I read all the comments BEFORE looking at the photos. and wondered what all the hoopla was about.
Then I saw the photos. Wonderful.

I grew up in Littleover. I was intrigued by the Friargate area because I attended Diocesan School for Boys on the corner of Vernon Street and Friargate from 1950-53.
Two of my sons went to Friargate House School.

Later I became the chairman of Friargate Bridge Action Committee that fought successfully to save the bridge from demolition. I still have a file with all the articles published by the Telegraph.

I now live in Arizona and have been back to the city almost yearly until two years ago.
I can appreciate the newer digital cameras as I bought an expensive one and have photos. of a beautiful sunset looking across the lake from my home and also a view looking up the mountain at our log home in Prescott, Arizona.

You have possibly inspired me to start a website when I retire.
Best wishes

It was great to get this site from my friend (whom I went to school with) in Alvaston Derby.
I was born in Derby too many years ago..but do still love to keep up with where I came from.
I have been in Australia since 1965 when my family emigrated to Australia. I do not regret this move as we are all doing ok here and have called Australia home.
But as I said I still love to hear about Derby.

The only thing I do not have is a map of Derby and the surrounding areas. In particular Allenton where I went to school till I was 15 (Allenton Junior and then Allenton Senior.
I would love to show my son there the street was in which I lived and where the scool was and various friends are now.
Is there any way you could insert a map of Derby town centre and the surrounding suburbs?? Try HERE
I did have one but lost in moves I suspect (I got it when I came back for a holiday in 1985)
Hope to keep up with your sites in the future.

What a great link to the ole' country.
Keep up the good work.

What a great site,
I have just found out this week that my husband's grandparents were born in Derby one in Rosliston and one in Shardlow in about 1836? so I got on a search engine and got your site. I shall have a good look around and come the summer we will have a trip to find these places.
Just had a look around your site and the photo's are very good and the site is very easy to go around.

I was born in Derby in 1956 Cavendish. Moved to Allestree in 1960. Age 4

Very good pictures of Derby which I have been looking for to remind me of home. I am currently living in the Caribbean with my wife. I was born in Derby in the mid 50's and moved to Allestree in 1960.
I am looking for pictures of Allestree and also the Cavendish area of Derby from 1950's to present day.
I remember trolley buses and all sorts of things but can't find any pictures of that era.
Have you got any. Especailly remember going into the old Boots shop and also the Midland Drapery with my mother. Good pictures those.

You can't imagine what it's like to look at local home pictures when your 4,000 miles away and have not been there for a few years. Thanks for the pictures of Allestree Park, and the village. I see the area around the old church has been changed too. If you ever go up to Vicarswood. There is a good view of Allestree from there.
Up in Quarndon there is an old Saxon church which has lost most of it's stone work to local building.
Also there is the old Well on the right as you go up the road towards the modern church (you already have a picture of that I think.)

In the 60's, Blenhiem Drive did not run all the way from Woodlands road up and round to Allestree Lane, but stopped by Woodlands school. That is my first memory of the area. No houses to the east of woodlands until down to where Portway is. There was a huge old Oak tree by the Woodlands School which was right in the centre of what is now the main road there.

Kedleston Hotel (Bath Farm). I used to play in it years ago. It was derelict and a great place to explore. Old Church near to Quarndon. (Now cleaned up) Used to be straight out of a horror film. Spooky /Haunted. Well up near to Quarndon Church. There is also what we think used to be an old coach road running through the centre of 'Big Wood' at the top of Woodlands Road. You have to know where to look to find the stone walled part hidden deep in the woods. Allestree village ( Alereds tree) as there is a tree in the old village churchyard named after the man. Apparently where Allestree got its name. Derbyshire was Deobyscir* ( Deer Park).*Not sure of actual spelling.* And down at the Duffield Road junction by a restaurant near to Allestree Village is the place where the trolley buses used to turn around. (Before you cross over into Darley Abbey Village.)

Anyway I will try to dig out some of my own pictures and send them.
We still call Blenheim Parade Shops the 'New Shops'. Not very new now though.!!

I found the map quite interesting as I was able to look at where my parents are now. Most people would not find the actual streets of much interest although they do change over time. For example Crabtree Close did not go right across into the fields until the late 70's as we all used to sledge down that field. I really wish I had photo's taken before they built on that field. It overlooks Kedleston road junction where it splits off up to Quarndon. It used to be a cow field and full of wild flowers in the summer where we all went for picnics
across from our house. Fat chance now. The old field 5 bar gate is actually in someones garden now at the top end by Allestree Woodlands school field. Viscount Scarsdale planted poplar trees across the top to prevent the isore of Woodlands from the hall but now the houses are infront and most of the poplars were chopped down by the occupants.
The problem is that one never knows what will be changed until it's too late.

It is nice to return back to Derby once in a while even through photographs.
We are both from Derby, Teresa being born and raised in Melbourne, my self born in the Queen Mary maternitry home and being raised in Allestree until we married then lived in Melbourne.
Just seeing the changes that have occured since we left Derby in 1993 is a treat of what to expect when we return home to visit our families who still live in Melbourne and Allestree, this is just another way of keeping up to date with Derby without being there.

Keep up the good work

A fantastic site, brought back a lot of memories. I left Derby in 1975 to join the Army. I returned for about 18 months in 1988. I've been in Australia since 1990.

I enjoyed the whole site but mainly the Darley Abbey part, it brought back memories of my childhood, sledging down the "Humpy Dumpty" hill at Darley Park and the Chester Green area where I used to live, New Chester Street which is, I last heard, a car park now. My parents are now living in the St Mary's Wharf road area.
Yes lots of good memories of Derby.
Thankyou for a wonderful site to show my daughter. Living in Australia the oldest building she's seen is about 80 years old. The pictures of the old Tudor building in the City centre and the rest of Victoria Street and the
Morledge for example has brought home to her just how old my home town is. And now she can understand when I carry on about the good old days.

It's amazing how much it's changed. Well done, an excellent site Once again thankyou.
Kevin, Lita and Kristie Lynch

found your website when I was looking for pictures of Derby to show someone how bad it looks.
I stumbled on your website and was very impressed by your pictures, you make Derby look really amazing.
The Derby Tourist Authority really should use your pictures for promotional pieces. I hope you can make a career from photography because you are much more talented than the photography student from Derby uni I lived with and he got a first.
So keep up the good work and good luck for the future.
Your pictures made me quite proud to live in Derby!

I left Derby in 1977 and friends told me I wouldn't know the place anymore. How right they were.
I really appreciate the photos of the Brunswick Inn as I lived there in the late 50's. It hasn't changed much at all from the outside.
I would like to see some more photos of Ashbourne Road area as I worked at Burrows & Sturgess and also Kays (Derby) Ltd. I lived in Stepping Lane for a few years. Burrows & Sturgess was next to Ashgate School and Kays was on the corner of Slater Avenue and Ashbourne Rd. My mum and dad used to keep a grocery shop on Uttoxeter Old Rd. next to the Earl Grey pub after we left the Brunswick Inn.
What memories your photos bring back.
Keep up the good work.

This website is absolutely brilliant, many memories have you have stirred!
I have been reading someones comments regarding the flower beds on Normanton Rec., I too have photographs of the teddy bears picnic and also of a crocodile! photographs of the Derby River Gardens (1963) how splendid it was then. (the lily pond was stunning)

Please add the years 1960-1990 we are devoid of new materials

Would be nice to see more priorities given toward the East Midlands we sadly lack in depth coverage unlike Irish, Newcastle and Scottish areas

Create more
Data

Why is this not being considered

Load more years

Release more dates

Exhibit more of the records

Chronicle more of the records

Express our records

Be a huge boost to see more

Commit to later years