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 21 - 30 of 33 in total
I have fond memories of holidays at California in England from the early sixties. I spend my holidays there with my parents over four years from 1963 to 1966. It was a great holiday and as a young boy there was a lot to do. The glass floored ballroom was amazing ,made, it is rumoured, from glass that came from the old Crystal Palace in London.
There was swimming in the lake, boating, ...see more
I went there as a child many times and have fond memories of the place. I lived in Reading (central) and unfortunately can hardly recall how I got there (probably bus - trolley bus?). Although it no longer exists does anyone know the address - the street/road it was on. Josie Llewelyn
The old shoe shop was called "Caiger's Boot Store" and was run by my two elderly great aunts, Ruth & Kizz (Kezia) untill 1969. Their father, Frederick Caiger who married the previous owner's daughter, owned and ran the shop before them from around 1870.
I can remember in the mid 1960s visiting my Great Aunts every Saturday morning with my parents, even the shoes seemed old fashioned but my cousins and ...see more
My sister Pauline and I used to come here with our mother, and sometimes father, on hot summer days, around 1948 to 1952 (age 6 to 10). We commuted three stops from Reading South in electric trains. I basically learned the transition from swimming a width under water to the same on the surface. Great bonding with my father since my mother was not a swimmer. We used to picnic though I believe there was ...see more
I first went to the California Speedway, based at the Longmoor track, within the grounds of the California-in-England Country Park, in 1954, and went regularly, until the speedway track was closed in 1957. Speedway first started there in the 1930s. Does anybody have any old photos, programmes or other ephemera/souvenirs connected with the California riders or team, known as the 'Poppies'?
I can remember going sancing in the park. I was stationed at Bailiol Camp, Arborfield and we used to go there in a 3 ton army lorry. I can't remember how often we used to go there, after all it was 60 + years ago. I went back to Arborfield Camp a couple of years ago with the REME assn. for a couple of days' stay but that is the only time I have been back. Pete Radford
Where the houses come out, by the bus was a shoe shop owned by two sisters, a really old fashioned one that looked like time stood still when you went in, coming back the other way, if you walked along, was the blacksmith, this was Dick Francis, the author's father, then across the road (the one leading to the cinema) coming back further, were houses that overhung the road, Elizabethan type, ...see more
It was the year President Kennedy was assassinated. My two sisters and I lived with my Grandparents, Bob and Katie Myram at Home Farm, Bearwood. My mum was ill in the U.S. and we stayed for the year with my grandparents. We attended Bearwood County Primary School and Mr. Sparrow was my beloved teacher! I have such happy, wonderful memories of that year, the Beatles, my friend, Marian Allen and a wonderful ...see more
My great grandparents lived in one of the houses you can just see at the right hand side right at the end, they are lovely black and white houses and are still there, offices now I think.
This holiday camp was known as California in England and was owned by the Cartledge family. Mr Cartledge ran the holiday camp and Mrs Cartledge ran the Red Puppet cafe in Wokingham's Peach Street for some time, where a group of boys from the Forest school and girls from the Holt would meet for coffee on the way home from school.