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My Grandmother Mrs. Helen Membury ran Homestead School in Bourne End, my mother Jean Gorham is the niece people in this email chain are recalling.  Mrs Membury died 15 years ago but my mother is still alive and well and living in Suffolk.

We have many pictures of the Homestead School which my grandmother remembered with great affection. I believe the school cook may have been Grace Higgs for a period of time who did have a Mediterranean appearance, she was assisted by Mrs Membury's sister for a period who may have been called Rene.

My grandmother was employed as Matron by the government, the school was set up to care for boys who came from a disadvantaged background (largely from the East end )where it was felt that placement of that child with a "rural" family may have led to child control difficulties. This maybe why your official would not divulge information as this could be deemed sensitive and may have been classified as secret.

Funding for the home was limited and so the children were expected to assist with chores. My grandmother did tell us that the boys at the  home were not generally appreciated by local village grandees, they generally did not like normal boyish behavior considered normal by the rest of us.

I laughed when I heard your description of my grandmother, the short hair and gammy leg were her signature, she walked with a hop! She received a medal for her work at the Homestead, the school closed at the end of the war with the repatriation of children back to their parents. Essentially the school had outlived it's intended purpose, nothing sinister.

I am sure my mother would love to talk to any of the old boys! Does anyone know what happened to Jim Adams?