Nostalgic memories of Uxbridge's local history
Share your own memories of Uxbridge 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 31 - 40 of 54 in total
The Old Market House in the 50's was a lively and central part of the daily shopping scene. There was a butcher (Dewhursts i think), a baker, several greengrocers, a fruiterer, a flower stand, an ironmongery stand and a man who sold cheap glass and crockery. The flagstones always seemed to be wet from frequent hosing. I lived with my Grandma (at this time an energetic 50 year old). Her one luxury was ...see more
Laundry Yard was the narrowest and quaintest of the Yards in Uxbridge. Located between Windsor Street and Lawn Road it ran from the High St to The Lynch. There was still a laundry there when I was a boy (The Sunlight Laundry, I think it was called ), which belched steam from an extraordinary number of small pipes and chimneys. After dark it was the scariest place ever. The entrance from the High St was a narrow dark ...see more
"The Providence", as it was commonly known, stood at the corner of Laundry Yard and The Lynch. Built in 1795 with a later facade it was a gem of late georgian "chapel" architecture. You entered through a small burial ground. There was an entrance on each side of the front, one for the ground floor and one for the gallery, each entrance approached by a flight of stone steps. Inside, the ...see more
I had forgotten Suiters 'quirky' cash system but I do remember another store called Manettas which was to the right of Uxbridge station. In 1966 it caused an uproar in town as it displayed a topless dress, which was the latest fashion trend? it did not sell any. In the picture of old Windsor Street you can see some black railings on the left, this was the original police station. If you looked below ground ...see more
In the early 50's many streets in Uxbridge were still lit by gas. So "lighting up time" had a whole different meaning. The iron lampposts were much lower than the lighting masts of today and were more widely placed along the streets. Street lighting then had a different function because the lights were to illuminate the pavement, not so much the roadway. I lived in Frays Waye which was entirely lit by gas and there ...see more
The queue of people waiting to the left of the picture would have been waiting for the trolley bus which ran from the terminal at the bottom of the high street (on the opposite side from The Odeon and a bit further down). The post in this photo is definitely a trolley line post and odd that the wires cannot be seen in this picture unless the focus wasn't sharp enough, alternatively that the date for this photo is ...see more
If you enlarge this picture you can see the letter ERS on the white building behind St Margarets. This was Suters, a family owned department store, built very much in the art deco style and the retail flagship of Uxbridge High Street. As a small boy all my clothes were purchased there. Shoes too. Purchasing shoes then was not the casual shelf-browsing do-it-yourself process that it is now. You described what ...see more
Cross Street , which connected Windsor St with Vine St, was obliterated by road development in the late 60's. The white building (front right) was originally The Catherine Wheel Inn, built in the 1500's and I believe the oldest building in Uxbridge apart from the church. In the early 50's it was an antiques shop. A reproduction of the old inn sign still hung outside, the original sign being in the museum in ...see more
I was only 3 years old and we lived in Elthorne Rd just across the street from The Militia Canteen on the corner of Villier St. I do remember the flags and bunting draped across the front of the buildingl and the coronation childrens party that was in the old Drill Hall round the corner in Whitehall Rd.. I remember this especially as we were served jelly in little frilly waxpaper dishes and it was green jelly...my unfavourite then and now!!
Uxbridge was blessed with 3 cinemas; The Odeon, the Regal and the Savoy (the oldest of the three it stood on the corner of Vine St and the High St). The Odeon, I think, had the biggest productions as it had a wider screen. It also ran Saturday morning pictures for kids, admission three (old) pence. The programme often opened with a sing-along; the words projected on the screen with the white ball ...see more