Nostalgic memories of Wokingham's local history

Share your own memories of Wokingham 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 1 - 10 of 33 in total

I also remember Martins swimming pool, it was freezing! I did receive my certificate for swimming a width at Martins. Mr. Pidgeon used to take us, he was a good teacher. Mr. Davis was quite scary, especially the puppets!
When I lived in Wokingham in the 1950s, I remember a double fronted cycle shop on Denmark Street (next door to the entrance to some sort of meeting hall?) - you can just see part of the hanging sign for the shop in picture number W123016. To me then the shop seemed quite large and was certainly stuffed full of bikes and accessories that I coveted. I can still remember the wood flooring and smell of ...see more
my late father was a driver with green line buses in romford, and the greenline families association would send their children to california in england as we knew it for day trips on the railway that ran through the woods ,as well as the large vessel on the lake that took us round what to us then seemed a huge lake , as well as the amusements , i didn't know about it's demise , but i am pleased to see that in name it still survives
I went to Wescott Road school in 1950 then St Crispins 1956. I can recall quite a few shops. Herrings furniture where you could buy on HP with no checks, as Mr Herring assessed whether or not you looked trustworthy. NSS newsagents. Next door was a chemist who washed my eye out after getting grime in it from a passing steam train when I lived in Waterloo road. Baxters butchers. Cliffords dairies. Somerscales fish and ...see more
Am new to this,but does anyone remeber the the farm in norris avenue.The Paltermans.i am looking for Bob (robert) Palterman,would love any news of him.They moved from norris avenue to a house on London road? opposite St Crispins shcool.Would love to hear from you.I now live in Devon.cm.
I am not sure if this is the correct forum for my Memory but I need to find this person. My memory is of a girl I used to see sometime in the mid 60s, her name was Jennifer House, I guess she has married so she would not be known by that surname and would be about 68 years old, she had lovely red hair down her back which she liked black, she worked at London Bottle Closures and went to school at St. Crispens, ...see more
I attended St Paul's in 1961 until I moved on to St Crispin Secondary. I believe St Paul's is no longer a school. I also vividly remember Martins Swimming pool as we went for lessons there with the school. It always seemed to be very cold and the caves for changing didn't help. But the hot Bovril for 4d a cup thawed us out. We walked crocodile to the pool and back. I doubt that would be considered safe now ...see more
Seeing this photo reminded me that a few of us aged 15 to 16 used to go to this pub to play snooker and drink beer - usually brown ale! I guess the publican probably realised we were under age but we were tucked away in a side room - to the left in this photo and probably kept the noise level down so he let us get away with it - we felt very grown up but obviously didn't tell parents where we were going!!
Back in the 1950s my mum told our ex French Canadian police dog (a Husky/ Alsatian cross) to "sit" outside Farmers greengrocers (on the left in this photo) while she bought her vegetables but when she finished forget to tell him to "come" and several hours later had a phone call to say "your dog is still sitting here waiting for you" - did you forget him! His patience even made the local newspaper - complete with a photo!
One of my lasting memories is watching the cars going to Ascot for the races in the 1950's, sitting on a seat in front of the Holt School on Reading Road, taking car numbers and admiring the fashions. The cars were amazing - Rolls Royce, Bentleys etc. There were no stretch limousines in those days and it was completely safe for a child of 10 to be on a main road by themselves .How times have changed and not necessarily for the better. Veronica Lown (nee Fenwick)