Ashford residental home . middlesex

[oldfogey]

Hi,! I was at Asford from 1934 to 1945. evacuated to Maidenhead, Berks. Have pleasant memories of Ashford  seeing it was the only place that I knew of. Must have been 2 years old when I went there. Discipline by today's standard was pretty strict but for us  it was the norm. Education was the basic 3 Rs  but pretty thorough. I was just under  8 years old  when WW.2 started  and could read and follow  a lot of it . From the Newspapers. Being an avid stamp  collector at that time . I found  the war maps easy to follow . Maidehead was a very nice place for me . With nice views along the river . Used to hang about Boulters Lock  to help open & close the Locks. School was a mismatch affair. in various places such as Church Halls, Scout  Hut etc. We went to Dymchurch for summer. I think it had a miniture railway . Which was taken over by the Military. I had 4 elder sibblings at Ashford and none of them complained  about conditions there , at lease to me. t the age of 14 yrs we were put into Apprentice programes for boys or Boy service in the Armed Forces . My eldest sisterwas put into domestic service for a Dr's family home. and had to sign some sort of contract. She told me many years later  that it was terrible working there and eventually ran away. The start of War helped in avoiding the authourities  and work was plentiful

[billtaylor]

Hi All

In regards to gnashers comments about the school I was one of the 6 chosen for the scholarship to go to wandsworth grammar school at southfields               . Some of the other names were Victor Camp. Len Johnson and me Bill Taylor.  We caught the 8am train at ashford railway station every school morning. If you read this gnasher I would like to contact you and go over old times. Heres hoping.

[billtaylor]

Hi there Gnasher, this is Bill Taylor again, it would be iteresting to know your real name. I was there from Jan. 1944 to 1950 when I went to a foster family.Other names that come to mind are Bobby Aldis, Micheal Toogood, Donald Southard, the Gardener brothers, Clifford Stevens, George Stiliano(he was of greek parentage),Piggy Gentry to name a few.I remember one year some of us went up to Scotland for a holiday? we had to write an essay about it when we came back, it was a long train journey there and back.Another memory is having dancing lessons with Mr Antshead, a dapper little man with shiny shoes, this was one of our few chances to make contact with the girls, the lessons were held in the dining hall. I suppse this was neutral territory, and at Christmas we were allowed to have proper dance. Looking forward to hearing from you again. P. S Iwent to the grammar school.

[chris74]

Hi Frederickay,  I've got two school magazines, from Christmas 1935 and 1937, which are aimed at alumni but have contributions by the children.  I bought them years ago as part of a job lot of old newspapers and magazines and came across them the other day as I'm having a clear-out.  I thought if the school was still going it'd be nice to pass them back to the school as part of their history, but obviously it isn't going now.  When I googled it, though, I came across this site and your entry.  It looks like your father would certainly have been there during this time.

If you'd like the magazines I'd be really happy to pass them on to you, even if there's nothing in there that your father wrote it would hopefully give you an insight into school life there. 

Obviously there are rules about sharing personal info / contact info, so if you are interested to have them, perhaps we could arrange for me to get them to the moderators of the site and them to send them on to you? Do let me know.  Kind regards, Christine

[dawnsh]

Hi Christine

Welcome to Rootschat 

Now you have enough posts you can send a personal message to other members on here and they can send messages to you.

Ashford is now in the Borough of Spelthorne and their library service is run by Surrey County Council. Have you also considered contacting the Surrey History Centre about make a deposit/donation of these documents?

Dawn

[frederickay]

Hi thank you so much for those mags ..Ashford Resendtial school mag 1935 and 1937 . i found my father James David Wharton confirmation , armistice day 1937 .. photo of his sister Winifred r in pirates of penzance and a funny quote from his sister Mabel.
 I am very happy to scan pages and or look up names if any one wishes . it was very eerie and lovely to see my dad there. he obviously wasn't a scholar and had told my sister he had got into trouble for letting ""wind "" during confirmation ...
 he4 didn't have any problems with the place but was there from 2 years old so knew no different. i would love to find his family records one day but don't see going to England in foreseeable future . bye Jan

[gordonwilliams]

Florentine
                My brother and myself where in Ashford from1945-48, I was only seven at the time but
   I remember it well, The stricked routine.the bullying.
                In 48 i was adopted  and went to live in Tunbridgr Wells

                                   Gordon an John Williams
                       

[gnashers]

Hi there every body particularly 'swampsiesue'

The book that I threatened to write should be available next month. It is my own view of life growing up during the blitz, evacuations, in childrens homes (4 of them). The last home being Ashford.

Half the book is devoted to my time at Ashford which is beautifully enhanced by the late Frank Gorman who's widow, Ann, has given me permission to publish his potted history of Ashford and  a very entertaining description of the people that worked and lived there.

The Epilogue includes references made by swampiesue's mother Sylvia and Maggi both posters on this site. If any one is interested in buying a copy it is a hardback of 140 pages and a few old photo's . Please contact me by personal message.

To the 'moderators' Through this Subject I have managed to meet up with Bill Taylor who had copies of Frank Gormans work. All three of us were there at the same time in the forties. Thanks

gnashers

Moderator comment: email address removed in accordance with Rootschat policies

[swampiesue]

Hi there, that's brilliant congratulations .....Mum and I would both like a copy I will contact you re the e-mail... I can't wait to read it and I am sure Mum can't wait to look back on some memories both Happy and Sad.