of course my mum called me ...see more
Many a day I would walk into into York and would find time enough to walk along the Ouse River. I was approaching the railway bridge and saw four lads playing silly on a swing rope which was hanging but a few feet from the Banking side. Many times I had seen these lads or lads like them swing on the rope and get much pendulum where, when the rope with them on it was far enough high and out towards the center of ...see more
Bush Hill Park had so many interesting characters back in the 70's when I was young. I loved going to the shops in Cambridge Terrace, just off Dehli Road. My favourite one was Stewart's, the sweet shop, owned by Harry and Rose. He seemed really old to me, and I was a bit scared of him. I used to help my friend take Skipper, their old corgi, for walks. Rose Stewart was quiet, but seemed nice. My ...see more
On June 8th 1940, just 6 weeks before my 8th birthday, I was evacuated to Fillingham where I was billeted with Mr & Mrs Cross and their daughter Violet.
I had to attend church three times a week and chapel twice. At harvest time we were sent to pick potatoes and in spring we helped to sow the next crop.
In winter I was sent outside to dig the weeds out from between the paving stones outside the house. ...see more
In about 1961 my father became the manager of Blackbushe Airport. As a result my mother, brother (16) and I (9) moved from our comfortable town house in Cheltenham to a large mobile home attached to, what was then, the middle of the long terminal building. We weathered high winds, blizzards, beating heat, pounding demolition, aircraft running up within inches of the front window, eccentrics using our ...see more
Fordington has changed a lot over the years in that there has been much infilling with houses. At the top of Pound Lane was Moule's Coffee Tavern which was used as a hall and a community space. Nearly opposite over the High Street, was the old grey stone vicarage where the Reverend Henry Moule once lived. The local school was nearby on the hill and at break-time one could hear the small children shouting and ...see more
I was born in the Police House, my parents had moved into it from new. My older brother David, and my Dad (Constable Hind) made a garden swing for me out of railway sleepers. I can remember going to Sunday school and having to kneel on our little chairs to pray. I think the policeman next door was called Dethick. I think the station was there too, as my Mother hated having burglars in the house and having ...see more
Our family moved to Brook Cottage, Llandegveth, in about 1945 when Dad went to work for Mr Joe Shepherd at Ty Capten Farm, and my three brothers, Arthur, David Noel and I would catch the canvas covered charabanc (bus) to Caerleon school. The Headmaster was Mr Lovatt and the bus belonged to Mark Howells Ltd of Caerleon. Noel and I, being the youngest were in the infants and the worrying ...see more
I too, as others, have many fond memories of holidays in Sizewell. During summer school holidays I travelled from Scotland to London to be with my grandparents. They were well connected with Sizewell and would take me there for their annual holiday camping at the foot of the Benthills just below where the power station is now. The Gunthers House surrounded by a wall did not stop me from sampling the ...see more
My mother and I lived in a cottage opposite the pub, Rose Cottage, which is not there now - I believe the site is now someone's garage. I was born in 1940 and am not sure what age I was in Bason Bridge but I do remember being told that I was to keep away from the river or "Old Man River" would get me. I remember looking through the balustrade of the bridge watching children playing on the banks and ...see more
My mother & father were the cook & butler to Col Dundas & Mrs Dundas. They arrived from Italy straight after their wedding searching for work. My eldest sister was born while they were in service. They enjoyed working there & learnt so much. My father became a very successful restauranteur in London owning two restaurants in Islington. My parents made close friendships while being in service in Ochtertyre; ...see more
I moved to Bockleton in 1954 and lived in Leasow Cottages North which is just opposite Sid and Nancy Stone's cottage with their children Les and Edna and subsequently Bea and Richard Smith. I had already passed the eleven + and in the autumn of '54 went to King Charles 1st in Kidderminster along with Peter Feakes, whose father was the gamekeeper on the Col Prescott estate. We both lodged in ...see more
Ronald Newell, my father, moved from Potters Bar to Hardwick in 1946. He bought Hardwick Service Station from his brother in law (Bert Croad), who owned it during the second world war. Bert was a lorry driver who used to drive to Scotland in the 1930's. My father who was an electrical engineer on secret work during the war took on Tom Merritt as a mechanic. Tom ...see more
I lived on River View Park estate and by the age of 10 would cycle to the woods near Shorne village. There was an abandoned gravel workings and the area was a great place to play. We found a crane we could climb on and other machinery left amongst ponds which were full of newts! I remember sandy bottomed pools surrounded by bull rushes; we would hide our bikes in the woods, climb up a favourite tree and ...see more
I come from an RAF family that travelled across the globe until, in 1964 we ended up in Australia. Though english by birth, I am now an Australian, but I have fond memories of some parts of England where I grew up, especially The Green. I was six years old. One day, I was told we were going to Millom, which turned out to be an RAF base near the wilds of Cumbria, in the north of England, where ...see more
If it was Tuesday and school holiday my sister Carolyn and I would go with Grampy Smith the village blacksmith to Trowbridge market. Having helped harness the pony, Peggy, to the old milk float, we'd climb in to Grampy's command "Jumpy up, then". A quick stop to check with Granny that the shopping list was correct, then as the church clock struck nine we'd set off. There was always a ...see more
I lived at Doxford Farm from l948 to l954, my dad worked on the farm and we lived in one of the cottages that is still there today. The farmer's name was Archie Turnbull. My best friend was Kathleen who also lived in one of the cottages, her dad was the postman and we would sometimes get rides in his van. I went to Ellingham School and had to walk over fields to get to the road near the gamekeeper's house ...see more
Being brought up in Knotty Ash I lived quite close to Liverpool's famous comedian Ken Dodd.
In those days Ken had a large van, and used to come around the area selling pots and pans and many other household items. I used to go round knocking on doors to help sell the wares.
About ten years ago I was at a private show in nearby Prescot in a hotel where Ken was performing. When the show was ...see more
A hush lies over Fearnan now except for the songbirds. No cockerels greet the morning. The once abundant fields are barren; many of the cottages are used only for vacations and are shuttered in winter. The 100 year-old Stewart family dynasty at Tigh-an-Loan hotel has ended and the village shop, no longer profitable, is closing its doors. The school and playground lie deserted, and the ...see more
We bought 8 Alexandra Street in November 1957, four months before we were married. In November 1959 our daughter Alison was born. People were friendly, our neighbours were kind and always on hand to help. Alison had a wonderful life exploring the surrounding area and playing with all the children - they all looked after one another. Our door was never locked, we would just pop into peoples homes ...see more
I spent 3 years at Dumbrell's Farm, Milton Street, Sussex. I was a little Birmingham evacuee (aged 9 years). I went to school at Alfriston, my 'Uncle John' took me fishing in the River Cuckmere and we went shooting wild duck at night. It was an unbelievable experience for me, as I had never been out of Birmingham before. One dark night in 1940, I was alone in 'Pond Cottage'. My 'uncle' ...see more
I was born in Walthamstow in 1952 and moved to Drayton Road in Leytonstone in 1953. We lived there for 10 years and my brother and sisters were born there. I went to Goerge Tomlinson School from 1957 to 1963, my teachers as I remember were: Miss Maslin, Mrs Isaacs, Mrs Hawkes, (infants), Miss Martin, Miss Howells and Miss Lynes (juniors). As schools go it wasn't too bad although I do recall ...see more
I can add information about the September bombing and suggest that one reason for the low number of casualities was that it was a time bomb that landed on Bell Vue Terrace. Aunt Alice and Daisy lived at number 6 and tell me that they heard the bomb come down but then there was no immediate explosion. They were told to smash all the windows to allow for the blast to go through the ...see more
We moved to 160 Devon Street in 1957 which is the top end, over the road from the outdoor. As we were a black family people didn't have much to do with us. I went to Bloomsbury Sec. Modern where the head was Mrs Hinchliffe. My teacher was Miss Clift, other teachers were Miss Pratt, who lived in Sutton Coldfield and Miss Hastilow - can't remember the other names. I hated school as being the only black pupil, the ...see more
I was born in Sheardale in 1948, it was a warm and friendly place with around ten or twelve houses and a village hall. Everyone looked out for each other. As time went on new houses were built in Coalsnaughton and later at Dollar, and people moved out of the village to modern houses with electricity and indoor toilets. The village was then used by many as a means as a stepping stone to getting a council ...see more
My parents spent annual holidays at Taberners boarding House in Albert Road, Blackpool Central, when they were young children, and upon hearing of their eventual courtship and engagement many years later, the then owners vowed to postpone the sale of the boarding house until they were to marry and have their honeymoon there in 1948. Later on the boarding house was sold on to a family by the name of Hill. Of ...see more
I remember my father's house in Station Road, it was called 'Wheatfields' and, as far as I know, had no street number back then. He had made a beautiful garden around it, flowers at the front and an orchard and vegetable patch at the back. When the apple harvest came in there were so many apples that he would put them in crates at the bottom of the driveway just outside the gates, and they were free for ...see more
Hi, school holidays down the den consisted of endless hours playing comandoes and building the dam at the Ladies Brig, Eddie Thacker the Mackays, Tommy Johnstone, Gareth Bruce, Shug Torrance, Harry Caulder, Podge Allan, Frogy and Donald Fraser, and many more all joined in hauling shalogies (i.e cut turf the size of carpets to dam up the burn). As soon as we finished, along came the farmer and pulled it down, waste ...see more
Although I only lived in Woodford for a couple of years at most I was happy there. We lived at 17 High St, which I suppose might be called a cottage these days. It was a 2 up 2 down place with a strange sort of tiny extension built on the back which my mother called the kitchenette! There was a brick built coal store and toilet across the yard, no bathroom! Our next door neighbours were Mr and Mrs ...see more
Our parents bought Little thatch in the 1970's as a weekend cottage, and we loved it.
One night, staying there with my husband, we heard a rapping on the front door.
The time was very late pm, and we thought ''could it be [relatives] who live at Manton calling''? I thought it was very late for them, as they were elderly, but opened the door anyway, and there was no one there. [maybe 10 ...see more
Most of the family would help to do this, it took several weeks to complete. Some looked very good according to the people’s skill.
The Children
All played together, boys and girls, all age groups and all stayed out until called in, generally about 9.30pm summer or winter. In daylight hours we played football, cricket and rounders. After dark we played “Kick the Tin”, “Jack Shine the Magi” and other games. ...see more