Nostalgic memories of Paignton's local history
Share your own memories of Paignton 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 all 9 Memories
The caption in the Francis Frith book 'Paignton', by Peggy Parnell (p.46), reads: 'With his powerful business aptitude, Mr Dendy quickly installed the most important tourist commodity, bathing machines; those for the ladies were installed on Paignton beach, those for the gentlemen on Preston beach.' I found it interesting to read of the enactment of these strict, now ...see more
I worked as a novice deckhand on this vessel in the school holidays in the early 1960s. This was the largest of Mr. Bewley's small fleet. He had two other launches that did bay trips and mackerel fishing. I remember I was paid £4 a week for a 12-hr, 7 day week!
I loved every minute of it. I usually worked selling tickets at the beach kiosk and then went on one the smaller boats, but occasionally I was allowed ...see more
I was born in Paignton in 1935 in 1 Stafford Rd our house backed on to Queens Park. When I was 6 years old we moved into a flat in 26a Torbay Rd under The Devon General Bus Station. Dellers Cafe was on the opposite corner & I went to dance classes there run by Sybil Jones. i did a lot of concerts in The Palace Avenue Theatre, & entertained the troups during the war years in various venues. I was married in the ...see more
I was born in 1948 in Wallasy Cheshire, now Merseyside. As my maternal grandparents lived in Plympton, we used to spend two or three weeks with them every year. A day out to Goodrington was very popular, travelling by train from Plympton with change at Newton Abbot, and later by car. Apart from the beach I particularly enjoyed fishing from from the promenade at Roundham Head and also a ride on the motor boats. I ...see more
At the time of this photo I was just 8 years old, and I have a lasting impression of three things from around this time. The first is kind of hazy - animated Red Indian cutouts in the park opposite the prom. Next, the windmill itself, which was not overly attractive, being in a red-brown canvas - tho the sails at least did rotate, and although the gardens themselves were well laid-out they were obstacles to walk ...see more
My mother gave life to me in Paignton hospital (now a hospice I believe) in July of this year (1947) and I spent much of my early years in and around this lovely little town. Not so lovely or little now but still grand to me. My memories of Paignton are too many and various to account for them all but one or two will do for now.
We lived at various times in Conway Road, in Headland Park Road, ...see more
I would very much like to catch up with any members of the L O o M from the Paignton branch of that time, also any members of the Federation of Master Builders Torbay branch of which I was president in the mid 70s, in particular Joe Beaglehole, Ron Upham & Stan Archer and the many others that I knew. Tony
Saturday, April 19th was "Morris Day" on Paignton Green and a celebration of all things Morris. More than 150 Morris dancers from all over the country demonstrated this traditional and colourful form of folk dancing in a marquee on the Esplanade. Among the many dancers were Heather and Gorse Clog Dancers from Combeinteignhead who performed half a dozen morris dances in the "North West" clog ...see more
This date Oct 6th, in 1945, while serving in the RCAF, I was married to Ivy Gillard in this olden church. It was a bright sunny day. Ivy came to Canada with our daughter Barbara in October of 1946. She loved Canada very much, and even though she returned to her homeland on a few occasions, she was truly a Canadian. Ivy was taken from us in 1979 at age 56. She was born ...see more
