I could have sworn I lived in this University city for 3 years - so why couldn't I really remember it when I went back...after 34 years!

[cakeorwine]

DS and I recently were in the area of my old University city - so we had a look at the campus and then drove into town. Campus has changed a lot - more development. But when we were in town, I couldn't really remember it much.

It's a historic city. Obviously been development since I was there but not too much. Yet, I couldn't really remember it.

Yet I lived there for 3 years. I went into the town quite a bit. I obviously knew it quite well back then.

But it was 1988 - 91. So a long time ago.

Has anyone else lived anywhere but completely forgotten its layout after a long time when you went back?

Not quite the same, but I was reading a thread this morning and realised that I can't ever remember washing or drying my clothes at university. I can't remember what the washing area was like - for any place I lived during my university time.

Yes! I visited Brighton last month. First time since I did a 1 year masters there 34 years ago. It was literally as if I was visiting for the first time. I'm actually quite pleased you had a similar experience. Maybe it's a common thing?

I had similar - obviously I did, but I can't remember the laundrette or washing machines.

I worked there after Uni for a bit.

Could have sworn it was the first time I'd ever been to the Lanes when I went there again last year!!

Yes! We went to look at Exeter with DS. Some of the campus was familiar although much had changed since early 90s. The town… I couldn’t remember any of it. Hopeless! I wondered whether they’d rerouted the roads (ridiculous I know!)

We have this when we go "back home" to where Dh and I grew up and lived before moving in together in 1997 post uni. Our home town has changed so much, we tend to just visit family at their houses so don't need to go "into town." We were looking on Google maps for a pub name and it is ridiculous how much has changed. We ended up in a rabbit hole of old youtube videos of our town, the Hit Man and Her visited once, hysterical.

Not the city, but definitely the laundry thing. Can't remember doing any, ever. I suppose you only remember the interesting bits.

It could be more relevant if you say where you went.

If it's my local city I'd say not much has changed at all. The campus has massively though.

Next city, I don't recognise it from 4 years ago it's changed so much.

It's a historic city. So the layout won't have changed at all. Rivers and even the main gate to the city was a surprise to me!!

I get this with the place I grew up for the first 18 years of my life. I remember our house pretty well, but very little about the place.

Any old excuse to spout your racist shite, eh? 🔥

Alternatively old school greasy spoon cafes are now chi chi coffee shops (or Starbucks) and independent little grocers stores are now a Tesco Express.

Big bits of Exeter have been knocked down and rebuilt since the 90s, so it's no wonder you didn't recognise it.

Yes! I was at Manchester Uni in the late 90s, and couldn’t find my way around when I went recently. I think it didn’t help that all my old landmarks had changed (mostly pubs names!) so it was all a bit confusing.

Manchester has changed enormously since the millennium, so have Liverpool and Leeds.

DD1 was going on how pleased she was to have her own washer drier - and won't have to trek to another part of hall. Said to DH on way back don't remember it at all - he didn't either. We had to have been doing it regularly.

DH just did northern city uni visit where we lived 20 year ago now had first kids there - and he said I wouldn't know it now round the station is now completely different lots of building and layout changes.

DH used to live in Brighton and goes back once a year for an event - and he says it's very different from when he was living there.

Where my IL live has changed massively over years since I've been visiting - and where my Mum is really different but also many landmarks - thatched cottages and church sort of the same.

I think you tend to think of place being somehow preserved in aspect even though we say we know it's not and change is often sporadic and sometimes rapid.

Sounds like York - I did a postgrad year there. I still know my way round, more or less, but was there a few weeks ago and there was a section I didn't remember exploring at all, although DH did.

True

But this city has a prominent entrance gate to it and I think that's been there for a long time !

It came as a bit of a surprise when I drove through it!

I was going say the same thing, a lot has changed.

Cardiff is another place that has changed a lot with the development in Cardiff Bay although the city centre is much the same as the 90s.

I'm another who has no memory at all of doing my laundry. And also only one or two fleeting memories of going food shopping while at university, though I was there 4 years and was self catered all that time. I do remember my way around the town though. I was there 40 years ago now, but have lived relatively close to it for a few years, as in close enough to visit maybe once a year.

I remember doing my washing. I used to get up at stupid o'clock on a Sunday to do it when everyone else was in bed, shove it in a machine and go back to bed!

But this city has a prominent entrance gate to it and I think that's been there for a long time !

Harder to explain - unless you routinely came from another entry point to city or maybe it's been spruced up somehow.

Though I've misremember layout of town castle combination I saw regularly as child - it's clearly not changed so it's my memory being faulty and possible some trees no longer being there confusing me.