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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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 27201 - 27280 of 36915 in total
I remember when my nan had the Chequers. My Dad grew up there. We used to go there every Sunday and Nanna Bet would let us have crisps and a coke, in the old style glass bottles. Phil would give us a load of 10ps to go on the machines in the front bar and I thought it was brilliant. Does anyone remember or did you know my uncle who lived there, Billy Wilson? I also remember a lovely Scottish man called Mac who was always in the pub, he had a huge moustach - happy happy days x
Does anyone remember or did you work with Madge Chessum, at Woolies, in the 50's / 60's ?
45 out of 90 students meeting up....see southall knowhere site on google 2010
looking for war time pictures of 1940
My earliest memory of Totternhoe was when we moved to the village from Dunstable after my grandfather died. We came to live at 35 Church Road next door to my father's cousin Winifred Heley who was the postmistress at the time, the Post Office was in the front room of the house. We did not have flush toilets, only a bucket at the end of the garden which Dad emptied once a week. The school was in the ...see more
I remember my first home in Westbury Leigh was with a family called Rowe, they seemed fairly old people to me (then a ten year old boy) but now I am eighty I don't suppose they were. One of the brothers, a Charles Rowe, owned two cinemas, the Vista in Westbury and the Palace in Warminster, and I was allowed as a treat to go to the Saturday morning children's show.
The second family was Mr and Mrs ...see more
My father purchased Waygateshaw House, the Gatehouse, and 27 acres from Mr Campbell in 1989 for an equestrian pursuit, namely training racehorses.
We were called Silverbell Racing. We had many visitors from the racing world, Red Rum stabled with us, and Johnjo O'Neil advised on the gallop construction and Ron Barry built the stables, a 32-box yard, state of the art.We had a first class trainer, Ian ...see more
I have a small book of the memories of my mother and aunt who worked on Lord Rayleigh's farm during the First World War. Does anyone else have relatives who worked there? Would anyone like to read these? I would love to have a photo of the farm.
Mary
Hello,
I was very interested to read the post that mentions Reverend Exall who was my ancestor. Unfortunately I don't know much about him so if anyone has any anecdotes or such, I would be very interested.
A. James.
I remember going to Croston when I was very young, just having a walk round the lovely village and visiting the church. It was only a couple of years ago when I started to compile my family tree that I found out my Nanna's family on my dad's side were from Croston. In the mid 19th century my ancestors the Daltons were the blacksmiths of the village, I have since been back to take pictures of where they all lived and ...see more
I have been researching my family history and have traced the family tree back to Robert Long, born in Hindringham in 1798. I would be interested to hear from anyone who has been carrying out genealogical research into the same family.
David Long.
I used to work in the Fox Inn with Felix (the head waiter), Salvatore, myself, Barbara Lovatt, and others that I can't remember the names of. They were the best time of my life, at the time the owner was Mr Hancock.
Does anyone recall Teddy Barlow, the night watchman who used to sit in his little sentry box in front of his brazier of burning coke, situated on Harding Ave, Monkswood, and who patrolled Harding Avenue and Haugh Avenue etc, new house building sites? Someone made a ditty about it which went: 'Teddy Barlow, Teddy Barlow sells fish. three-halfpence a dish, don't buy it, don't buy it, it stinks when you fry it'. I ...see more
As a footnote to my previous memory of Elm Grove, could I have your wife's maiden name as I know many of the girls that would have gone to Sutton West Girls' School including my own sister Linda, do you think you might know her? I might even know your wife.
Can anyone remember the pub, the Bull, in Church Road? The family who owned the pub, Mr and Mrs Long, had a daughter called Pat Long.
Can anyone help?
Cheers,
Paul Warren.
I was born in Byfleet in 1950. We lived in Binfield Road. Later I moved to the hotel that was built where the village green is now. My mother Beatrice Stenning was the housekeeper, cook, maid and everything in between. My dad Charles Stenning worked for Vickers like most of the men locally. We then moved to a prefab in Byfleet. Later when I was 3 we moved into new council houses in Bruce Close. Everybody was ...see more
My family moved to no 2 Erme Park in 1967 when I was 3. These were of course the new houses. I remember Mr Burrows (father of Cedric/Zedrick) asking me in about 1973 if I was from the new houses. I of course said no as we'd been living there for 6 or so years. I think my family were pretty much one of the first Migrant families into the village. Because I was 3 (my sister 7) I started school and grew up with the ...see more
In the 1950s I was in the Royal Engineers and came over from Germany to our school of military engineering at Chatham where we did a course in electrical power stations. We were then posted to Bulford barracks, and did our practical training at an MOD power station at Ratfyn on the side of the River Avon. We generated power for Larkhill, Bulford, Tidworth and the chemical weapons establishment at Porton Down. ...see more
I remember the day my mother left me there. It was raining, outside and in my heart The school had church-like double doors and as we went in it felt like the end of the world to me. I was only six years old. Rosslyn House has gone now, just memories. Anyone remember Miss Betts I wonder? And Miss Lloyd and her dachsund Bishop?
What an amazing day! One moment Twyford is enjoying a quiet Sunday morning on a cool February day and then dozens of cars arrive from all over the south of England delivering Morris Dancers!
The occasion was a dance workshop day run by the local dance team, Tappa's Tump North West Morris, a group of smartly turned out women who perform energetic dances wearing ...see more
My family are the Frees from Leiston. There are too many to mention but my dad is Harry and my Uncle Sperry is mentioned in a few people's memories.
We were so fortunate to be able to spend all our summers at Uncle Jack Fryer's cottage. We stayed there from the 1960s until he sadly passed away. Jack was always smiling and nothing was ever a bother. Living at the cottage was basic but oh so comfortable, the log fire ...see more
My maternal grandfather, Archie Greatorex, was the licensee of the Anchor Inn from 1957 until his death in September 1974. Most of my family holidays, until the age of 10, were spent with him. My parents used to pack my sister and I up and we would catch either the coach or train from London's Victoria to Canterbury, thence by number 13 bus to Wingham, where we would be deposited right outside the ...see more
I was a boarder at St Peter's Court Bacton when my father was posted to Palestine. I remember Sir Humphrey Fenn who was the headmaster and Rosemary his daughter. I have driven passed several times during the summer months over the past few year and decided one day to knock on the door and met Christopher. I was a little disapointed to find that he did not share any memories. Unfortuneately I cannot ...see more
We were one of the early families to have a caravan at Bovi. This was what the campers called it back then. Caravans were positioned randomly before terraces were excavated in the field over the fence from the green above Sandy Parlour (Bovisand's third beach).
There was a community of campers and Christmas parties each year were fabulous for us kids. A good present could be depended on.
We spent all ...see more
I was raised on a lovely estate called Thomas Moore estate, it was all new and I always went wandering all around Finchley from Avenue House to Victoria Park in Finchley central to going to school in Friern Barnet. I always went down Cherry Tree Woods. So much history and fond memories for me. I know I live in Kent but I would give always give a thought to East Finchley, so many fonds memories, so ...see more
We moved to Cattedown in 1952 when I was 8 years old, to Tresillian Street.
My first memory is of the Coronation celebrations and a resulting street party, when we received Coronation Mugs, had bicycle decoration contests and street games.
How I escaped getting into serious trouble is still a mystery to me because we (the boys in the street) used to roam around the wharves and quarries fairly late at night, and ...see more
Alan and Hilda Slater were my Uncle and Aunty and lived at the post office for many years and were quite possibly the funniest people I ever knew. Stanhill Post Office is reputedly haunted and Uncle Alan took every opportunity to use the story of the white lady to frighten unsuspecting guests. At one party there he pre-prepared a mock up of ladies' clothes, with wig stand complete with wig wired together, and hung on ...see more
I used to hang out in the early 1960s at the youth club on Slatyford Lane as a young teenager, also at the Miners Hall on Slatyford Lane.
I met my future husband Rob Shaw (RIP). We used to go to the Denton Hotel for fun later in the 1960s, what great days. I remember the first Beatle song on the radio, the first Teddy Bot in Denton Burn (does anybody know his name?). I had a red transistor radio and about twenty ...see more
I was born in Salsburgh. I moved to England 38 years ago. It has changed a lot since I left with new houses etc. I pass through a few times a year and often wonder how many people I knew still live in the village. It was nice to live in the country with all the fresh air. That's the only thing I miss about the village.
With Denmark Hill and about level with the Old Henly's garage behind you was a house within the ruins with a metal sign. It stated that during his stay here, Mendleson wrote his 'Spring Song' here. Camberwell was in the suburbs and fields were around the area filled with bird song. During my grandfather's time there were still cows in the area. Ruskin Park was one of the nicest ...see more
I was born in Garden Village, Billacombe in 1944 and lived there until I was 8 years old. My memories are very strong of walking up Pleasure Hill to Sunday School at Pomphlet, walking to and from Goosewell Infant School and buying cream buns from Goodbodys Bakery on the way home.
We lived with my grandparents who kept chickens, had wonderful apple trees, raspberry bushes and gooseberries in their garden. ...see more
Terrific memories by both Harriott and Skipwith families. Thank you!
Mine centre first on Midlington Cottage (rented from the Horsmans, he a magnificent model-train builder, the house out of Droxford a bit on A32, where all the Army ordinance lumbered past, day after day, to the coast for the D-Day invasion, and from where our beloved cairn terrier Tim killed a couple of the farmer's wartime chickens, ...see more
My father was born in Glyncorrwg - his father was killed in a mining accident in about 1937 and my grandmother came with my father and his brothers to Birmingham.
We have a medal and on one side is an engraving of a chapel and on the other side in blue enamel are the words from the people of Abergwynfi and BlaenGwynfi in thanks for soldiers volunteering in 1914-18. This may belong to my great-uncle Taliesin Evans ...see more
My mother's family are all buried in this cemetery in Queen's Road, Walthamstow. I know this because I have frequently visited the family grave.
My father was headmaster of an East London School when war broke out, and he and the whole school were evacuated to Marchants Hill Camp, Hindhead for the duration. He was Walter Nadal, anybody remember him?
I was employed as an electrician, by a company known as J.Hodge and spent 18 months in Hatfield House re-wiring the East Wing. I knew Old Hatfield intimately as I lived in Hatfield for 20 years. When I went back there in 1995 I was very disappointed to see how this part of the town had been changed and, not for the better in my opinion. Many of the old roads had been altered beyond recognition. Is this progress or what?
I am a retired police officer who has been studying the family history of both my family and that of my wife, Jenifer Cooper. I am trying to trace relatives of the family and hope that someone may just know something of the names below. My father in law is Cyril Cooper born 1922 in Herne Bay Kent, the youngest of three boys. His brothers and father were all born in East Ham and Poplar, London ...see more
I know my memory wasn't long ago but I love the fact that this school is still standing. I went there in 1998 and left in 2002. I was in the Angles House and we won every music interhouse competition going. I miss my time there soooo much, but now it has changed even more, it is now Trinity High School and Sixth Form Centre and they have got rid of the houses.
I remember working at the Stylo shoe store on Cambridge Street, also at the Timpsons shoe store on Cambridge Street and later on at the Robert Hirst raincoat factory in Oatlands. Hello to anyone who remembers me, my E-Mail address is: smokeycat66@yahoo.com My home address is 2960 Gold Rush Lane, Heritage Ranch, Paso Robles, California 93446, U.S.A. I would like to hear from you.
This story was related to me over 60 years ago. I have never had it verified, so how true it is I don't know. One day a family was haytiming up river from Sedbergh when they saw a wall of water coming down the river. Realising that the workmen building Birks dam (Mill Weir) would be caught by the flood one of the family jumped on his penny farthing bike and raced the flood to Birks. He just had time to warn the ...see more
In 1954 Roundway was the site of the Royal Army Pay Corps Training Centre. Nothing now remains of this except a plaque erected by the local council to commemorate the fact that thousands of young men conscripted for National Service were trained there. Most were only there for ten weeks and were then posted elsewhere to complete their 18 months (later increased to 2 years) service. I arrived in nearby ...see more
My memories are of my Aunt and Uncle's house. They lived in Bank House from the 1930's until 1992 when my Uncle died. We had some great times there. He kept a pig and chickens and had a great vegetable plot. We would sometimes go to the Liberal Club for a game of skittles. My Uncle was a member of the local parish council. His name was Commander Cheetham. They were both well respected members of the village.
I remember going to school one morning, when a convoy of army lorries was going past, they were Americans, I did not realise it until several years later that I was witnessing the beginning of the invasion of Europe. To the shout of "Any gum, chum?"' to the passing lorries, I got loads of gum and I think there were also malted milk tablets. It never occurred to us that some of soldiers could be ...see more
Hi I am using my nephew to try and contact members who have worked with me over my years at S & L. I have also been told that there is a book or indeed books that relate to the ladies who worked who worked at S & L during the war years, if they are available would somebody point me in the right direction.
Love you all,
Betty
I was in this horrendous place from 1942-1950. I saw a lot of cruelty from the nuns. My name then was Anne Coppola. I remember Betty Mulgrew, Doreen Evans, and Betty Everisto.
Year: 1956
I was born in Croydon and used to go to Gonville School where I sat next to a boy named (I think) Geoffrey Green. My father moved us to Sussex before I went on to secondary school. A few years later, the Lanfrancs air crash happened. I believe that I knew most of the boys who died on that day. Had I still been in Croydon, I would have been one of them.
I also knew some girls whilst ...see more
I moved to Manor Farm, Runham with my brother, sister and mum and dad. In 1972 my dad worked as a cowman for Mr Watts and my mum cleaned house for Mrs Watts, we lived there for 12 years in all. The farm we lived on stopped being a dairy farm and my father took a job at the Smiths Crisp factory in Yarmouth until his death in 1980. A year later we moved to Caister-on-Sea, but growing up in Runham has left a lot of good memories.
In 1971 I was living in lodgings at the bottom of the High Street at Upper Heyford with Mrs Ball and her husband. I met my husband who was stationed at Upper Heyford and we got married in 1973 and moved into a place called the Old Rectory, it was a large big old place mostly let into flats to Americans from the base. We used go in the old pub at the top of the road. When the F111's took off they would rattle the windows but they were the best days of my life, wonderful memories.
I was raised in Pelham Road from 1960 until I left in about 1983. I have many happy memories,and some not so. Pedleys paper shop, the Marvel comics(wish I had kept them), Joan's the grocer's, Tom's the butcher's, Mckay's the wool shop, F.P.Tool's chippy on the corner. Not forgetting East Birmingham Club, Cottrills Lane, and the Pelham Arms. Lots of good families, oh what joy. It was hard but happy most times...
I was quite an accomplished swimmer in my youth, and after a session in the swimming baths, we would call in at Mescia's for a coffee or a milk shake. There was another Coffee Bar opposite (I can't remember its name now) but Mescia's was always the first choice for me and my pals.
I remember sneaking into the match by going past the lodging house on Warden Lane and going by the railwayside and through a hole in the fence that the railway men had made so that they could watch the match on their break. If the football was boring, me and my brothers would watch the trains and the freight wagons being shunted back and forth.
I am looking for a photo of a street party celebrating the end of the war 1919 It was in WILLIAM BLACK STREET, JARROW (Catherine Cookson lived there once). My family are in this photo, and we would love a copy of it, can anyone help?
The family name is Weir, and they lived a few doors away from Catherine Cookson when she was a child. This photo was on show in the library when they did a 'reconstuction' of Cathrine Cookson's life. Thank you.
I spent my childhood in Lower Broadheath. I used to live in Church Lane. It was nice living there because there were so many other children. We would be in and out of each others' houses, and we would often play in the Vicarage Garden and the Vicarage Paddock, adjoining the Vicarage. In the summer of 1959 we all used to ride our scooters and bicycles up and down the Lane ...see more
The brother of my 5xgt grandfather William Maxwell, was Thomas Maxwell, born in Harting in 1754. Thomas and Elizabeth's son Henry Maxwell, born 1807 in Harting, was by the census of 1841 living in Selborne with his wife Jane and two sons, Henry Thomas Maxwell and George Alfred Maxwell and daughter Emma Jane. Henry was listed as a Grocer and Draper and this business continued into the 1900s, run by his son ...see more
I remember the rickety bridge over the River Mole here, when I was very small my mother used to take me over it to eat sandwiches by the 'splash' and go for a paddle. The bridge was really scary with wobbly planks and I was afraid of falling through where the missing one was. When I was old enough to go on my own I learned to swim in the river, hanging on to the water weeds and ...see more
My husband's family were conned into selling their grandfather's cottage, he was the local molecatcher, John Henry Scott.(I wonder if he was born on the wrong side of the blanket! - as the name of the local gentry was also Scott.) The solicitor was also a Scott, Malcolm from Leyburn. They were told the cottage was uninhabitable and would need to be demolished, a man called Gregg offered 50 and they said yes. When they went back 2 years later, it was a holiday cottage!
My great-grandfather, grandfather and uncle all at one point in their lives worked at Boston Dock. My great-grandfather was injured badly on the dock in 1932 and died soon after, his workmate dropped a work tool on his head from a great height. My granddad also worked at the dock for a number of years, as did my late uncle. Does anyone remember the Palmers?
This shot brings back a hell of a lot of memories. We used to play on the canal bank here and fish for sticklebacks in the shallow bit under the bridge. I even had had my first real snog in the graveyard (nice!) over the bridge on the left. You can just see the Prince of Wales pub through the arch. The gate in the hedge on the left was the back gate to my garden.
I lived in Mostyn Road from 1954 to 1968. I remember Arthur and his horse-drawn milk cart, my dad used to go and collect the horse manure for his roses.
This is where my mother and I lived with my Nan during WWII. We lived at number 234. I remember the Morrison shelter under the window, and that I used to climb up on top of it, switch the radio on and use it as a stage and dance and sing along with the music from programmes like Family Favourites and Workers Playtime. My mother went to work and my father was in the RAF so most of the time it was just me and my ...see more
This great pub has things happening every day - super food and fine beer. The website for the Bugle Inn is www.thebugleinnbotley.co.uk
I remember as kids we used to watch the trains go past Nottage Halt, to look at the old track now it is hard to imagine anything other than a tractor using it. One day we walked through the railway tunnel that used to go under Nottage, it's probably still there, though blocked off at each end.
We lived on Red Hill from 1964 for 21 years. Both our daughters attended the school illustrated. Our house is now a busy doctors' surgery. Many of the houses in the village were taken down for the building of a large Sainsbury's store. The trees that lined the road were removed in order to widen the main road.
I remember going to Johnas bank and rolling Easter eggs down, also the big swing in the dean, it was called the witches swing. There was a hut at the dean entrance where the old men used to go and play dominoes and cards. There used to be overhead grabs full of coal leading from Walbottle pit to Throckley where the brickyard is now. Then there was the nudist camp up by the fell road, I don't know if it is still there ...see more
I was born in Meantwrog on 1 July 1942 at 2 Fron Goch. My father was Cadwalader Jones Owens and my mother was Mary Bridget. Dad was born, I believe, at Tyn Fedw (it has now changed its name but I cannot remember what to) which was just up from Cae Glas farm in Gellilydan. My gran was Kate Owens, I never met Granddad, he died when Dad was quite young.
My father worked in the gardens at ...see more
My great-great-great-grandfather JOSEPH FLETCHER Esq lived at Kay Moss Farm (as it was called then), now known as Key Moss. He is buried along with 3 of his children who died young and 1 daughter Ellen at St Paul's church. he had 4 living children:
John - corn miller/merchant(Liverpool)
Nicholas Richard - mathematics instructor, Royal Naval College(London). Nicholas's son Reginald becomes Lord ...see more
Fantastic picture. This isn't a memory, more of a request.
19 King Street is listed on the 1891 census with MARY FLETCHER, her occupation is lady's outfitter and fancy goods dealer(dress). Is that in this picture? Or which side of this road would it have been on?
Others in the road at the same time:
11, tobacconist - Isabella Ellenbech
13, confectioners - Sarah E Stalker
17, grocers - John ...see more
I was born at no 24 Miller Street, Glassford in the year 1938 and lived there till 1948.
I have very happy memories of my childhood there. Dad was a miner and was transferred to the east coast when I was 10 years old. I am the youngest in the family.
I emigrated to New Zealand in 1958, got married and settled in Dunedin. I loved the freedom we had living in the countryside. I have been home on ...see more
My first sight of South Harrow was when my dad ran a fish stall in the railway market in South Harrow, he worked there for about 10 to 12 years after which he bought a shop of his own in Alexandra Avenue.
Coming from Bermondsey in London, South Harrow was a very green and pleasent area with its tree-lined roads and tidy front gardens. As kids we had gangs who went to St Paul's church and played ...see more
I lived in Barrow upon Soar. I left school in about July 1966 and in September 1966 I turned 15 and started work at Lawson and Wards. My grandma Violet Smith also worked there. My grandma and grandad, Violet and Wilf (Kip) Smith, lived up Wellbrook Avenue. There were also a few people I knew at school who started at Lawsons at the same time as me, some I remember were myself Linda Clarke, Jennifer ...see more
My father talks of growing up in the Red Lion Pub near Saltwood - would this be correct or have I got the pub's name wrong? His surname is Casey.
A mine in Mow Lane, Gillow Heath collapsed.
The old pub in Gillow Heath (The Staffordshire Knot) was once a workhouse.
During the war my brother, my three cousins and myself stayed on a farm, I think it was in Roadwater or Watchett, it was called Stamborough or something like that. My Great Aunt and Uncle Tom and Cassie Carpenter lived in a cottage further down 'the line'. Is there anybody there now who would know where I mean?
Can anybody help with information, memories or photos of a former children's home in Epping New Road, in Buckhurst Hill?
I spent part of my childhood in a children's home on Epping New Road (number 8?) in Buckhurst Hill. My name is Michael O'Brien, also known at one time as Reginald Downham. I am desperately trying to track down any photos, ...see more
My parents Evelyn & Tom Williams purchased a home on Carberry Avenue in 1977.
My parents Evelyn and Tom Williams purchased a house on Thistlebarrow Road just after WW2 upon moving from Birmingham.
My parents Evelyn and Tom Williams purchased a Guest House on Woodland Avenue around 1946-7 while I was just a toddler.
My parents Evelyn and Tom Williams rented this flat from the owners on the ground floor from 1961-1962. It was a lovely place with a marvelous view of the cliff top.
My parents Evelyn and Tom Williams leased this home from the owners (Clarks) from 1959-1961 - it was a big house surrounded by high laurel hedges with a walnut tree in the back garden.