RootsChat.Com

Hi swampie thank you so much,does she remember me? dorm 87, the very freckled girl, who was always made to run and hurdles for sussex team? kept obsconding,I used to fancy a boy named ali becouse I thought he was a arabin prince we beleived any thing in those days, when we ent to walton on naze I do remember a young shy mate who used to tell me horrible tales about the tower and scare the hell out of me,also tell me when we slept i tents the ear wigs would go into my ears when i slept and make me deaf?we used to dilike (possibly jelouse a young blond gir who used to sing for us all? I am now 72yrs and stil a old loney codger but wont give in xxxxxx

trying to get in touch to leave email , apparently you haven't enough post for me to leave email for you ? i live in coventry now only place could get a house in 1960s as London had a waiting list for years, appears the same now ? but didn't want to go in flat from the flea bitten bedsitter ,  hope your be in touch so i will hear your considering the book, i used write a little but preffer to  narrate  to video for web,and its cheap publicity for world wide audience ,mind you your always be skint, think about it? its easier as i am bad speller , and its quicker. you take care you

Thank you for your informative responce, jeannettee,

During world war 2, my brother and I were evacuated to the residential home, as my father was in the air Force and mother seriously ill.  We were seperated form each other, extremely miserable.  The food was awful..  Many escapes were attempted.  spent most of our time in the air raid shelters.

I was in Ashford Residential Home for approximately 2 years around 1950 - 1953. It was a huge building, and housed children from babies to 15 year olds.

It was very 'dickensian' and doesn't bring back very happy memories to me, but I would be interested in hearing from anybody else who may have been there during that time.

A few things I recall - There were boys one end and girls the other end of the building, with a huge corridor in between. (I recall this particularly, because one of my punishments for running away, yet again, was to get on my hands and knees and scrub the whole corridor - can you imagine an 11 year old doing that now?)

I also recall, that there were long dormitories (which we had to clean daily with a huge ronuk(?) polisher, and we had special name for the mice! I was beaten up on my first day. We used to go scrumping fruit in the orchards at the back of the building. We were always hungry. I got 1shilling and threepence for pocketmoney, and periodically got beaten up in the air-raid shelters and relieved of said money! If not, I, and others got over the wall into the village to buy some cigarettes! Oh, and I recall the 'blacking room' where all shoe polishing was carried out, and I still recoil in horror at the hundreds of cockroachers that scattered on turning the light on!

Apologies for going on a bit, but it's quite theraputic for me I suppose.
When I left there, I was sent to another 'Home' in Banstead till I was 15.
This was all because of my parents splitting up - it was certainly all different in those days................

I was in Ashford Residential Home for approximately 2 years around 1950 - 1953. It was a huge building, and housed children from babies to 15 year olds.

It was very 'dickensian' and doesn't bring back very happy memories to me, but I would be interested in hearing from anybody else who may have been there during that time.

A few things I recall - There were boys one end and girls the other end of the building, with a huge corridor in between. (I recall this particularly, because one of my punishments for running away, yet again, was to get on my hands and knees and scrub the whole corridor - can you imagine an 11 year old doing that now?)

I also recall, that there were long dormitories (which we had to clean daily with a huge ronuk(?) polisher, and we had special name for the mice! I was beaten up on my first day. We used to go scrumping fruit in the orchards at the back of the building. We were always hungry. I got 1shilling and threepence for pocketmoney, and periodically got beaten up in the air-raid shelters and relieved of said money! If not, I, and others got over the wall into the village to buy some cigarettes! Oh, and I recall the 'blacking room' where all shoe polishing was carried out, and I still recoil in horror at the hundreds of cockroachers that scattered on turning the light on!

Apologies for going on a bit, but it's quite theraputic for me I suppose.
When I left there, I was sent to another 'Home' in Banstead till I was 15.
This was all because of my parents splitting up - it was certainly all different in those days................

i am margaret, was there couple years before you. dont worry, most of us still bear the scares to this day emotionaly and mentaly , you take care hope to hear from you ,